31. New Recruits
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
NEW RECRUITS
TUCKER
The locker room is party central.
Someone found several bottles of Champagne, and Vaughn opens one and showers me with it.
Before we know it, we’re all covered in Champagne, sweat and very little else. By the way, my teammates are jumping and chanting; you’d think tonight was the Frozen Four final rather than just a pre-season tournament.
“Dude,” Nash comes to hide behind me. Mack is chasing him with an open bottle of Champagne. “Knock it off. There is only one way I want to celebrate today’s victory.”
I chuckle. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same way I’m thinking.”
“If it involves Taryn behind closed doors,” Colsen chimes in. “It’s exactly what I was planning too.”
Thank fuck we’re all on the same page about sharing the love of the most perfect woman in the world.
I know I sound like a complete sap, but I knew she was the one when she shot me in the leg and my only worry was not to pass out in front of her.
She’s everything I ever wanted, and I can’t believe how lucky I am that she chose me. And my best friends too.
“Yeah, but before we can start celebrating, we need to wash off tonight’s game and all this Champagne. We stink.”
But before I can cross the mayhem of rowdy teammates who are still jumping and horsing around, the locker room door opens.
Coach Harrison has to blow his whistle several times to get the noise to die down.
He looks ready to murder us all. Four years ago his less than sunny attitude would have gotten to me. Now I know that the scowl and the jaw tick on our coach’s face are just his default mode.
“So, this is it for the summer.” Coach Harrison barks. “Not bad for a bunch of candy ass pucks.” His mouth curls up in a lopsided smile, and I swear to God, someone should tell him not to even try. He looks ten times scarier when he smiles.
My teammates roar their joy at the praise we all work hard for every single day.
Vaughn charges Coach, pointing a closed bottle of Champagne at him, his hand ready to twist the cork off.
“Heston!” Coach barks. “Get one drop of Champagne on me and so help me God.”
I’ve never seen Vaughn retreat as fast as he does under Coach’s withering glare.
After a moment of silence, he continues. “I’m sure you all have plans to celebrate better than wasting expensive wine like a bunch of dumbasses.”
“Fuck, yeah.” Vaughn hollers. “There is beer to be drank and cheerleaders to be banged.”
“HESTON!” Coach roars.
This time Vaughn gets the message. He mimics a zipper shutting his mouth.
“If only.” Coach Harrison mutters with one final glare in Vaughn’s direction.
“Before I leave you to your festivities and to some deserved time off before you report back on campus, there are two important announcements I need to make. The first announcement is that I have selected a new team captain.”
Fuck, Coach is right. With all the commotion of the last couple of weeks, I had totally forgotten about that. Our captain was Luke Harper, one of the players who had just graduated with the graduating class I should have been a part of.
I wonder who Coach picked. I’m the most veteran player on this team, even though not by choice. But I must admit that if I’m called up to lead my teammates, I’m up for the challenge.
“There were a few of you whom I deemed deserving,” Coach Harrison’s eyes land on me. “So I decided to name one captain and two alternates, who I’m sure will assist in leading our team into a pivotal season for our entire town. The new Cove Knights captain is Macklin Shayba.”
I can’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. But I can’t argue with Coach’s decision. Mack is our star player, and he’s bound to have an amazing career.
“The alternate captains are Tucker Prescott and Colsen Thomas.”
Dammit. I see what Coach is doing and I have to admit, he knows his shit.
Colsen and I will be graduating after this season, while Mack has two more years of college if he doesn’t get called out by the pros sooner.
By choosing Mack, the team will benefit from having a great captain for two seasons.
But by appointing me and Colsen as his alternates, they’ll benefit from our experience as veterans.
“Thank you, Coach,” Mack beams. “I’m not going to disappoint you.”
Coach Harrison levels him with a hard look. “I know you won’t, Shayba.”
Mack pales, and I don’t blame him. Our coach has proven that he has our backs when the push comes to shove. But fuck if he isn’t scary.
Several of our teammates come to congratulate the three of us. Nash is the first who hugs us one after the other. In the weeks of summer training, our newest teammate has become more than a friend. He’s become our brother.
Coach clears his throat to get our attention again. “You can braid each other’s hair later. I have one last announcement before I can get the fuck out of here, go on vacation and not think about your candy ass pucks for two whole weeks.”
“Aww, Coach,” I chuckle. “We know you’ll think about us twenty-four-seven. We’ll even be in your dreams.”
“More like my nightmares, Prescott.” He barks.
But I know that deep down he loves me.
“I’m gonna cut to the chase and let you know that in two weeks we’re going to have two new teammates.”
The announcement causes a shocked gasp in the locker room.
“Forgive me for interrupting, Coach,” Mack says. “But how is that possible? The window for transfers closed in the spring. And if the two new players are freshmen, shouldn’t they have been here for summer training?”
“Shayba,” Coach barks. “Way to start by pissing me off with the first thing that comes out of your mouth thirty seconds after I named you team captain. Shut the fuck up and let me explain.”
Mack’s hand flies to the back of his neck. I’ve never seen him blush before today. “Sorry, Coach.”
“You should be. Now, if no one else has any further smart ass comments, this is a very exceptional circumstance. Most of you know that last year the Dean of Bridgeport University was caught in a huge scandal. He had founded a talent agency through which he controlled the entire athletic department of the university. After his untimely death, it finally came to light how deep his influence ran. Not only the athletic department, but the entire institution was used as a private source of funding for his own agency. The level of embezzlement that was discovered by the school’s new administrators was such that it bankrupted the entire institution.
Bridgeport University was officially shut down last week. ”
This time, not even Coach’s death glare can stop the collective gasp of surprise that echoes throughout the locker room.
“Fuck,” Haller says. “We knew that last year the Bridgeport Tigers were far from the team we had known in the past, but that’s rough. What are the players going to do? Without a school, they have no team.”
“Thanks, Captain Obvious.” Coach glares.
“Seen these unusual circumstances, the NCAA has offered the rest of the Division One teams the opportunity to offer a spot to any former Bridgeport players. So I’m pleased to announce that a new defenseman and a new right winger from the Tigers are going to join us in two weeks.
These players will also continue their studies in Star Cove. ”
Vaughn rubs his chin. “That’s cool. We really needed a decent right winger. It’s our weakest spot.”
“I agree.” Coach says. “For once in your life you didn’t open your mouth to embarrass yourself, Heston. Keep it up. You might remember our two new Cove Knights. The defenseman is Nigel Worthing, a senior, and the right winger is Becker Shayba, a sophomore.”
“Shayba? Is there any relation with you, Mack?” Nash asks, and we all look at Mack, who’s standing in front of his locker with a stony expression and a tick in his jaw.
His usual easygoing smile is gone, and right now he’s channeling Coach Harrison’s scariest glare. “I’d say so. He’s my younger brother.”
“Oh, that’s cool, then.” I slap Mack on the back. “I didn’t even know you had a brother. Why did he go to Bridgeport? He should have come to Star Cove from the beginning and played with you.”
Mack’s scowl darkens. “Maybe if you ask him that, you’ll get the answer I never got.
Don’t you think I told him he should come to Star Cove?
He got in too, early acceptance. But he chose to go to Bridgeport instead, and we haven’t spoken for over a year.
Now he comes to play on my team? I hope he’s ready to prove himself, because I’m not going to get bent over backwards to help him get settled in Star Cove. ”
Fuck. The tension radiating from Mack could power the big Ferris wheel at the end of the pier for an entire summer. Next season should be interesting.