Chapter Nine
Ruby
Finding our seats in the giant arena is the easy part. Seeing Dash skate out onto the ice in an electric blue jersey is another situation entirely.
Breathe, Ruby, I tell my anxious self. Just breathe.
“Go, Stars!” Beckett screams, prompting me to cover my ears. I’ll no doubt need a hearing aid by the end of the night. “Woo!” he screams again, pumping his fist into the air.
I can’t help but smile. The kid hasn’t had a whole lot to look forward to for most of this past year with Mom being ill and me struggling to be the stand-in parent while also building my baby business.
Most nights it’s homework, gaming, and turning in before ten p.m. But tonight?
Tonight he gets to be a carefree kid for a while and enjoy something he never would’ve had the opportunity to if it weren’t for Dash.
My gaze strays to that same hockey player during warmups.
He slaps a puck across the ice to another player, then rolls his shoulder upward.
Another guy skates over to him, laughing about something, and Dash laughs too.
I almost imagine the sound reaches me over the bass thumping loudly throughout the arena.
“Should we get popcorn before the game starts or wait until the first intermission?” Beckett’s question steals my attention.
“Well, the lines looked a little long when we came in.” I glance back at the entrance. “How about once the game starts and everyone is seated, I’ll sneak out and grab you some popcorn? That way, you don’t have to miss the gameplay, and I won’t be stuck in a never-ending line.”
Beckett smiles wide. “A drink, too?”
A laugh spills out of me as I ruffle his hair. “Of course, Beck.”
“You’re the best big sister ever!” Before I can register the movement, Beckett’s scrawny arms are wrapped around my mid-section. I lean my cheek against the top of his head and squeeze him back.
It’s not often we share a moment like this, thanks to me having had to mother him while Mom was bedridden. It’s nice to be seen as the fun, generous big sister and not a boring authoritative figure again.
He lets go as soon as the players take their respective spots on the ice and the referees get into position. Once the puck drops, it’s go time.
***
“That was amazing!” Beckett says, eyes wild. “We have to go to another game.”
All I can do is force a smile because I know in my heart, we’ll never be able to afford tickets. We’re only here because Dash made it possible.
“Do you think they’ll beat them again in Game Two?” Beckett asks.
“I don’t know, bud, but I could see it.”
The Stars were fantastic. The Stripes were too, of course, giving them a run for their money up until the very end, but something about this team made it seem as if they’ve worked together for years instead of days.
The synchronicity, the camaraderie…or maybe Dash being a part of it made all the difference for me.
I’d like to try and pretend I wasn’t watching him the whole time, but it was hard not to. He is tough out on the ice. A scrappy but intentional player. All the hard work he puts in at the many practices he mentions during his livestreams showed up big time tonight.
The surrounding crowd begins to move toward the exits, causing the rest of us to amble along like cattle.
“I’m glad I didn’t fill up too much on popcorn.” Beckett rubs his stomach dramatically. “You were right. It would’ve spoiled my dinner.”
I train my features into a pleasant expression. I did tell Beckett to save room for dinner, knowing there’s a full buffet promised for the meet-and-greet afterward, even if going to it is the last thing I want to do.
I’ve been whispering silent encouragements to my heart all night, hoping at least one of them sticks.
Things like Do it for your brother, Ruby.
Put on a brave face, woman. And See? You can enjoy yourself whenever the Stars would score a goal.
But now that the time has come, pretending to be happy, lighthearted, and fun feels a whole lot harder.
The arena is nearly empty by the time we make our way to the suite designated for family and friends. We flash our fancy badges like we’re heading backstage to meet a rockstar. Only it’s no rockstar we’re meeting tonight, even if Beckett holds him up to that level of esteem.
Everyone in the suite seems preoccupied with their own little groups when Beckett and I stroll in. I give the room a quick perusal. A few hockey players with freshly washed hair mingle throughout the space. Thankfully, there’s no sign of Dash.
Yet.
It gives me hope I’ll be able to blend in with the crowd when he finally makes his appearance.
“I don’t see him, Ruby.” Beckett eyes me with a worried brow. “Do you think he forgot?”
“No, Beck. I’m sure he didn’t forget.” I tweak his nose playfully, then point to the buffet. “Why don’t we grab a bite to eat while we wait?”
Beckett nods and allows me to steer him toward the table lined with prime rib, potatoes, and...is that…lasagna?
“This all looks good.” Beckett’s eyes grow wide at the delicious-looking array of food. “Do you think they’ll let us get seconds?” He tugs at the collar of his bulky coat.
“Let’s just start with firsts and go from there, mmkay?” I grab his coat sleeve. “Why don’t you take off this big coat? We’re away from the ice now, and it’s kind of toasty in here.”
He pulls away from me, refusing to meet my eyes. “Not yet. Um. Maybe later.” Starting toward the buffet, he says, “Let’s eat.”
We mosey down the line of food, and while Beckett piles his plate with goodies, my stomach protests.
Still, I put a few things on my plate for appearances.
I make sure to choose items Beckett seems to enjoy so he can use my plate as his “seconds.” My monthly cramps coupled with my sheer nerves are making it impossible for me to enjoy this spread.
Once our plates are full, I look for a table that isn’t occupied, but don’t see one. I do, however, spy a lit-up exit sign, and underneath, a door. To an empty stairwell, perhaps? I spot a nearby lighted tree along the wall and point to it.
“Let’s just stand over there and eat.” It’s better to be out of the way anyway. If I’m seated when Dash decides to grace us with his presence, it’ll be that much harder to slink away undetected.
When I see him coming, I’ll just tell Beck I need to use the restroom, then slip through the nearest exit. Return to Beck after the coast is clear.
Okay…maybe my plan to escape Dash’s notice is half-baked, at best.
I subtly nibble a cracker and scan the room. The savory aroma of Beckett’s prime rib hits me, and my stomach growls. “That smells really good,” I say more to myself than him.
He swallows his bite of food and stares at me like I’m a puzzle he can’t quite solve. “If you’re hungry, why didn’t you get more food?”
“That’s a great question.” My mutter sounds more like a growl.
“Here. Have a bite.” He plops a large piece of meat onto my already full plate, earning a sigh from me.
I don’t want to have a mouth full of food when I need to make a mad dash away from…well, Dash. But this beef is the melt-in-your-mouth type that’s hard to ignore.
“Thanks, bud.”
I take a generous bite of the prime rib and close my eyes, lost in a moment of pure beef bliss. And that was my first mistake.
“There he is,” Beckett whispers, almost too low for my ears to register. Then, “Hey, Dash! Over here!”
Before I even chance a look, I shove my plate of food toward Beckett—who barely catches it in time—and completely lose sight of my plan. Out of time, I dive behind the lighted tree, choking on prime rib as my knees hit the wall with a merciless thud.