Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Nah, I like the kale smoothies the Viking brings me,” I say, tipping my forehead toward the team captain.
Stefan shrugs with the confidence of a king. “I do make excellent smoothies.”
“Why don’t you just open a kale smoothie truck?” Hayes suggests to his friend and his partner since they’re both married to Ivy.
Stefan’s blue eyes twinkle. “I already own a restaurant. Why not add a smoothie truck? Thanks, New Guy.”
Hayes growls. “Nope. You’re not calling me that anymore.”
We haven’t called Hayes that in ages. He joined the team a year ago and outgrew that moniker quickly. “Yeah, Hollis has that name now,” I add.
“Actually, Hollis needs to be Surfer Boy, I decided,” Stefan says, then gestures to Hayes. “We picked it.”
I furrow my brow like what gives? “You picked a nickname without me? You know I love doling out nicknames. Also, I have a much better one for Hollis.”
This intrigues Stefan, judging from the quirk in his brow. “What have you got?”
“Hollis is…wait for it…the fucking Magician. He trained a cat to high five,” I say.
Stefan blinks, seeming impressed. “I might just call him that next week.”
Seconds later, Chase and Ryker skate over to us, tugging up helmets too.
The Golden Guy on the Sea Dogs offers me a fist for knocking. “Not too shabby. But I did go easy on you,” Chase says.
I stare him down menacingly. “Don’t make me challenge you to get back out there, Weston.”
“Don’t make me go easy on you again,” he taunts, then glides over to the boards, heading Trina’s way. Probably to meet her at the tunnel for a kiss.
Ryker nods at me. He’s always been the more serious of the two. “Good to see you. Still can’t believe you went to the enemy.”
I roll my eyes. “Dude, I didn’t leave. You did. You left us,” I point out since he was traded to the Sea Dogs a season ago.
“Details,” he says, waving a hand.
Ledger joins us, and he’s smiling as well, looking loose and easy. It’s a good look, and I hope he’s enjoying himself. “Did you have fun?”
Like he’s giving it some serious thought, he nods, then says, “Yeah. I did.”
“Good. I think you needed this too.”
He’s quiet, then he says, “I probably did.”
Then, my gaze strays to the boards. It’s only us here, and Chase and Ryker are surrounding their wife, Trina, chatting her up while Stefan and Hayes take selfies with Ivy.
Watching them warms my heart and makes it hurt a little too. I wish that we could have that with Aubrey, that kind of free and easy life. Maybe in some other world, we could. She’d lean over, offer one kiss to me, one to Ledger. We’d snap pics. We’d walk down the street together, unafraid.
But the woman I’m falling for isn’t ready for even a date. I’d thought I wasn’t either. Only the more time I spend with her, the more I want another day, another week, another month.
That can’t happen though.
Five days ago, she was ready to get married. I don’t want to be her rebound. I’m just going to enjoy what I have for a few more days since it’s going to end very, very soon.
Right now, the kids from the camp are heading down the tunnel, ready to join us on the ice.
It’s game time.
The Freezer Burners are tied with the Nose Breakers, and that is not okay. I’m a Nose Breaker after all, tending to the net for a motley crew mix of hockey kids and my teammates.
I’m guarding it like a hawk. Nothing will get past me. Not even the determined spark plug of a kid racing down the ice from Lord knows where, hell-bent on scoring. He takes a killer shot. I lunge for it. I’ve saved these goals before. I can save this one. I’m diving to the side, since it’s caroming toward the pipes, but it sneaks between my legs.
The kid shouts in victory. “I got one on the Brick!”
I try not to smile. I swear I don’t. But the kid knows my nickname.
We go on to lose.
When the game ends, young players mob us and thank us.
“You played great,” I tell the kid who scored the winning goal. “What’s your name?”
“Kaio,” he says.
“Keep having fun, Kaio, okay? That’s the most important thing. Got it?”
“Got it, Brick,” he says, nodding dutifully.
Later, after I’ve shed my gear and packed it up, Sanchez pulls me aside in the hallway. “I took some pics today. Would love to post them on social. You cool with that?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks, man. And you should do this again next year. You’re good with them.”
“I thought you didn’t want me.”
“You’re always welcome here. The kids like you.”
“I’ll do it,” I say, and really, this feels like where I belong.
Especially since it’s not ending. At least, it’d better not.
I’ll need hockey even more come Saturday.