Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 99723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“I’m married,” Bill blurts out. Eyes turn his way, not in surprise at the fact, but that he’s saying it here in front of Coach. “And I’m staying that way. If that’s a problem, I can ride the pine too.”
“Well, fuck,” Lavoie hisses. “I’m dating someone too. Met her in New York. It’s still new, but yeah, I’m dating someone. And if need be, I’ll ride too. Yeehaw, motherfuckers.”
“I talked to Sofia,” Kipson says quietly. “Made my apologies and she accepted.” He sighs heavily. “It was good. Not get-back-together good, but good.”
Rodney holds his hand up. “I have a girl back home, hopefully waiting on me. She just started her engineering program at school. And I really don’t want to sit out, because this is my chance, but I want to play for a team that gives a crap about each other.”
Briar pulls away from my chest, her arm snaking back around my waist. “Dad, you picked hockey over me every time the choice came up. Now is your last chance. Either Dominic plays, or this time, it’ll be me choosing to leave you behind. You’ll never see or hear from me again.” Her voice quakes a little, and I feel the shiver run through her as she delivers her own ultimatum, but she stands unyielding, demanding more than the bare minimum for the first fucking time in her life.
I couldn’t be prouder of her.
Ironically, her ultimatum is similar to her father’s—hockey or her. I know what I chose, and I’d do it again, as many times as necessary, but I’m honestly not sure what Coach will choose. And so help me, if he hurts Briar again, I’m going to beat the shit out of him. Given the hard-set jaws and cold eyes around the room, I won’t be the only one.
We’ve all given up so much for our sport, dedicating our lives to it. But it can’t be to the detriment of a life outside the ice at all.
“I was a shitty father,” Coach says stiffly, his back ramrod straight and eyes unblinking like a guilty defendant awaiting Briar’s verdict. She doesn’t absolve him, doesn’t disagree in the slightest because he’s right—he was. “But in a twisted way, I was protecting you . . . from me. You didn’t need me around. I was building something all-consuming back then—”
He looks at the locker room around him, but he’s gone, seeing the ghosts of his past. Or maybe his mistakes haunting him? He shakes his head, his eyes clearing. “Your mom was doing right by you, and gave me what-for when I tried to drop in and out of your life.” For a moment, he sounds salty about that, but then he admits, “She was right, and I didn’t want to mess up the good life she was making for you with my own hockey-focused single-mindedness. You standing here, telling me what’s gonna happen on the ice, as though you have any right to, is testament to your mother’s influence.”
He chuckles like he’s remembering something about Briar’s mom, and when he looks at Briar again, he seems shocked. Vaguely, I wonder if Briar and her mother look alike because the way Coach is peering at her, it’s like he’s truly seeing his daughter for the first time. He takes a deep breath, and slowly, an affectionate smile starts to stretch his lips, until he finally declares, “You’re a good woman, a great mother, and if you think Dominic is worth all this, then I guess I’ll have to trust your instincts.”
It’s not an apology, but the acknowledgment of his past sins and Briar’s current awesomeness seems to satisfy her because she covers her mouth with her hands and gasps, “Really?”
Coach nods, his smile growing. “Kinda like that kid you said was good, the one on that trip to Toronto? I was ready to go, but you saw something in him I couldn’t see. Now, he’s a pro. You see good in people, look for it even. Lee has good inside him?” He shoots me a warning glare that says I’d better be fucking good to my core if I’m in love with his daughter.
“He’s full of it.”
I joke with a cocky grin, “That’s what my mom says too. Full of shit. Full of good. You know, same-same.”
“Okay then, let’s see if we can salvage this fucking game,” Coach announces, ignoring me but thankfully listening to Briar. “Tomville, pine. Lee, on the ice. Rest of you assholes, start fucking playing.”
“Yes, Coach!” sounds out from around the room.
“Are we all supposed to sing ‘Kumbaya’ now?” Anderson sneers as he slams his helmet against his locker. I think it’s his new one so he really should be more careful with it.
He’s pissed. He made a big move, selling me out to Coach and expecting everyone to turn against me, especially Coach. It was a good plan, and it almost worked. Except, the guys and me? We’re brothers . . . we’re teammates . . . we’re family, and family looks out for each other. Them having my back and effectively refusing to play without me is something I will never forget.