sleeve and grabbed her phone from where she had it drying near her bed. The rain hadn’t spared it, so she was hoping it could be saved. Popping the battery back into place, she powered it up and was relieved when the screen lit up.
She had two missed calls and a text from Josh. He was worried about her, wanting to make sure she got home. She sent him a text that just said I’m OK.
Her family had tried everything over the last year to get her to smile or to cry or to just feel something. Josh had done it in one night. Taylor didn’t know what that meant. She didn’t know if it could mean anything. Not when she still loved Danny with everything she had.
Six
“About damn time we get to start playing some real games,” Mack said, sitting in the locker next to Josh’s.
“Yeah,” Josh responded.
“Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?” Mack shoved his shoulder, trying to get a reaction. “You’ve been morose all week.”
“Morose?” he faked a laugh.
“Sad. Pain in the ass. A regular kill-joy. That better?”
“Whatever, man.”
The coaches walked in and stared around the room.
“Opening night,” Coach Peterson said. “We’re on Hockey Night in Canada. You ready?”
“Yes, sir,” they all said.
“Well, you know I’m not one for speeches,” the coach continued. “So just go out there and start the season right.”
Carter sat on the edge of his locker with his head in his hands. “Man up, Neiler!” Mack said. “This is the biggest night of your life, kid.”
Carter shook himself and then looked up at Josh.
“Just remember what I told you,” Josh said. “Play your game. You’ve got this.”
Carter made the team out of camp as a fourth-liner, but Josh knew he was too good to stay there for long. He was just young. Young guys had bad habits. They didn’t play defense. They took penalties. Josh was young too, but he’d been in the league a couple years and had those habits coached out of him.
They filed out of the room single file and marched down the hallway. It was Toronto’s opener as well and they were making quite a show of it. The arena was dark, except for the spotlight that followed the Toronto players to their spot on the blue line.
The roar of the crowd was deafening. Josh’s stomach clenched. He still got nervous every time he stepped out onto the ice in front of thousands of people. It wasn’t something he thought he’d ever get used to. He looked back at Carter and grinned, knowing the kid was feeling the energy for the first time.
Toronto finished up their opening-night show, and it was time for hockey. The starting line-up was announced overhead and Josh stood next to Mack on the ice as both the Canadian and American national anthems were sung.
Mack bent down to take the opening face-off, and the game was underway. Toronto scored on the very first shift, deflating the Jackets’ bench a bit.
On his next shift, Josh raced after the Leaf player who controlled the puck. He hit him into the boards, but not before the Leaf passed the puck off to his teammate, who had come streaking down center ice.
By the end of the second period, the Jackets were down 3-0. The third goal had come on a power-play. Josh was on the ice for all three goals.
Coach Peterson didn’t bother to come into the locker room during second intermission. He sent a fuming Coach Scott instead.
“You’re embarrassing yourselves out there,” he said, obviously trying not to explode on them. “Do you really want to start the season on this note?” He paused. “Walker, I don’t know what is wrong with you today, but you need to get your head in the game. It isn’t like you to have that many turnovers. Everything outside of this building stays out there. You got that? That goes for everyone. Leave your problems out of this room and off of that ice. You are professionals, for Christ’s sake. Mack, you need to start winning more of those face-offs or I’ll have Olle take yours. Now,
She had two missed calls and a text from Josh. He was worried about her, wanting to make sure she got home. She sent him a text that just said I’m OK.
Her family had tried everything over the last year to get her to smile or to cry or to just feel something. Josh had done it in one night. Taylor didn’t know what that meant. She didn’t know if it could mean anything. Not when she still loved Danny with everything she had.
Six
“About damn time we get to start playing some real games,” Mack said, sitting in the locker next to Josh’s.
“Yeah,” Josh responded.
“Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?” Mack shoved his shoulder, trying to get a reaction. “You’ve been morose all week.”
“Morose?” he faked a laugh.
“Sad. Pain in the ass. A regular kill-joy. That better?”
“Whatever, man.”
The coaches walked in and stared around the room.
“Opening night,” Coach Peterson said. “We’re on Hockey Night in Canada. You ready?”
“Yes, sir,” they all said.
“Well, you know I’m not one for speeches,” the coach continued. “So just go out there and start the season right.”
Carter sat on the edge of his locker with his head in his hands. “Man up, Neiler!” Mack said. “This is the biggest night of your life, kid.”
Carter shook himself and then looked up at Josh.
“Just remember what I told you,” Josh said. “Play your game. You’ve got this.”
Carter made the team out of camp as a fourth-liner, but Josh knew he was too good to stay there for long. He was just young. Young guys had bad habits. They didn’t play defense. They took penalties. Josh was young too, but he’d been in the league a couple years and had those habits coached out of him.
They filed out of the room single file and marched down the hallway. It was Toronto’s opener as well and they were making quite a show of it. The arena was dark, except for the spotlight that followed the Toronto players to their spot on the blue line.
The roar of the crowd was deafening. Josh’s stomach clenched. He still got nervous every time he stepped out onto the ice in front of thousands of people. It wasn’t something he thought he’d ever get used to. He looked back at Carter and grinned, knowing the kid was feeling the energy for the first time.
Toronto finished up their opening-night show, and it was time for hockey. The starting line-up was announced overhead and Josh stood next to Mack on the ice as both the Canadian and American national anthems were sung.
Mack bent down to take the opening face-off, and the game was underway. Toronto scored on the very first shift, deflating the Jackets’ bench a bit.
On his next shift, Josh raced after the Leaf player who controlled the puck. He hit him into the boards, but not before the Leaf passed the puck off to his teammate, who had come streaking down center ice.
By the end of the second period, the Jackets were down 3-0. The third goal had come on a power-play. Josh was on the ice for all three goals.
Coach Peterson didn’t bother to come into the locker room during second intermission. He sent a fuming Coach Scott instead.
“You’re embarrassing yourselves out there,” he said, obviously trying not to explode on them. “Do you really want to start the season on this note?” He paused. “Walker, I don’t know what is wrong with you today, but you need to get your head in the game. It isn’t like you to have that many turnovers. Everything outside of this building stays out there. You got that? That goes for everyone. Leave your problems out of this room and off of that ice. You are professionals, for Christ’s sake. Mack, you need to start winning more of those face-offs or I’ll have Olle take yours. Now,
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