“And with just over a minute to play in the period.”
“What a dick move!”
I can’t believe the announcer just said that. Looks like the owner isn’t the only one who’s going to get fined, and speaking of fine I am anything but.
The announcer is right. This isn’t how you take a living legend off the ice, but there’s no stopping it now.
My brother skates onto the ice to a chorus of…boos.
It’s terrible.
Oh my god I feel so sad for him just watching this. I can’t even imagine how he must feel. He’s finally, officially, achieved his dream and he’s getting booed?
Magnusson’s body language is a look of shock.
One of the other players on the Guardians has already skated off as well in protest, so technically they have the correct number of players on the ice although there are two goalies out there.
What the heck?
Henrik does the classy thing and skates toward the sideline even giving my brother a pat on the backside with his stick as he exits.
The crowd goes crazy.
Just then the puck comes up the ice on the side that Henrik is on.
It’s their best player and he’s got a breakaway goal possibility lined up amidst all the confusion.
Henrik digs in and skates hard and checks him, nailing him right into the glass and sending the puck flying off in the other direction.
The crowd goes crazy.
“Look at that hit!” one announcer says.
“He checked him right back to the Czech Republic!”
“Is he Czech?”
“If he wasn’t he sure is now, Bob!”
The crowd is absolutely losing it. How in the heck did a goalie with all his pads and everything just play perfect defense on their nimble top goal scorer?
“Look at this! The coach is telling him to stay out there. To finish the period.”
“This has never happened before in all my years of calling Guardians hockey.”
“And that’s saying a lot you old coot,” the other announcer kids. I have to admit I do love their humor.
They’re turning a crazy moment into something that’s almost bearable…or as close as it can be for me.
“So the team owner doesn’t want him on the ice.”
“But the coach isn’t turning his back on the guy who’s been with him his entire career.”
“Loyalty. That’s what that’s called. I wish everyone was that loyal, riiiight, Bob?” he says to the announcer who just insulted his age.
“How about that time we went moose hunting and you told all the women back at the lodge you wrestled that moose off me and saved my life? What about that?”
“I was single then. I was trying to find a wife.”
“Well the good thing is that I think Henrik has found himself a special one too and she’s been cheering like the best fan ever the entire game. Can we get a shot of her?”
I freeze and realize the cameraman must be about to zoom in on me.
I go back to cheering and suddenly my face is up on the Jumbotron as the crowd counts down the final seconds of the second period.
“Quite a looker I’d say,” one announcer says.
“I’d say Henrik really caught a good one this time.”
“Really? A goalie joke about catching something?”
“Hey! It fit. Leave me alone.”
“And speaking of fit no one will ever fit behind that goal like Henrik has.”
“Wait! Look at that.”
The camera pans back down and Henrik lays out another player who was about to score.
“Am I losing my mind or is Magnusson putting himself in contention for the Norris Trophy here on opening night,” the announcer says referring to the award they give to the NHL’s top defenseman.
“Well he already took home the Vezina Trophy back in 2012. It could probably use some company.”
“He’s won every award a goalie could ever win.”
“And it looks like he’s won that young lady’s heart. Can we get another shot of her?”
The camera comes back to me as the horn blows signaling the end of the period.
But this time I’m not jumping up and down. I’ve got my hands on my face and the tears are pouring down.
As a hockey fan, and as someone who loves Henrik, this is such a bittersweet moment for me.
Even if we’d never met I’d still be crying just the same at home on my couch right now with a bowl of popcorn spilled in my lap.
But we have met, and it changed me from being in love with the way he plays and loving him as a player to truly loving him as a person.
Yes, I am in love with him and this hurts.
And when my face goes back up on the Jumbotron I look down at the team box and see Henrik looking back up at me.
I wave and he waves back and the sometimes hostile crowds that you can find in New York cheer loudly for us.
And then Henrik turns toward the announcer booth and makes a big swiping movement with his hand. He looks angry.
“Looks like Mr. Magnusson doesn’t like us looking at his woman.”
“Can’t blame him, can you?”
“Not at all. He’s been guarding those nets for years so he knows a thing or two about being the possessive protector.”
“More than just a thing or two. What’s Gotham gonna do without him?”
The camera leaves me and I collapse into my seat.
CHAPTER 12
Henrik
The next day
Immediately after the game last night we took a charter flight out to Colorado for tonight’s game against the Colorado Snowslide.
Before the game I had a chat with the two announcer guys about putting my woman on the big screen.
She’s mine and that’s a no go.
They promised to relay my wishes, which when I stared them down they quickly realized it wasn’t a wish but a request, to the camera operators.
Good.
But still I’ll be keeping an eye on everyone to make sure.
And apparently the team owner was keeping an eye on my contract when he made that substitution on opening night.
As an older player I had to accept a more incentive laden contract because there’s the feeling around professional sports that older guys are more injury prone, even though I outwork everyone in the weight room, not to mention all the stretching I do with our trainers and the program I put myself through every day to remain flexible.
But my contract says that if I don’t complete a single game as the goalie of the team then all my performance money is null and void. I only get the guaranteed money which is about twenty percent of my value.
But that’s where it gets interesting because our enforcer got injured late in the game last night which means we need a new “tough guy” to play aggressively, to protect our top scorers, and basically do the hard hitting and down in the trenches stuff.
And the best guy to do that is a guy with a chip on his shoulder.
Me.
And the coach knows it, and he also knows that I might be a goalie by training, but I’m also the most athletic guy on the team and I’m the guy who has to know what everyone else is doing at all times.
So this enforcer thing could be a late in life change of careers that’s tailor made for me.
Yeah, I wish I was still back there in my goal, but I have to face reality and the most important thing is that I’m out on the ice in some capacity.
Heck, I’d drive the damn Zamboni that cleans and smooths the ice if it keeps me in the game.
But I’m not at that level yet.
Just before face-off with the Snowslide players I hear one of their guys yell something back at Rusty, who made the first start of his career last night.
He played well last night in that last period and I hope he plays well again tonight. I sat next to him on the flight and tried to give him some pointers and let him know I’m here to help, regardless of what
’s going on between us on the ice…or off.
“Hey Brown. Maybe we’ll tie tonight. Don’t you Americans call that kissing your sister? Oh wait. Magnusson’s already doing that for you!”
The Snowslide players all burst out laughing as I put a death grip on my stick. I know if I retaliate now I’ll get kicked out of the game before it even starts, and that’s not going to help anyone.
Seconds later the official drops the puck and I immediately skate right over to that guy and hit him so hard he comes off his feet and goes flying, landing square on his shoulder and sliding across the ice.
And he’s slow getting up, causing the stretcher to come out and play to be halted. It’s a clean hit, but I know I’ve knocked him out of the game. I hit him in a way that he’s gonna be hurtin’ for certain, but he won’t have any real injuries. I play hard and mean, but I don’t play dirty and I’d never do anything to truly harm someone. We’re all professionals out here trying to earn a living, and he just needed a little reminder about his own professionalism.
“Anybody else want to say anything? Huh? Any more comments from the pussy peanut gallery?”
I wait and nobody says anything.
“Anybody got anything to say and you’ll be leaving the ice like your mouthy little friend. He thinks he could bark, but I’m the one with all the bite. Stay on the porch where you belong boys. This is a man’s game and you’re not ready to run with the big dogs.”
The Snowslide players skate away and nobody says anything, which is good. It will set a precedent that I’m a true enforcer, not just some goalie who’s switching positions at the end of his career.
And more importantly no one will mess with Rusty for the rest of the season because they know they’ll have to answer to me.
And that will make our bond even stronger because one day he’s going to be my brother in law.
One day soon if I have anything to say about it.
CHAPTER 13
Hazel
After the game I dial Henrik’s number but it just rings and rings and rings.
I’m getting nervous.
I watched the entire game tonight on the TV in my apartment and I saw everything that happened.
And I still haven’t had a chance to say anything to Henrik since opening night.
Their travel schedule is crazy and I couldn’t get his phone to pick up, plus I didn’t want to be calling him at all hours of the night or this morning. After the flight those guys get to bed so late and sleep late too.
I can see being with Henrik is going to be pretty demanding in that regard.
But I’m completely up for it. And once we have a chance to sit down and talk about everything that happened things will be all better.
And I need to talk to my brother too, to congratulate him.
And to thank Henrik for sticking up for him.
Henrik’s one of the “elder statesmen” of the league, and is known for his work in the community and with kids so he’s very well respected. It comes as no shock that he’d handle this transition just as gracefully as he’s handled everything else in his life.
And it’s starting to feel a bit like an “us against the world” type situation. I’ve already seen some of the stories the media is putting out there, even though Henrik warned me that night in his restaurant that I should probably have a complete media blackout for a while and to just avoid anything and anyone who might want to talk about it.
A few girls at work heard about me, but not too many. And the patients I had today were older so they are much more concerned with sports like shuffleboard and tennis than they are with ice hockey.
I just hope that Henrik’s not avoiding me or anything.
Now that he’s had a day away I have to believe he’s processing everything too.
Maybe he’ll reconsider if it’s a good idea to be with me?
I mean it puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on everyone, including all his teammates.
And the hockey season is eighty-two games long plus the playoffs if they qualify.
Eighty-two games and half of those are on the road, where in order to get there they’ll travel in tight spaces like airplanes and even buses and he’ll be right there with my brother.
That could definitely be awkward for everyone, as the world saw on TV before tonight’s game. They were going after Rusty before the game even started!
I grab my phone and dial him again, but the number just rings and rings and rings.
Now I’m starting to get nervous. I’m home alone as Adriana is out on the town with another guy again.
I bet some of the guys on the team have women in just about every town they visit.
Why are these thoughts filling my head?
Why didn’t I think of this earlier?
Why am I thinking about this at all?
Everything was so simple until my brother got traded to the Guardians.
And now, suddenly, everything is so complicated.
I’m going to have to bury myself in work this entire season. Yes, I’m going to watch all eighty-two games, and go to the forty-one home games, but other than that I need to keep my mind busy by picking up extra shifts and as many hours as I can.
Because those hours will help me to remember that Henrik wants something else to be ours.
A baby.
Our relationship started out hot and steamy, but technically got cut short.
Now there’s conflict and angst and we have to get past that and back to the hot and steamy part.
Or even better just the love. That’s all I need in this life.
Him and the love he has for me.
And the love I want to share with him. The love I’ve been saving my entire life for the perfect man.
Him.
The man with the phone that just rings and rings and rings and…
CHAPTER 14
Hazel
The next morning
“Miss Brown,” the man in the suit says as I step out of my apartment building in the morning and practically bump into him as he was coming up the front sidewalk.
“Who’s asking?”
“I’m sorry. I’m James Brodeur, head of player relations for the Guardians.”
“Oh.”
“The team’s personal luggage was misrouted on the way to the Colorado Snowslide game and Henrik wasn’t able to call you, nor was he able to get your number from your brother as they both only have it programmed in their phones.”
“Yes, I was trying to call him.”
“He apologizes. And to make matters worse the cell tower by their hotel was out, but none of that matters now.”
“Why is that? Is he here? Did the team come back before their game with the Montreal Mongoose?”
“No the team flew straight, and that’s actually why I’m here.”
“Okay?”
“Mr. Magnusson would like you to join him in Montreal.”
“In Montreal?”
“Correct.”
“But I don’t even have a passport?”
“I hope you don’t mind but with your brother’s permission we’ve prepared a NEXUS card for you. It will satisfy your entry requirement into Canada.”
“I thought you couldn’t reach my brother?”
“We contacted one of the trainers through email and he relayed the information to your brother who provided us with your particulars.”
“Oh,” I say. I guess my brother knows my birthday and our home address and enough about me to fill out a driver’s license application, or NEXUS card, or any other kind of document. It’s kind of scary on the one hand, but kind of exciting on the other. I feel like a secret agent.
“And I just want to say this was all done legally, although of course without your knowledge in order to provide the surprise…which I’m ruining a bit.”
“No, not at all. But I have to be at work. And I don’t even own any proper luggage.”
“Just to finish your last point, there was an active power
of attorney your brother held for you and vice versa. Maybe you remember completing it when he decided to turn professional in the event that you might need to take over his affairs as next-of-kin.”
Hockey Obsession: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 76) Page 6