by Jaci Burton
He got dressed and headed over to the main building where Amber told him she'd meet him. He found her, along with Lisa and Blake, in the games room, which had everything from pool tables to big-screen TVs, to table tennis to air hockey to video game machines. There was also plenty of seating to just sit back and chill with friends. It was like the arcade of Will's dreams, and much more.
He made his way to the table where they were sitting and slid into the chair next to Amber.
When she saw him, she smiled.
"Will." She put her hand behind his neck and pulled him close for a kiss. "Great game today."
"Yeah, we really enjoyed it," Lisa said. "Thanks for not sucking."
"Good game, buddy," Blake said.
"Thanks. It was tight. Russia was a good opponent, but we hung in there."
Lisa sat back in her chair. "They were okay. You haven't played Canada yet. We're formidable."
Will grinned at her. "We'll see."
"So now what?" Blake asked. "You move to the next round?"
Will nodded. "We're in the quarterfinals. We wait for the qualification round, where the teams that have lost play each other again. That'll happen tomorrow. Then we play one of those teams and once we beat them, we'll move on to the semifinals."
Amber rubbed her hand over his arm. "I like that confidence."
"Gotta be confident that we'll win."
"Canada's in the same position," Lisa said. "Maybe you'll meet up with them in the semis."
"Or the finals," Will said.
Lisa put her hand to her chest. "Oh, God, I don't know if my heart could handle that."
"Mine, either," Amber said. "But it would be the best thing, wouldn't it? Your country and ours, in the hockey finals?"
"It would be. Let's wish for that."
"Hey," Will said. "No wishing. Talent will get us there. Or at least it'll get the US team there. I don't know about your losers."
Lisa laughed. "Some of my 'losers,' as you call them, are your teammates."
"True. Like I said . . . losers."
"I'm telling McCaffery you said that," Lisa said.
"Go ahead."
Amber looked over at Lisa. "Boys."
"Right?"
"When do you compete, Lisa?" Will asked.
"Tomorrow."
"I'll be there, for sure."
"Me, too," Amber said. "I can't wait to watch you."
"We should meet up so we can all sit together," Blake said.
Lisa told them what time she was slotted to compete, so they made plans to get together an hour before.
"I don't know about the rest of you," Will said, "but skating my ass off works up an appetite. Let's grab some food."
Blake was skiing later, which meant they needed to stay close to the slopes, so they headed into the dining room to eat.
Will was craving something substantial, and even though it was still early, he ordered a sirloin with potatoes and asparagus, along with apple pie and ice cream.
When he met everyone back at their table, Lisa looked over at his plate. "Burn some calories today?"
"By the end of the game it felt like a million calories. I was out of juice."
"It never showed," Blake said, as he sliced into his chicken breast. "You carved it up like a beast out there."
"Or a mad dog." Amber gave him a knowing smile.
Will shot her a grin as he was chewing. After he swallowed, he said, "Now you're getting it."
"Hey, you gotta give it your all when you're competing," Blake said. "You leave nothing at the end. If you do, you'll live with regrets."
Will took a sip of his iced tea and nodded at Blake. "Exactly. I play every game as if it's our last one. We have to push hard to make it to the next game. Otherwise, how will we make it to the last one?"
"I've never pushed as hard in my life as I've done here," Blake said. "Knowing how good my competition is, I know I have to give it more than I ever have before. You train and train for this for years, and then you stand there and wait for your turn and you watch your competitors, and goddamn, they're good. Like, really fucking good."
Lisa wrapped her fingers around Blake's upper arm. "You're just as good, better in fact. You have to believe that."
"Yeah." Blake nodded, then looked down at his plate and continued to eat.
Will knew it was competition jitters talking, that Blake had that mindset they all sometimes got before a game or a competition, especially when you knew you were facing an uphill battle against a competitor who might be better than you.
There wasn't anything Will or any of them could say to Blake to pump him up. That fire to win had to come from within. You either had it or you didn't.
Will didn't know Blake well enough to know if he had it within himself. He hoped so. He liked the guy. He really liked Lisa, and Lisa was a strong competitor. He knew she'd give it her all. He hoped she'd found someone who had that same fire.
Because the one thing he did know was you couldn't make a relationship work with someone who didn't understand that constant edge you lived on, where competition was fierce and some days you were so tight with nerves that even the slightest nudge could send you over. Someone who competed at that same high level would know to leave you the hell alone because you needed time to think, to get yourself mentally prepared for a game.
Amber was one of those people who understood. They'd been together last night, but she'd left his room early, kissed him and told him he had a game today, that he needed his sleep, and he needed prep time this morning to get game ready. He'd actually been the one to argue with her. He'd wanted to keep her in his bed last night.
She'd been the one to know better.
She'd been right. As soon as she'd left he'd conked out and slept well.
After Blake finished eating, he had to leave to get ready.
"Good luck, man," Will said.
"We'll be there to cheer you on," Amber said.
"Thanks."
"I'll be right back," Lisa said. She got up and walked out with Blake.
"He's nervous," Amber said.
"Yeah. A little bit of healthy anxiety isn't a bad thing, as long as it doesn't affect his ability to get the job done as he heads down the slopes."
*
AMBER FINISHED THE LAST OF HER SALAD, THEN LAID her plate on top of everyone else's. "I worry he's fixated more on his competitors."
"I thought about that, too. Let's just hope he's got his eye on them, knowing they're the ones to beat, rather than being intimidated by them."
Amber couldn't agree more.
Lisa rejoined them and took a sip of her water.
"Is he okay?" Amber asked.
Lisa nodded. "He's going to be fine. He's nervous. The giant slalom is going to be tough for him. He said he's the least confident in this event. He's never placed well in it before, but I know he can handle it. He's practiced hard and he's done very well the past year in competitions. The thing is, there are two Austrians who are just killer at it, along with one of his friends from Norway who won the gold last time."
"Then we'll just have to make sure to cheer extra loud for him," Amber said.
"All he can do is his best out there," Will said. "If he does that, he should be satisfied."
Lisa nodded, then leaned back in the chair. "I just want him to do well. And, like you said, I want him to be satisfied with his standing at the end."
Will squeezed her hand. "Honey, he won't be satisfied unless he's standing at the podium with a gold medal. You're a competitive athlete. You know how it is."
She sighed. "I know. We're either in first or we suck."
Amber laughed. "This is true. Though I've learned to love my bronze and silver medals."
"Hey, I have a few of those myself," Lisa said. "But there's nothing like gold."
Will lifted his glass of water. "To gold."
They both lifted their glasses and clinked with his. "To gold."
TWENTY-ONE
AMBER FINISHED
HER PRACTICE FEELING SOLID ABOUT her performance tonight. She wasn't nervous, she knew her short program routine was solid. She lingered long enough to watch Tia go through her practice.
Tia's jumps were on the mark. She would do well as long as she kept her nervousness in check.
Amber checked her phone. She had just enough time to change and head over to the other ice arena for Will's game.
It had been nonstop competitions the past few days, and she'd loved every minute of it. After Blake had won bronze in the slalom, surprising even himself, they'd celebrated late into the night. Fortunately, her practice hadn't been until ten the next morning, because she'd been exhausted. Blake had been so shocked to medal he'd cried, then Lisa had cried. Then Amber had teared up, and Will had laughed at them. But she knew Will had been stoked for Blake, because he'd fist pumped and shouted as loud as anyone when Blake's time had come up on the boards.
The next day, Lisa competed in the slopestyle event. She'd won the bronze and one of her Canadian teammates had won the gold. It had been another crazy celebration, but at least Lisa had competed in the afternoon. It had been a bright sunny day and they'd thrown snowballs at each other outside.
It had been a fun couple of days, and Amber was having the time of her life.
Now she hurried over to the other ice arena. She was meeting Lisa there, along with Sergei, Brandon, Telisa and Robbie, who had also finished their skating practices.
She got a text from Telisa, who told her they'd already gotten seats at the arena and where they were located. She sent a quick text back to let Telisa know she was on her way.
Her phone buzzed. It was her mother. As she walked, she punched the button.
"Hi, Mom."
"Amber, how are you feeling about your performance tonight?"
"I'm feeling great."
"Are you resting? Where are you right now? We should have lunch together."
"I'm sorry, Mom, but I'm headed to a hockey game. Maybe later?"
The silence on the other end of the line meant her mother wasn't happy with her answer. She should have told her she was napping.
"Now would be better, and why would you go to a hockey game when you have a competition tonight?"
"Because the hot guy I'm having sex with is playing" probably wasn't the answer her mother wanted to hear. "I like hockey."
"Since when?"
She'd always loved hockey. It was unfortunate her mother didn't know anything about her interests other than figure skating. "I have to go, Mom. How about I call you after the game?"
"I'm at the event center. I can meet you at the game."
"I'm . . . I'm with friends, Mom."
Another pregnant pause. "Great. I'll meet your friends. Text me your location and I'll meet you there."
With a sigh, she said, "Fine. I'll text you the details and see you soon."
She hung up. This wasn't going to go well.
When she got to the arena, she found the seats. Fortunately, there was an extra one available where they were sitting.
"You all, my mom is here and she wants to come to the game."
"Great," Lisa said. "We've got an extra seat. Did you text her our location?"
"Not yet. Are you sure you're okay with this?"
"Why wouldn't we be?" Telisa asked. "It's great that your mom is here. And the game hasn't started yet. They're cleaning the ice now."
Amber sighed. "Okay." She texted her mom the seat location, wishing her mother had . . . gone shopping or something.
She instantly felt like the worst daughter ever, that knot of guilt forming in her stomach. Her mother had come here for her. She should be spending time with her.
So why did half of her feel resentful, and the other half of her feel guilty?
"What's wrong?" Brandon asked, laying his hand over hers.
"My mother is coming to the game to sit with us." Amber shot him a helpless look.
Brandon nodded. "Say no more. She probably expects you to be taking a nap or something. My mother has already called me three times today, asking me what I ate for breakfast and what time I went to bed last night, and has double-checked with me four times about the time of my performance so I don't forget what time I go on."
That actually made Amber feel better. "Oh, so we have the same mother."
Brandon laughed. "Apparently."
Sergei leaned forward. "I have the same mother. She sends me e-mails with lists of things I'm supposed to do before a performance. One: Get sleep. Two: Eat big breakfast. Three: No boyfriends. Four: No boyfriends. Five: Shoulders back, chin up. As if I forget how to skate."
"You duplicated three and four," Brandon said.
"No. She thinks boyfriends are distracting, so she makes sure to put it twice so I don't forget."
Amber sent a warm smile to Sergei. "Well, boyfriends can be distracting."
Sergei leaned into Brandon. "Also good motivation to skate well so your boyfriend thinks you're hot."
"This guy already thinks you're hot," Brandon said.
"I will still skate well and win a gold medal."
"You do realize we're competing against each other," Brandon said.
"Yes. That's hot, too. You're very good. I will still win a gold medal."
Brandon grinned and looked over at Amber. "I'm going to kick his ass on the ice. He's good, but he'll win silver."
"You keep thinking that, but you will be mesmerized by my amazing eyes and will forget to do a double axel. Big shame for you."
Amber laughed. "I love you two together."
Brandon laid a sweet smile on Sergei. "So do we."
Amber turned her attention to the ice, where the US team had come out to warm up. She zeroed in on Will's number-seventeen jersey.
He skated with such ease, his skates an extension of the ice.
"He's so fast," she said to Lisa, watching him go after a puck one of his teammates shot. "He's like a rabid dog chasing a rabbit."
"Hence the moniker," she said.
Amber grinned. "It definitely fits him."
"Fits who?"
Amber's head shot up at the sound of her mother's voice. She stood. "Oh, hi, Mom."
"Who are you talking about?"
"We're talking about how great the US hockey team is. Mom, let me introduce you to all my friends."
She made introductions, then got her mother situated.
"Game hasn't started yet."
Her mother looked her over. "You seem nervous."
Amber tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm not."
"See, I told you that you should be resting. Instead, you're at this hockey game, and these games are all hyped up and adrenaline fueled, which will only amp up your anxiety level. This is not a good idea."
"I'm fine, Mom."
"You should be napping."
"Napping would be inappropriate at the hockey arena."
Her mother leaned back and gave her a look that Amber was oh so familiar with. "Are you sassing me?"
She absolutely was. "No ma'am."
Fortunately, the announcer came on and the game was about to start, so the back-and-forth with her mother was called to a halt.
Amber snuck a glance at Brandon, who smothered a smile.
Yeah, laugh it up, funny boy. Just wait until I meet your mother.
From the start of the game against Finland, it was nonstop action. Amber leaned forward in her seat, trying to keep her eye on both the puck and Will.
The game went scoreless through the first period. In the second, the action heated up. When the US went up one player on a power play after a high-sticking penalty, Amber felt really good about the US's chance to score.
Eddie passed the puck to Will and he strung it along the ice, then passed it to Drew. Drew and the Finland defender fought for it. In the meantime, Will had made his way toward the goal.
It happened lightning quick. Drew moved forward, shot the puck across the ice to a waiting Will, who delivered it into the goal before Amber even blin
ked.
She jumped out of her seat, her arms raised above her hands.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" she screamed, then high-fived Brandon and Sergei before turning to look down on the ice. "That was an incredible goal, Will."
"You know this Will?" her mother asked.
Amber was grinning when she turned to her mother. "Yes, I do."
"I see. And how exactly do you know him?"
She waved her hand in dismissal. "Not now, Mom."
She was engrossed in the game, in the nonstop action as Finland took the puck and raced down to the US goal. She grabbed Brandon's arm and held tight as the US defenders fought off the attack, slicing at the puck and sending it toward their teammates, who brought it to the Finland side. Will grabbed it and skated, fast, toward the Finland goal. He passed it toward Drew who sent a shot to the goal.
Missed.
"Dammit," she said.
Finland had the puck and raced toward the other end. It went back and forth like that until the end of the second period.
Amber finally exhaled.
"We're going to need more goals," she said to Brandon, who nodded.
"That was intense," Telisa said.
"My heart is racing," Lisa said. "And Canada plays later. I don't know how I'm going to survive this."
Amber looked over at her mother, hoping she was dialed into the action. She sat, ramrod straight, staring at the game. But Amber knew she wasn't really watching. Her mother often had that look when she was deep in thought, typically making lists of Amber's infractions.
There'd be a lecture coming.
She shrugged it off, concentrating on the game when the third period started. She refused to worry about her mother right now, not when Will had the puck and was fighting off one of the defenders. The defender pushed him up against the wall and Will shoved a forearm into him, then raced away with the puck, passing it off toward Drew.
"We need another goal," Brandon said.
Amber nodded, clutching Brandon's arm as Adrian Parker passed the puck off to Will, who lined it out to a waiting Drew.
Drew shot it into the goal and the lamp lit up. It was another goal, one they really needed.
They all screamed. Amber looked at her mother, who smiled politely.
Really? What did it take to get her mom excited? How could she not be caught up in the thrill of this game?
By the third period, Finland had scored a goal, but the US had also scored again. And with the last seconds on the clock ticking down, Amber and the rest of them were holding their breath.
The game ended at three to one. They all erupted in cheers, high-fiving each other.