by Mignon Mykel
Four drills in, after Coach yelled for the next set to begin, he held up my phone. I broke from the group, pushing off twice with my right skate, then single-footedly slid to a stop in front of where he stood near center ice.
“Try to make it quick.”
I nodded as the ringing stopped, putting my gloved hand under my arm to free my hand. I took the phone from him, thanking. I redialed Ryleigh’s number as I skated toward the bench, leaning in to pop the door open. As the phone rang in my ear, I propped my stick up against the glass and walked down the tunnel a small ways to block out the echo of the guys on the ice.
Finally, Ryleigh answered.
“So?” I asked immediately. I didn’t realize how badly I needed to hear she would going to be ok until Coach waved my phone in the air.
“It’s good.”
I dropped my forehead against the cinderblock wall and closed my eyes, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Good.” The relief caused an immediate smile. “Fuck, that’s good. See? What did I tell you, Ryles?”
Her laugh was light but real. “I’ll just talk to you later, then? I can tell you everything. Were you planning on coming over? Not a big deal if not.”
Ah, there she was, my rambling Ryleigh. “Absolutely. I’ll have to stop at my place first to grab stuff for the Texas trip, but I’ll be over after, before I have to head out.”
“Ok, good.” After a slight pause, she added, “Maybe I’ll cook.”
She’s cooked before.
She probably shouldn’t cook.
“Don’t stress yourself,” I said through a smile, standing to my full height again. “I’ve gotta get back, though.”
“Ok, yeah. Of course,” she said. “I’ll see you this afternoon then.”
“Will do.” Before she could hang up, I decided to go for it and added, “Hey, Ryles? I love you.”
The part of me that was afraid of the rejection, slightly terrified I was on a different field than she was, had me ending the call before I could hear her reply.
Chicken shit, I thought.
But still, I grinned.
Everything was good.
Chapter Twenty
I sat in the sea of Denton fans, two rows from the Plexiglas on the away team’s side. There were three Denton fans between me and the Enforcers’ tunnel, and one Denton fan between me and the ‘glas.
Had I been in Chicago, I would have proudly worn my Enforcers paraphernalia, but as it was, I was wearing a nondescript baseball cap and a pink Henley. It may have been in the seventies outside, but it was always cold in the rinks.
Noah didn’t know I was here. It was a last minute decision and I wanted it to be a surprise.
When he came over yesterday afternoon, nothing was spoken of the L word he had thrown out that morning. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I hadn’t pressed the issue. I didn’t think he was the type of guy to just throw the word around, but when he didn’t say anything… I just let it go.
We only had a few hours yesterday before he had to leave for the Texas trip and we spent it well. First, he had me tell him all about what the doctor told me.
The lump wasn’t anything other than an enlarged lymph node. However, due to family history, she did look at my blood work and told me I did carry the gene.
Something to think about.
Noah let me talk through everything, asking questions when he wanted to know more. He was proving to be a strong rock when I needed one.
And I loved him for it.
Now, as I sat at a game he didn’t know I was going to, I wasn’t sure if my shaking fingers were a result of nerves from nearly starting game and him finding out I was here, or because I needed to tell him I loved him and I wanted to hear it back again.
The game was beginning soon; the starting line about to be called.
I glanced down at the program and, for the fifth time since looking at it, saw Noah’s name in italics, signifying he was on the first line.
I wasn’t sure if I should stand and clap when the team emerged from the tunnel. I was probably the only Enforcer fan here, and that would just be awkward.
The lights in the arena dimmed; my heart leaped in my chest. My hands began to quake more.
Before I could decide what I was going to do, though, the entire Enforcers tea, had circled their zone, the starting line still on the ice and the remaining players at the bench.
Well, then. That solved that problem.
I glanced at the ice to confirm he was out there. There he was, standing still, respectful for the home team and then for the anthem.
I looked down the bench and saw first Nick look back toward me, then him elbow Caine beside him. Caine looked over his shoulder at me; when he winked at me, I waved a little at him.
Caine grinned, shaking his head as he turned back to the ice.
Maybe Noah would find out before I could figure out a way to show him, after all.
Denton fans were the worst, I thought after pocketing my third goal of the night, two of which were penalty kills, thank you very much. Grinning from ear to ear as I glided to the bench to be reward with back slaps and helmet hits, I thought the arena couldn’t get any louder, or thicker, with disappointment.
Enforcers were up, three to one, and there were mere seconds on the clock.
We were also leading in penalty minutes. The tightening of my cheek was a reminder of that. But hey, the team had to live up to its name, right?
Damn, this new streak felt good.
And if superstitions upheld, as claimed by Nick, I had Ryleigh to thank. My game changed when she came into my life. I’d have to call her tonight, see if she listened to the game.
I couldn’t wait to hear her voice.
As the arena filed out after a disappointing loss to the Enforcers, I decided to stick around to see who the stars of the game were. In any of the Enforcers were given that honor, Noah had to be the one.
Fingers crossed, I waited for the lights to dim once again.
This time, I would stand and cheer. What did I have to lose? No one here knew who I was; well, except for the team.
“And now, may we please introduce the three stars of the game,” boomed from the speakers.
My fingers tightened and I closed my eyes.
“Your third star… Denton’s Yerrick Deets!”
I continued to squeeze my eyes shut as the remaining crowed cheered for the one player who managed to get the puck past Teague Ketterhagen.
I silently issued multiple pleases.
“From Beloit, your second star… Nicolas Yanick,” the announcer said, not nearly hitting the same enthusiastic tone he’d had with Denton’s Deets.
“And also from Beloit, the number one star…”
I bit my lip, my heart pounding.
“Noah Prescott.”
I jumped, clapping and cheering, and quite frankly, making a nuisance of myself. But, quite frankly, I didn’t care.
Noah skated out onto the ice and did a small semi-half-circle, his hand in the air to wave to the fans who simply didn’t care.
To be sure he saw me, though, I whistled as loud as I could when he turned back to the tunnel. When his helmeted head cocked toward me slightly, I rocked back on my heels and crossed my arms, smiling down at him shyly.
His face split into a huge grin.
I do believe I got my job done.
Chapter Twenty-One
My cell rang when I had my hotel room key in one hand and my small overnight bag in the other. I puffed my cheeks and quickly slid the card in the reader, willing the light to turn green. When it did, I hastily opened the door, dropped the bag, then dug for my phone from my back pocket of my jeans.
I didn’t bother to look at who was calling when I answered. “Hello?” I said, nearly breathless.
“Well, hello.” That sexy timbre of Noah’s voice came through the line and my lips curled involuntarily.
“Hi.”
“That was quite the surprise.” Noah sounded tired
, but I could hear the grin in his voice.
“It was last minute.”
“So last minute you couldn’t let me in on your little secret?”
“It wouldn’t have been a surprise then,” I told him, toeing off my shoes. I picked up my bag and moved it to the bed while Noah chuckled in my ear.
“It was quite the surprise. You heading home tonight?”
“Oh goodness, no,” I replied. Multitasking, I changed out of my jeans and into sweats. “I wouldn’t get through Oklahoma without falling asleep. Some of us don’t have the luxury of a driven bus. Trailer. Whatever it is you boys call it.”
“You drove?” he asked incredulously.
“That I did.” I pulled the phone away and turned on the speaker so I could peel myself from the Henley and into a sleep shirt.
“When are you leaving then?”
My sleep shirt, a tee of Noah’s but don’t tell him, was still covering my head as I spoke. “I was thinking six-ish.” I pulled the shirt all the way down. “I should be home by ten-ish.”
“Will you be hungry-ish?” he teased.
“Nah, I’ll be tired.” After a brief pause, I smiled and added, “-ish.”
I turned off the speaker and put the phone back to my ear. I could almost see him grinning and shaking his head. “Turn on Facetime real quick,” he said.
I pulled my phone away to press the button then smiled wide when his face filled my screen.
“Hi.”
He chuckled. “Hello, baby.”
I could see the confines of his bunk around him. “You look cozy.”
“Always. Better if you were here. Or I was there.”
“Tomorrow.”
He nodded then squinted his eyes. “That’s my shirt.”
I shook my head quickly. “Nope.” I pulled the phone up enough so the camera didn’t get my shoulders or lower.
I loved his grin. “Yeah, it is. Looks good on you.”
It smelled like him, which was the main reason why I liked wearing it when he was gone.
“So how about this?” he said. “I’ll call you at six to make sure you’re on your way. Like a wakeup call.”
I nodded, much calmer this time. “I’d like that.”
“Good. So that’s the plan. Sleep well, Ryles.”
I moved my bag and slid under the covers, the camera still on me and his on him. “I will most certainly try. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
“Good night, Ryleigh.”
“Good night.”
The call finished, I turned off the light and succumbed to sleep.
My alarm when off promptly at six.
I groaned at the thought that we weren’t even half way home yet. I hated long bus trips.
I reached for my phone to turn off the alarm before calling Ryleigh. After four rings and she didn’t answer, I thought maybe she forgot to set her alarm. Yawning wide, I ended the call and looked out of my bunk to see what was going on.
Jason and Kyle were up playing poker already.
“Did you guys go to bed?” I asked wearily.
“Sure did,” Jason said without looking up from his hand.
Kyle looked over his shoulder. “This is just the first hand. Want in?”
“Noah doesn’t want in,” Jason chuckled. “Noah wants to talk to Ry.”
Before I could confirm or deny, though, my phone rang. “Hey,” I said, answering on the first ring. “You just wake up?”
Kyle and Jason yelled their hellos, only to be met by grumbles from the other sleeping players.
“Oh no,” Ryleigh answered. “I made a Starbucks run and you called just as the barista was reciting my order.”
“Ah,” I said, rolling back into my bunk. I didn’t need an audience for my conversation with Ryleigh. “But you got up and everything ok?”
“Yep.” Her tone was chipper.
“You want to share whatever it is that’s got you so awake at this hour?” I grinned sleepily at her laugh.
“Just a mocha. The espresso high will probably leave me in an hour or two, though.”
“Make sure you find something to keep you awake. And call if you decide to stop and stay somewhere tonight, just so I know.” It was a long trip to take by herself and I worried.
“Ok. I’m sure I’ll make it though. Will you still be at my place?”
“If the invitation’s still open, yeah.”
“Absolutely.”
“Call if you need me, ok?”
“I will, Thanks for calling, Noah.”
I grinned, reaching behind me to bunch my pillow then slide my hand under it. “Thanks for showing up in Texas.”
She spoke slowly into the phone; I could hear her smile. “I wanted to. Hey, look, there’s some heavy traffic so I’m going to let you go. But I’ll call if I need to, and you call if you want to. Sound good?”
“Sounds good.” I fought the urge to tell her I loved her again when we hung up. She hadn’t brought it up the other night. I wasn’t sure if she hadn’t heard, or she didn’t want to hear it, so I just let it be.
When the call ended, a pillow landed on my bunk. I sat up to toss it back to the culprit.
“You are so whipped,” Jason said around a huge grin.
“I am not whipped.”
“You woke up to call her.”
“I told her I would. I wanted to be sure she got on the road ok. I don’t see a problem with that.”
“Of course you don’t. You’re whipped.”
“Leave the guy alone,” Kyle interrupted.
“Fine,” Jason gave in. “But I’m just saying. If it’s not hockey, it’s Ryleigh.”
“You’re the one with an on-again, off-again, currently off-again, relationship. So you are whipped, and I am going back to bed,” I informed him, falling back into my pillow.
Whipped.
Psh. Yeah, right.
…was I?
Chapter Twenty-Two
The lights were out.
I wasn’t sure that Noah was going to actually follow through on the offer, and from the looks of it as I opened my front door, he had declined.
I dropped my flip flops at the base of the stairs and climbed them up. Fatigue from the fifteen hour drive had my glasses perched on my nose and my hair in the messiest of messy buns.
It was probably a good thing Noah wasn’t here.
At the top of the stairs, I realized I heard a faint buzzing noise coming from my room. Guess Noah did take me up on my offer.
I dropped my keys on the table and called out to him. “Noah?” I walked through the dark apartment into my room.
When I cleared the door, the sound on the TV was muted and I saw Noah reclining against the headboard.
He was a sight to behold. From his tousled hair, to his bare chest, and finally to his tattered, worn sweat pants, he was simply gorgeous.
And his eyes. Those gorgeous eyes were on me.
“Hey,” he said nonchalantly.
“How was your trip?” I asked as I moved toward the bathroom. I stopped to grab a clean camisole and shorts but changed in the bathroom with the door open. Once changed, I washed my face over the sink basin, putting my glasses back on when finished. I pulled down the bun and tried finger combing the mess my hair made.
I shrugged at my reflection and moved back into the room.
I didn’t answer her question, but took her in.
I’d gotten here six hours earlier and didn’t know what to do with myself. I’d gone to the gym, grabbed a bite to eat, called mom, and still, the hours crept by. It had been comforting being here, surrounded by her things.
After thinking about Jason’s whipped comment the rest of the ride home, then sitting here missing her most of the afternoon, I have to admit the thought of needing her scared me.
“Noah?”
She was near the bed now, lifting a knee to crawl up.
“Hmm?” I snapped out of my little trance. “Oh, the trip. It was fine.”
Ryleigh
nodded. “Well, that’s good. Probably more eventful than mine.”
When both her knees hit the mattress, I uncrossed my ankles to move closer to what had become my side of her bed. She pulled the covers back and slide under them; I did the same. Just as she turned to me to give me a quick kiss, the TV switched to a bright commercial and her eyes widened.
“Noah Prescott, look at that shiner!” Her eyes widened behind the frames and she tentatively put two fingers alongside my bruised cheekbone. “The fight didn’t look that serious.”
I chuckled at her expression, letting her press gently. “It wasn’t that serious. Other guy left with a loose tooth. I got the better end of the deal.”
Knowing she wouldn’t bring up the game unless I did, I decided to bounce something off her. She always found a way to keep me grounded whenever I had thoughts about the team and season.
“I’m not sure that playoffs are going to be an option this year,” I started out with. Probably not the best entrance to a conversation I’ve had.
Ryleigh frowned over at me. She was still sitting up in bed and turned toward me. Even with hair falling her eyes, she didn’t move to sweep it out of the way; all her attention was on me.
I picked up the remote and absently flipped it over and over. “Sometimes the guys play with passion, and other times it’s as if no one cares.” Sure, we had won plenty of games in the last three months, but we still lost games for stupid reasons. “It’s like it’s just a game. At this level, though, it can’t be ‘just a game’ to them. They have to play like they mean it.”
“The guys?” Ryleigh countered. “I do believe you’re on the team, too, Noah. You’re one of them. You could help with the pep talks and making sure everyone’s on the same page.”
I nodded once slowly. “Fine. We,” I corrected. “We don’t play consistently.”
“Your record isn’t so bad off that you need to win every game from here on out, Noah.”
“Pretty close.” I knew I was being a shithead; I just couldn’t stop it.
Ryleigh rolled her eyes as she straightened, but she still smiled. “I’ll do the math for you tomorrow and you can bring it to practice. It’s amazing they signed you for two years, being a pessimist and all.”