Page 120 of Fighting Chance

IRVING

I don’t kiss and tell

JOHNSON

you sent that to a puck bunny???

IRVING

she was asking where I was

JOHNSON

a simple I’m busy would have sufficed

IRVING

you don’t know much about ladies do you?

they have to be loved and cherished

they deserve communication

VALENTI

I am howling

ELLINGTON

yeah Johnson, gotta brush up on your knowledge of women

JOHNSON

I’m going to throttle you Irving

We’ve managed to seat everyone at a long table comprised of six smaller ones. With several white cloths tying it together, it’s quite a feast. Bambi is in heaven, running up and down along the back of the table begging people for food.

After all, the way to a golden retriever’s heart is their stomach.

Grayson clears his throat from my left where he and Bella sit. Rising, he grabs everyone’s attention. Irving, down at the other end, starts banging on the table like a damn monkey. “Speech! Speech! Speech!” he chants.

“If you shut up maybe he’ll do one,” Johnson snaps.

“Are your feelings still hurt from the egg nipple photo?”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, my shoulders shake withsilent laughter as Johnson’s face turns beet red. Layla snickers to my right, the corner of her eyes wrinkling with her smile.

“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who came today. I appreciate everyone showing up and embracing the community we’ve created within this team.” He clears his throat, the air shifting. “This team means everything to me and I know a lot of you share the same sentiment. We’ve all been through a lot over the years, on and off the ice, and with our families growing I’d love to make this a tradition every Sunday. To come together in support, in the best way we know how for one another.” He lifts his glass full of Coke and smiles. “To us, to family.”

“To family,” everyone cheers.

Emmy wriggles on her seat beside me, her eyes barely reaching the table. Snorting, I heft her onto my lap and begin to cut up the sausages Ellington and Crawford grilled.

“Want some, Emmy?” I ask.

“Yes.”

My fork scrapes the plate, Layla beside me dropping her utensils. Bella and Cindy gasp.