Page 53 of He Has Charm (Boston Brawlers Hockey)
The puck drops and the game is on. Tension winds me up whenever Maddox is on the ice and then I relax when he returns to the bench. I feel like a yo-yo winding up and down as players and pucks fly around. Two minutes into the game it’s obvious that Maddox is the fastest man on the ice. Watching him fly from the other end toward our end makes my heart hammer.
Then I jump from my seat along with Katy as someone smashes Maddox to the boards near us. I cover my face like I’m a hockey novice, like some uninitiated wimpy girl, not the ex-hockey player that I am.
“What’s with you?” She laughs and peels my hands off my face. “You’re like my mom. She can’t stand to see Mad hit. It kills her.” She stares at me until I have to turn away and sink back into my seat.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I would hate to see him get hurt. He’s my meal ticket, right?” I laugh—or try to, but it comes out as an insincere attempt.
“Do you… have feelings for him?” Her eyes search my face and I’m newly astonished at her unabashed propensity for asking bold personal questions. Shit.
“No, of course not. Why would you ever say that? We both know he’s not a feelings kind of guy. He’s the fun guy, the guy who takes nothing but hockey seriously, plays and enjoys his variety when it comes to women—”
“Wow. You are a serious rambler, aren’t you? It must drive Mad crazy.” She cackles. “I bet he adores you.” She claps her gloved hands together in a muted clap. She leans in and asks in a low voice, “How far have you gone?” I jolt upright like my back just got starched.
“What are you asking? And why?” Mostly why is she so excited about it? I have no idea what’s going on in her head.
“I told you before and I meant it, I’ve never ever seen Maddox this into a woman before. He was always the confirmed bachelor, very committed to never getting married, and it’s such a shame.”
“Why?” I ask without thinking, my need to know more stubborn than my need not to embarrass myself.
“Why is it a shame or why doesn’t he want to get married?”
“Why doesn’t he want to get married. I know why it’s a shame,” I admit.
“He has his reasons. Or one reason. One very good one. It’s not for me to say. You should ask him if you really want to know.” She pats my hand. “I hope you do.” She turns back to the game and the subject is now closed as if she’s clamped a giant lock on her lips and thrown away the key.
We get to the third period and the score is two to two. Maddox has both the Brawlers’ goals and everyone on the ice is calling for a hat trick. Of course. Delaney must be wild wherever she is, stoking up the fandom to do her bidding or using voodoo or something. I smile, because I actually like Delaney in spite of her scariness. Maybe because of it.
As if fate is trying to make it up to Maddox for the unfair deal he was dealt with the viral sex video, tonight he can do no wrong on the ice. In the second period he hits the cross bar with a shot he takes as he’s falling over and it clangs off and bounces into the net off the back of the goalie’s helmet.
“Shit did you see that! A hat trick! He got a hat trick!” Katy bounds to her feet like everyone in the place, including me, though I don’t have as much bounce as she does. I’m more of a stamina kind of girl. That was always my strength as a hockey player, in life too. We hug and high-five each other and she lets out a loud whistle. I follow suit, letting go because I don’t know why not. I’m known for my whistles—or I used to be back when I played. Haven’t had too many occasions to let one loose since college. Hats cover the ice.
I take my earmuffs off and throw them over the glass. Katy laughs and fist-bump me. We’re not too far from the bench so my muffs land near the gate. I look up at the Jumbotron.
“Amazing,” I say, grinning at the replay of his third goal. “I’ve only seen that happen once before in all my years of playing and watching hockey,” I admit. She snaps her head to mine.
“You played hockey?” Her voice rises so high I fear for any dogs in the vicinity.
“Yes, from when I was ten years old all the way through college.”
“I can’t believe how freaking perfect you are.” She throws herself at me in a big hug and I feel like I’ve been adopted. “Plus,” she adds in a confidential voice, “I just have to say this, you are so freaking gorgeous. And a hockey player. OMG.”
Her excitement makes me laugh. “Then let me tell you I think you are so freaking adorable,” I say for no reason except it’s true and we’re sharing, though I’m not used to sharing with relative strangers.
“I feel like I’ve found a new friend,” she says. “I’m so glad you’re with Maddox.” I panic.
“I… I’m not with Maddox, not like that.”
“Whatever, honey.” She takes my hands. “Don’t worry. We’ll work on it.” She smiles and her hands are warm over mine and I relax. It feels good, like I don’t want to ruin our newfound friendship with pesky details like she’s out of her freaking adorable mind wrong about me and her brother.
“I’m glad too,” I say.
Maddox skates around the ice waving to fans as the refs gather up the hats and, as is the tradition, he reaches down and picks up one of them to keep. He raises his hand and I see that he’s clutching my silly earmuffs, waving them around like a big prize.
Skating back to the bench, Maddox looks for us in the stands and winks at me.
“Aren’t those your earmuffs he’s holding?” Katy grins at me and gives me a light elbow in the ribs. I really like her. The camera must have followed Maddox’s line of sight because the Jumbotron now shows me and Katy, then focuses in on me.Shit. Not what we need after the debacle at Buttermilk & Bourbon. But I manage a smile and the shot quickly flashes away to cover other fans doing crazy things and I sink down in my seat. The general roar of the audience hadn’t changed when we showed up on the Jumbotron so I force myself to breathe and will my heart rate to slow. No harm done.
After the game Katy is excited to meet the team so we wait in the hallway near the locker room rather than the friends and family room. O’Rourke comes out and I introduce him to Katy.
