Chapter 23
Third period. The teams were tied. Tyler scored on a soft shot. Sixteen seconds later, one of the high school players deked Sloan and beat the goaltender stick side.
Sloan usually hated playing here. He refused to ruin the rare games he played in his father’s adopted home town by complaining, but he considered performing for the locals about as fun as having his jaw wired shut. The people on the ice didn’t play; they watched him in awe while circling the rink at a pathetically slow pace. He didn’t see the point.
Today was different. Oriana’s presence helped them relax, and Tyler’s enthusiasm spurred the red team to attack with no holds barred. Which forced the black team to strike back. Sloan almost felt like he was playing a real game.
A quick change put Oriana on the ice j
