AGAINST THE ICE

Chapter13

The entire arena stood for the Canadian and American anthems.

The game started out rough. Players shoved and pushed to get control of the puck. The plexiglass shook every time someone got their body checked into the boards.

I would die before I admitted it to my father, but I loved hockey. I loved the sound of skates cutting on the ice. I loved the speed and intensity of the game. I loved how blood-thirsty this sport was.

Five minutes into the game, Max got a breakaway.

He skated around the opposing defense and approached the net with unfathomable speed.

He slapped the stick and shot the puck so fast, my eyes couldn’t follow it. The deep goal horn reverberated throughout the stadium and then the goal song played.

A few of his teammates crowded around him, hugging and congratulating him. The crowd’s response concerned me. They cheered but didn’t go wild.

Well, it was the start of the season. Perhaps the crowd needed warming up. Regardless, it thrilled me that Max had gotten the first goal of the pre- season.

Max, breathing hard, skated toward the bench. He appeared impossibly big and sweaty. As if he could sense me, his eyes lifted to where I sat.

My breath caught in my throat as he held my gaze for an extended couple of seconds before he moved to the bench. I crossed my arms over my waist, thrilled that he had noticed me.

Which was silly and so school-girlish. Still. It elated me far more than it should have.

“So, how long have you been working here?” I tried again to make conversation with Katrina.

“Look, Ro-r-y.” She used a disdainful three entire syllables to say my name. “We don’t have to do this.”

“Do what?”

“I don’t need another ass to kiss and you don’t have enough room on your ass for another pair of lips.”

My face flamed as I stared at the ice. Her rudeness shocked me, but for all I knew, Dad set her up to test my ability to maintain professionalism in the face of extraordinary rudeness. “A professional relationship is fine with me, Katrina.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes.

No one could be that rude, could they?

I focused on the game, studying the various plays they made. I made a mental note about which player lineups worked and which lineups struggled.

The crowd roared with every breakaway. It was a thrilling game and every time Max stepped onto the ice, I felt pride at his extraordinary speed and agility.

During the end of the first period, another player, with an assist from Max, scored. The stadium went wild. They screamed so loud, we couldn’t hear the goal song.

Heading into the back of the 3rd period, the Wolves tied the game up. It was neck-to-neck with equal shots on goal. Max, two against one, battled his way down to the end of the ice.

He needed someone to pass to, but the rest of the team lagged. He swung to one side, gave a fake shot and then slid the puck in between the goalie’s legs.

It was a brilliant goal.

The horn echoed, reverberating throughout the stadium.

People cheered, but it sounded muted, unlike when the other player had scored.

My heart sank. The crowd didn’t like Max.

I glanced up behind me, at the family box. My dad stood on the balcony, his arms crossed, with a hard-to-read expression. He sensed it too.

I swung back to Max who skated back to the bench. His eyes were on the ice and he didn’t look up at the crowd.

Katrina seemed oblivious. She spent most of her time on her phone uninterested in the game that played out in front of us.

Two minutes later, Dad appeared and sat down beside me. “Hi Katrina,” Dad offered a friendly smile.

“Mr. Ashford,” her voice sounded warm.

“Your name didn’t show on my list of guests approved to sit in my private seats.”

She flushed a deep red. “Rory invited me. At the last minute.”

I turned, wide-eyed to stare at Katrina. She wrapped her arm around mine. “We’ve become friends, haven’t we?”

I had no response. I didn’t want to make it awkward for her, but I refused to lie to Dad on her behalf. Especially after she had been such a b***h.

Dad saved me from answering. “That’s great. Would you mind giving us some privacy?”

She beamed a smile at him and stood up. “Of course. And thank you both for your generosity. Are we still going to talk to Max after the game, Rory?”

I worked to keep the shock off my face. “I don’t know.”

Her voice sounded patient. “You promised we’d talk about releasing his media ban.”

What was she even talking about? “Wait for me on the Concord. I’ll be right up.”

She gave Dad another inculpable smile. “Night.”

Dad watched her walk up the stairs and then turned back to me. “You didn’t invite her to sit with you, did you?”

I shrugged. “She was here when I got here.” “Did you tell her this was off limits to staff?”

“I thought it’d be an opportunity to bond.” “How did that go?”

I ignored him. “What did you think about tonight?” “You tell me.”

I discussed my concerns with our second offensive line. “Anything else?”

I sighed. “The fan’s reaction to Logan concerned me.”

“You noticed that too. What is this nonsense about lifting his media ban?”

“It's the first I’ve heard of it.” “Thoughts?”

I weighed my response. “If we lift the media ban, the media will only focus on Logan’s past. What he doesn’t need is more bad press.”

I pressed my lips together. “I think we need the fans to gain an appreciation for him first before we release the hounds on him.”

“Good, I agree. Are you able to enforce that?” I glanced up at Dad. “Yes.”

“If you have any trouble, come to me. Let no one push you around on that.”

“Another test?”

“Yes,” his dark eyes found mine. “I want to know if you can hold your own.”

The game ended. We stood as the players left the ice and the announcer called the star players. With two goals and one assist, they named Max first star.

I watched as he came back onto the ice and skated in a short circle.

The crowd remained silent and didn’t cheer or clap. The deafening quiet was eerie. Max glanced up at the crowd and the fleeting expression on his face made my breath catch in my throat.

Sadness etched his features.

He dropped his eyes and stepped off the ice.

My heart was in my throat. I felt for him. What a lonely position to be in.

Why didn’t the crowd love him? He was our most valuable player.

Anyone could see that.

Dad interrupted my thoughts. “It'll be a couple of hours. Do you want to ride home with me?”

I didn’t want to wait around. “Don’t worry about me.” He nodded. “See you at home.”