Page 197 of Skate the Line

The only negative thing I was told was that he had some personal issues he needed to work through, which is what has propelled his decision to move closer to the Mid-west, and that he had a temper. But who in hockey doesn’t?

The locker room door opens, and two guys shuffle through, decked out in full Blue Devils attire. Emory catches my eye from across the room.

“This is Lars Perrson?—”

And Crew Hart, I finish in my head.

Hart is a hot commodity. It's no wonder Emory and I had to share a room the other day. Crew Hart is where our funds went. He’s not the youngest player in the NHL, but he’s one of the best of his age.

Emory walks right over to Crew after Coach introduces our new teammates. If I have my facts straight, they went to Bexley U together.

Coach Jacobs claps his hands. “Now that we’re through with introductions, get dressed. Your families are here to watch you practice, and it’s the only time it’s allowed, so go.”

The team breaks, and he pulls the two new guys over to talk. The rest of us shuffle out of the locker room and head for the ice to work on last minute drills for our game tonight with our families getting an early glimpse.

Practices are usually closed off, even to family, except for today.

Family Day, where our loved ones are allowed to watch us, is always the practice before a rival game. Either Coach knows we need the extra support on days like today, or he wants to remind us that we can’t get too ahead of ourselves with the fighting.

The second my skate touches the ice, I glance to the stands.

I relax when I see two blue ribbons and smiling faces behind the glass. Ellie throws up her horns, and I slip my glove off to do it back to her. Sunny scrunches her nose when Ellie grabs her hand and forms the horns, making her hold it up.

My cheek lifts. When Sunny stops laughing, she swings her gaze over to me.

I haven’t even begun skating, and I can’t seem to catch my breath.

I left her alone last night, making sure she got much-needed rest in her own bed. I knew if I had her stay in my room again, Ellie would ask questions. Not to mention, I can’t keep my eyes to myself, let alone my hands.

The thoughts are just as bad.

The dirty ones and the ones that are picturing her as something more than a nanny.

Ice flings up beside me, and I pull my gaze from Sunny.

It’s the new guy, Perrson.

“Hey, man.” He taps me on the shoulder with his stick, and I instantly want to snap it.

Who does he think he is?

I slant my head, deciding whether or not to give him a little leeway since he’s new.

“I’m Lars.” He speaks with a Swedish accent.

“Volkova.” I skate forward, and he follows me.

Does he want a friend? If so, he’s coming to the wrong guy.

I won’t haze him or anything, but I’m also not going to befriend him three seconds after he joins our team.

“I know who you are,” he says.

Crew Hart climbs onto the ice next and skates around a few laps, nodding at his new teammates with a tight smile like any normal man would do.

“So, Family Day?”

I grunt and play around with a puck, trying to loosen up.

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