Page 206 of Skate the Line

They both throw up their devil horns, and I quickly skate over, flinging ice up onto the glass.

I wink at them, and just like that, my worries fade, and I’m ready to play.

Sixty-One

SUNNY

“Let’s go!”Ellie throws up the devil horns, and to appease her, I do the same.

She giggles, and I can’t help but laugh alongside her.

Rhodes, being the very last to climb on the ice, skates over to us and small ice chunks spray the side of the glass.

He winks, and my stomach dips.

A few young boys and their dads bang on the glass from a couple seats down. Rhodes taps his stick against the glass, nodding at them.

They lose their minds. Ellie and I hide our smiles.

“Daddy is popular,” she whispers.

She knows that Rhodes doesn’t like her in the limelight, and she takes that very seriously–never indicating to anyone who her father is.

But she’s right. He’s popular.

To more than just young boys and their hockey-loving hearts.

The Volkova jersey that I’m wearing doesn’t stand out at all. There are so many other women wearing Volkova jerseys in the stands that I can’t help but feel a little jealous.

But for all they know, I’m just another fan of the game.

The other team comes onto the ice, and the boys beside us start to boo.

Ellie grins and starts to do it too. “Booooooo!”

I snap a picture of her with her thumb pointing down and her lips forming an O. I send it to Rhodes, knowing he’ll get it during intermission.

The game starts off without any issues.

Both teams are fast and aggressive.

I wince each time the puck flies in our direction. At one point, Rhodes slams against the glass in front of the boys, and my heart leaps in my chest.

Ellie, unworried, jumps to her feet and claps.

Rhodes ends up making a connection with the puck and sends it to Malaki.

The whistle blows, and the play stops.

Off-sides.

The guys reposition, and they look tired already. It’s been four minutes and only one line change—one that Rhodes wasn’t a part of.

We win the puck drop, and it flies to the left, heading in the right direction.

“Yes!” I shout, grabbing onto Ellie’s hand.

She squeezes mine, and then we both sit and wait for the play to unfold.

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