Page 13 of For the Win

When we’re not talking about our family issues, we all get along pretty well.Riley offers to help in the kitchen, JP and I head out to the patio to stand with Théo around the barbecue in manly fashion while drinking beer, and Taylor and Everly come sit outside and start talking about their yoga classes.

Yoga.Damn.

“Don’t remind me about yoga class,” I tell them.I was crushing on the sexy yoga instructor until I accidentally knocked her into the water.Way to make a good impression.The humiliation still burns every time I think of it.

They grin.“I’m sure you want to forget that,” Taylor says.

“I’ll never make you come to class again,” Everly adds.

“You seriously went to another of her classes after that?”I ask.

“Yeah.”Everly shrugs.“I considered changing to a different class, but she’s a great instructor.I really like her classes.”

“Same,” Taylor says.“She’s really down-to-earth.”

“Or down-to-water,” Everly says.

They both laugh.

“So funny,” I mutter.

Riley, Noah, and Ash haven’t heard the story, so Everly entertains them with an exaggerated version of it.A little exaggerated.

Hey, I’m a good sport.I can laugh at myself.

Théo starts flipping burgers on the grill and it smells amazing.Lacey sets out bowls of pretzels and nuts, and I grab a handful of cashews.

“Hey, you guys hear what happened to our mascot last weekend?”Noah asks.He plays for the Eagles’ farm team, the San Diego Hawks.

Riley starts laughing.Apparently, she’s heard.

“What?”I ask.

“He was at some kids’ event and decided he was going to run at the glass window.He thought it was like the glass on the ice, and he could just throw himself at it and bounce off it.But he smashed the glass.”

“Oh my God!”the women all exclaim.

We’re all laughing and shaking our heads.

“Is he okay?”Lacey demands.

“Yeah, he’s fine.The costume protected him, I guess.It’s on video.Wait, I can find it.”Noah pulls his phone out and we all gather around to watch the big hawk throwing himself through a glass window while the kids all freeze in shock.

“That’s hilarious.Who’s in the costume?”

“Guy named Ian.”Noah shakes his head, grinning.“He’s a nut, so this doesn’t surprise me.”

The shared laughter has totally changed the vibe, and I don’t even care that some of it was at me.Everly’s right—family’s important.

* * *

“Okay,”Gary, our strength-and-conditioning coach, announces in the dressing room after our morning skate Sunday.We have a game tonight against Florida.“We’re trying something new, starting tomorrow.”

“Oh shit,” Scotty says.“Now what?Some new kind of torture?”

Gary grins.“Yoga.”

Some of the guys groan, some stare in disbelief, others shrug.

---