Page 23 of Behind the Bench

This kid is something else. He’s the most easy-going rookie I’ve ever dealt with. You’d think he’d be nervous, keep his head down, and be quiet his first few weeks on the team. Nope. Kyle Jefferson has a smile on his face every time I see him. His face is round, and with that giant smile he wears, two dimples are permanently placed on his face. He’s barely nineteen, so he’s leaner than most of the guys on the team, but he’ll bulk up the longer he’s here.

“Not quite, Jefferson. Let’s walk down by the ice, I gotta talk to you about something.”

For the first time since I’ve known him, his smile drops. He nods and follows me down the tunnel to the bench where I take a seat and he slides up next to me.

“I’m cut, aren’t I, Coach?”

Is this kid serious? The look on my face must be one that rivals Taylor Swift’s shocked face when she wins any award, because a shit-eating grin stretches across Jefferson’s face.

“Or not.” He laughs.

Shaking my head, I say, “No, unfortunately you’re stuck with us for the long haul, kid. Unless, of course, you choke out there and we have to send you down to the AHL. But I’m really hoping that doesn’t happen because that would totally make me look bad. Not only are you stuck with us, but we’re going to keep you on the first power play unit and move you up to the first line with Niko. You two work extremely well together. We’re going to keep you together from here on out.”

Jefferson grabs my hand and starts vigorously shaking it. My entire body is shaking with the force of this handshake. “Thank you, thank you,thank you, Coach. I won’t let you down. I promise.” That boyish smile he’s constantly wearing splits across his face as he continues to shake my hand.

I pry his fingers off my hand and can’t help but laugh. The joy on this kid’s face is exactly why I got into coaching. There’s nothing like it.

“I know you won’t. Now go finish getting dressed before you make everyone late and force Coach Scott to bag skate you guys all afternoon.”

He jumps up so fast and literally sprints down the tunnel to the locker room. I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen anyone sprint in skates off of the ice, but it’s quite the sight.

I turn and stare out at the empty sheet of ice in front of me. There’s nothing like a fresh sheet of ice waiting to be skated on. I can’t believe I get to do this for a living. Obviously, I wish I could’ve made a career out of playing. The PWHL has come a long way since I was playing Peewee hockey against Lincoln, and they make a lot more now than they did five years ago when I was at my prime. However, I found a new love when I discovered coaching.

I’m lost in my thoughts when I feel a sudden blast of warmth against my right side. I turn to see Lincoln. His knee is touching mine and his left arm presses up against my right. His body heat is intense and as unnerving as the hint of pine coming from him.

When he turns to look at me our faces are as close as they’ve ever been. So close I can see the striations in his eyes, the enviable length of his lashes, and for the first time I notice a tiny scar hidden below his left eyebrow.

His proximity to me is beginning to make me dizzy. An unsettling feeling rises within me. He usually likes to put a good five feet between us if he can help it, as if I have a communicable disease or something. But lately, he seems to be letting me in. It all started when he asked me to stop calling him Link. I have no idea what went down with his dad. All I know is when we were in high school, I think our sophomore year, his dad stopped showing up to games. His cousin never missed a game though, and her parents were at most of them too. I didn’twant to pry and ask questions, but the clenched fists and look of despair in his eyes when he asked me not to call him “Link” was enough to tell me he’s still fighting some demons.

“Montgomery. Did you hear me?”

Blinking a few times, I try to refocus on what he’s saying. “Sorry, I was lost in thought there for a second. What did you say?”

Lincoln turns to look out at the rink. “I asked you how it went with Jefferson. I’m assuming he did a happy dance after you told him he earned his spot?”

A chuckle escapes my lips, and Lincoln quickly snaps his eyes back in my direction. Slowly, his eyes move down my face to my mouth. I can’t help it. I lick my lips. I’m not sure what’s happening here, but I’ve never minded playing with fire before. He stares for another second before clearing his throat and turning his gaze back toward the ice.

“Yep, pretty much. After vigorously shaking my hand for a solid minute, he sprinted down the tunnel with his hands raised in the air like Rocky.”

Lincoln shakes his head, but I see his lips turn up just a little bit at the edges. “That’s good,” he says, before standing up and resting his hands on the boards.

I stand and join him at the boards but turn so my hip is resting against it and I’m facing him. “Is there anything else you need? Or did you just want to spend some time with me before hitting the ice?”

Am I flirting? I think I’m flirting.

He turns so we’re now facing each other, close enough that our toes are almost touching. It’s so cold down here at ice level, I see a puff of air escape his mouth as he releases a deep breath.

“Maybe I did, Montgomery. Or maybe I was just checking in on one of my coaches after she had a meeting with one of our rookies.”

Lincoln taps his knuckles against the boards twice then turns and exits the bench. Before he gets too far, he looks over his shoulder and hollers, “Don’t be late, Montgomery. Wouldn’t want to make you skate laps.”

Practice goes well. We have our season opener here at our home rink in two days, so everyone is laser focused and putting in the work. I stole a few extra glances at Lincoln throughout practice and caught him doing the same to me. It’s all very…weird. I’m not sure what to think or how to feel about it.

It’s moments like these that hit me the hardest and make me realize how much I miss Sadie. I miss being able to hang out with her and talk with her. Hell, I even miss her laugh. I never realized how lonely I truly felt until now.

I make my way out of the coaches’ dressing room and my heart nearly stops. Sadie Mae is standing across the hall, one hand on her hip, fresh purple streaks in her gorgeous dark brown hair, and the biggest smile plastered on her face. Eyes wide, my mouth hangs open as my heart beats a million miles a minute. Did I just conjure her here while I was missing her? My thoughts are jumbled as I try to understand what’s happening.

“Surprise!” She puts her duffle bag down, sprints toward me, and before I can fully brace myself, she’s launching all five-two of herself onto me like a damn spider monkey. I topple backward but luckily catch myself on the wall behind me.

---