Page 53 of The Save

“I think I get it now,” I whispered. “I can see why people would be a little obsessed with sex.”

Sharla gave me an amused smile. “And you said nothing happened.”

I laughed. “No, exactly. We didn’t even kiss, but it’s like . . . I don’t know. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Sharla handed me a piece of her cinnamon roll. “Just don’t get too attached.”

I scoffed. “Okay, that’s not fair. First you tell me to study?—”

“I didn’t think it would be with Chase! You said, “Not Coach Wilson,” remember?”

“You said, ‘Maybe you should sleep with him and get it out of your system.’”

“I was kidding!” she hissed, then winced. “Kind of. But I didn’t think about the fact that you’d probably get so emotionally attached. He treats you like you’re supposed to be treated, and you’re like a baby chick who’s imprinted.”

I rolled my eyes. “I felt that way before last night.”

“That’s true.” She pulled off another strip of frosted cinnamon goodness. “I feel better about that, actually.”

The arena lights dimmed slightly as the anthem started, and I rose with the crowd.

Pressure the left side. Disrupt their top line’s breakout. Exploit the weak-side rotation on the penalty kill.

We had a plan, and now all we needed to do was execute.

Have you thought about coaching?Blakely’s question popped into my head, and though I‘d dismissed it the first time, now it had a bit of sticking power. Was that even somethingwomen did? Was it possible to run numbers for a team? Do the analytics? I made a note to research that when we got back to Douglas. Not that I would consider going that direction, but it was interesting.

The Outlaws had prepped for this game, and from the first puck drop, it showed. Our guys came out flying—tight forecheck, crisp passes, smart rotations. Bear neutralized number 17’s rushes twice in the opening period, using his body like a wall. Axel, who’d been inconsistent through fall semester, was skating with total confidence.

“Did you see that redirect?” Shar yelled, jumping halfway out of her seat as Rory tipped a blue-line shot and sent it screaming past the goalie’s blocker. “That’s one of yours, right?”

I grinned. “We moved Rory up to screen on the power play. That goalie gives up high rebounds.”

They were only down 1-0, but at the start of the second, Clearwater shifted into desperation mode. They leaned into heavy hits and tried to force turnovers in the neutral zone. They battled it out, but the scoreboard didn’t change.

Sharla disappeared to go to the washroom for a bit in the third. Something wasn’t agreeing with her stomach, but she returned just in time to see Tim make an exceptional save on a backdoor shot.

The entire third period felt like a knife fight in a snowstorm. Blakely started double-shifting Axel and Rob, and Clearwater was gasping by the fifteen-minute mark. But then a loose puck bounced off a shin pad, Number 17 caught a breakaway, and it was a tie game.

“Are you kidding me?” Shar groaned, burying her face in her scarf.

“They’re losing coverage off the draw,” I said, half to myself. “We need to slow the pace.”

Chase must’ve seen it too because during the next whistle, he pulled Nick aside. The next line out dumped the puck instead of carrying it, forcing Clearwater to regroup. Maddeningly simple and effective. We got at least four solid shots on goal but couldn’t finish.

The buzzer blared with the score still tied 1-1.

Overtime.

“They’ve got this,” Shar whispered, squeezing my hand.

I nodded, my head starting to spin. What if Rob and Axel were too stretched? What if Axel started second-guessing himself? What if?—?”

No, thank you.

I focused on the feel of the chilled arena air. Sharla’s hand clasped around mine. The solid bench under my thighs, and suddenly I was back in my body. Present.

Maddeningly simple and effective.

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