Page 89 of Offside and Off-Limits
I feel a tug on my sleeve and look down to see Benny frowning up at me. “Why are they booing, Mommy?”
“Because they’re the Great Lake Vikings, sweetheart. That’s the team we want to beat today.”
“Boo!” he calls out, and I resist telling him it’s not exactly good sportsmanship to boo the opposition, but I don’t. Not only is half the crowd doing it, but he’s lapping up every minute of this game, and I don’t want to do anything to dim his light.
“And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Introducing your Maple Falls Ice Breakers!” the announcer declares, and immediately, the team’s theme song, “Ice Ice Baby,” begins to blare and people start to dance.
As each skater is announced, I watch for Cade. I don’t need to wait long.
“And on the right wing is Cade Lennox!” the announcer says, and we cheer and wave, and after skating out and waving at the crowd, he turns to where he knows we’re sitting and throws us a wave, his massive grin reaching from ear to ear.
I wave back as my heart swells with love for this beautiful man who came into my life and changed it for the better. He winks at me before he skates across the ice to join his team, as thoughhe’s as light as a feather.
“Who knew we’d both end up with hockey players?” Keira says, and my heart squeezes at the thought I could end up with Cade. Not just his girlfriend, but maybe, someday, his wife.
Just as quickly as the thought occurs to me, I know what my answer would be.
Yes.
Not that I want to rush what we have. We fell in love fast, and even though my heart knows he’s everything I want, everything I need, I’m happy with where we are right now. We are two people newly in love, spending whatever free time we can together, learning more and more about each other every day.
And it’s the best feeling in the world.
The whole team is now on the ice, and soon enough, play begins, and we take our seats, waiting for the story of the Ice Breakers’ first ever NHL game to unfold.
The two teams move around the ice with blistering speed, smashing into one another with the kind of mayhem that makes the game of hockey both terrifying and addictive to watch.
A mere handful of minutes after the starting sound, Asher Tremblay, my new Chronic Warriors buddy, gets the first goal of the game. I leap to my feet, cheering him on with the rest of the supporters as the goal horn blares and the team song sounds out around the arena. The crowd goes nuclear with excitement.
There’s another goal to the Ice Breakers in the first half, thanks to Carson Crane’s handiwork, and the tension in the arena is evident among not only the Ice Breakers fans, but the fans of the Vikings, too. Our team is up 2-0, and I for one am quietly confident we can dig deep and keep the opposition from scoring. I know how much this new team wants a victory.
We take our seats for the second half, both the tension and expectation high. The play is as fast and as brutal as it was in the first, and my heart is in my mouth as I watch, riveted to the action on the ice with an intensity I’ve not experienced before.
But then I’ve never before been in love with one of the players out there battling it out.
No goals come in the second, though not from thewant of trying asboth teams vie for the period dominance. Thankfully, the Ice Breakers keep the opposition shutout.
As we wait for the third period, Dan leans over and says, “I bet Coach Hauser will be telling the guys to keep it tight in the third. He won’t want any heroics or exhibition hockey unless theyhave a clear and concise shot on goal.”
“Let’s hope they don’t get that chance,” I reply, my nerves pinging.
Then the teams come back onto the ice for the final period to rapturous applause. The energy buzzing aroundthe whole arena is electric, and we can almost taste the victory within our grasp.
Our home fans are showing their allegiance to their new team.
Play begins and Cade gets the puck. Instantly, I grip the edgeof my seat, my heart hammering against my ribs with each bone-jarring check along the boards.
Even from my spot behind the plexiglass, I can see his look of dogged determination, the expression of a man with single minded resolve to make his mark on this game.
He begins to weave through defenders like the players are in a dance choreographed just for him. Beside me, Benny says, “Look, Mommy! Cade’s got the puck and he’s close to the goal!”
My heart is beating with adrenaline as the frenetic pace of the game seems to slow, and it’s like every person in the arena is holding a collective breath as Cade lines up the shot, his wind-up as smooth as silk, precise and perfectly timed.
And thenboom! His stick makes bruising contact with the puck, launching itlike a cannon, slicing through the air. The goalie dives to block it, misses, the puck sailing past him, the force of Cade’s slapshot sending it right into the back of the net.
For a split second, the entire arena falls to silence before the goal horn sounds and the Ice Breaker fans jump up, screaming and cheering, and stomping their feet in jubilation, me and Hannah and Benny and Keira and Dan along with them. All of us are united in the captivating force of this team, sailing to a 3-0 lead over the Vikings.
There's something so primal, so raw about watching someone you love overcome the opposition and succeed spectacularly in a bruising athletic pursuit in front of thousands of people. And you know what? It’s a feeling I could get used to, and if Cade plays like he has tonight, I may well need to.
