Page 27 of Pucking Tangled
Luca: Nothing’s changed. Still not into the party or bar scene. He enjoyed himself though.
Mia: Hopefully neither of you got into too much trouble.
Luca: Something you feel like you need to ask me, Mia?
She pausedbefore responding with a simple, ‘Nope.’
Luca: I’m an open book, if you change your mind.
Mia: Gotta run. Class starts in ten. Have fun at practice today. Tell the guys I said, ‘Hi.’
Waylon: Thanks a lot, Blondie.
Mia: You’re welcome?
Waylon: Couldn’t sleep last night. Kept thinking about you and a ball gag. My damn hand is practically raw. Don’t know how I’m going to be able to play like this.
Mia: Wow. You really enjoy breaking the rules, don’t you?
Waylon: You have no idea.
ELEVEN
Mia
“We’re almost halfwaythrough overtime with just eight minutes and fourteen seconds to go. The crowd is on the edge of their seats here in Charleston. It’s a war of attrition out there—bodies flying, sticks clashing, both goalies standing tall,” Tessa Long, one of the game’s announcers, said into her mic.
Mia watched from the living room, wringing her hands and pacing back and forth. This game had been one hell of a nail biter. During Game 2, the guys seemed to be out of sync and all over the place. They were clearly trying to do better tonight, but Charleston was a tough team.
“Owen Hawk has been everywhere tonight—what a leader. And now he’s out there again, double-shifting, refusing to sit down,” Mark Vaster, the second announcer, added.
Charleston pressed into the Lancaster zone. A blistering shot headed in Owen’s direction, but he sprawled out to block it.
“Hawk with a fearless block! That’s the captain putting his body on the line!” Tessa shouted.
“Fuck yes, Owen!” Mia cheered and jumped up and down. “Almost there guys. Almost there.”
Owen scrambled to his feet and pushed the puck up the ice.
“He dishes it to Casey Novak flying down the left side—Novak splits two defenders!”
“Novak cuts in—he SHOOTS—kicked away by Dawson!” Tessa continued.
“Damn it,” Mia cursed.
The rebound kicked to the far side, where Waylon pinched in from the point.
“Ryan scoops it—fires it through traffic—OFF THE POST!” Mark yelled.
The puck ricocheted wildly to Luca at the blue line.
“Come on, Luca, you’ve got this,” Mia bit her lip. That blue line tripped Luca up from time to time. They couldn’t afford for it to get in his way right now.
“Rookie Luca Blackford settles it—he’s got space—winds up—BLASTS ONE—IT’S IN! HE SCORES!!”
Tessa shouted, “LANCASTER WINS IT IN OVERTIME! BLACKFORD FROM THE POINT BURIES THE DAGGER!”
Mia squealed at the top of her lungs. Skeeter watched like she was nuts from where he was trying to rest on the sofa. “Yes! Yes! Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!”
