Page 73 of Playing the Pucking Game
She quirks a brow. “Enough to have a hot hockey boy playing doctor. Your night certainly ended better than mine.”
I don’t agree, but I also don’t say anything.
I’d much rather have just curled up in bed last night and been able to walk this morning.
The restof the morning and afternoon pass in a blur, working on the guys, getting them ready for the game, and then standing just a few feet away from a scowling Linc as everything gets underway.
He’s barely spoken to me since we arrived at the arena. It seems his concern over my foot allowed him to forget his irritation for a while, but it’s back in full force now.
Whatever.
The less we interact, the better.
It’s a tough game. Lloyd Reeves plays the first line like his life depends on it. He manages two assists, but he fails to findthe back of the net. We walk away with a 2-0 win, though. You’d think that score would mean Linc lightens up a little, but when we all make our way onto the airplane a few hours after the game, he’s still wearing the same scowl he has been all day.
“Oh my god.” I sigh as I sink into my seat beside Brooke.
I’m exhausted, and my foot feels like it has its own heartbeat.
“The guys killed it tonight,” she says without looking up from her cell, where she’s editing footage from tonight’s game, ready to post.
“They did. And another shutout for Handsy. Coach is going to have offers coming in left and right with his performance this season.”
“He’d be stupid to let him go.”
“I can’t see it happening. But we’re getting toward that time of year.”
She mumbles her agreement as the final few people take their seats.
Brooke switches her cell off as the doors are closed, and she finally turns toward me.
“Ready for the next leg?” she asks, excitement glittering in her eyes.
“Please try not to break me this time.”
A shadow falls over me, and my heart sinks, but when I turn around, I find Leah smiling down at me.
“How’s the head?” I ask.
“Better than your foot, by the sounds of it.”
“I’m pretty sure if I take my sneaker off, I’ll never get it back in.”
“As soon as we’re in the air, get it elevated. No excuses for tomorrow night,” she teases before taking off to get started.
“You two are going to be the death of me.”
“There are worse ways to go, don’t you think?”
20
LINCOLN
We lose our next game. Badly.
It was embarrassing.
But no matter what I said to Coach, he wouldn’t go against Parker’s recommendation to bench me.
