Page 72 of In Your Wildest Dreams
You want me to answer all these now? I haven’t even had coffee yet.
Me
Thirty-six questions in twelve days, that’s only three a day. And I’ll answer too.
Nurse Bridget
Your math skills continue to impress me.
Chuckling,I glance up from my phone to find Leo watching me with an amused expression.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing.” He holds Callum on his lap. The little guy is wearing a snowman onesie and it’s just about the most adorable thing ever, even if he has drool hanging from his tiny little lips. “You’ve just got this big smile on your face. Which is surprising since practice this morning was shit.”
The smile drops from my face. “It was brutal. I thought Coach’s eyes were going to bug out of his head.”
“He’s feeling the pressure. I overheard him talking to Jim yesterday. They want to make some more changes in the new year.”
“What kind of changes?” Panic squeezes my chest.
“As far as I know, your name hasn’t come up. My guess is they’ll send a couple of the rookies down and try to grab someone after the trade freeze.”
The trade freeze keeps teams from making any changes during the Christmas holiday. So at least for another week I can relax.
My four-year contract with the Wildcats ends after the season is over. When I signed it, my agent didn’t think a long contract was the way to go because my value would likely go up as I got more experience. He was right about that, but something I didn’t foresee was how much the team would mean to me.
All the teams I’ve been a part of have meant something. I spent four years in Vermont going to college and playing hockey. From there, I went to New Jersey for two years, then a year in Pittsburgh before I was traded to the Wildcats. I didn’t care where I went, I just wanted to play hockey as long as I could. I thought it’d always be like that, at least until I got married and had kids. That all seemed so far away and not like something I needed to worry about.
Which is why I didn’t balk at not having a no-trade clause in my contract. Instead, I have a limited trade clause that specifies which teams I cannot be traded to. It’s not a long list, just eight teams based mostly on location.
I had no idea how much I’d grow to love the Wildcat organization. How it would feel more like family and home than anywhere I’ve ever played before. Anywhere I’ve lived period. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I don’t want to start over with new guys. Even if my career was over tomorrow, I’d want to be right here.
“How’s Bridget?” My buddy glances at the phone still in my hand.
“Good. Sleeping in, enjoying break.”
“I remember those days,” he says with a smile. “When does she get back?”
“Not until after the new year. If I’m even still here.”
“I really don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
“I’m still not back to where I was.” I sink back into the couch cushions.
“Is the shoulder bothering you?”
“No, not at all. But I’m out of sorts since Coach moved me to the second line. Now he’s talking about putting me at center.” Coach Miller loves to mix things up, especially when we’re struggling. I never minded it until now.
“No matter where you play, you’ll make a difference. You had a month off, give it time.”
Time that I might not have. The truth is I’m not Leo or Jack or even Declan. They all make up crucial components of the team. Jack is a leader through and through. He looks out for everyone and he’s been one of the top scorers for the team every year I’ve been here.
Leo is quieter than Jack, but he’s the guy people go to when Jack is unavailable. Plus, he’s got this uncanny ability to jump from line to line and mesh with players of all caliber and game style. He’s a difference maker.
And Declan is our top defender. Maybe the top defender in all the league.
I’m not minimizing my contribution. I work fucking hard, and I put up good numbers every year, but the league is full of guys like me.
