Page 42 of Game Winner
We’re dressed like we’re going skiing. A layer of thermal long underwear, boots, coats, snow pants, gloves, hats.
I tug him between Bax and me, then wrap my arm around him. “The warmer we are, the happier we’ll be. Says so on the website.”
“If you need another layer, we’ll buy something from the gift shop.” Bax glances in the direction of the food vendors and seating areas with fire pits. “Or we can warm up there.”
Tyler tugs his scarf higher, covering his chin. “I’m okay for now. You’d think that from living in Canada, I would’ve gotten used to the cold, but I guess not.”
We wander past a wildlife scene with snowy bears, wolves, and other animals. Bax flips the end of Tyler’s scarf over his shoulder. “If you don’t like the cold, how did you end up playing hockey?”
“I don’t get cold when I’m on the ice. We move around too much.” Tyler stops to peer into a small ice house with green and blue lights. “But I started playing because of my dad. He grew up in Michigan, had hockey skates on almost as soon as he learned to walk, and did the same for me. A few of the guys he went to school with ended up in NAPH and PHL, so we cheered for those teams. I fell in love with the game the first time I played it. Being a hockey player is all I ever wanted to be.”
We come upon a castle large enough for us to walk through. I have my phone in hand, taking so many photos. Bax and Tyler encouraged me with the nice things they said about the pictures in my apartment, and their support gives me confidence that I might be okay at this new hobby.
The castle is made of wide ice bricks and windows embedded with rainbow lights. The walls are shiny and the snow on theground shimmers under the lights. There’s a hush in the air, as silent as the trees lining the castle’s perimeter.
Thanks to the Slash having a game and Bax having a show yesterday, we weren’t able to spend Valentine’s Day together, and though we’re a day late and there aren’t any hearts and flowers cast in ice, just being with Bax and Tyler makes this place romantic.
We make our way into a cave that appears otherworldly with icy stalagmites and stalactites.
Bax turns in a slow circle. “If Layne were here, he’s try out the cave’s acoustics.”
“How’s he feeling?” I take a photo of caverns glowing with blue and purple lights that remind me of the stage lights at Winter Fest. Bax has been worried about Layne since his crowd surfing fall.
Sighing, Bax rubs his gloved hand over the back of his neck. “He was pretty sore for a few days, but that’s getting a lot better and his bruises are really colorful now. He’s really lucky he didn’t get hurt worse.”
Tyler wraps his arm around Bax’s waist as we exit the cave. “Has he told you anything more about the mystery guy?”
“I tried getting him to talk yesterday. He said he wasn’t ready.” Concern for his friend coats his words. His attention lands on the ice maze and he pulls us in that direction. “But he seemed in a better mood. We hung out most of the day, watching movies before our show, then went to see a friend’s band.”
Something about the arches and vaults reminds me of places I visited in Paris with my family as a kid. I take a photo of Tyler, with his face turned up, staring at the stars beyond the towering, spiking walls. “It’s good he has you to talk to. Knowing you’ll be there to listen whenever he is ready is a big deal.”
We wander deeper into the maze, take a turn, and hit a dead end. Bax slides his arms around me, pulling into his puffy blackcoat. “I forgot to tell you, I wore my Slash T-shirt at yesterday’s gig.”
“I bet it looked good on you. The Metros shirt did.” I would’ve loved to see him rocking that yellow shirt, supporting me. He looked sexy in the Metros shirt last week, and wearing it meant a lot to Tyler. “Maybe you’ll wear it to another gig?”
His eyes twinkling, he touches his lips to mine. “Promise.”
Tyler slips my phone out of my hand and takes a photo of us kissing. “I miss looking down the ice and seeing you guarding the net. I wish we were still on the same team.”
Resting my head against Bax’s, I beckon Tyler closer and loop my arm around him. “Yeah, I want that again. I love playing with Phil and Gio, but I miss playing with Remy, Sage, and Morgan. And you, Ty.”
“Plus, no one on the Metros cares that we’re dating.” Ty’s mouth is cold on mine. The edges of his lips are purple, so we need to get him warmed up soon. “Not that many of the Slash teammates cared either, but I swear, the way Stephens would watch us, you’d think he’s a voyeur.”
Taking our hands, Bax draws us down the corridor to the next turn. “You’re both hot, so I can see why he’d want to watch.”
After a few more wrong turns, we find our way out of the maze then move on to exploring the village with its hills that resemble fairy rafts in Gargoyles Gateway.
By the time we return to where we started, the wind had picked up and the air is colder than when we arrived.
Tyler’s lips are more purple, our noses are red, and I think it’s time for us to move on. “We should go to the cabin.”
“Good thinking.” His teeth chattering, he trembles against us, and Bax and I huddle closer to warm him. “I need something warm to drink and lots of body heat.”
We rented the cabin close by the Ice Kingdom so we wouldn’t have to drive back home tonight. Neither of our teams havegames for the next couple of days, and tomorrow is a rare day off from practice for both of us. Bax took the day off, too, so we can take our time getting home.
I also wanted the cabin because Tyler mentioned how peaceful Rhys’s place seemed. We’ll have some time to enjoy it tomorrow before heading back to Saint Paul.
A five-minute drive gets us to the winding road leading to the cabin. It sits alone among the trees, quiet and private, with fairy lights strung across the roof casting a welcoming glow.
