Page 23 of Breakaway (Nashville Knights Hockey #3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

DAX

“ H ow’s Chloe doing with her first long road trip?” Marcus asks. “Doing okay?”

I nod. “I think it helps that the girls took her under their wing.”

“Road trips aren’t easy,” he says, retaping his stick. “She’ll be okay. She has good people around her.”

“That and they’re keeping her busy with jewelry orders.”

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Chloe as excited as when she told me they wanted custom jewelry made. She kissed me and then left me to study film on her couch while she went to work creating.

It was one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time. I prepped for our road trip these next two weeks—all against West Coast teams—while she worked on her designs, followed by a long night of orgasms.

Yeah, I could get used to that.

“Alright, everyone. That first period was good, but we need to work on our mistakes,” Coach Andrews says. “It’s still 0-0, but Vancouver is pushing us hard. Dax. ”

His eyes find me.

“Yes, Coach?”

“I’m putting you in with Marcus and Bode. I want to see you put it in the net.”

“You got it.”

Hell yeah. Finally a chance to start on the first line with these two guys. I try to model my game after these two. They’re some of the best players—and guys—in the league.

“You’ve got this,” Bode says, bumping his gloved fist against mine.

“Damn right,” Marcus says. “Let’s go shut this crowd up.”

“On it,” I fire back, as we all head out of the locker room.

From the moment the puck dropped, it’s been nothing but an intense game. Vancouver’s got the home crowd behind them. They’re absolutely electric. Both teams have been fighting nonstop and we have nothing to show for it.

Getting moved up a line is big, and I don’t want to screw this up as we take the ice for the beginning of the second period.

Marcus wins the face-off and shoots the puck over to Bode. Setting up, he skates back into our zone before sending the puck my way. Vancouver’s defensemen are waiting for us. I deke around one of them and send the puck back to Marcus.

They’re waiting for Marcus and crush him into the boards, but not before he gets the puck back over to me and I’m able to put it into the back of the net to score the first goal of the game.

“Fuck, yeah, Dax!” Bode piles on top of me as the lamp lights and the home crowd boos us. “That was awesome! ”

“Keep doing that, Dax.” Marcus smacks me on top of my helmet as I skate back to starting position for the puck drop.

Vancouver tries to match our goal, but we’re ready. One goal fires up the team and we’re all energized. Our defensemen stop the goal and shoot the puck my way. I take off. Not a single person from Vancouver is in my way.

Faking the goalie out, I fire the puck toward his stick side and the beautiful light flashes again.

“Breakaway goal. It’s your night!” Marcus says, coming over to congratulate me.

“Great setup,” I tell him.

“You made it look easy,” Bode says.

“No goal is easy.”

“That’s about as easy as they come. Take the compliment.” Marcus bumps me with his stick.

Vancouver is ready after this face-off and nabs the puck. For the rest of the second period, it’s a battle of wills. They’re a good team, as are we, and we’re fighting to keep them off the scoreboard.

At the end of the second, one of their defensemen gets Noah tied up and they’re able to put the biscuit in the basket.

“Damn it.” I throw my water bottle down for the final shift change of the period as their fans celebrate the goal.

We run the clock out on the second period, then Coach Andrews goes over the game plan for the final period.

I’m staying with Marcus and Bode as he mixes up the second and third lines. Fresh legs to keep us on our feet the rest of the game.

Vancouver comes out swinging, but this time, Noah is there to stop a goal and sends the puck to me. Not able to get a breakaway this time, I send the puck flying to Bode who takes off across the ice and gets his own goal .

“Hell yeah, baby!” I skate up to him, jumping on top of him. “Great job!”

“Great assist!” He claps me on the helmet. “Keep it up, Dax.”

The tide of the game is starting to lean in our favor. Vancouver is making silly mistakes that we’re able to capitalize on. With one more goal late in the third, Vancouver pulls their goalie in favor of an extra man on the ice.

Coach sends us out to finish the game.

They’re not giving in, playing hard and trying to get the puck away from us behind the net.

It slips out and I make my move. Cradling it in my stick, my skill is on point as I move it down the ice. With only one person in front of me, I send it flying.

Smack into the back of the net.

I thrust my arms in the air. A hat trick. I’ve never gotten one before in my life. I can’t believe it.

“Fuck, yeah! We are going out to celebrate tonight!” Bode is grinning from ear to ear as he comes over to me. Marcus is waiting at the gate to welcome us back to the bench.

“Whatever Bode said, I agree with him.”

“Even if it means going to a strip club?” I laugh.

“Doubt he said that,” Marcus replies, smiling just as big as Bode.

“Great job, Fletcher.” Coach congratulates me as I take my seat on the bench as the final minute of the game ticks away.

Knights win 4-2.

A line of reporters are waiting for us in the locker room before we can even hit the showers.

“You had a great game tonight. How does it feel to know your brother scored one more goal than you?” a reporter from one of the local news channels asks .

Way to be a buzzkill.

“Good for Duncan,” I say, taking another swig of water. “I’m glad that I was able to help my team to a win tonight. Vancouver is a good team.”

“Do you think those early goals helped you get the win?” he asks.

“It always helps to score first and get the momentum in your favor. Playing from behind is always hard.”

“It helped get you that hat trick tonight with the empty net.”

“I’m glad I was able to help my team win tonight,” I say again.

What, just because it was an empty net goal, it doesn’t count? I keep that to myself. I don’t want to have a chat with the team PR. No, thanks.

“Hopefully next time we see you in Vancouver, our team is heading home with a win.”

“See you next time.”

At least the next person I talk to asks me about my hat trick. It helps bring back the excitement. I mean, they couldn’t have waited to ask me a few questions before lobbing that question my way?

Of course on the best night of my career, Duncan has to do better. It’s like I’m always in his shadow no matter what I do.

“Player of the game is Dax. Way to go.” Coach tosses me a puck, as we all crowd in the visitors’ locker room. “First hat trick of his career. Great job. Way to help seal the win for the team.”

I nod in appreciation of getting the puck. “Thanks, Coach.”

“We’re leaving early tomorrow for Denver, and after that it’s San Jose, Seattle, Anaheim, up to Edmonton, back to Vegas, and then home, so take it easy tonight. Eleven o’clock curfew. Got it?”

“Got it, Coach,” we answer.

“You guys want to grab some beers and hang out in our room?” Bode asks.

“Sounds good to me.”

Now that the adrenaline is starting to wear off, I could use a beer, a call with Chloe, and to hit the sack. Because I want to carry all this momentum forward.

It doesn’t matter to me whether Duncan is doing better than I am or not. Because unlike him, I care about my team around me.

And I want to do everything I can to make sure we go far this season.