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Yo

Remy

I crossed my ankles on the porch railing, chair tilted back against the wall.

This cottage on a remote Ontario lake was my home for the summer.

The only sounds to reach me were the gentle lapping of the water on the shore, the call of birds, an occasional splash of fish feeding.

A light breeze rustled the leaves, shifting shadows over the lawn sloping down to the lake in front of me.

This area wasn’t developed, no road or hydro lines in place, so the waters were rarely disturbed by motorboats full of noisy people.

It was calm and peaceful. I wasn’t sure what day it was, but it didn’t matter.

Staring out over the water, I had nothing to do but drink my beer and breathe.

I pushed out thoughts of anything else and my whole body relaxed into a zen-like state.

Then my phone rang, ripping through the silence.

I jerked and the chair dropped with a thud. Beast, who’d been gnawing on a rawhide bone next to me, growled. Reluctantly, I reached over to the phone on the table beside me and checked who was calling.

Shit. My agent. I didn’t want to answer. It might be good news, but this far into September it was more likely Benny telling me my career was over. My last NHL team hadn’t renewed my contract, and so far no one had been knocking down Benny’s door looking for a backup goalie.

It rang again while I debated answering. Benny couldn’t fire me if he couldn’t reach me. But he could rip me a new one when he finally tracked me down. I swiped the green button and pressed it to my ear.

“Yo.”

As expected, he didn’t care for that greeting. “What the fuck kind of way is that to answer your phone?” Some agents were suave and sophisticated. Those agents had clients who pulled in the big bucks. I had Benny.

“I thought the marina was calling to tell me my food had arrived.”

“Enough with the bullshit. Caller ID is a thing. Instead, tell me you’ve been keeping in shape.”

“I’ve been keeping in shape,” I echoed back.

“I swear, the day I no longer represent you I’ll be dancing through the office naked.”

That forced a laugh out of me. “I hope someone videos that. Or maybe not.”

“For real, Remy, are you in any kind of playing condition?”

“For real, I am.” I’d had long days here at the cottage, just me and Beast. Swimming and working out hadn’t just filled the time but fed that kernel of hope in my chest that maybe, just maybe, I’d be playing hockey this season.

Because otherwise I had no fucking idea what I was going to do when the weather turned cold and I had to leave this place.

“Good. You’ve got a contract.”

For a moment, the porch tilted. Inside, my heart started doing its own dance. Something fast and twisty, with a strong beat. A contract. At least one more season of playing. One more year to make a mark before I had to give it all up.

I didn’t let that excitement out though.

No one knew how desperate I was, not even Benny.

As far as anyone in the league knew, I was calm under any kind of pressure.

Unflappable. The goalie you could count on not to freak out no matter what the circumstances.

Definitely not hanging on to my career out of desperation.

So instead of cheering or offering to send him champagne, I said, “Guess I should start packing up the cottage.”

A long sigh from Benny. “Do that ASAP. Training camp starts in a couple of days and you need to be there. How soon can you be on the move?”

“Tomorrow? That should give me time to get the cottage shut up and drive to the airport in Winnipeg.

“So get your ass in gear. I’ll send you flight info—I’ll book something for tomorrow afternoon. Hire someone to deal with your cabin if necessary, and you’ve got your gear with you, right?”

“Yeah.” It was still in the bags I’d brought it in, stored in the spare room where I’d dumped it in the spring. I’d better check it out.

“Bring it. They’re looking into a place for you to stay, and I’ll send that address through as well.”

“Wait—do they know I have a dog?”

Benny swore. “You still have that rat?”

“If you mean Beast, then yeah.”

Beast growled as if he understood Benny. Rat wasn’t a fair description. He was small, sure, but he had long hair. The best I could describe him was if a dachshund and a yorkie crossed, then the puppy was possessed by a pit bull. At least the bald spots he’d been covered with were filled in.

I heard the muted sounds of him tapping on his keyboard. “Okay, I’ll let them know you have an animal. I’ll find a place in Winnipeg that can do the paperwork for shipping a dog and send him down after you. Anything else?”

It would take some time to get Beast in a carrier.

To pack my clothes and a toothbrush, check out my gear.

Once I took everything to the marina, they could store the motorboat for the winter.

They’d also winterize the cottage for me if I asked.

Then the drive to the Peg, where I’d have to drop off Beast, park in long-term—if Benny got all the arrangements set up, it was doable.

“Think that’s it.”

He hung up. Some guys would be offended, but I was just glad he’d come through for me. I didn’t need polite. I needed to play hockey.

I hadn’t asked how much I would be making, because a thirty-two-year-old backup goalie would only get the league minimum. I hadn’t asked where, either, because it didn’t matter. I was lucky to get an offer—I wasn’t turning it down.

But when I pulled out my duffel to pack my clothes, I realized I should have asked more questions.

Did I need a parka? Florida wouldn’t need snow boots, while Edmonton definitely would.

I shrugged. Neither place would be a problem for the next few weeks, so I’d work it out when I found out where I was going.

I was ready to leave early the next morning. After putting my stuff in the boat, I looked for Beast. He’d vanished. Damn it. Little fucker was smart. Getting him in his travel crate was going to take a while.

It did, and I didn’t escape unscathed, but we made it to the marina in time for me to get the arrangements made for the boat and cottage.

Then I shoved my stuff in my truck for the drive to Winnipeg.

Benny had sent an address near the airport to drop off Beast. My phone directed me to the animal shipping company’s office.

Considering how little money I made for the guy, he went over and above.

I stepped inside with Beast in his crate, enough dog food to tide him over for a week, his leash and a muzzle.

I had a pet passport the vet had made up for him in Saint Martin with his medical information.

A pleasant gray-haired woman welcomed us with a smile.

“How may I help you?”

Beast growled at her. “I’m Daniel Rempel. I think you were expecting us?”

She checked her screen and nodded. “We have all the information here for his flight once we get a vet to check him out. You have his papers?”

I slid them over the counter to her.

“Beast?” She was surprised at his name. Most people were till they met him.

“He was a rescue.” She could think he came with the name if she wanted. He was still growling.

She started inputting his details into the computer.

“He’s got all his shots, so if the vet clears him, there shouldn’t be any problems.” Beast grumbled in his crate, pissed at the world.

She paused for a moment and cocked her head as she looked at his snarling face inside the crate.

“He doesn’t like it in there, it seems.”

“There’s a lot of stuff he doesn’t like.”

She gave him a fond smile and I sighed, quietly. That wasn’t going to last.

With a final tap of her keyboard, she printed out the invoice and I passed over my credit card. It was time for me to go if I didn’t want to miss my own flight.

I drew in a breath. “I need to warn you, he bites when he feels threatened, and he always feels threatened. Don’t hold your hand out to him because he’ll bite.

Keep his leash on when he’s not in the crate or he’ll run.

If you leave any kind of food around, he’ll eat it, even if you swear it’s nothing a dog would like. Even if it’s not really edible.”

Her smile faltered. “You said he was a rescue?”

I nodded.

“How long have you had him?”

“About five months.”

“And he hasn’t improved?”

“He has. He was much worse before.”

She wasn’t smiling anymore. I’d bet half my contract that someone would try to befriend my Beast before the flight was done, and they’d regret it. But I’d warned them. Not much more I could do.

I stared at the growling animal in the crate. “Behave, Beast. I’ll see you soon.” I didn’t pet him, because I’d learned my lesson.

I checked the time and hustled. I dragged my gear, my suit bag, and my duffel to the terminal.

Winnipeg wasn’t a big airport, and I was flying first class, so I didn’t have to wait long in line.

While the person ahead of me checked in I looked at Benny’s email again.

The flight information had arrived while I was driving, so I only knew I was headed to New York.

There were at least three teams in the area, so that didn’t tell me where I was playing.

I’d just opened the info he’d sent on the contract when it was my turn to check in.

The attendant took my passport and found my flight.

She started clicking keys and I took a deep breath for the first time since Benny called.

This was happening. I was playing. Stupid fuck that I was, I didn’t even know what team, but Benny said someone would be meeting me at the airport when I landed. That was good enough.

The woman looked up at me with a polite smile. “We can check your bags all the way through, Mr. Rempel. You have about an hour between flights, so I would suggest you make good time to your next gate.”

“What?”

Her polite smile was fixed. “The gates in New York are not close, unfortunately.”

“But…I’m flying to New York, right?”

Her smile was slipping now. “Yes, you’re flying to New York to catch your connecting flight.”

“Um, where do I stop flying?” Not a Canadian team, or I’d be going directly there. Philly? Pittsburgh? Washington?

She leaned away from me. “Austin. In Texas.”

I stared at her. My mouth hung open, and I probably looked like I no longer understood English. “What?”

Her smile was gone. “I’m not sure what you’re questioning, sir.”

“I’m going to Austin?” The team in Austin was the Aces. Had I really signed to play there?

A short sigh. “That’s what this ticket is booked for. Whether or not you get on the plane is up to you.”

My knee-jerk reaction was no. Fuck no . Of all the teams in the league, this was the one I didn’t want to go to.

The team with the new goalie coach who hated me and would have the chance to make my life a fucking misery.

Benny knew that, damn him. No wonder he’d been careful to never mention the team.

And I’d been desperate enough not to ask.

It was almost enough to make me back out. Almost. But my need to play hockey was bigger than whatever Otts might dish out while I was playing on his team.

“Sorry. Yes, I’m flying.”