Page 76 of Hotshot
“Hmm. I didn’t like it all. I got hurt on the ice when I was little and took a long break. My Uncle Vinnie bribed me to give it another shot, and I fell in love again. It was like I needed time away to appreciate it, you know?”
I hummed in acknowledgment, my eyes locked on Denny demonstrating proper form to a kid struggling with his backhand near the net. “I get that. Sounds like you’ve done well in the sport.”
“Thanks. Unfortunately, women don’t get the same recognition as our male peers. I could have continued after college, but I didn’t want to travel all the time. I know it’s been hard for Denny.” MK gestured to the ice. “He seems to be doing better now, though. Like he’s ready for the next level.”
Somehow I knew what she meant. There was an empty spotlight with Denny’s name on it. He’d be the face on some of the biggest campaigns in the sports world; he’d sell tickets,merchandise, and dreams. And he’d do it with grace and poise…like a true champion in the making.
And me? I’d watch him on TV or maybe from the stands, and hopefully I’d be content with a handful of memories.
Denny metme at the barn later that night, flushed and pumped up with camp stories. The smartass from Tennessee who’d challenged Vinnie to a chess match, the show-off from Michigan the coaches had voted most likely to burn out within a week, the geek from Seattle who couldn’t skate worth a damn, the prankster from Vancouver who’d spent lunchtime recruiting campers to wreak mayhem.
“We’re keeping our eye on that guy,” Denny snickered, patting Bess’s flank. “Hey, can we take them out? It’s late, but we have sunlight for a while.”
I checked the time and nodded. “Let’s do it.”
We followed a well-worn path along the creek wide enough for two horses to walk side by side. The summer breeze felt refreshing after a day inside an air conditioned rink and office. The golden light of the setting sun, the sound of Denny’s deep voice, and sway of the horse lulled me into complacency. I could be happy here. This was all I needed.
“We have more campers than ever,” Denny reported enthusiastically. “Four different groups meet at two rinks usually, but Pinecrest offered the use of their rink this year too. They just want the publicity, the little fuckers. Whatever, we need the ice. Thankfully, we have enough coaches to make it work. Housing everyone is an ongoing issue. In the beginning, they’d billet with families who were willing to help out for a week or so. We still have that program, but we also have a coupleof dedicated houses…kind of like dorms. You couldn’t pay me enough money to sign up for RA duty. I like coaching better anyway. I got teamed up with Jake this year. He’s funny, I’m serious. He’s chatty, I’m quiet. It works.”
I shot Denny an amused glance. He’d been talking nonstop for an hour now. “Quiet, huh? I don’t know that guy.”
He snorted, keeping a light grip on the reins, his posture ramrod straight as he matched Bess’s gentle cadence in the saddle. Like I’d taught him. “Not gonna lie, I get boned up seeing you at the rink.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You looked super hot in that Elmwood Eagles hat.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Vinnie gave it to me. He said I wasn’t allowed to wear the Pinecrest Penguins hat I had on.”
“The fuck?” He glowered. “Where did you get a Penguins hat?”
“Jake’s mom gave it to me. How was I supposed to know?”
“Jake’s mom pranked you hard.” Denny knocked the heel of his palm against his forehead. “Okay, memorize this. Elmwood good, Fallbrook…fine, Wood Hollow…indifferent, but we sort of feel sorry for them, but Pinecrest is evil. They’re snot-nosed assholes who think they’re better than everyone else. If anyone had seen you in that thing, you’d be back to square one, babe.”
I beamed.
He’d called me babe.
And he didn’t seem to notice. The endearment had slipped from his tongue…so casually. I didn’t want to read too much into the sentiment, but the more I got to know Denny, the more I realized he didn’t give anything freely. You had to earn his trust, his time…his affection. Somehow, I was on the inside. It felt pretty damn amazing.
“What’s the stupidest thing you ever did as a kid?” he asked out of the blue.
I didn’t have to think about it. “I jumped from a tree onto a pile of leaves on a dare and broke my collarbone. I also superglued my eyelids open ’cause I was afraid of the dark and didn’t want to go to sleep.”
Denny hooted. “No fucking way.”
“Way. I was not what you’d call a brainiac. How about you? Stupidest thing ever…go.”
“I went skiing in my jeans and got caught at the top of the mountain in a freak storm. I looked like the iceman by the time my dad came to rescue me. Do you ski?”
“I do. Very well, thank you,” I bragged.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. We should go sometime,” I said, unthinking.
I wished I could press rewind the second the words were out. There would be no “sometime.” This summer was it for us, and the clock was ticking like a time bomb.