Page 51 of Hutch (Minnesota Raptors #2)

Hutch

There are knots in my stomach. I want to hurl.

Collin is doing a better job of keeping his emotions on lock down.

He looks stoic. But he’s been like that since lunch.

Was it what Lucy said? I know Daisy loves her, but I’m not so sure I do, not after the way she spoke to Collin.

Girl is not all that even if she thinks she is.

Her one saving grace in my eyes is that she loves Daisy and has and will protect her.

That’s the only reason I didn’t snap at her when she used that tone on C.

I didn’t appreciate it. I just hope she didn’t get in his head. Not tonight.

“You good?” I ask softly so no one else will hear.

He nods. “Just trying not to show how nervous I am.”

“Hey.”

I look up to see another of the players, Urie Svenson, come over. He’s from Sweeden and looks it with his ice blonde hair and blue eyes. Man is almost six foot five and wide as a Viking warrior of old.

“I’m Urie, the other half of your wingman team on the second line.” He holds out his hand and shakes both Collin and mine. “Sorry I wasn’t at practice today. I had to take care of a VISA issue at the embassy. They were trying to send me back to Sweeden.”

Fuck that would have been rough.

“Everything all good now?” Collin asks.

Urie runs a hand through his hair. “I do not know. I am allowed to keep playing for now, but my lawyer is trying to sort it.”

Shaw Chandler wanders over to where the three of us are. “Urie, everything worked out?”

“I can play as I told Coach, but it is not all sorted yet.” His accent is thick.

I’ve heard him talk on the sports channels and its normally not this thick, but then he’s worried about his VISA.

All these new immigration rules and regulations has a lot of people worried. Even the wide world of sports.

Shaw turns his attention to me and Collin. “How did your practice go? I meant to come over, but we were going over some tape of the other team. Their starting line is stacked with guys who don’t care if they hurt your or not.”

“It was good. I think my biggest issue is going to be the new skates. I need to break them in.”

Shaw nods sympathetically and makes a face. “Mine fell apart on me a few months ago. My wife says I cried more than my four-year-old.”

Wow. My favorite hockey player of all time is standing here talking to me and I feel as tongue tied as a thirteen-year-old boy taking a girl to the movies for the first time.

“Hope you guys are ready. You’ll be in tonight’s lineup.”

“We get to play?” I stammer, then clear my throat. “Seriously?”

Shaw nods, not mentioning the stammer. “Yes. We lost two major players and picked you two up to replace them. I came over to warn you that the team we’re playing tonight tends to try and maim players. It ups their chance to reach the Cup if they take out as much of the competition as possible.”

“That’s illegal.” Collin frowns.

Shaw shrugs. “It might be, but it still happens. Unless you can prove they are being malicious, not a lot we can do except have our enforces protect us as much as possible. Garret will be on protection duty for you two tonight. We don’t want rookies busted and out of commission the first game.”

Collin cracks his knuckles. “Let them come at me. I’ve put more than a few assholes in the boards when they deserve it.”

Shaw grins, apparently appreciating Collin’s enthusiasm.

“Well, good luck guys. You’re going to need it.”

He walks away as Coach comes out of his office and gathers us all around to give us a speech, warn us about the players, and then we’re lined up to go out onto the ice.

The Raptors’ theme song comes on and I can hear the fans blowing up.

Each name is called and then they get to mine.

That knot in my stomach? It gets worse, but I skate out and wave like I do at every college game I’ve been in.

Routine and muscle memory save me from forgetting everything.

I take a lap around the rink like I was told to do at practice and then go stand by my team.

The crowd is roaring and chanting my name, but there’s only one face I want to see and as I look up to where I was told the seats were, she’s there smiling from ear to ear, waving at me.

I wave back and blow her a kiss. She’s here and the knot loosens and my nerves settle down.

My girl is here and I’ll play for her and for the joy of the game and not worry about anything else.

“She belongs to you?” Urie asks as he takes his place beside me.

“That’s my girl, Daisy.”

“Beautiful,” he says. “You are lucky.”

“Yeah. Took a lot to get her to even agree to go out with me, but she’s worth the wait. Doesn’t know a thing about hockey and could care less that I play. I’m going to eventually marry her.”

“ Ja , those are the keepers.”

Coach motions for us to take our spots and Collin settles down beside me on the bench, waving at Daisy and Lucy. His expression turns serious as he looks out over the ice. He may be the most carefree person on Earth, but when he’s locked into the game, nothing gets by him. I’m the same way.

Turning, the buzzer sounds and the first line jumps out onto the ice and the action begins.

I watch the other team carefully, noting they are trying everything they can to trip players, smash them into the boards, and overall be a menace.

Coach warned us not to start any fights so that if something does happen to a player we have a legal leg to stand on.

The thing about hockey is that it’s fast. Daisy calls the line changes rounds and I’ve picked that up in my head at least. Each round lasts no more than a few minutes.

We’re skating so fast and exerting so much energy, our bodies need time to rest and recharge.

It’s not long before the line change is called and we’re standing, waiting for the first line to come back.

I jump onto the ice and the minute my feet feel the smooth glide of the blades against it, everything settles.

I’m home. I’m in my element and I know what I’m doing.

Me, Collin, and Urie spread out into a natural formation and it’s not long before we have the puck and we’re racing down the ice toward Chicago’s goalie.

Chicago’s enforcer is headed straight toward me and I shoot the puck to Urie, who easily catches it with his stick just as the guy runs into me.

He hits like a freight train and it’s all I can do to stay upright.

Garret is there in seconds and I’m free of the dude and keep going for the goalie.

Urie shoots the puck to Collin who passes it to me and I act like I’m shooting to the right, which is my signature move, but instead do a slap shot to the left and the puck slide right into the net, gaining us our first goal of the night.

The crowd goes wild and I glance up to see Daisy jumping up and down. I smile and refocus on the game. Girl knows almost nothing about the sport, but she knows what the puck gliding into the net means.

We fight through our round and it feels like seconds when we’re going back to our seats so the third line can take their turn. Shaw slaps me on the back and the rest of the team congratulates me, the rookie, for scoring our first goal of the game.

It feels surreal.

The rest of the game flies by and we win two to one, Shaw netting the other goal of the evening.

It’s like a blur as our team song plays over the loudspeakers and we take a victory lap around the ice.

I wish Daisy was here to see it, but she’d texted earlier in the day she had to get Lucy back to her hotel.

She told me to go out and get to know the team tonight and to wake her up when I came home.

That how she said it…when I came home. I liked it.

I’m hauled out in front of reporters along with Collin and Urie.

We answer questions for a good hour and then we finally get back to the locker room where we go through a health check because we did get hit pretty hard tonight.

I’m used to getting hit hard. People try to take me out on the regular.

Even Chicago wasn’t as bad as the team from my last college hockey game.

Once I’m showered and dressed in a suit, I go out to find Collin and Urie waiting for me, who are dressed the same. When we win, we’re required to wear suits when we go out to celebrate. It’s a tradition in hockey. Even the college teams do it.

“Good job out there.” Our goalie, Blaine Kirkos, is grinning from ear to ear.

“Shaw told me you were good and they were right. The three of you are going to be a powerhouse. I always knew Urie was good but he needed people who helped him to shine. And you two certainly did that by not hogging the puck.”

“It takes a village to score, not just one person. I can’t score without backup and vice versa.”

“And that is why we chose you over everyone else.” The team owner, Barry Krantz, smiles as he joins us.

“I’ve had my eye on you two for a while, but I knew how important finishing college was for both of you so I was waiting.

Injuries forced my hand a bit. Glad to see we our expectations were confirmed.

And Kirkos is right. Urie is an excellent player, he just needed the right players to help him shine. ”

Urie looks as awed as I feel right now. The fucking owner is here and he knows who we are and is glad he signed us. Fuck me.

“And where is this Daisy I’ve heard so much about? I’m told she’s an excellent cook.”

“Her friend is in town and had to get back to her hotel before curfew. Her coach is pretty strict about curfews for his athletes. She left early to get her there on time.”

Barry nods. “A little birdie also informed me she has a little problem with an ex-boyfriend?”

He knows about that?

Barry laughs, his brown eyes twinkling. “I know everything about my players. I’m a hands-on owner if you will. Now, tell me about this problem.”