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Eighteen

The Mayhem won their fourth straight game behind the magic of a shut-out by Alek. Gus and Picard each buttered a biscuit while Valentine slapped in two. The visitors’ dressing room was bumping when the team came off the ice.

“Way to come into someone else’s house and grab the dub,” Coach told them in his post-game speech. “That was some fantastic puck handling on the penalty kill, boys.”

The room broke out in applause and wolf whistles.

“And Valentine, helluva goal on the power play.”

“Hear, hear,” the guys chanted.

“I’m proud of you boys for tuning out all the chatter and going balls to the wall to get us over five hundred in the win column. We’re finally playing Mayhem hockey. Let’s keep it up.” Coach smacked Alek on the shoulder on his way out of the dressing room.

“Great fuckin’ skating tonight, boys,” Picard said once the coach left. He pulled the medallion chain out of his stall. “Twos, you played lights out tonight.”

Everyone cheered for Valentine. He shoved his fists in the air and mimed a boxing match.

“But I gotta give this one to Ice-Berg for blocking eighteen effing shots on goal and keeping them all out of the crease!” Picard yelled above his teammate’s catcalls.

“Speech. Speech. Speech,” the guys shouted.

Alek stood, taking the chain and putting it around his neck. “Great game out there, boys. Let’s go home.”

The room erupted in more cheers. The players began to peel their sweaters and pads from their bodies, tossing them into the laundry baskets. Someone turned on the AUX, and Motley Crüe burst from the speakers. Soon, everyone was singing along about home sweet home.

The red-eye from Quebec would put them back in Milwaukee a little before daybreak.

If everything went as planned, he’d be home in time to see Finn off to school and to spend a few glorious hours between the sheets with Sheridan.

After a five-day road trip, he was ready to see his makeshift family again.

He missed Finn’s laugh and his incessant questions.

Hell, he even missed Hattie’s toys strewn all over the house.

And it went without saying, he missed everything about Sheridan.

“Are we bringing these home with us?” the equipment manager asked.

“I do believe Hattie has become a bigger celebrity than Sloane,” Valentine said as he eyed the bag of dog toys. “And did I hear your agent is representing her now?”

Alek scoffed. “Collin talks a lot of shit when he shouldn’t.” He turned to the equipment manager. “Someone from a local shelter is supposed to pick them up from Will Call. Lori reached out to them by email last night. Can you check with her?”

It seemed that in every arena the Mayhem played, fans were tossing dog toys onto the ice before the game.

Under Lori’s guidance, Finn established the Hat Trick Foundation as part of a class project.

Miss Lane even helped Finn make a video for social media.

In it, he explained the toys would be donated to local pet shelters in the cities where the Mayhem played.

It was crazy how well the thing had taken off in only two weeks.

“If Hattie continues chewing up Ice-Bergs’s jockstraps, she’s gonna find herself at the local shelter, too,” Valentine joked.

“Nah,” Picard said. “Ice-Berg’s been playing better since the dog became a social media sensation. Who cares if Hattie is chomping on his skivvies? Don’t do anything to mess with the Mayhem mojo.”

Gus snorted beside Alek. “I doubt it’s the dog that got you out of your funk,” he murmured.

Alek glanced around the room. Valentine and Picard were already on their way to the showers.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alek kept his voice low.

“Just a guess here, but I’d bet my left nut Hattie wasn’t the one who gave you that love bite last week.

Or the scratches on your back. Don’t worry,” Gus said when Alek took another frantic look around the room.

“The guys think you’re getting some action with Finn’s teacher.

I know that’s not true because my son gossips more than a teenage girl.

Which can only mean one thing. You and Jamie’s little sister have progressed from roommates to bedmates. ”

Letting go of a few choice words, Alek snatched a towel from the shelf.

“Hey, I’m not complaining. Especially since you seem more grounded.

More focused in the net,” Gus continued.

“Except things were already complicated between you two before you added sex into the mix, you know? I don’t want to see anyone get hurt.

” Gus spread his arms wide. “You’re my best friend, man.

No one wants to see things work out for you guys more than I do.

But three hearts are in play here. And one of them has already taken quite a few body checks. Tread carefully, that’s all.”

With those pearls of wisdom delivered, Gus headed to the showers. Alek’s phone rang before he could follow. His agent’s face popped up on the screen.

“Hey, Col,” Alek answered.

“That was some headline-grabbing goal keeping tonight, Bergeron. Kellogg better start counting his money because I see a performance bonus in your future if you keep this up.”

A performance bonus that would net Collin fifteen percent.

“It’s a long season,” Alek replied. “Don’t go spending it yet.”

Collin chuckled. “Oh, I have no doubt we will both be hearing a little cha-ching come playoff time. But listen, I didn’t call about that. An opportunity has come up for you to score some great name recognition in front of a national television audience.”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

Players were beginning to file back in from the showers.

“The Growlers have a game tomorrow night in front of a nationally televised Thursday night audience. Luke Kessler is doing one of his Adopt a Doggie promos before the game. I got you an invite.”

“Me? Why me?”

“For fuck’s sake, Bergeron, don’t you even look at social media? Your dog is famous.”

Alek made his way to the showers. “Finn’s dog.”

“Yes. And people are eating up the charity he and his cute little teacher thought up. Look, Kessler is really grateful for all the donations of dog toys you’ve given to the shelters he supports.

He wants you, Finn, Hattie, and the teacher to join him on the field pregame so he can recognize your contributions.

Here’s our chance to give pro hockey its moment in front of fans who might not otherwise watch the sport. ”

“Wow. Finn will eat that up.”

“I know, right?” Collin paused. “There’s just one teensy problem.”

“What’s that?”

“Sheridan. She says no go because”—he pitched his voice higher—“it’s a school night. And Alek and I have rules.” Collin groaned. “Christ, man, you two are much stricter than Jamie and Madison ever were. Finn has spent half his life in a bar, for crying out loud.”

His agent’s comment had Alek halting in the middle of the hallway leading to the showers. He could hear Valentine butchering a Drake song while the Swedes tried to drown him out with their rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“Were they happy?” Alek had no idea what made him ask the question.

“Were who happy?”

“Madison and Jamie.”

Why the hell do you even care?

Collin didn’t reply right away. “I guess? I mean, I didn’t see them that often after he left Boston, but they always seemed fine.” The line beeped. “Hey, I have to take this call. You’ll work some magic with Sheridan and convince her to say yes?”

Oh, he was planning on performing quite a lot of magic on Sheridan.

Gus arched his eyebrows and tapped his finger against his wrist with the universal sign to hurry things along.

“Consider it done. But I’ll need two extra tickets,” Alek told Collin. “Finn will want to bring his best friend and his dad to the Growlers game tomorrow night, too.”

“Yes!” Gus mouthed as he gave Alek a fist bump.

“Deal,” Collin said. “I’ll text you the details in the morning.”

The wind whipped around the sidelines of the football field the following night.

Sheridan gave up trying to tame her hair and snuggled deeper into her shearling coat.

She was grateful they’d be watching the game from the relative comfort of the owner’s suite.

Not only would it be warmer, but it would also make controlling Hattie much easier.

The dog had spent most of her life surrounded by a rowdy bar crowd, but that didn’t compare to seventy thousand football fans after an evening of tailgating.

The poor thing was already a little jumpy.

“So let me get this straight,” Sheridan said, working hard to keep her teeth from chattering. “The owner of the Growlers is Max Kellogg’s sister?”

“Half sister,” Alek explained. “Norm Clark founded Cream City Breweries, which now belongs to his oldest, legitimate son, Norm, Junior. Mr. Clark left the Growlers to his oldest daughter, the Timber baseball team to his other daughter, and the Mayhem to Max, which was a surprise to everyone since Norm had never let on to anyone that he had a fourth child.”

“Wow. That sounds like it would be a bestseller if someone wrote it.”

“Right?” he replied. “Mrs. Ciaciura—that’s the sister who owns the Growlers—is the only sibling who has a relationship with Kellogg. Norm Junior wants nothing to do with him. And the other sister is on husband number three or four. I don’t think she even lives in the States any longer.”

“Well, thank goodness for his sister. It’s cold out here. Why do they have to play at night?” she muttered. “In November.”

Alek stepped closer, his body providing some shelter from the cold. “Don’t worry. It’s only until halftime. And I’ll be sure to warm you up when we get home.”

“You’re forgetting that I’m only going to be home for a few hours,” she told him. “I’m filling in on the two a.m. to two p.m. shift tonight.”

Finn hadn’t “flooded” for two weeks. Still, it was a risk not being home in the morning. Based on how Alek had dealt with Finn about the issues at school, she had no doubt he would handle things without embarrassing Finn.