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Taylor

“ W e’ll make more plans closer to time, but thank you for the tickets,” his mom said as he pulled up to the center.

“No problem. I actually wanted to talk to you about something. I have an artist friend. She’s really good. Hold on, I’m going to email you some of her work. She doesn’t think that there’s a market for her art, but I was telling her people commission art like this all the time. What do you think?” Taylor said.

“Hold on, let me look.”

There was a pause as she pulled it up.

His mind traveled to the cabin as it often did now. He needed to talk to Alice. He had gotten back into his schedule, but he hadn’t talked to her, so he needed to change that. There hadn’t been a day that he hadn’t thought of her.

“Wow, this is really fun! Is that you?”

“Yeah, she drew it while I was playing the game.”

“Hold on, is that the game you played constantly as a child?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, isn’t it great?”

“Hmmmm... who is this artist friend of yours?” she asked suspiciously.

Taylor laughed under his breath. He should have known his mother would pick up on that.

“She’s a little more than a friend, but it’s new.”

“Well, I hope to meet her someday. And yes, tell her there is definitely a market for this kind of work. I’d commission her for my next release myself. I think her art style would mesh with my vibe.”

“Thanks, Mom, I’ll let her know.”

He couldn’t wait to let Alice know. He would call her when he got home from this road trip. Even though it was well after the first of the year, and he hadn’t talked to her, he would change that when he got home.

“I gotta go. I just got to the center. I’m loading on the bus to head to Buffalo.”

“Okay, have a good game. I’ll be watching.”

After saying goodbye, he got his bag out of his trunk and made his way over to the bus. They were headed to Buffalo and then they would fly out for their game in Las Vegas before coming back home for another home game. After, they would have a rest day. Taylor was ready for that. He felt like he had been going full tilt since he came back from the holiday break.

After dropping his bag off, he headed onto the bus. Before long, Cash dropped into the seat beside him.

“I didn’t see you at the New Year’s party,” Cash said.

“Yeah . . . it wasn’t mandatory,” Taylor said simply.

“I know, but I thought you might be there.”

Taylor just eyed him skeptically. Cash knew him better than anyone on the team. How on earth was he surprised he sat out a loud party?

“You’re right,” Cash said with a chuckle. “I’m not sure what I was thinking.”

“I never understood the hype around New Year’s. It’s just another night,” Taylor said.

“You’re not wrong... I just love any excuse to look at Evie when she gets all dressed up like that.”

“How was Christmas with her family?” Taylor asked carefully.

Cash and Evie had a tricky relationship with her family. When they’d gotten together over the summer, it had been pretty dramatic.

“Surprisingly good. Her mother seems to be coming around, and I already got along great with her dad, so we’re good there.”

“You never did tell me how things were at the cabin,” Cash said.

“Oh,” said Taylor, trying to not let thoughts of Alice distract him like they had been ever since he got back.

“Taylor,” said Coach Davidson.

He was the assistant Coach who worked closely with Cash and Taylor and the other defensemen.

“Yeah, Coach.”

“I just sent you some videos. Do you have a tablet to watch them on?”

Taylor nodded.

“Buffalo switched up their top lines. I want to make sure we are ready for tonight. Can you guys take a look at them before we get there? We can have a quick meeting when we get to the ice.”

“Yep, we’ll look it over,” said Taylor before their coach turned and headed back to the front of the bus.

Taylor pulled up his email and the videos. Coaches sent them videos, but they often came to Taylor for his thoughts. He had an ability to know where the puck was and where it was going. It was part of what made him such an incredible defenseman. Not only was he able to be a physical presence on the ice, being six two and muscular, but he was a smart player. He always knew where his man was and where the puck was at all times.

They were walking into the arena in Buffalo, and he stopped and waited for Cash.

“Sorry, I was just texting Evie that we made it.”

Taylor cocked his head. “Do you always do that?”

“Yeah, I just text her whenever we get anyway. I’ll call her tonight after the game.’”

Taylor nodded as they made their way into the arena. Should he be texting Alice? They had agreed to see each other afterward. But with much as he thought about her, he found himself back in his routine, one she wasn’t a part of. He needed to change that.

“Taylor,” Coach Davidson said, catching up to them, “did you get a chance to watch the videos?”

“Yeah, are those their lines for tonight?”

“Yeah, I have some ideas.”

The three men entered the arena, talking about the game, and hyperfocus set in.

It was game time.

The game had been going well. They were up three. It was a shutout, which Ethan was thrilled about. Sven’s playing was off, but Conner and Wes were on fire because they had been on fire all season.

“Go, boys!” Coach Wagner called behind them.

Taylor and Cash popped up and waited moments to make the exchange. The moment his feet hit the ice, he zeroed in on the puck. Jace Maverick, Captain of Buffalo, had the puck and was making his way through center ice. Cash was going to get him, which meant he would send the puck to Artym Losavik.

Knowing this, Taylor quickly changed direction to intercept the puck. He flung his stick out, breaking up the pass, before skating back to the offensive zone and getting the puck to Sven. Taylor groaned as Sven was stripped and Maverick made his way down the ice on a breakaway and got one.

The crowd erupted as Sven shook his head. They finished the game 3–1.

Taylor was heading to the shower when Sven made his way into the locker room.

“What the fuck was going on with you tonight?” Cash said to Sven.

“Get off my back, man,” Sven said as he peeled off his jersey and sat.

“We were on our way to shut out?—”

“I know I fucked up. Can you shut the fuck up!?”

The locker room went silent. Nobody liked losing, but something else was going on with Sven.

“That’s enough,” said Coach Wagner. “You boys played hard out there. Let’s get ready and get on the bus. We have another game tomorrow in Vegas.”

The noise picked back up as they all got back to taking off their gear.

“Hey,” said Conner to Sven. “We got a win. That’s all that counts.”

Sven slammed his pads down and sat, glaring at the floor.

Taylor made his way to the shower.

Dysregulation tended to set in after games, and he couldn’t deal with petty team fighting. Luckily, all his teammates knew that and left him alone. When he was done in the shower, he made his way to the empty bus, got his noise-canceling headphones out, and closed his eyes.

Once they were at the hotel, he made his way up to his room and went to sleep. He needed to be rested and ready for a flight tomorrow.