A guy that I immediately recognize but have never had the opportunity to meet before is at his cubby to my right. Tall, with dark hair and the weirdest-looking golden eyes I’ve ever seen, ones that probably make women swoon, he shoots me an easy smile and sticks out his hand for me to shake. But it’s Alex who makes the introduction. “Rafe... this is Zack Grantham. He’ll be your left-winger.”
We pump hands, and I tell him, “Hope I can fill Bellan’s place and do it justice.”
“I’m sure you can,” he replies with an affirming nod of his head. “Looking forward to getting out on the ice with you.”
Zack plops down on the bench that runs in front of our cubbies and starts to untie his shoelaces.
Another man approaches, and I recognize him as well. An icon, Garrett Samuelson is a first-line right-winger for the Cold Fury. He’s joined by one of the best goalies in the league, the lynchpin of this team, Max Fournier.
We shake hands, and they are equally as warm and welcoming. The crowd starts to grow.
Max motions a guy over, and I can tell immediately that they’re related. He introduces his brother, Lucas Fournier, to me.
“Glad to meet you.” We shake hands, and I lean in with a conspiratorial grin. “Loved that hip check you put on Lars Nilsson a few weeks ago.”
Lucas laughs and nods. “I bet you did.”
Lars is a douchey player for the L.A. Demons. Last year, he pulled one of the lowest forms of violence I’ve ever seen in our league, and he did it with words.
Our first-line center for the Vengeance, Tacker Hall, was having a rough time. He lost his fiancée in a plane crash the year before, and as if that weren’t bad enough, Tacker was the one piloting the aircraft, so he was dealing with loads of misplaced guilt.
At any rate, Tacker and Nilsson got into a scuffle on the ice, and rather than handle it the normal way by dropping gloves and duking it out, Nilsson made reference to Tacker killing his fiancée.
Tacker went ballistic and took Nilsson down to the ice, kneeing him in his head so severely he knocked him out cold. Tacker was suspended for several games, but in everyone’s opinion, the ass-whipping was justified. I would have loved to have gotten a piece of him. I’m sure every player on our team would have.
“How is Tacker doing?” Lucas asks. Everyone in the league knows he’s had demons to deal with.
“His stats say it all,” I point out, and all the men standing around nod. Tacker is back at the top of his game, leading the league in points and dominating everyone on the ice.
Of course, I don’t tell my new teammates how that most likely has everything to do with the way Tacker’s heart healed in the time since he found love with Nora. They’d all think I was a pussy for saying something like that, but it’s true. He’s a new man since she came into his life, and I’ll credit Dominik Carlson with that, as well. He pushed Tacker her way for some much-needed therapy, and what do you know...they fell in love.
The romantic in me can recognize that, even though seeing Calliope yesterday reminded me that I probably don’t know shit about true love. Not the way Tacker and Nora do. It was brutal being back in Calliope’s presence on top of having to deal with my dad. A double whammy of sorts, reminders of the losses I’ve suffered and the ones that are yet to come.
It’s easy to put that all aside, though, as more people come up to introduce themselves, and I start to feel a tinge of excitement regarding the possibilities with this team. Veteran players that have helped to lead the Cold Fury to two Cup championships in the last two years. Men like Hawke Therrian, Roman Sykora, Van Turner, Reed Olson, and Marek Fabritis. I forgot just how stock-heavy this team was with star players. While only a few days ago, I thought it would be the Vengeance that would sweep everyone on the way to the championship, I now fully realize that I didn’t take a step down when I switched teams. It was truly a lateral move, and the Cold Fury has just as much power as the Vengeance.
Despite the upheaval in my life and the pain I’ll be facing, there is a bright spot on my horizon. I’m still very much in the mix for something good while playing for this team.
Chapter 4
Calliope
My phone rings and I consider ignoring it. I have my arms almost elbow-deep in dishwater, cleaning a stubborn pan. If it were any other ringtone, I likely would.
But it’s Brenda calling. It could be something as simple as a chat, but chances are, it’s something more important. With Jim having advanced cancer and an expected decline over the coming days, I can’t afford to ignore Brenda’s call.
Nor do I want to. The woman was my second mother growing up. I spent as much time in her house as mine, and there was a time I thought we’d be related by marriage, too. That clearly didn’t happen, but when Rafe broke up with me, it didn’t chill my relationship with his parents at all. If anything, it made it stronger. For the longest time after Rafe left to play professional hockey, I leaned on them because I missed him so badly. Throughout the years, our bond has continued to grow and develop, even as I moved on with my life. Despite the passage of time, Brenda is still like my second mom. She’s also one of my mom’s closest friends, and I love her dearly.
So of course I’ll answer the phone. I quickly dry my arms and hands and nab the cell by the fourth ring, just before my voicemail picks up. “Brenda...hey...what’s up?”
“It’s Jim,” she says, and there’s no disguising the worry in her voice. “He’s having a hard time breathing, and I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean by hard time breathing?” I ask her, placing a palm on my kitchen counter.
“It’s labored. There’s a wheezing sound. And he’s sort of lethargic.”
“He probably needs to go to the hospital,” I suggest.
While I don’t mention the medical specifics, Jim is at the precipice of where his body will start betraying him. With the cancer having spread to his lungs, this is an expected symptom. But his other organs will also begin shutting down as they fight the unwinnable battle against the cancer. He’ll need medical intervention to help make him more comfortable.
“He won’t go, Calliope.” She sighs, and I can just envision her pinching the bridge of her nose. It’s what she does when she’s frustrated. “And Rafe isn’t here. If he were, maybe he could talk some sense into his dad.”
“Tell you what,” I say as I move through my apartment to the foyer, where I grab my purse and keys. “Let me come over and take a look at him. If he needs the hospital, we can call an ambulance. How does that sound?”
“Okay, yes,” she breathes out in relief. “I’d appreciate it so much. I hate to bother you with—”
“It’s never a bother, Brenda,” I cut her off sharply. “Never. You call me, no matter what.”
My heart almost breaks when all I hear through the line is a tiny hiccup of a sob.
“I’m on my way,” I assure her.
I live nearby in an apartment complex just a few miles down the road. I chose the location because not only is it convenient for the hospital I work in, but it’s also near my parents, who I’m incredibly close to. I eat dinner with them several times a week, and before Jim got sick, he and Brenda would sometimes join us.