“Not me,” Demetrius said. “The Monarchs want me there in time for their game on Sunday afternoon. I fly out late on Friday night, but I’m going to go see the Rumbles’ match before I head to the airport.”
“Damn.” Daniel tried to ignore the unpleasant quaking in his belly. “I almost forgot how quickly these moves happen sometimes. So you’re only here for another two days?”
“Yep. Mostly I’ll be packing. I had to break my lease early, and I’ll sure as hell miss the weather here because last I checked, Saint Paul was in the thick of a snowstorm, but I can’t say I’ll be sad to part with any of this but you and the munchkins.”
Daniel chuckled. “I’ll miss you too, man. But I hope it goes well for you up there. The Monarchs have some really strong players.”
“I’m hoping to get put on a line with Nieto eventually,” Demetrius said, naming one of the team’s top-scoring forwards. “I think our styles would complement each other.”
Daniel considered it for a moment. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” He gestured to Demetrius’s now empty glass. “Up for another? Next round’s on me.”
* * *
It wasn’t the same in the locker room without Demetrius, but that was expected. What surprised Daniel was that Cedric seemed sensitive to his mood, and gave him a shoulder bump and a nod on their way to the ice for their game in Memphis on Friday.
The Thunder squeaked out a win on a fluke goal, and against a team like the Marauders, that was a victory worth celebrating, so Daniel pushed himself to go out with the guys afterward for drinks. It was a fairly subdued celebration because at this stage, the points didn’t mean much. The players knew they couldn’t overcome their deficit to even creep into a potential wild card slot for the playoffs, but it wasn’t as if they could pack up early and go home. The show must go on, even when it felt like they were mostly making fools of themselves.
At least Daniel could comfort himself with the knowledge that, even two months ago, the team wouldn’t have gathered to spend time together like this. It wasn’t a huge improvement, but it was something, and you had to take the small victories along with the big ones. The Thunder would never be the team of his heart, the way the Venom had been, but Miami had become his home again anyway. He had Tabby and the kids, Micah, his family, and now the volunteering with the youth teams. If the Thunder kept him on, maybe by this time next season, he’d have developed some friendships on the team, too.
The next Monday, Daniel took Gretchen to Rumbles practice. It felt odd walking into the arena without Demetrius at his side, since Demetrius had turned him on to this whole thing in the first place. Still, the greetings from the kids made Daniel smile and lifted his spirits for the first time in days.
He put them through their paces, working on skating for several drills before setting up an obstacle course for the players to put their practice into action. He was cheering them on from the sidelines when he felt a presence next to him. Daniel turned, expecting to see Peter, the head coach, or Miranda, but it was a man he didn’t recognize. The guy was fit with military-cut light blond hair and wearing a black-and-white tracksuit. He’d come out onto the ice in his trainers, but he held himself with the confidence of someone familiar with being in a rink, whether wearing skates or not.
“You’re great with them,” the man said, before holding out a hand. “I’m Jake Jenson. I coach the Strikers.”
Daniel hadn’t made it to a Strikers game or practice yet, but of course he knew of the team and how well they were doing. “Nice to meet you. Daniel Bellamy.”
Jake grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. They were a shade somewhere between blue and gray. “I know. I’ve talked to Peter about you. He said you’re a natural with this stuff. I wanted to see you in action.”
“I have a good time,” Daniel told him. “These kids are awesome. It’s amazing to see how much they’ve improved just in the past month alone.”
“They adapt so quickly at this age,” Jake said, nodding. “They’re like little sponges, just soaking the knowledge up. I wish my brain still worked like that.”
Daniel laughed. “Yeah, me too.”
“Have you thought about volunteering with the older kids?” Jake gave Daniel an appraising look. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, the Rumbles are lucky to have you, but, well...having access to a player of your caliber is a rare boon for a tiny organization like this. I think your time and knowledge would be better utilized working with the older kids on the developmental teams.”
Daniel checked on his group and gave Gretchen a thumbs-up when she smoothly circled a few cones. “I’ve considered it. But my schedule can be hectic, and my daughter there, she plays on the Rumbles, so it’s just worked out that I’m here with them whenever I have free time.”
Jake bobbed his head. “Totally understandable. Well, when you do have more time, I hope you’ll join us.”
“I’ll definitely try to pop in when I can,” Daniel said, shooting him a smile. “I’m flattered that you want me there.”
Jake scoffed. “Oh, come on. It can’t be that much of a surprise.” He gestured at their surroundings. “When Demetrius Cole walked in here a few months ago, you could’ve sworn people were witnessing the second coming. You? You, my friend, are in the hockey god tier. A few of my players have been talking about crashing one of these practices to get you to sign their jerseys.”
“I’d be happy to.” Daniel meant the words, but he felt his smile strain. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of this guy. Jake came on pretty strong. Daniel might even call him abrasive.
“Sorry,” Jake said after a pause. “I know that was kind of blunt. I’m told I can be a bit in-your-face when I set my mind to something, but I wanted to let you know how much the players would love to have you around for some practices. And I don’t know if this is even a vague consideration for you yet, but I’m going to shoot my shot while I have the chance. If, somewhere down the line, you decide to retire here, please remember we’re always on the lookout for new coaches. With pay!” Jake huffed a laugh. “It’s not anywhere near what you’re used to making, I’m sure, but...well, with your experience, you could help give these kids a real shot at making a career out of hockey. I mean, I’m sure you would’ve loved to have a Stanley Cup champ as your coach when you were on a junior team, am I right?”
“I would’ve been thrilled.” Daniel’s junior coaches had been great, but none had played in the NHL for as long as he had, and there’d been no Stanley Cup champions either.
“You’re from Miami but you didn’t play on the junior team here, yeah?”