Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79621 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79621 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Riley had squeezed my elbow and followed it up with an impromptu bro hug. “This is great news. Welcome to the team, man.”
Yeah, I liked the sound of that.
I’d always thrived on teams. Everything good in my life had started from a team. My teammates had been like brothers to me, my coaches had been surrogate parents. The structure, the discipline, the daily affirmation had been a foundation to success for me. Maybe it was time to give back.
I figured Jimmy would love to know that my stint at his summer camp had inspired me, but uh…not so much.
“What are you doing, Smitty?” He sighed.
“Coaching, dumbass.”
“Why? And Vermont? Dude, I looked up that town you’re in and I know the program at Elmwood Rink is doing well, but I couldn’t find it on the fucking map.”
I high-fived a student in the quad and crossed campus to get to the street on my way home. “Yeah, yeah, it’s small. But it’s a great—”
“I’m sure it’s nice. I’m just worried that you’re wasting your talent, that’s all.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Jimmy. I’m coaching, not feeding ducks at the lake all damn day,” I huffed.
“I know. Please take this the right way…I just hope you’re not running from real life, that’s all.”
There was no right way to take that, so I told him to fuck off and hung up. I liked my choice, and I didn’t want to hear any negativity—especially not the kind that might be a teensy bit true.
I shoved my cell into my pocket and spotted Denny fussing with the chain on a rusty bicycle that had to be older than my dead grandma.
“Hey, there. Need a hand?” I asked, stopping at the bike rack.
Denny glanced up with a start and shook his head. “No, it’s okay.”
He gave off a strong “please move on and let me deal with this alone” vibe, but that wasn’t me.
“Your chain is twisted.” I dropped my bag on the ground and crouched to get a better look. “It’s about to snap.”
“It’s fine.”
I held the chain wheel still while he tried to wrangle it into place. It seemed like a hopeless cause to me, but he eventually did it.
“Nice.” I stood and caught myself from wiping my greasy hands on my joggers. “How long do you think that’ll stay put?”
“Three blocks,” Denny replied, hiking his hockey bag over his shoulder.
“So…you do this whenever you ride this thing?”
He gave a casual shrug. “Yeah.”
“Might be time to retire it.”
“It was my dad’s bike,” he said as if that explained everything.
That was more than the usual two- or three-word phrases he usually gave, and it was even a little personal. His father had passed away. Of course, this was a special bike.
But Denny obviously didn’t have anything else to say about it. He hopped on the bike and nodded, and probably would have been halfway down the street if I hadn’t grabbed the seat.
“Hang on. I have a question for you.” I scrubbed my hand over my jaw and blurted, “The team needs a captain. I think you have the potential to make a great one. What do you think?”
His surprise was evident. “Uh, I—um, it’s not…”
And now he was visibly agitated.
Nice move, Paluchek.
“Hey, it’s cool. It’s just something to think about. No pressure.”
Denny nodded and tore away in a flash.
I narrowed my gaze as he rode off, more curious about the kid than ever.
On the plus side, he’d spoken to me and it was more than one sentence or a grunt. I’d take that as a win.
I walked to the hardware store to buy some extra brushes for the paint I’d purchased last week and on a whim, stopped by The Milligan Company on Beech Street.
“Hey, Tracy, is your boss in?”
“Yes, he is! I’ll let Bryson know you’re here.” Tracy swiveled in her chair and spoke into her headset. “Come on in. This way.”
I followed her through the maze of rooms, stopping outside Bryson’s office.
“Thanks,” I said.
“No problem. Can I just say…we’re so thrilled you’re staying. The Hawks are going to have a great year. I can feel it!” She squealed in delight and squeezed my arm, practically skipping on her way back to her desk.
Bryson ushered me in and closed the door. I hesitated for a moment before pushing him against the nearest wall and slamming my mouth over his in a brief but passionate kiss. We were both panting for air when I released him.
“I’ve been thinking about doing that all day,” I growled, sweeping a hand through his hair, loving his hot and hungry gaze.
He straightened his collar and cleared his throat. “So…you’re staying?”
I snorted in disbelief. “How does everyone know? I just told Riley at lunchtime.”
“Oh, you naïve soul. News gets around mighty fast in these parts.” Bryson crossed his arms and perched on the corner of his desk.