Page 56 of Scores Of The Heart

It’s only at training that I find out Taylor’s long-lost love Emmerson is coming to town with her friend Maddison, who both live in Florida. At least, that’s who we think is coming. As Cindy said, she has tickets for the game for herself, Susie, and her two friends from Florida.

I don’t even know why I blurt this all out to my friends while we’re at training, especially with coach mere meters away. I guess all the frustration that’s been boiling over prior to me and Cindy meeting has finally reached its peak. We have been texting every day, all week, and I want to take her out after the game on Friday, if she’ll agree.

Coach has already given us a massive lecture on our practice game the other day, and how our passes were sloppy. Thank fuck we picked things up for the game we just won. He sure as hell won’t let us hear the end of it if we’ve had a bad run. I guess that’s his job.

“You got that, James?” I hear Jay Jefferson, our center man, hollers towards Taylor after coach’s rant about tight passes. “Eyes on the puck.”

“You shitting me?” he shoots back towards Jay. It’s Jay’s signature thing, poking the bear. Taylor seems to be his target today. “I was the only one with my fucking eyes open last week. The rest of you might like to try it sometime.”

Me and Ashton chuckle in unison.

“Riiiight, I’ll remember that the next time you let one slip through the cracks,” he laughs.

“The only thing slipping through the cracks will be my foot up your ass,” Taylor quips.

We all laugh, including Jay. We form a tight circle, passing the puck back and forth.

“Speaking of slipping through the cracks…” I start, not even knowing where I’m going with my words, but all three guys look at me expectantly. “I met up with one of the most gorgeous women I’ve ever seen last weekend…”

There it’s out there. I almost sag with relief and I haven’t even mentioned her name yet.

Now I’m wondering if that was a good move or not.

“Yeah, and what?” Jay presses.

He knows about my previous stalking tendencies at the coffee shop every Monday morning. And I still haven’t gotten out of the habit….

I half think about keeping quiet, but then decide to just lay it on the line. Other than Luke that I hardly see, these three are the closest thing I have to best friends. We’ve gotten close this past year. It’s Ashton’s first year with the Hawks when he was transferred from Nashville.

“She’s so freaking fine. She’s gonna be wearing my jersey,” I declare. Hoping I won’t regret that statement when someone overhears. I try to keep my voice as low as possible.

“You finally got a chick to sleep with you more than once?” Ashton jokes.

I give him a sharp look.

“Yeah… a puck bunny,” Taylor adds, not being able to hide his amusement.

I know they’re just messing, because I haven’t been with any puck bunnies in a long time, but it doesn’t prompt me to joke along with them. Not when it comes to Cindy.

“I’m just shitting you, man,” Taylor says, shaking his head.

I point my stick directly at him. “Watch it, James… We’ll see how the puck bunnies like you when you’re missing your front teeth.”

Taylor laughs. He’s a big guy too, tall and well stocked, and a fistfight or two isn’t beyond him. I think we’d be about even, but no doubt he probably thinks he can take me.

He holds his hands up in surrender, which is one thing I like about Taylor. He doesn’t act like a big shot. “I’ll heed that as my first warning.”

“You do that…” I mutter.

“Who’s the lucky girl?” Ashton asks with a chin lift.

“Cindy Carter,” I whisper. The last thing I need is anyone overhearing, even if Jake Hudson and Ulrich Muller, the goalie, are standing next to us. Ulrich is a big dude, so he can block out some of the noise we’re making. That’s my theory, anyway.

Meanwhile, Ash, Taylor and Jay are all falling over themselves, erupting in laughter from revealing who I’m talking about.

“You’re a dreamer,” Taylor says, holding his sides and wiping his eyes like I’ve said the most hilarious thing in the world.

“That’s a good one!” Jay looks like he’s having a hard time believing it too, even given what he knows. Maybe he thinks I’ve got no gall anymore.

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