Page 104 of On the Power Play

Lisa nodded and held up her phone. "If you change your mind."

Mary and Alvin joined her once she was alone and they waited together. Music played over the loudspeaker as fans poured in through the entrances and found their seats. The energy in the air built like static, growing in intensity like a swipe of socks over carpet every ten minutes. When her ribs felt like they were cinched into a corset, Delia finally heard them. Stomps down the tunnel. Deep voices.

"Don't get worked up if people sing during the Star Spangled Banner."

Delia did a double take. Was Alvin talking to her? "Okay."

He drew a deep breath. "They always shout out 'sea' and 'glare.' It's tradition. Because you can’t see in a Blizzard."

"Right. Thanks." She turned to Mary to share a look, but the stomps grew louder, breaking the dam on the thoughts she didn't know were waiting patiently in her subconscious. What if she choked? Should she have posted on her socials? Should she have— Delia gasped and grabbed Mary's arm. "Jack doesn't know I'm here."

"He didn't know you were coming?"

"No, he knew I was coming to the game, but he doesn't know I'm on the floor. Singing the anthems."

Mary shrugged. "So? It'll be a good surprise."

"But what if I can't—" She grappled for the confidence she’d felt at Clara’s. Why was she suddenly freaking out? It wasn’t the music. It wasn’t the thousands of people in the Saddledome. It was only one.

Mary's eyes lifted past her. "I don't think you need to worry about that." She grabbed Delia's shoulders and turned her. There, stopped in front of her while all the other white jerseys continued on to the ice, was Jack. He held his stick in one hand and his helmet in the other. With his pads on, he looked like Thor.

"Hey." Delia stepped forward with a little help from Mary.

Jack looked between the three of them. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong? I wasn't checking my phone?—"

"No, nothing's wrong. They had a cancellation for the anthems." She twisted her hair around her finger.

Jack blinked. "You're singing?"

She nodded. "I'm going to double-oh-do it." Delia winced. "Sorry. That was . . . I shouldn't be allowed to talk to people when I'm nervous." Or just you. You make me nervous.

Jack stepped toward her, towering above her head with the added height of his skates. "I was thinking we were overdue for a Bond night."

Delia grinned. "We could watch something tonight, or . . . " She stopped as Jack's smile slipped. "Or in a long time. A scheduled time." She smoothed her hair from her face, her lungs screaming for a normal breath.

"No, I'd love to, it's just that the team is going out after the game. Then tomorrow we have a thing. Before playoffs."

He was saying no. She wanted him to say no. She wanted him to do what he needed to. "Right. Of course."

Jack shifted on his skates. "Maybe in Edmonton?"

Delia's brows knit. "When are you going to Edmonton?"

"Monday. For the first round of playoffs."

Her eyes narrowed. "You know your placement already?" She was slowly absorbing pieces of his hockey talk, filling in those letters of the puzzle.

He gave a smug smile. "We will in about two hours."

She raised an eyebrow. "Ah. Arrogance. It looks good on you."

He leaned in, the cage of his helmet hovering over them like an umbrella. "C'mon. You know the Sharks don't stand a chance."

Delia's breath quickened. She knew someone that didn’t stand a chance. She wet her lips. "Sharks sound deadly."

"And ‘Blizzard’ doesn’t?"

She looked up into his eyes. They were quickly becoming her favourite colour. Like smooth melted chocolate. "Edmonton isn't in our contract."

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