Page 132 of On the Power Play

Novak continued, "The good news is that the treatment is good. Recovery rates at that age are higher than adults who are diagnosed, so they have all the hope in the world she'll come through treatment and enter remission, but he can't focus on anything else. He won't be able to focus on hockey, and he's built a good life for himself. He's going to announce his retirement after the series with Edmonton, win or lose."

Jack struggled to process. The idea of losing a child, or worse having to watch a child suffer, made him want to throw up. The idea of losing Gaudreau on the team because of it added another layer of injustice. Lastly, the thought that they would want him to replace such a giant . . . . "I don't know if I'm the right guy. Those are massive skates to fill."

Coach Novak leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "Harrison, I'm not looking to build a team of heroes. I'm looking for guys that will get their ass out on the ice and work hard. Not make excuses. Lift their teammates up. I'm looking for loyalty and love for the game. You've shown us all of those things under a set of shit circumstances. Alex asked us who we wanted, and it's you. Alex agrees you're a solid choice. If you're up for it."

Jack's eyes stung at the corners, and he coughed to cover up his emotion. "Alex only agrees because he knows he doesn't have to pay me Gaudreau's salary."

Alex barked a laugh. "That's a plus." He grabbed a slip of paper from a stainless steel holder and scrawled something on it. "Here's the number we're prepared to offer you." He pushed it across the desk. "Obviously other details we need to work out, and if you want to get an agent . . ."

Jack stopped listening as soon as he saw the nine and the five were followed by five zeroes. "Yes. I'm up for it." He didn't even have to think about it. Should he have gotten an agent? Probably. But what leverage would they have? This was currently his only opportunity, and the only way he was going to increase his value was by playing in the big show.

Alex dropped his hands to the desk. "You know that's in Canadian dollars, right? Don't get too excited." Jack chuckled. "I'll have everything else drawn up and you can look it over. When Gaudreau officially announces we'll do the signing. Lisa will give you the date, and of course, Delia is invited to attend." He winked.

A sliver of ice wedged itself between Jack's ribs as he stood and shook Alex's hand, then thanked both of his coaches for the opportunity. It slid deeper as he strode to the door and pulled out his phone.

Everything he'd been working for had just come to fruition and the first person he wanted to talk to about it was the person this change of events would affect most. Jack wouldn't have the summer off. It wouldn't be practical for him to fly out to Toronto regularly, and was he that guy who would ask his girlfriend to make all the sacrifices? Hell, no.

As he rode the elevator to the ground floor, he pressed on the app he’d meant to open back at the bed and breakfast. It took him a moment to remember how to search, but he knew Delia’s handle by heart since it had been tagged thousands of times on his one and only social media post.

When her channel populated, he clicked on the latest video and turned up the volume. There was Delia with her guitar. Her freckled nose and wavy hair that he’d give anything to run his hands through.

“I’ve been doing a little writing lately, and I wanted to share this verse with you today. Hope you like it.” Delia grinned, and her nose wrinkled like a baby rabbit. When she started singing, Jack’s heart flipped in his chest.

I met an older you and liked him,

But I guess that’s not a surprise,

Since you’ve become something familiar,

Like those school yard nursery rhymes

The elevator doors opened and closed, but Jack didn’t notice. He stood transfixed by the plucked strings of her guitar. The curve of her shoulder. And her lips moving around words she’d written just for him.

_____

Delia flopped down on the couch. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

She and Jack had talked nonstop since he'd phoned her Friday with the news of his contract. They talked about what it meant for his schedule. They talked about how sore he was after that last game in Edmonton and how he planned to up his protein for the next round. They talked about her mom. They talked about how Clara had officially announced her pregnancy over the weekend and how Jack was already looking for a new place.

They talked about the song she’d posted on TikTok that was already over a million views. Delia loved how Jack tried to dig deeper into the lyrics, fishing for her to admit the song was about him, but she couldn’t quite do it because they talked about everything except what she'd blurted out on her way to the airport, and her song came from a deeper place than that.

She wanted to brush over the whole thing. Casually bring it up and say something like, That was funny, wasn't it? Blame it on being scared or overwhelmed with the emotion of the night before and make up some artistic explanation for the song lyrics.

It was petty, and in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had been panicking in the car, and she had posted that video after midnight. But what she’d said and sung hadn’t been a result of emotional delusion. It had been truth escaping past her carefully constructed blockades.

Delia wasn’t going to pretend anymore, at least not with herself. She had fallen for Jack way before that ride to the airport. Way before the hotel room. It had started that first night, if she was being honest. Probably had something to do with the way he fixated on her eyes. Or how he put his butt in the window. One of the two.

Then bit by bit that swell had grown like a chord progression, teasing her along until the final resolution.

And that was what Delia was afraid of.

That their song had peaked and they were slowly dribbling through the denouement. They kept stoking the coals with their phone calls and texts, hoping the fire could keep burning a little longer even though they could both see there were no more logs to add to the blaze.

Delia blew out a breath and kicked her legs up on the back of the sofa. "How do you think you'll stack up against the Leafs?"

"Look at you, using nicknames like you're an actual hockey fan."

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