Page 82 of On the Power Play

"Not always. I've never been an enforcer."

"Which is?"

"Someone protecting their players. In charge of keeping the other team honest."

Delia turned back to the ice. "Was that the Snowballs’ enforcer?"

Jack nodded. "Sean. He's the captain."

"Emma's brother." Delia glanced down the row, and her eyes widened. Emma was cheering louder than anyone as her brother took a seat and wiped the blood from his nose. "This is insane."

"Welcome to my world." Jack grinned as he stood and cheered. It made less than zero sense to her how grown men could be excited about getting their noses bashed in, but watching Jack get riled up was enough to make her curious. There was something about the intensity in his eyes. The vein pulsing in his neck.

He stripped off his coat and dropped it over the back of their fold-out seats, and as he raised his arms, he exposed a strip of his stomach. It wasn't much, but the flash of muscle and dark hair was enough to send her belly swooping.

She needed to get laid. But that was the problem wasn’t it? She didn’t want to just get laid. She glanced down the bench at Clara and Oscar. Gary and Sharla. Then she focused hard on the blue jerseys as the game started up again at one of the painted-on circles to the side of the net.

Jack lowered back to his seat. His skin was flushed as he rolled up his sleeves, exposing the ink swirling on his left forearm. Not all bad at all.

The first period ended with the score still 0-0, and Delia turned to Alvin behind them. "I'd love to take you up on that washroom break." Jack gave her a questioning look. "He has a private staff washroom we can use so we don't get accosted."

Jack looked impressed. "I'll come with."

It was slow going. Everyone wanted to say hi to Jack on the way to the stairs, and once they got there, strangers reached out of their rows to catch both of their attention. Asking for a quick selfie or autograph, which both of them gave without complaint. Finally they reached the cement floor next to the boards, and Alvin pointed to the south bend, following them closely. They passed a security guard protecting the player dressing rooms, and Alvin took them through an empty hall to a washroom next to the lower-level offices.

Jack motioned for Delia to go first, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the room. Silence. Her ears buzzed like she'd just gotten out of a concert, and her whole body sighed with relief from the intense stimulation of sitting in the stands. The game was fun, but she was quickly reminded of why she didn't normally do things like this. Why she'd stopped going out to clubs or crowded restaurants with her friends. It was too much.

She took care of business and washed her hands, then used a paper towel to grip the door handle and pull, using her hip to prop the door and dropping the soggy paper in the trash. "Your turn," she started to say then realized Jack was frowning, staring at his phone screen. "Is everything okay?" She stepped out to stand next to him.

He exhaled. "That podcast I recorded went live this morning."

Delia wanted to congratulate him, but held her tongue. His expression was bleak. "Not good?"

"It seems I said something that is creating a bit of a stir."

Delia sighed. "Yeah, I've been there. In October I said something about ADHD that people didn't like. Never mind the fact that I have it."

Jack looked up. "I was joking about puck bunnies."

She made a face. "Eesh."

"It was a joke."

"Probably came off as slut shaming."

He balked. “I would never?—”

“I know!” Delia put a hand on his chest. “I said it might’ve come off that way, not that you meant it.”

Jack’s nostrils flared. He drew a breath and dropped his eyes. "Yeah. Lisa, our head of marketing, says I have to go to media training."

Delia pursed her lips. Gone were the proverbial Tarzan yells and fists beating his chest. Now he was like a puppy walking away with his tail between his legs. "I'm sure you're thrilled about having to sit in front of a computer screen alone for two hours answering multiple choice questions."

Jack shook his head. "She wants me to do it in-person." He turned his phone screen, and Delia read the name on the suggested appointment. Jenna McAllister. Her eyes widened. "Wait, does this mean if I came with you, I could talk to Country?"

Chapter Nineteen

On Thursday morning, Jack walked up the porch steps of Country’s ranch house. He'd only been here once before. They'd played shinny on the pond and had a bonfire back when Country lived here alone. From what he'd heard, Jenna had moved in three weeks ago and they’d set up a studio there in the house where they filmed all their livestreams.

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