Page 97 of Playmaker

I let go of a caustic laugh. “You did everything you could to stop me from playing hockey. Everyone says you opened doors for me, but you and I both know you put up nothing but walls.” I sensed people watching, including some with cameras. All my media training told me to stop. That I would get into trouble. But goddammit, I wasn’t about to let this be Dad’s moment of fatherly glory. And Iowedthis to that little girl who’d been hurt so badly by her father’s cruel dismissiveness. “Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly decided women’s hockey is worthwhile now that you can take credit for your daughter, because all you ever did was try to stop me from playing.” I gestured around us. “You had nothing to do with this.”

“That isn’t true,” he growled. “You had access to—”

“I had all the lessons and coaching Mom could sign me up for behind your back,” I snapped, and people definitely heard that. I should’ve stopped. I really should’ve. But I looked him right in the eye and snarled, “You don’t get to take credit for any of this, Dad. You don’t get to celebrate it with us. Not after you told metime and time again that there was nothing more useless than being an expert at something worthless.”

The gasps around us told me my words had carried farther than I’d expected. My father’s eyes flicked from side to side, as if he’d realized the same. The rising panic in his expression told me he knew his entire reputation was as vulnerable as an empty net—one well-placed shot away from game over.

“Sabrina,” he said in a low voice. “This isn’t the time or place for—”

“It isn’t the time or place for you to pretend you care about me or about this sport,” I threw back. He narrowed his eyes, taking on that expression I knew well from when teenage me had pushed him too far. I could let him snap now. Let him eviscerate his own reputation right here in front of cameras and hot mics. Let him finally show the hockey world who he’d been all along.

But winning via the other team’s own goal was never as satisfying as potting that decisive point myself, so I started talking before he could.

“You can’t spend my whole life trying to pull me back down the mountain, then think you can celebrate with me when I reach the summit. This ismymoment. Myteam’smoment. You’ve made it clear for years that you wanted no part of it.” I shrugged with all the defiance I’d been cultivating for my entire life. “You’re not welcome here.”

And then I skated back to join my teammates, keeping my head high and pretending I wasn’t shaky all over from standing up to him like that. Inpublic. In front ofcameras.

Lila caught up with me, leaning on her crutches at the edge of a carpet. “Hey. You okay?”

I exhaled. “Yeah, I’m…” I glanced back to where my dad and I had faced off. He was gone now, several people—including reporters—looking around with startled and puzzled expressions. We definitely hadn’t gone unnoticed. My shouldersdropped beneath my pads. “Fuck.” I rubbed my hand over my face. “Now all the coverage is going to get hijacked to be about me and my dad instead of the team and the—”

“Sabrina.” Lila gathered me in her arms. “That’s not your fault. The commentators and reporters fed that monster, and so did your dad.”

“But I made a scene with himhere.” I gestured around us. “Now. This is supposed to be about us winning the Cup, not…” I exhaled hard.

“It’s not about him.” Lila kissed my temple, then let me go and took my hand. “It’s all about us and the team.” As she herded me toward our teammates, she added, “We’re not going to waste any more time on what he did, because we’re going to celebrate whatwedid.”

I tried to smile, but it was tough. Yes, we could focus on our team’s achievement, but I’d spent my whole life around the highest levels of this sport. I knew how an exchange like the one we’d just had would become a huge scandal, overshadowing everything the Bearcats had done. As it was, no media outlet could mention my name without trotting out my pedigree. I wasn’t naïve enough to think“Bearcats win Cup in Inaugural Season”would be the headline when“Doran McAvoy, Daughter Square Off After Cup Win”would be so much juicier.

I was proud of myself for finally standing up to my father and for refusing to let him act like he’d always been the supportive dad. But I also hated myself for tarnishing this moment for our team. This should’ve been about us, the Bearcats. Not us, Doran and Sabrina McAvoy.

“Come here.” Lila pulled me in closer, and she kissed my cheek. “You’re amazing. You played through his bullshit your whole life, and then you didn’t let him come in at the last second and act like he deserved to be here. You’re a lot stronger than you think.”

I exhaled. Then I met her gaze, and I smiled. “Do you care if anyone knows we’re together?”

She laughed. “You mean the five or six people who haven’t already figured it out after I’ve kissed you like three times?” She shook her head. “Not at all.”

I grinned. Then I kissed her. Not deeply or inappropriately, but long and tender. I thought I heard some camera snaps, but I didn’t care.

She drew back and grinned up at me. “I’m going to go congratulate Jamie. She’s probably beside herself right now.”

“Good idea. And you made a big difference for her tonight.” I caressed Lila’s cheek. “Don’t think for a second that you didn’t contribute to us winning.”

“Oh, I know,” she said with a cocky grin. “I’m just gladyouall know that.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”

She giggled, then hobbled along the crowded carpet to find our rookie teammate.

A moment later, my mom appeared beside me again, and she reeled me into a tight hug. I almost cried as I enveloped her in my sweaty gear and jersey. We’d already celebrated together, but suddenly I was overwhelmed by how much she’d done to get me to this level. By how much she’d fought against to help me lived my dream. At least one of my parents deserved to be out here with me. “Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” As she pulled back, there was an unusually wicked little glint in her eyes. “And good job, putting your father in his place.”

“You saw that?”

She smiled. “I’m pretty sure everyone saw it.”

I groaned.

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