Page 96 of Enemies in Paradise

Cries of “hockey is for girls too!” erupt from the audience, and I find myself nodding, but I don’t join them. I exchange a look with Georgia, who shrugs and frowns. Maybe she’s as unsure as I am about what to do now, the only difference being that she likely knew Bear’s team is all girls. How did I miss that fact for so long?

Lester bangs the gavel again, but he lacks the mayor’s authority. The crowd only gets louder until Voglmeyer stands, red-faced, with her hands on her hips and shouts, “Get your team under control, Bjorn Thomsen!”

Hearing Bear’s birth name come out of her mouth, I vow to only call him Bear from now on.

The girls are too riled up to listen. They keep yelling, along with their parents, until Bear turns and motions for them to sit.

They immediately go silent and sink back into their seats.

Bear faces the mayor and leans into the podium. “I apologize, Mayor, Councilmen. There seems to be some disagreement from the local townspeople about who hockey is for. I believe fans of the Professional Women’s Hockey League would also disagree that it is only for boys.”

Titters break out across the room. Even Lester smiles. As he reluctantly calls the meeting back to order, I pull my phone from my purse and google professional women’s hockey.

“They’re the only ones. The city does not have the money for a niche sport,” Mayor Voglmeyer says.

“Half the boys in Paradise already play hockey, and the city subsidizes their travel to Florence to practice.” Bear shoots back. “Wouldn’t it make sense to invest that money in a rink the boys can use too?”

“Peoplewantto watch boys play hockey. That’s the difference,” Councilman Hockey-Is-For-Boys says into his mic.

Mr. Thomsen pushes himself up from his seat. “So, hockey is about spectators? How many spectators are going to the Future Farmers of America councils or State Park Marina? Or city councils, for that matter, yet we added an entire wing to this building. Was that for the sake of spectators?”

Before anyone on the stand can reply, one of the hockey moms pops up. “Girls hockey has seen a sixty-five percent increase in participation in the past fifteen years,” she says before Lester bangs the gavel.

That’s when one dad stands. “It’s becoming more popular every year, and our girls deserve the chance to be part of it.”

Bear and the mayor both stare at the parents with surprise, but Bear comes out of his daze first.

“That’s right.” He turns back to the council. “And the sport is an excellent way to increase agility, stamina, and coordination. Other benefits include community building as players work together toward a common goal and their supporters come together to cheer them on.”

Except for the mayor and Mr. Hockey-Is-For-Boys, the council members look interested in Bear’s argument. They listen and nod, occasionally glancing at the team.

That’s when I pop up. “Paradise has the opportunity to be at the forefront of the growth of women’s hockey by providing girls equal access to the sport. More importantly, the community has the chance to support the dreams of the girls in this town.”

Bear doesn’t need my help, but I can’t stop myself. I’ve found just enough information about women’s hockey to be dangerous. And maybe I’m channeling the fight I should take to Captain Markham into this one.

I sit back down, but Voglmeyer keeps her eyes glued to me. “Interesting, Miss Lee, that you now want the shop to be torndown so little girls can play hockey a few months out of the year when they could read books year-round.”

I open my mouth to say something, but my brain empties of any thought beyond the mayor’s accusation that I want the shop torn down.

That’s not what I want. I want a bookstore with a garage door I can open in the summer for people to sit on the patio sipping drinks and reading books.

But I also want girls to have the chance to play hockey if that’s what they want to do.

I let my eyes drift from Bear’s broad shoulders to the much smaller ones of the girls sitting in front of me. All of whom are turned around, wide-eyed, staring at me.

I’m so tempted to join their fight. I believe in their cause. I fought this same fight when I was in the police academy, and again as I worked my way to detective, then again every day that I worked under Captain Markham.

But fighting for them would mean giving up my own fight for my bookstore. I don’t know much about hockey, but I know I don’t believe it holds the same benefits as getting lost in a book does. Hockey may help these girls in a lot of ways, but stories do the work of helping people make sense of the world.

I can’t give up my fight for theirs, but maybe I can help. I scan the table with the five council members until I meet Lester’s eyes. He gives me an encouraging smile, and I take a deep breath.

“I’m not saying I want the shop torn down, only that I’d like to see if we can find a solution to benefit everyone.”

The mayor’s eyes narrow. “If that’s true, then you shouldn’t have applied for historic status for the building. The history you presented today is too compelling not to preserve Paradise Valley’s first auto shop.”

Her lips curve into a satisfied arc, and she continues, “With all the changes in Paradise, it’s important that we preserve our history.”

“I don’t disagree, Mayor.” I don’t give her time to speak, even though my thoughts are too uneven to stitch together seamlessly. “But I propose we table the issue until the next meeting in order to find a solution beneficial to the entire city, including the Paradise Squirrels.”

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