Page 4 of The Fall

Sal side-eyes him, not denying it, as we all laugh.

“Jesus, dude,” Ford says. “Shave that thing off and use the hair stuff on your head.”

“You think it’s a coincidence that I’ve had shut outs in two of the last three games? My mustachio is my lucky charm.”

The laughter quiets because we all get that. Lucky charms are a thing with us. Every season, we all hope to have playoff beards that lead us all the way to the championship cup.

“I think we should all dress as Sal for my costume party,” Dom says. “Even you, Sal. Just show up with that lip rug and you’re good.”

“When is the party?” Sergei asks.

“Check the group text. It’s Sunday night at seven.”

We’re leaving tomorrow for a five-day road trip, returning Sunday morning. Dom’s been trying to lock in everyone’s attendance at the first Halloween party he and Tess are throwing together. Beau’s parents are hosting all the Coyotes players’ kids that night for a Halloween sleepover.

The team’s extended family is always growing. Colby and Mila had their first baby, a boy, a few months ago, and Beau’s wife Shelby is pregnant with their second child.

The room quiets when our newest teammate, Griff Carrington, walks in. The dude steals the lightness everywhere he goes. He was the captain of the Vancouver team and he has a longtime rivalry with Ford. Griff expected to play his entire career in Vancouver and is still pissed off his team traded him.

“Morning, sunshine,” Dom says to Griff.

Griff ignores him. Ford gives Dom a look that silently tells him to shut the fuck up.

Sergei was known as the quietest, most brooding member of our team, but he’s got nothing on Griff. I’m not sure I’ve seen Griff smile since he got here. He plays hard, though, which is all any of us expect.

“Did you get the car thing situated?” Ford asks Griff.

“Yeah.” Griff doesn’t even glance at him as he answers.

Griff’s Range Rover wouldn’t start when we got back from our last road trip, so Ford gave him a ride home. That had to be the most awkward twenty minutes of all time.

I finish changing, lace up my skates and head out to the ice, still awed as I look around our new arena. Mila went all out. We have nice, comfortable seats in our stands and the best sound and lighting in the league. Our arena is part of a mini village where fans can get food and drinks before and after games. Mila fought the city to ensure we didn’t just have enough parking butmore than enough. Being unable to find parking was the most common complaint our fans had with the old arena.

Our championship banners and retired team numbers have all been hung. It’ll take time for this to feel like home the way our old arena did, but we’ll get there.

“Hey, you want to playCall of Dutylater?” Dom asks me as he skates out.

I think about it for a second. “Yeah, I’ll play til’ nine.”

“Nine?” He laughs. “Okay, gramps. You gotta take your Metamucil and wash off your dentures then?”

I shake my head. “I won’t come at all, then. How about that?”

“You’re fucking coming, dude. We haven’t played in more than a week.”

Dom’s my best friend, and our friendship works well because I usually go along with his dumb ideas. But last month, he convinced me to keep playing the night before a road trip and we didn’t quit until I had just enough time to go pack my shit and make it to the bus on time the next morning.

Never again. I was a zombie on the way back to the hotel after the game that night. Our coach would rip us both gaping new assholes if he knew we did that.

“I’m setting a timer on my phone and I’m done at nine. I’ll walk out in the middle of a game if I have to.”

He gasps. “You barbarian.”

“Those are my terms. Take ’em or leave ’em.”

“Yeah, fine. Bring pizza and wings, but don’t say I told you to. Tess is making vegetable soup for dinner tonight and I hate that shit, but I don’t want her to know.”

“Would she be pissed?”

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