Page 84 of Offside Attraction

The game against Puck Me from Stirling started out intense, but by the end of the second period, their energy began to wane. Jordan and his teammates took advantage, and by the time they entered the third, the score was four to one.

He came off the ice with fifteen minutes on the clock, and that’s when he found her. Rhonda walked down the steps to the centre section of the stands. Her hair was pulled back, and she had on a dark blue toque. She wore a puffy white jacket, and her cheeks were flushed from the cold. She sat, then looked up and scanned the ice. He waited for her to make it to their bench, and when she did, his pulse quickened.

A couple of minutes later, Jordan jumped back onto the ice, infused with new energy. He joined the line change and took up his position. The puck was in their defensive zone, and Cam and Nate worked to clear it.

The seconds bled away, and Jordan's adrenaline spiked as they entered the final minute of play. He knew they had the win in the bag, but he wanted to put an exclamation point on it. Point differential could influence their seeding in later rounds.

With thirty seconds left, Steele intercepted a pass and sent a clapper up the ice. Jordan was already in motion, and he caught the puck on his stick. He skated past the blue line, then cut left to avoid a defenceman.

Jordan faked a shot, then pulled the puck back and slipped it between his legs. The goalie bit on the fake, and Jordan lifted the puck top shelf. It hit the netting with a satisfying thud, and the crowd erupted as much as they could for an out of town team.

His teammates swarmed him, slapping his back and helmet, but he was looking up into the stands. There she was, on her feet, her hands clapping above her head. He hadn’t realized until that moment how much he’d ached to see her cheering in their game against the Snowballs. He knew she couldn’t, but damn if he didn’t want her to.

Jordan skated back to the bench as the final seconds ticked away and the buzzer sounded. They lined up for their handshakes, then retreated to the locker room. When Jordan arrived after thanking the refs, the air was already thick with steam from the showers.

Jordan hurried to his locker.

"You in a rush there, Wheatfill?" Cam hollered from the other end of the bench. Jordan ignored him, stripping down to his compression shorts and grabbing his towel. He marched past Steele, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I know that look!" Steele called out, and Jordan flipped him the bird as he disappeared into the shower.

The water was scalding. Better than the lukewarm water at their home base. He let the heat seep into his muscles, washing away the adrenaline and lactic acid buildup. He soaped up, rinsed, and was back in the locker room in record time.

Jordan ignored the looks and quickly towelled off, then reached for his clothes. He pulled on his jeans and shirt, then tossed the keys to the van to Cam.

"Cap’s got a girl.” Chubs waggled an eyebrow.

"Not just a girl. A Southern Alberta girl," Wyatt held up the keys and jangled them.

"Southern Alberta girls are tough as nails," Steele grinned.

“They’ll change a tire on a gravel road and still make it to puck drop,” Nate quipped.

Mike laughed. “They’ll walk three miles in the snow just to tell you you’re wrong. Ask me how I know that.”

The guys laughed, and Steele bumped Jordan’s shoulder. "You gonna join us after whatever this is?"

Jordan chuckled. "If you find something open past ten in Lethbridge, I’ll be impressed." He nodded to the team. “Great work out there.” He turned back to Steele. “Keep me posted. I’ll be back after dinner.”

Nate whistled, and Jordan pushed through the door to hoots and hollers. He wound his way back up to the main entryway and didn't see Rhonda at first. He frowned, his eyes darting from face to face, until he found that white puffy coat.

Rhonda turned her head and spotted him, a smile spreading across her face. Jordan's stomach flipped. They walked toward each other, avoiding the other players and fans milling about, and then they were finally standing in front of each other.

"Hey," he started, but before he could say anything else, Rhonda was on him. She didn't waste time with pleasantries. She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him down, her lips pressing against his.

Jordan's eyes widened in surprise, but it only lasted a second. He melted into her, his hand sliding up to cradle her jaw. She tasted like snowflakes. Cool and crisp. It might’ve had a little to do with the Wintergreen gum she was chewing.

He pulled back, breathing hard, a laugh rumbling in his chest. "Well, hello to you, too."

Rhonda grinned, her cheeks flushed. "Sorry, I was just?—"

"Don’t apologize." Jordan took her in.

She bit her bottom lip, her breath still coming in little puffs. "Okay, well. Hello.” She stepped back, flicking her hair behind her shoulders.

Jordan worked to draw a full breath, but his body wasn’t cooperating. “You hungry?" he asked.

Rhonda shifted on her feet. "Are you asking me on a date, Wheatfill?"

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