Page 6 of Playoff

There’s someone else who works for the team whom I could potentially reach out to, but I don’t have her phone number anymore. No, Rowan probably doesn’t want to hear from me anyway.

Finally, because I can’t stand the suspense, I text Jensen.

BLAKE: Hey, man. Just heard about the accident. You good? If you can give me a shout, I’d appreciate it. Hope you’re okay.

The text doesn’t show as read, and after a solid minute of staring at it, I put my phone down.

“Word through the grapevine is that the bus hit black ice and spun out, went into a ravine, and flipped onto its side. No casualties but a lot of injuries.” Bodi looks relieved.

“I texted Big Bang but haven’t heard back.”

“What about Rowan?” He knows my high school girlfriend works for the Phantoms.

Our eyes meet.

“I don’t have her number anymore,” I admit after a minute.

“Oh. Well, I mean Jensen’ll reach out.”

I’m actually a little worried about Rowan too. As an assistant trainer on the team, she would have been on the bus with them. They’re in Alaska for the first two games of the first round of the playoffs, so she had to be there.

We haven’t seen or spoken to each other in nine years, but I don’t want anything bad to happen to her. She was my first love. My first everything, really. And while things ended badly, we were young and stupid. Mostly me. I’d been so excited aboutcollege, and having a girlfriend seemed like such a burden at eighteen.

At twenty-eight, I’m still not big on the whole girlfriend thing. I’ve had a few over the years, but it’s hard to focus on a woman when I’m always playing hockey, traveling for hockey, working out so I can stay in shape to play hockey… hockey is pretty much all I have time for. And frankly, the money in the minors isn’t all that great. I wouldn’t be able to support a family with what I make, so it’s just easier not to start something that doesn’t have a future.

“Hey, did you guys hear about the Phantoms?” Another one of our teammates, Dylan Hayes, comes over to our table.

“Yeah.” I nod. “You heard anything specific? So far, it’s all basic.”

“My buddy Shawn’s sister is married to the Zamboni driver over at their arena. He’s reaching out to her, see what she knows.”

“This is brutal,” Bodi says.

Dylan shrugs. “You know what this means, though, right?”

We all stare at him.

He stares back.

Finally, he lifts his hands, palms up. “Some of usare getting called up.”

That never even occurred to me.

Christ.

I’d love to play. Not just because the money is amazing, but because it’s theplayoffs. I mean, it doesn’t get better than that.

I’ve had a pretty good season, too.

Most goals and assists on the Rebels and second most in the whole league.

That has to count for something.

But it feels shitty to think about something good for me at the expense of the guys on the Phantoms.

And anyway, they’re probably fine.

I pour another glass of beer.

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