Page 40 of Rowdy Hearts

“It’s certainly not quiet all the time. But don’t let this scare you away. This is how we blow off steam all winter. Not much else to do around here.”

I watched as the other team skated onto the ice to boos from most of the crowd. Their jerseys were a bright blue with white trim and, if I was right, their logo was a set of antlers of jagged ice.

“We’ve been playing our home opening against the Deer Run Stags since the league started.” Rain had to raise her voice a little more. “It’s tradition. And we take our traditions pretty fucking seriously around here.”

“Everyone, please be aware that pucks and other objects may fly into the crowd and could cause injury.” The announcer sounded older. And female. Someone’s grandmother. Who smoked about ten packs of cigarettes a day. “So make sure you’re ready to catch them! Throw small children out of the way. Don’t be afraid to throw a few elbows. Our boys sure aren’t!”

And that was my first clue that this wasn’t going to be a normal hockey game.

The music segued into “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” The flames around the center of the ice began to move toward the home bench then burst across the Devils end of the ice until they began to whirl in a circle and then disappeared in a flash. Every light inthe arena went out for a split second and the Imperial March from “Star Wars” began to play.

Then the Devils skated out onto the ice.

The goalie entered first, followed by Rowdy, and the crowd, which now filled almost the entire arena, cheered. They rang cowbells and stomped on the concrete stands until I was sure the place shook. As the rest of the team followed, I noticed the music blended into “Carmina Burana.”

The guys began to skate around the perimeter of their end of the ice, their jerseys a bright purple with black trim and their logo of a grinning devil head over crossed hockey sticks on the front.

I laughed when I saw the back of the jersey, a devil’s tail snaking up the spine, the spike pointing to their name across the top. Some were obviously nicknames. Rowdy’s was Sheriff. I’d have to ask him about that later. There was also Bonesaw, Cudgel, The Fed, KooKoo, Admiral, and Jedi. The rest of the team had regular last names, like Wellar, Kruse and Solow.

The guys took a couple of laps, took some shots on net, then lined up on the center line. The other team hadn’t shown up yet, and I was just about to ask Rain what was going on when the music changed to something instrumental. Something I recognized but couldn’t place.

Then the lights dimmed, and a spotlight hit the visiting team’s bench, just as their players started to take the ice. But they didn’t skate around like the Devils had. They lined up on the other side of the center line across from the Devils’ players. Goalies on either end, everyone paired up.

I glanced at Rain, who was grinning like she’d won the lottery. Without taking her eyes off the ice, she leaned forward so I could hear her over the music.

“Do you remember the scene in Dodgeball where the two teams line up at the start of the championship game?”

And that’s where I recognized the music from. Dodgeball was one of the movies I put on when I needed to laugh.

“That’s where I got the idea.” Rain had to raise her voice as the music swelled.

The music cut off and the arena announcer said, “Welcome, Deer Run Stags. We’re happy to see you this year.”

The crowd booed again, which made Rowdy’s grin even bigger. That grin made heat settle low in my body and between my legs. My brain started to imagine how he would look taking all that gear off. How his muscular arms would flex as he pulled the jersey over his head. How those big hands would easily strip away the protective gear underneath. And how he would look at my?—

“Will the captains please choose their sacrificial—Well, excuse me. I’m so sorry for that slip of the tongue. I mean, will the captains please send their teammates to participate in the rookie shootout.”

I tore my attention away from Rowdy to glance at Rain, who looked at me with raised brows, asking a question I didn’t want to answer.

“Is this something you came up with, too?”

Rain’s mouth twisted into a grin, before answering my question.

“Yeah, it was one of the first things I suggested when I started working with the team. I was sixteen or seventeen, something like that, and I wanted the team to do a fundraiser.”

When the rest of their teammates started to bang their sticks on the ice, I turned my attention back to them. Okay, back to Rowdy, but no one would be able to tell that’s who I was ogling. Except I still felt Rain’s attention like a laser beam on the side of my face, trying to burrow into my secrets.

Not today, sorry

When the rookies stood on the center line between the two teams, Rowdy and the other team captain skated together,meeting in the center circle. They shook hands, though they didn’t smile at each other, which was curious because Rowdy smiled at everyone.

“Don’t they like each other?”

Apparently, I didn’t have to explain my question, because Rain answered immediately.

“Not anymore, no.”

There was something in Rain’s voice that made me want more of an explanation, but Rain wasn’t looking at me now. Guess my questions could wait for another time.

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