Page 2 of Spring Break with a Slap Shot

A smirk plays at the corners of my lips. Who am I kidding? Marina's probably got a full itinerary of marine biology fun facts planned. Which is fine, but, if anything—or anyone—crosses our path, I’m not going to turn it down. It’s been far too long since I’ve felt the weight of a man on top of me.

I grab my jacket, sling it over my arm, and flick off the light. It's time to let loose.

Chapter 2-Dakota

With a flick of my wrist, the puck sails past the goalie's desperate lunge and into the back of the net. Game winner, baby. The crowd erupts in a frenzy of red and black, their cheers ricocheting off the rink's walls like my heart is bouncing inside my chest.

The red light blinks, and the buzzer roars.

"Callahan scores!" The announcer's voice booms over the PA system, and I love the cheers and the sweet taste of victory.

My Charleston Renegades' teammates circle around to celebrate with me.

"That's how you do it, boys!" I shout.

Soon the cheers die down and we’re about to hit the showers and head out for the night.

I'm still riding that high, so I start chirping the guys like it's my second language—which, let's be honest, it kind of is.

"You see that? Pure finesse. You could learn something from your center," I say with a grin, tossing my gloves into my locker dramatically.

"Sure, Lucky," Asher snorts, "Because hot-dogging it every chance you get is definitely what I wanna pick up."

"Go cool your ego off in the showers," Kaleb chimes in, chucking a rolled-up tape at me. It bounces off my shoulder, but I don't flinch.

"Hey, scoring game-winners is an ego boost. You should try it sometime," I quip back, catching the tape and spinning it on my finger.

"Does that big ego keep you warm in bed at night," Ryder adds, smirking from across the room, "'cause you're always alone after the game."

I waggle my eyebrows. "You know me sleeping alone at night is just because I choose to kick the ladies out before they get to comfortable there, Raines. Can't be too predictable." My phonebuzzes in my pocket, the screen lighting up with a text. I ignore it for now, don't want to ruin the mystique.

"Predictable?" Asher shakes his head, laughing. "The only thing predictable about you is that you'll be the last one out of here, preening in front of the mirror."

"Got to look good for tonight’s ladies," I say, flipping my hair for effect. That gets a round of jeers and someone's sweaty towel whips in my direction.

"Yeah, yeah, Casanova," Kaleb says, pulling his jersey over his head. "We heading to The Sand Dunes for a celebration beer?"

"Ah, can't tonight. Got a puck bunny already laying naked in her bed waiting for me," I lie effortlessly, hiding the fact that my bed will remain cold and empty tonight. They don't need to know the truth – that sometimes, the silence is better company than another faceless name.

"Sure you do," Ryder drawls, but there's no heat in it.

"Enjoy, but don’t get yourself into a spot where you need an escape route. We will not be sober to save your ass tonight," Asher adds, grinning as he zips up his bag.

"Good to know. Will do, gentlemen," I reply, giving them a salute before grabbing my own gear and walking out.

Behind the wheel of my black Porsche 911 the road stretches out before me. I'm cruising at a steady pace, my hands relaxed on the wheel, when the ping of my car phone breaks the silence. The dashboard screen lights up, "Mom" in bold letters.

"Hey, Ma," I answer with a click of a button, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice. Anita Miles doesn't do late-night calls.

"Dakota, did you win tonight?" Her voice is tinged with her usual formal cadence.

"Of course we did." The grin spreads across my face. "Clutched it in the third period."

"That's my boy," she says. "I just wanted to hear your voice. It's been a while."

We chat about inconsequential things—the weather in Charleston, the Renegades' standings, her book club's latest read—avoiding anything deeper lurking just below the surface.

"Sorry, I missed your game. I had dinner plans," she adds, and I wonder if she's mentioning it for my sake or hers.

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