Page 33 of Power Play with My Brother's Irish Friends

“Miranda did her job to make us look awesome at the start of the season. We have better standings with the reporters than ever before. If we keep playing like what I just saw, we’ll ruin everything Miranda worked so hard for.”

He had a point. I hated him for pointing it out, but it made sense. If we blew the first game of the season, we could kiss the media goodbye. We’d be the joke of the town by morning, and no one would take us seriously the rest of the season even if we pulled it together by the next game.

Austin moved to stand beside Coach, the two of them doubling down. At a nod from Coach, Austin continued.d “It’s our turn to show the world we’re as good on the ice as she made us look off of it. We need to go out there and remind them why they love us.” Austin pointed toward the door, where a roar had been building from the stands.

Chants and cheers mingled together, our names being shouted into the void as they screamed for a comeback. We’d never really been the underdog team, but today we were and the crowd wanted to see us succeed. Hell, I wanted us to succeed, I just didn’t know if I had it in me to care without Miranda watching from the stands.

I had to. Clenching my hands over my neck, I focused on the sound of the game. Duncan’s knee hit mine. “We can’t disappoint her,” I whispered between the rising shouts.

Duncan held out his closed fist. I tapped mine on top of his, then onto Charlie’s.

“No matter how we feel, we play for her.” Charlie stared at Austin, his face locked in a frown. “Now’s not the time to fall apart. She’ll be back.” Whether he meant the words for all of us or just himself, they spread like wildfire.

Austin caught the thread of our conversation and grinned. “Damn straight she’ll be back. What do you think will be the first words out of her mouth if you keep this up?”

“Probably tell us to stop skating around like we got sticks up our asses and get the job done.” Scott roared a deep laugh that caused everyone around him to join in.

“Exactly.” Austin grabbed his equipment and marched toward the door. “So let’s show her what we’re made of.”

He’d never given us a pep talk quite like this one, had never used a person as a way to motivate us, but it worked. Duncan, Charlie, and I would give our last breath to make Miranda proud.

“You ready for some slapshots?” Duncan held out his stick.

I clacked mine against his and slammed my helmet into place. “Let’s do it.”

Noise assaulted us the minute we left the locker room and built into an ear-splitting sound that brought smiles to everyone’s faces as we hit the ice for the second period.

I made quick work of warming up and nodded at Duncan when the puck came his way. We’d done this a thousand times. Thousands upon thousands. I lined myself up. Charlie cut off an offending player trying to cut into my space. Austin took care of the other man who recognized what was coming. The puck spun across the ice. I flicked my wrist, sending the puck flying into the net.

The entire stadium shook beneath the shouts and stomping feet as the crowd surged to their feet. Pride swelled in my chest and I smacked Duncan in passing. This was what we were meant to do.

“Good shot.” He pounded a fist against my shoulder, the feeling barely registering beneath the pads. “Let’s do it again.”

“I’m in.” We made another circuit around the rink. Bodies collided, the opposing team coming for us with renewed vigor. Adrenaline surged. Excitement for the game narrowed my focus to the next play, the next shot. Duncan and I had this move down to a science. We’d perfected it in Ireland, and I’d been waiting to unleash our potential again.

“That’s it.” Coach bellowed when Duncan set me up for another slapshot. Another score. “Keep it going.”

Duncan’s value in the team skyrocketed with every setup. And mine? Well. I wasn’t unhappy with the sound of my name being chanted, even if there was one voice missing from the crowd.

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