Page 35 of Power Play with My Brother's Irish Friends

Austin led the charge off the ice. We all fell into a huddled mass of bent shoulders and wide smiles. People closed in from overhead, stretching out their arms to try and reach of across the concrete wall as we made our way down into the hallway leading to the locker room. “You’re up for the interview?”

I shucked my gear piece by piece and set it aside for later. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” I’d agreed to be the spokesperson behind the mic at our first post-game interview of the season. Making the winning shot increased the need for me to be on my best behavior. I worked through what Miranda taught me as I showered and changed into jeans, and a loose, long-sleeve green Henley that Miranda had recommended because it made me more approachable. Once I’d tied my shoes and stood, Austin directed me to the door. “You go in first. We’ll come in behind you.”

I resisted the urge to tell him I knew how an interview worked and pasted on my Miranda-approved interview smile instead. A twist of the door handle, and lights exploded in my vision. I’d expected the cameras but the flashes still came as a surprise. The grin stayed firmly in place on my way to the long stretch of tables. I took the middle seat and tugged the chair out. “It’s nice to see all of you again.”

Quick chuckles darted around the room.

Coach worked as our moderator, and when he stepped out onto the stage, hands lifted all across the room. He pointed at a woman in a black suit with a press badge for Hockey Wide, a sports magazine I’d tangled with before. “Duncan, we’re all curious to know what was said out there on the ice today? You came out a little weak in the beginning, but slayed at the end. What brought that on?”

I laced my hands together on the table and leaned into the microphone. “You’ve all heard Austin speak before. He gave us a pep talk and we took it to heart.”

She tapped on her phone, no doubt taking notes. A crease appeared between her eyebrows, a sure sign that I’d not given her the answer she expected.

“You.” Coach pointed out a man near the front who smirked as he stood.

I knew him too, and my leg began to bounce beneath the table. I stopped it before anyone noticed and concentrated on breathing like Miranda had taught me. No angry reactions. They were unnecessary and made things worse. I brought up a memory of the day I’d spent at Discovery Park with her and the kids.

“Duncan.” The reporter said my name in two short barks of sound that grated on my nerves. “You’ve often been called the Devil of the ice. How do you feel about that moniker?”

“I think it was earned a few times, glorified a few more, and vilified often enough that I started to believe it myself.” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I guess we’re all villains in some people’s stories. I’ve been told people love to root for the morally gray character.”

Multiple women around the room laughed. “Are you saying you’ve lost your moral compass?” Another voice piped in before Coach stepped in.

He waved off the question. “You know the rules.”

I considered answering it anyway, but I’d learned that led to a free for all of insinuations and more bothersome questions.

“You.” Coach waved a hand at a blonde standing near the back of the room.

“What would you consider the highlight of the game?” She had a rich voice, but I caught the underlying hopefulness that I’d come off with some cocky answer that further incriminated me.

How had I missed all this before? I released my grip on my fingers and reached out to either side of me, clapping Austin and Patrick on the backs. “Being part of this team. Seeing us come together and work as a unit.” It was a pat answer, and one none of them expected from the old, volatile Duncan.

Miranda had coached me well. For the first time in my career, I made it through the process without losing my cool.

“One last question.” Coach shifted his weight forward and peered over the crowd. “You, in the red.”

A guy wearing a red tie and badge cleared his throat. “It’s come to our attention that you’re not in peak physical performance. Can you shed some light on that?”

“I’m in the best shape.” I flexed my arms so the muscles bulged. “What’s that one shape called, Austin? A polygon? I have multiple sides.”

The laughter I’d garnered earlier built and rolled throughout the room.

I stood alongside Austin and the others. “Good talking to all of you. Go be good humans. Don’t be square.” I raised my hand in a peace symbol and turned my back to the room.

“Nicely done.” Coach closed in behind me, the rest of the team creating a circle with me in the middle. “You’re the star of the show.”

For now. I didn’t let it bother me that my popularity would likely fade with time. I enjoyed the moment, the success brought on by the game and Miranda’s coaching.

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