Page 9 of Heart on Ice

“You’re gonna have to give us time, Cap,” Smith the rookie grumbles.

He doesn’t know it yet, but he will have plenty of chances in his career to get that cup, but he can’t see that right now. This old guy, his chances are becoming slimmer and slimmer. I take a seat and start to undress.

“Where is he, where the fuck is he,” a booming voice echoes through the locker room. Then seconds later, I see the team’s owner, Bill Reeves, come in. He picks me up by the scruff of my neck, and for an old guy, he’s pretty strong, still got some of that past hockey strength in him as he slams me against the lockers. “You motherfucking asshole,” he spits in my face. “I should fucking trade you for that.”

The room goes silent.

Bill Reeves created the South Dakota Devils three years ago, the league’s newest team, using the billions he’s made in soybeans since retiring from professional hockey. We built this team together when he brought me in as Captain on an extremely lucrative deal, and this was the closest we have been to making the finals and getting a stab at the cup. I’ve been lucky enough to win it many times before with my former teams, but to do it with this one would have been a dream.

“Bill …” Coach Barrett says as he watches the team’s owner accost his captain in front of everyone.

Bill’s eyes narrow on me, and I see nothing but anger behind them. I’ve never seen this side of him before. “You have no fucking idea.” He chuckles darkly at me. I’ve seenhim hot-headed before, but in this moment, I feel like if he could strangle me, he would. We’ve become good friends over the years, building the Devils. I considered him family, and we attend Sunday family lunch once a month at his home. But this man I see now, I don’t know. “Looks like my golden boy is nothing but fool’s gold.” With that, he slams me back into the locker and storms out of the room. Everyone stares at me in shock but remains silent as if they can’t believe what they’ve just witnessed.

“Are you okay?” Coach asks once everyone gets back to getting changed so we can do cool downs.

“I let everyone down.”

“Emotions are high at the moment, and like Gus said before, we wouldn’t have been in with a chance if you hadn’t grabbed us that goal.”

“Until I fucked up.”

“You did in that moment, and the other team got lucky. Any one of you guys could have fucked up on the ice landing us in the same situation we are now, it’s just unfortunate it was you.”

“I knew better. What the hell was I thinking?”

“You can make yourself crazy debating the what-ifs over that play, none of them are going to change the outcome. Shake it off. Enjoy your time off, you’re getting married, you have so much to look forward to. Then next year win the fucking cup. That will shut all the haters down. Now, come on let’s get these old muscles cooled down. Don’t want to pull a hamstring on your honeymoon now do we?” he jokes.

After cooling down and having a shower, I get dressed and head out to the press conference. One of the toughest things I ever had to do was sit there and have one person after another asking me in various ways what the hell I was thinking messing up like I did. It was torture. But I get through it and head up tothe owner’s box where there are drinks for the players’ and staff families. I’m greeted warmly as I walk in by my sister, Collette.

“I’m sorry,” she says, hugging me tightly.

“Me too,” I tell her.

“Pierre, there you are. You look like you’ve been through it.” Michelle Reeves, Bill’s wife, walks over and greets me warmly.

“You could say that.”

“We’ll get ‘em next year,” she says, giving me a wide smile before looking over at Collette. “Look, I’m sorry about Bill …” she starts to say.

“Nothing to apologize for,” I tell her.

“He’s passionate.” She chuckles.

“That he is.”

“I’m sure nothing he says is going to be worse than what your inner thoughts are saying,” she adds quietly.

“You’d be right.”

“Things will get better. Something will happen and the news cycle will move on, maybe not the fans, their memories seem to be long, but the media will. Plus, you have your wedding to look forward to.”

“Speaking of weddings, where’s my beautiful fiancée?” I ask, looking around the suite.

Collette’s face falls. “She went home with her friends.”

“Oh.” My sister’s words sucker punch me.

“Things got a little rowdy in the suite, it was probably for the best. Keep that chin up, things will get better,” Michelle reassures me before going back to her family.

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