Page 130 of Puck Me Secretly

---

Max: What are you wearing?

Me: WHERE is your uncle?

Max: Sitting next to me on my couch

Me: GOOD NIGHT

Max: LOL

Me: I’m looking forward to Friday

Max: Me too. What are you doing?

Me: Lying on my couch in my office, trying not to fall asleep

Max: WHY are you there?

Me: Waiting for a ride home

Max: You want me to come and drive you home?

I stared at my phone in disbelief.

Me: You’d do that?

Max: Yup

Me: Wow - thanks! But my dad will probably be ready soon

Max: We could do dirty things in my vehicle…

Me: Stop temping me. You should spend time with your uncle

Max: He doesn’t mind

Me: Tempted. So tempted. But I’ll see you on Friday

Max: ;-)

Me: XOXO

Only when I hung up, did I realize that on Friday, we had our first home game against Minnesota.

Friday before the game,I slipped into the back of the room where the players and the coaches gathered to discuss game tactics. I looked around for Dad, but he wasn't in the meeting.

Me: Dad. Player meeting started. Where are you?

Baxter stood up in front of the room. “Tonight, we are playing our old Minnesota friends. We all know what happened the last time we played them. The game was dirty. Tonight, we will change that. I want this game to be clean.”

The players looked at each other in disbelief. My eyes found Max. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His eyes were down and he didn’t react to the news.

One guy spoke up. “They’re going to come after us.”

Baxter pointed at him. “Doesn’t matter. We are a professional club and we will not fight back. We are hockey players, not fighters. We will not stoop to their level.”

“With all due respect,” another player spoke up, “But if we don’t rise to the occasion, Logan will take a pounding. You know they will come after him.”

“Clean game,” Baxter repeated, his voice harsh. “Anyone who goes against that will answer to me.”

---