Page 32 of In the Defensive Zone with My Enemy

I study his face as I take the printout from him. He knows something. Marty has never been one to tell medetails flat out. He’s like an old sage, giving me just enough direction to get started without telling me what I’m looking for.

“Thanks, Marty.”

“My pleasure, kiddo.”

I tuck the pages into my bag and stand. “I better get home so I can pack.”

As I’m about to leave his office, he calls me back. “Soph?”

I stop in the doorway and turn halfway around. “Yeah?”

“I know this makes the introvert in you squirm a bit. I’m just a phone call away, okay?”

His words are like a hug. “Thanks, Marty.”

That slanted smile of his sends me on my way. I know he has faith in me to do a good job on this. And I know I will, too, even if it is pushing me out of my comfort zone.

I stop by Charlene’s desk on my way out.

She leans back in her chair as I approach. “How’s life in the hockey world going?”

My trepidatious thoughts do a quick dance over being in a sardine can with a bunch of oversized fish and what I may discover in the article Marty handed me. As a journalist, I know how one rogue piece of information can change the picture of everything.

“It’s…going.” I bob my head affirmatively.

Her desk chair creaks in a foreboding manner as she leans on her desk. “That’s…telling.”

I giggle at her imitation of my answer. “Not exactly what I had in mind.”

“I know, but you’ve got this, Soph. That spread you did on the coach was some of your best work yet.”

Relief rushes over me like a wave at the beach on a hot day. “Thank you. I need this assignment to go well.”

“I know that too.” She leans closer, lowering her voice. “I overheard Marty on the phone with one of the execs, bragging aboutyour piece.”

“Really?” I glance toward his office. “He didn’t mention that.”

She shrugs. “He probably doesn’t want to get your hopes up, even though we all know you’re more than capable. It’s all about the numbers in the end.”

Deepening my voice, I don a dramatic tone. “The evil forces of greed, hell-bent on destruction and chaos.”

This is a reference to a comment she made in an edit on one of my articles a couple of years ago about the county pulling funding to preserve sea turtles. But it did have a happy ending. Apparently, an anonymous donor picked up the slack. I wanted to dig deeper, but the gentleman in question asked me to keep it hush-hush when I figured it out.

She snorts at me. “Very funny.”

“Just seemed appropriate.”

Char squeezes my hand. “If there ever was a real-life superwoman, it would be you, Soph. Now go wield your mighty pen.”

CHAPTER 11

LUKE

Funny how nerves can take on a mind of their own. I feel like I’ve handled my return to hockey fairly well for the most part. Practices have gone smoothly. Despite the initial aches and pains of getting back into shape, I’m almost performing at the same level I was before I left. Even filling the role of captain is becoming more…comfortable.

On that count, Derek was right. Time has shown the guys they can trust me. Well, almost all of them. Jayce and one of the other rookies still seem to have a bone to pick with me, but I never expected to get along with all of my teammates. All that matters is that we operate as a team.

But now it’s getting real. We’re boarding the bus that will take us to Jacksonville to play against the Icemen. I keep telling myself it’s only a preseason game—simply a warmup for the season…like practice. The coaches have already seen me on the ice, and my performance during scrimmages has gone well—almost as if I never left the game.

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