Page 37 of Cross Checks

“Until?” Hank asked.

“We realized our snowball war had left my aunt’s prized snowman in ruins.” He laughed hard as I concluded the store. It was one of my favorite sounds in the world.

At that moment, I realized Hank was my home. If I reached the NHL, I had to take him with me. He made everything else insignificant, and as long as we were together, I knew I could face any difficulty that came my way.

“Chase? Are you there?”

“Sorry,” I smiled, shaking off my sudden rush of emotion. “I got lost in my head there for a moment.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Hank reassured me. “As long as you promise to share more wild stories with me later.”

“Deal,” I agreed and snuggled closer.

When we finished the Christmas tree by placing an antique star at the top, we stepped back to admire our handiwork. Hank’s arm slipped around my waist, and I scooted a little closer to him. He was clever. I looked up, and he’d somehow maneuvered us under a hanging sprig of mistletoe.”

“Looks like we’re under the mistletoe,” I observed.

“Indeed we are.” A mischievous grin spread across his face.

I obeyed the customs of the situation and pulled him into a feverish kiss, pouring all of my affection into it. We lost ourselves in each other, and I never wanted to be found.

“Chase, something’s been on your mind today. I would be happy to talk with you about it, but we don’t need to discuss it if it’s hard to bring up.”

I chuckled softly. “You know me amazingly well already. I guess there’s no real reason to keep it a secret. Coach Hoss thought he spotted an NHL scout at one of our games recently.”

“Does that mean he was looking at you?”

I nodded. “That was Coach Hoss’s assessment, and he has much more experience in the game than I do.”

Hank kissed me again. “Wow, that’s incredibly exciting. You know, I meant what I said before. If you get called up to the NHL, I’m coming along and will be right there with you.”

Another wave of emotion welled up inside. “Thank you, but I know how much you love Cold Pines. It doesn’t sound right to force you to leave your home.”

“Home is where my heart is, and it is right there.” Hank poked at my chest.

* * *

As our game began the next day, I furtively glanced around the stands. My eyes darted back and forth, searching for unfamiliar men in suits. By the time I positioned myself for the first face-off, I hadn’t found anyone who stood out.

Jensen pushed up close to me before the referee lifted the puck. “Get your head in the game, Taylor. I can see you’re distracted, but we need this game.”

“I’ve got it,” I mumbled.

My nerves threatened to throw me off, but I did my best to shake them off, reminding myself that everyone in the stands and my brothers on the ice trusted me to be my best. They’d always had my back, and I couldn’t abandon them for a dream that could be years away.

The last minutes of the game were nail-biting. We led, but the other team repeatedly broke away and pushed into our territory. Waller led the defense, and somehow, they repelled every assault on the goal.

When the buzzer sounded to end the game, we’d won. We’d battled fiercely, and the narrow victory was exhilarating. As we gathered at center ice to salute our fans, I felt immense pride in my team and the community.

“Great game, men!” Jensen clapped me on the back as we all began to skate a lap around the rink. I looked up into the stands and spotted Hank jumping up and down and hollering among the sea of smiling faces. Our eyes met, and we shared discreet nods as if to say, “We did it.”

Back in the locker room, I dressed in my street clothes as quickly as possible. Hank met me at the exit for players. “Chase!” he called out and pulled me into a hug. I closed my eyes, still high on victory endorphins, and tightened my grip.

“Congrats on the win,” he whispered in my ear. I shivered as his breath touched my skin. “You played like an all-star out there.”

“Thanks,” I murmured. “You know I couldn’t have done it without you and everyone else cheering us on. We have such amazing support here in Cold Pines.”

“We’ve always got your back,” he replied with his fingers massaging along my spine. “Is the celebration at Lou’s?” he asked.

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