Page 42 of Cross Checks

I laughed as Chase tore down the hall. He beat me by a mile. When I entered the room, he’d already stripped down to his underwear.

“Do you think you can fall asleep that fast?” Chase asked.

“Nobody ever said you had to be asleep at midnight,” I grinned. “You only had to be in bed.”

Chapter13

Chase

Four days into the new year, I sprawled lazily across the couch in my apartment. Hank was working at the station, and the coaches gave us a rare day off from practice. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a full day to myself.

I nursed a steaming cup of coffee and used the TV remote control to bounce from one show to another. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I picked it up off the coffee table, and an unknown number flashed on the screen.

Out-of-the-blue calls like that usually got ignored, but something told me to answer this one. Tentatively, I said, “Hello.”

“Chase Taylor?” The deep voice on the other end was firm but friendly.

“Speaking.”

“Congratulations, son. This is George Campbell from the Florida Panthers. I was authorized to call you and let you know that we’d like to offer you a contract to play for us in Sunrise, Florida.”

I was speechless. The moment I’d waited for since I was a little kid lacing up skates had arrived. “Are…um…this isn’t a prank call, is it?”

George laughed. “I’m afraid it’s not. You wouldn’t believe how many players I call who react the same way. We’ve been following your career up there in Maine, and we thought you might like to thaw out down here on our sunny beaches.”

“Wow…um…I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. Maybe I should say thank you. Yeah, I guess that’s the best thing. This is incredible.”

“Well, welcome aboard. I’m sure you have some things to consider, but can I call you back in two days with more details?”

“Oh, yeah, of course. I’ll look forward to it.”

“Meanwhile, please do not make any public announcements about the offer. We’re not authorized to do that until final agreements are in place. I’m sure you understand.”

“Oh, yes, no problem. Thank you, Sir…I mean, Mr. Campbell.”

He chuckled softly. “George will do. You have a great day, Chase.”

I trembled as the call disconnected. It was really happening. Part of me wanted to shout the good news from the rooftops all over town, but I knew I couldn’t do that yet.

First, I’d try to call Hank, and then I wanted to let Coach Hoss know. He’d believed in me from the moment Cold Pines signed him on to coach.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t talk to Hank. One of the guys at the station said he was on a call. It wasn’t a dangerous one. He was at a school telling the kids about life as a firefighter.

I grabbed my coat and raced out of the apartment. The players had the day off, but I suspected Coach Hoss would be in the office at the arena. As I jogged to my car, the icy wind of January stung my face.

I burst into the arena through the players’ entrance and waved hi to the custodian. The locker room and office were empty. I was about to grumble and curse my bad luck when I heard the sound of voices out on the ice.

Tugging my skates out of my locker room, I hurriedly put them on and headed for the rink. I spotted Coach Hoss on the far side. He was talking with one of the rookies.

I stepped onto the ice and skated pell-mell toward them. I struggled not to crash into Coach when I realized how much speed I’d picked up. When I pulled to a stop, a shower of ice crystals sprayed the three of us.

“Chase, what’s going on?” Coach Hoss asked. He looked worried.

“C-Coach, and hey, Phil. Guys, I-I just got a call.” I stammered in my effort to get the words out. “The Florida Panthers called. They offered me a spot on the team!”

Coach Hoss’s eyes widened, and then a massive grin appeared. It caused crinkly little lines to appear at the corners of his eyes.

“Well, damn, we knew it was coming, didn’t we? I’m a little surprised that it was this quick, but congratulations. That’s fantastic news.”

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