Page 8 of Cross Checks

“We had to move fast. I entered the house with one of my buddies. The heat was intense, even worse than in your locker room. We found the girl hiding in a closet, terrified but unharmed. She’d done all the right things, wrapped a heavy coat around herself and stuffed clothes under the closet door to block as much smoke as possible.

“Wow, that’s good.”

He nodded. “We got her out just in time before the ceiling caved in. It was way too close.”

While I listened, I thought about the incredible courage required for Hank’s job. His quiet expression of bravery at the arena excited me. He routinely faced life-and-death situations and took it all in stride.

Hank started another story.

“There was another call not too long ago. A car crashed on one of the country roads outside of a town. It was a family, and their vehicle skidded off into the ditch. The wreck was a bad one. It banged up the parents pretty badly, and then their little boy…” Hank paused. “He was trapped in the back when pieces of the car crumpled around him.”

He gritted his teeth before he continued. “We had to use the Jaws of Life to pull him out of the wreckage. It was delicate work. The whole time, his parents were crying and praying. We finally got him out without any serious injuries. Seeing the relief on his parents’ faces…that made it all so worthwhile.”

I couldn’t ignore the emotional intensity in Hank’s voice as he shared his stories. It was like a window into his character. He was courageous and dedicated.

My hockey career took dedication, but I didn’t have to be as brave every day. What we did on the ice wasn’t nearly as crucial to the everyday operation of our community as firefighting. It wasn’t just a job to Hank either. It was a calling.

“And the hockey team?” Hank asked. “I don’t think you’ve shared any specifics yet.”

When the conversation shifted back to my experiences with the Cold Pines Cougars, I lightened things up a bit. I thought about the countless locker room antics and shared one of the stories.

“The Cougars keep me on my toes,” I began. "There was this one time, right before a big game initiated by our goalie, Waller, he's a bit of a prankster. He rigged the lockers with these little Bluetooth speakers, and then he had a remote control for them.”

I paused as Hank’s eyes opened wider. “He rigged them with different sounds like faint meowing, strange beeps, and soft whispering. You should have seen all the confused guys searching their gear for the noise source or even suspecting each other. It was hilarious.”

Hank chuckled, shaking his head. "That's funny. Did you guys do anything to get even?”

I laughed. “Not that time. It was a pretty mellow prank, so we all let it go. We won that game, and that helped us let Waller off the hook.”

As I sipped my beer, another story came to mind. “And then before one of the games in the playoff last year, Eddie, our center, who…”

“I know who Eddie was. Didn’t he get called up to the NHL?”

“He did. I’ve taken over his spot in the lineup. I’m not quite at his level, but I hope for a call someday myself.”

Hank smiled at me. “And I wish you all the luck on that, but finish the story.”

“So, anyway, Eddie thought everyone was being a little too serious. He snuck into Coach Z’s office a few hours ahead of practice, and he filled it with balloons, floor to ceiling. They took up all of the space. The look on Coach’s face when he opened the door was priceless. He tried to keep a straight face but eventually cracked up about it.”

Hank laughed about the story, and I loved how the corners of his eyes crinkled up. “Sounds like a great team atmosphere. It must be fun being part of that.”

“It is. We have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we have a bond, like a rambunctious family.”

Our conversation continued, and it flowed easily. We talked about favorite local spots and touched a little on our families. There was an undeniable chemistry simmering underneath. Occasionally, our knees brushed under the table with each of our long legs. When that happened, I felt a little charge up my spine.

The conversation seemed to deepen, and the topics got a little personal. The noise in the bar faded into the background, leaving an intimate space for just the two of us.

I sipped my beer. It was liquid courage, and I blurted out more about myself.

“Hank, I’m not saying this is necessarily relevant, but I just guess you should know about it. I’ve mostly dated women in the past.” I paused and watched closely for any reaction.

I didn’t see anything negative. “But I’ve had a few…encounters with guys. Nothing serious, just little flings.”

Hank nodded. “You’ve got some courage there, sharing that on our first time together. Are you assuming something?”

I let the question go. “Second time,” I started to say.

He chuckled. “Third, if you count the fire.”

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