Page 29 of Fake-Off with Fate
“You can certainly donate, as well,” I tell him. “But the idea is to utilize the press we’ve been getting to promote this thing far beyond local channels. If we can do that, we might just get some big money coming to town. Remember, this cause is near and dear to all of us now.”
“Come on, fellas,” Dale encourages. “We’ve all moved toMaple Falls to make our homes here, now we’re needed to help our new community. Let’s do this with gusto.”
A slow but sure chant starts to build. “Maple Falls! Maple Falls! Maple Falls!”
With everyone on board, I call out, “Let’s hit the ice and get this practice started. Not only do we have a town to save, but we have a cup to win!”
Winning the Stanley Cup is a long way off for us, and probably not even possible given that we aren’t a longstanding team who know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Yet the way to win anything is to go in with the mindset that you can’t lose.
Dale divides us into two teams. I play center which means by default, I make a lot of goals. I’m also something of a wonderkid when it comes to faceoffs, or as my past team called them, Jamie’s fake-offs. I have a flashy maneuver I like to use where I let the other team get the puck, then I drop back and, with lightning speed, I steal it right back. Of course, I mix it up and go for my share of discs, so my opponents never know what to expect. It’s a bit of a cocky display, but it also shows my talent.
Just my luck, Harry is playing center for the other side. We come face to face in the middle of the arena with Dale acting as ref. Harry stares me down intently and asks, “Fake-off or face-off, Jamie?”
I smile back. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
As the puck drops, I skate backward, letting Harry take first possession. As soon as he tries to pass me, I dip low to the right to throw him off, and then almost immediately change my course. Reaching out with my stick, I snatch the puck right out from under him.
I don’t expect him to anticipate this move, but he does. In the end, Harry steals the puck right back and sends it to one of his defensemen, who in turn glides it down the rink and slams it home.
Skating up to me, Harry says, “I guess you didn’t see that one coming, huh?
Shaking my head, I tell him, “I did not.”
I can’t tell if he’s joking, but he pats me on the shoulder and says, “Yeah, it’s never fun to be on the receiving end of one of those.”
I suddenly wonder if maybe Harry isn’t quite ready to let go of the past like he claims.
CHAPTER 15
ASHLYN
I wassurprised when my dad told me his office was open on Saturdays, but at least it’s only a half-day. I go in early so I can be safely ensconced in the mayor’s domain before Phillip shows up. That way we don’t have to make small talk, or any talk, if I’m lucky.
Even though I leave the house a full thirty minutes before Town Hall opens, my plan is for naught. As I pull into the parking lot and head toward my dad’s designated spot, Phillip is standing there waving me down. I unroll the window in time to hear him say, “That’s the mayor’s parking place. You can’t park there.”
Oh brother, what a busybody. “My dad is coming in late,” I tell him. “I’ll move before he gets here.”
He steps directly into the slip so he’s blocking my path. “Your father is never late,” he tells me with authority, like he spends every free minute spying on my dad. Which come to think of it, he probably does. Phillip doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy with an active personal life.
“That may be,” I tell him. “But now I’m here to help.” I glare at him with every ounce of irritation currently coursing through me. Which is a lot.
He counters. “Ihelp him. That’smyjob.”
“I’m sure it is,” I tell him as I start to inch my rental car in his direction. He looks nervous that I’m going to hit him, but even so, he holds his own. “You want to play chicken with me, Phillip?” I ask. I’m about two feet away from tapping him.
“You wouldn’t hit me,” his voice quakes with uncertainty.
“You want to place a wager on that?”Less than a foot away now …
He suddenly realizes I’m not faking it, and he jumps to his left before I kiss him with my bumper. “I’m going to tell your father!” he shouts.
As he turns to walk into the building, I call after him, “You’re going to have to wait until he comes in.”
He stops dead in his tracks and pulls out his phone like he’s going to call right now. I hurry to reach into my purse to silence my dad’s ring tone, but I must grab my phone instead. As soon as Phillip hits send, my dad’s phone starts to blare out the weird otter song he programmed into it. I hurry to close my window in hopes Phillip didn’t hear it but I’m pretty sure he did.
I turn off my dad’s phone before getting out of the car. Then with my head high, I step out of my rental and walk right by dad’s assistant. “Why do you have your dad’s phone?” he demands.
“I don’t have his phone. I have mine.”
