“Can’t possibly be as long as your mom trying to tell me who she met at the store this morning.” Rob chuckled as Sharla elbowed him in the ribs.
“Okay, short version is this.” Emma launched into an explanation of their fake dating history, then how that led to her job with Troy, and then ended with how they both failed at the fake part.
Sharla looked flabbergasted. “Rob, I don’t even know. Fake dates, dating apps where you swipe over people’s faces—is anyone going to meet the old-fashioned way?”
Emma scoffed. “Didn’t you two meet because Dad pretended to be a ski instructor?”
Rob chuckled, and Sharla’s cheeks flushed. She took a sip of her pop. “He looked very official.”
Emma leaned in so only Kelty could hear her voice. “How’s Sean with . . . everything?”
Kelty sighed and leaned back on the bench. “He’s Sean.”
“But he’s not going to punch anyone?”
Kelty laughed out loud. “Nope, he’s on strict orders. And to be honest, I think he’s happy for you.”
“Just buried deep down.”
“Oh, so far down.”
Emma snorted just as the arena lights dimmed. The players lined up in front of the boards, and a spotlight focused on the corner of the ice where a carpet was rolled out. A tenor with a booming voice sang Oh, Canada and then the teams rallied their starting five as the cheers dissipated.
A referee stood at centre ice, and Sean won the faceoff. The puck slid to Country, who sped forward, watching for an opening. Tyler cut across the blue line, and Country passed it forward. Tyler received the puck in stride and wound up for a slapshot but was challenged by a Stiff Stick defender.
André swooped in to pick up a deflected pass. He zigzagged through two Stiff Sticks, drawing their attention. Just as he was about to be boxed in, he dropped a back pass to Country, who unleashed a shot toward the net.
The Stick’s goalie deflected the puck, sending it bouncing toward the boards. Their group cheered every time the Snowballs had the puck, and Emma knew she wouldn’t have much of a voice after this game.
Ryan subbed for Country, and the Snowballs maintained possession for a good minute, rotating the puck. Tyler took another shot, only to be blocked. The Stiff Sticks tried to clear their zone, but Sean intercepted, sending the puck back deep.
With only seconds left in the period, Tyler and Curtis executed a beautiful give-and-go play, leaving Tyler with a breakaway. The arena held its collective breath as Tyler deked left and shot right, sending the puck short side.
The crowd erupted as the buzzer sounded, signalling the end of the period and Tyler’s goal. Emma jumped up and down with Kelty, her heart ready to burst. She turned to pick up her jacket from the bench and froze. As the crowd cheered around her, she stared at the top corner of the stands.
Troy pulled a hand out of his blankets and waved. Gina was next to him, making sure his oxygen stayed in place.
“I’ll be right back.” Emma slid out of their row and walked up to stand above Troy. “Is it smart for you to be here?” she asked, unable to keep the smile from her face.
“I think it’s the smartest thing I’ve done in a long time.” He patted the bench next to him, and she sat. He stared down at the bench, watching his son squirt water through the gaps in his helmet. “He’s something else.”
Emma nodded. “Why didn’t you ever come before?”
Troy exhaled, and Gina put a hand over his shoulders. “I don’t have a good answer for that.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here now.” Emma wished Tyler had his phone on him so she could text him and force him to look up. “This will mean so much to him.”
“We might not be able to stay for the whole game. Troy has an early bedtime these days.” Gina smiled warmly.
Emma watched the two of them and wondered what would propel a fifty-year-old woman to care for a man she’d only met a few months ago. She didn’t have to think about it for long. When someone like Tyler gave his attention, it was difficult not to crave it again.
“Emma, Gina has plans for the next two properties, and I’d love it if you and Tyler met with her in the next few weeks to give your input. Would that be possible?” Troy asked.
Emma nodded, her chest tightening. The next few weeks. Troy might not be around by then. “Of course. You’re planning to continue with them, then?”
Troy looked at her, a twinkle in his eye. “Meet with Gina, and you’ll get all the details.” Emma smiled, amused by how tickled he was at being cryptic. “Now go be with your family, I didn’t mean to pull you away.”
The second period was about to start. Emma put a hand on his arm. “I was happy to visit with you.”
