He cocked his head like he’d just spotted a rare bird, and she wondered how long she’d zoned out. “Can you add salary retention for Henderson? It’s blowing up on X.”
“Right, sorry. Just thinking.” Jenna turned to her computer and typed it on the list. “Excellent. I think that’s plenty to work with.”
“But I can go off-script right?” Country asked, handing the tablet back to her as she spun around.
She took it from him. “Of course, it’s just nice to have some determined topics ahead of time since you’ll both be on the broadcast.” So Glen can do some research and not look like a complete idiot next to you. She kept that as an inside thought.
Country nodded then pushed up from the couch. “Thursday, then.” He shook Glen’s hand then turned to Jenna. She hesitated a moment then stood and offered hers. Country took it, and the second his fingers met hers, every hair on her arm stood at attention. “Nice to meet you.”
She nodded and pulled her hand away as fast as she could without looking like a lunatic. “Same. Thanks for coming in.” Same? That wasn’t even a full sentence.
Kessler hung back as Country walked into the hall. “You sure you’ll be okay on Thursday?”
Jenna nodded. “Of course, I’ll be with the tech team, and I’m sure John will want to have a say.”
Glen chuckled. “He always does.” He walked to the door and paused, rapping his knuckles against the metal frame. “Rain check, then?”
Jenna nodded and gave a smile that she hoped looked normal. When he exited and disappeared down the hall, she collapsed into her chair and sucked in the first full breath she’d had in the last hour. Her head swam as she picked up the tablet and flipped open the cover, then stalled completely when she looked at the screen.
At the bottom of the document was one line.
Call me. 403-621-7786
Chapter Four
Country jumped back into the truck and waited for Jack and Tyler to get seated. While this initiation was a whole-team affair, he and Tyler had been saddled with the new guy. It was a welcome distraction after the ghost he’d run smack into that afternoon.
Jenna McAllister. Her name rolled through his head like loose marbles. She was back in Calgary? Had been back for three years? The implications of that fact acted like a polar plunge on his system. She’d been back and hadn’t looked him up. Hadn’t even gotten in contact. Did Curtis and Ryan know about this? They’d known each other since high school, and they for sure were still in contact with some of Jenna’s friends. Had they kept it from him?
“This wasn’t what I was expecting.” Jack was breathing hard as he slid onto the bench and waited for Tyler to get into the back seat before slamming the door.
Country shook off his inner interrogation and hit the gas. “What, you thought we were going to strip you down and make you take shots until you passed out?”
“And piss on me or something.” Jack clicked in his seatbelt.
Tyler scoffed. “We all had enough of that traumatic shit in Juniors. None of us have any patience for hazing.”
True enough. They all had stories of older players taking advantage of rookies, some of them degrading enough to make Country want to hate the game he loved. But that wasn’t Elite League hockey. Even the douchewads like Jordan Wheatfill on Pucks Deep didn’t harass new players. Elite was created as a developmental league for Alberta hockey, and the results they’d all seen over the years were enough to breed loyalty. If any of them heard about the older guys being a poor example, it wouldn’t matter what team they were on—there would be hell to pay from players around the entire province.
“Read the next clue again.” Country had a good idea where they were headed next, but his thoughts were like sand slipping through deck boards. Plus, Jack needed to figure it out for himself.
Jack pulled out his phone. “In the heart of the city, a tribute stands tall, honouring a legend who gave his all. A captain so revered, his spirit still guides, find me where his statue outside presides.”
For damn sure, that was good ol’ Lanny. Jack started typing on his phone, probably searching hockey tributes in Calgary. He’d find it soon enough.
Jack had just turned thirty and was fresh off the I-didn’t-make-it-to-the-NHL-and-I’m-still-butt-hurt-about-it train. Most of the Snowballs had been there, either as almost players or guys that made it for a year or two only to get knocked out by injury. It was no accident that he and Tyler were the ones in the truck with him.
Tyler played for the University of Toronto and would’ve played for the Maple Leafs had his personal life not taken a turn when his mom died. And Country . . . his hands tightened on the wheel. He’d dealt with the same coaching staff Jack had with the Harbor City Admirals, the AHL feeder team for the Leafs.
He hadn't gotten a chance to ask Jack why he left, but he had trolled him online a tad when Sean texted the group chat letting them know he’d found a new winger. The article he’d found had told a story so similar to his own experience, it was eerie. He wondered what Jack had done to piss off Coach Nevins. To get such little playing time with a stat rack like his? Must’ve been something big.
At least Jack had been given an opportunity to join the Cascade Blaze. It’d been short-lived due to salary caps and an influx of right-wingers, but hopefully it’d been a better experience than he must’ve had in Toronto.
Toronto. Country exhaled. Maybe this wasn’t the best distraction. Thinking about his time there only made him think about Jenna. About driving back and forth to Windsor. About?—
“Lanny McDonald!” Jack blurted. Tyler reached over the seat and mussed his hair like he was their kid brother and not barely five years younger than the two of them.
Country laughed. “Took you long enough, bud.” He didn't want to be too friendly and weird the kid out. But coming from the Admirals, he wanted to make something very clear. The Snowballs were a brotherhood. Not a modern set of Lord of the Flies. Rookies needed to get on board with the team culture if they wanted to stay long-term because none of the guys would let a newbie weaken the family they’d built at the rink.
