“Great practice, gentlemen. Good hustle out there. The Windswan Eagles have had a good season, but their goalie is nowhere as good as ours.” He smiled and gave an obvious wink. “We’re lucky to have Nick Tinsel on our roster, but we can’t rest on our laurels. We play them Wednesday night, sono partying at the Last Chance tomorrow, and go easy at the gym. It’s a three-game series. I think we can sweep it, and we’ll have a practice on the outdoor ice surface before the classic. The Eagles practice regularly on an outdoor rink, it’s a totally different game out there without the boards.” He pointed to Mack. “I’m talking to you.”
Mack shrugged. “I can’t help it if people get in my way next to the boards.”
The rest of the team laughed.
“Mack is our enforcer,” Chaser explained.
“You don’t say.” I laughed. “Mack is built like a…” I understood his nickname. “Mack truck?”
Laughter erupted in the room. “You got it, new guy.” Number Twenty-Six clapped.
Coach left the room. Number Twenty-Six stood. “Tomorrow night, come to the Last Chance. Team building.” He clapped me on the shoulder.
“What about the no partying thing?” I asked and immediately regretted it. I also regretted laughing and enjoying my time with my new teammates. For a moment I’d forgotten that I was going to try my best to hate them all. Those kind fuckers were making it really hard.
“It’s just one drink.” Chaser shrugged. “It’s sort of something that we do with all the new players on the team. We need to go out and…bond.”
“Right.” I nodded. They assumed that I didn’t know about amateur hour at the Last Chance Tavern. This wasn’t my first rodeo as the new guy on a hockey team, and I recognized an initiation setup when I saw one. “Sure. I’ll come for one drink.”
I wasn’t going to go. One, I knew a hazing ritual when I saw one—and I wasn’t in the mood for swinging around a pole, and two, it sounded like fun. Something I was actively trying to avoid during my time in town. And three, when I didn’t show, they would think I was an asshole. Which I was.
A knowing smile spread across the player’s faces.
As we left the arena, Chaser jogged to catch up with me. “Sweet ride.” He whistled.
“Thanks.” I pulled out the keys and unlocked the door. “It’s not that great in the snow.”
Chaser leaned over the side of the truck and peered into the truck bed. “Come to my place, I’ll get you some sandbags. These rear-wheel drives need a bit of weight in the back, unless you plan on driving around in four-wheel drive the entire time you’re here.”
“It makes it easier to fishtail.” I laughed. “But if you’ve got some sandbags, it sure would make driving through the mountain pass a hell of a lot less scary. Should I follow you?” I looked around the parking lot, but there weren’t any cars left.
“I walked,” Chaser said. “It’s not too far.”
“Hop in.” I got in and leaned over to unlock the door. The truck rumbled to life as Chaser hopped in the passenger seat. Country music blared out the radio and I turned down the dial. “Which way?”
“I’m on Sycamore Street. It’s just off Main Street. Turn right out of the parking lot.” Chaser put on his seat belt, clicking it into place. “Man, this thing is like vintage.”
“It’s notlikevintage.” I laughed. “Itisvintage—1974.”
“Older than Coach and Brushy.”
“Yeah, what’s the deal with…Brushy?”
“What do you mean?” Chaser rested his elbow on the window frame. He was wearing cowboy boots and had a full beard.
“I mean, he read me the riot act about not sleeping around. He said to stay away from the bunnies, and the non-bunnies. Who the hell is left?”
Chaser laughed and slapped the thigh of his jeans. “He did? Oh man. He does that to everybody. Don’t take it personally.”
“It was weird, though.” I rubbed my chin. The tires spun as we made it up the slight incline to Main Street from the arena. “It was like he was singling out a specific person, the girl who lives at the inn where I’m staying.”
“Yeah.” Chaser shook his head. “For a while there, a lot of guys were sleeping with their billet’s daughters. It didn’t go over well.”
“I’m not billeting.” I hadn’t been a billet since my junior days. Living with new families every year while I played hockey was like having to start all over again. As soon as I could make it on my own, that’s what I did. “I’m staying at the Snowy Peaks Inn.”
Chaser shrugged. “Same thing, dude. Don’t overthink it.”
I already had. Logan’s response had been…odd.
