I didn’t think I’d get a second shot. But now that I have…
I’m looking forward to seeing if I can finally get Captain Shaw out of thecloset.
I pull out my phone before shifting into drive, thumb hovering over the screen for a second before I hit ‘Mom.’
She picks up on the second ring, her voice coming out over my speakers. “Logan! My favorite child!”
I grin. “Pretty sure I’m your only child.”
“Exactly. Favorite by default.” Her voice is bright, teasing, and it makes me feel a little homesick, even though I just saw her two days ago. “How was your first practice?”
“Good,” I say, leaning an elbow against the window as I ease the Jeep into campus traffic. “Coach seems solid. Team’s decent. Think I’ll fit in fine.”
“That’s my boy,” she says, and I can hear the clinking of dishes in the background. “Made any friends yet?”
I think of Daniel, already claiming bestie status before I even parked. “Yeah, one. He’s…chatty.”
“Well, that’s good for you. You need someone to balance out your broody streak. Especially now that you’re so far away.”
“I don’t brood,” I argue automatically.
“You do,” she counters, smug. “You get it from your father.”
I roll my eyes, even though she can’t see it. “How’s the apartment?” she asks. “You unpack yet?”
“Mostly. Still need a few things for the kitchen. It’s…quiet.”
“Well, that won’t last.” I can practically see her smile. “You’ll charm that whole team in a week. They won’t know what hit them.”
I hum, glancing in the rearview mirror at the campus fading behind me. “Maybe one of them already doesn’t.”
“Logan Brooks,” she warns, instantly suspicious. “That tone. What are you up to?”
“Nothing,” I lie easily. “Just settling in like you told me to.”
“Mhm. Behave yourself. And remember what you’re doing this for.”
“I know,” I say softly. “And I will.”
The scouts who can open doors to the NHL watch this team. I didn’t transfer here just for nostalgia—or for him. I came to make something of myself. To get noticed. To finally prove I belong.
“Liar,” she says, but it’s fond. “Call me after your first game. I want all the details. Your dad and I might drive up for one—maybe the State matchup.”
“Will do, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you more.”
I hang up and drop my phone into the cup holder, the corners of my mouth still tugging up. The hum of the Jeep fills the quiet, the sun warm against my arm.
Campus rolls by outside the window, sunlight catching on the glass dorms and the quad where students lounge in little clusters.
New team. New start.
Old temptation.
Yeah. This year’s going to be interesting.
THREE
