Poor Ev was frustrated as shit over their hovering.
“Don’t you have lives you have to get back to?” he asked Darby and Shaw one evening almost a week after the Trials.
We were all sitting in the living room eating pizza and rewatching the video of the game, picking out all of our mistakes and discussing how we could improve.
“Eventually,” Shaw said. “You’d be surprised how flexible Home Depot can be when you explain your friends on Team Canada need you to help them practice for the Olympics.”
“Good for Home Depot,” Evan snapped.
“Precious,” Alan said, stroking fingers through his hair. “Let your friends be sure you’re okay before you send them packing.”
“And they have been helping,” Robbie pointed out.
Which was true. It was good to have other curlers on the ice with us, making shots we hadn’t set up, to give us the chance to think on the fly and solve for unpredictable outcomes.
We’d been playing against Shaw, Darby, and the Timmins boys, who were currently on their winter break so they had also stayed. Robbie switched out with one of us each end to practice in all the positions, since he potentially had to play any of them if he had to step in again. Though if he had to replace Alan, chances were, I would move to Skip and he would shift to Vice, but still. It was good for him to Skip, just in case.
Neither Evan nor Carol had the experience, expertise, or desire to do it.
“Sorry, guys,” Evan said. “That was shitty of me.”
Shaw waved it off. “I’m freaking out that I used to curl with a bunch of guys who are on Team Canada now. How you all are not gibbering, I have no idea.”
“I’m too exhausted to feel much,” Robbie said.
Everyone turned to look at him.
Mikko’s brows furrowed.
“Sorry, but it’s true,” Robbie said. “We’ve been going practically non-stop for over a year and I’ve loved it. Still love it. But I’m tired. And numb.”
“Yeah,” I said quietly, realizing once he’d said it that I completely understood what he meant. “I want this to be a big, exciting thing and all I can think is what if I can’t.”
Sitting on the arm of the couch next to me, Alan reached down and rubbed a hand over my back in slow circles. “We’ve said all along that no matter where this road ends, we’re on it together,” he reminded us.
“But it got real, didn’t it?” Evan said. “And one little freak accident and I nearly screwed it up for all of you.” He made eye contact with Robbie. “You freaking saved my ass.”
“I did my job, same as everyone else.”
“It was not a freak accident,” Mikko practically whispered. His cheeks turned pink as eyes focused on him. “Michael and I filed a complaint.”
Everyone turned to look at Michael, who sighed. “I was going to explain all of this tomorrow, after these guys got on the road.” He indicated Shaw, Darby, and the boys, who were scheduled to head back north the next day. “But since it came up…” He shot Mikko a look.
Mikko shrugged, still blushing, but his eyes glittered. “You are all very forgiving and gracious. But that man is a disgrace to your sport so I did something about it.”
“Probably nothing will happen,” Michael said, “as I tried to explain to Mikko. Because his uncle has so much sway.”
“And we can’t prove he had any malicious intent,” I added.
“We have pictures of your bruised face and black eye,” Mikko said. “We have a history of his game misconducts, more numerous whenever he was playing you. And we have Evan’s injury.”
“Circumstantial,” Alan pointed out.
Mikko smiled and his beautiful face took on a sharp, wolfish expression. “Curling Canada is not a criminal court. Circumstances matter.”
“Where did you get pictures?” I asked, more curious than angry, because I didn’t hate that Mikko had taken it upon himself to defend us.
Darby grunted and looked guilty.
