“Oh.” She fiddles with her swinging ponytail. “You played awesome tonight.” She turns to me with a big smile, and my heart lurches. “That first goal was freaking amazing. I was screaming so loud.”
“Yeah?” I’m so busy looking at her I nearly ram my head into a metal pole as we walk by. “I heard you.”
“Really? I never know if anyone hears me when I cheer.” She sounds sincerely uncertain. “With your helmets, and the crowd noise…”
“I heard you,” I say firmly. “Your voice is one I’d recognize anywhere. And it always puts me in a better mood. Which is saying something when I’m on the ice.”
Her blush is fully functioning now. She increases her pace as we reach the equipment room and step inside. I dump the water out of the cooler and into the sink and then hose it down.
“I’m sorry you don’t like playing,” she says quietly. “I wish I could help.”
“You always help.” I lift the empty cooler onto the nearby shelf and turn to face her. “I’m sorry you get stuck with all this shit,” I say, gesturing to the cooler.
Coach Craig asks Savannah to do practically everything for this team, and she always does without complaint. I’ve never seen someone work so hard at a job they clearly don’t like. I may not like hockey, but I at least get to let loose and act like a kid for a few hours. Being a coach’s assistant doesn’t allow a person to burn off any steam.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” she says quickly.
She can deny it all she wants to, but Savannah does not like working for the Cannons. Coach Craig is a crappy boss, and he’s also disorganized as fuck. All of the crap he doesn’t get done ends up at Savannah’s feet for her to pick up and fix. From the little she’s told me, she likes being in the same place her father coached at, though, and I’m guessing that’s why she stays.
She turns to leave the room. “Have a good night,” she says softly.
Chapter Nine
Savannah
“Savannah, did you hear?” Celie’s out of breath when she dashes into the Climax Bar & Grille and plunks herself down across from me at one of the front tables. “I have unbelievable news!”
“What are you talking about?” I wrinkle my nose. “Are you trying out a new hair product for your salon?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I can barely breathe.” I wave my hand in the air. “You may have put a bit too much on.”
Celie gives me a look. “Hey, you’re missing my point here with all this bitchiness.”
I flinch. “Don’t use that word.”
“Sorry.” She mouths, “I love you,” to me, and her brown eyes widen in apology.
I look away and then take a deep breath. “So the news…” I prompt her, rolling my drink coaster toward her.
Celie stops the coaster with her hand. “Daddy’s getting remarried.”
I stare at her, losing focus of her face.
“What?” I get out.
“He told Uncle Fred this evening. Mama went straight to bed.”
I can understand my mother’s shock.
“It gets worse, Vannah,” Celie says. The shadow in her eyes tells me she’s slightly worried about how I’ll take this news, but she’s too excited to stop herself. “His fiancée’s pregnant. With a boy.”
A son.
I clench my jaw tightly and turn away from her.
My father always wanted a son. That’s why he convinced Mama to try one last time after three girls. Daddy was certain I’d be the one. That’s why I was the biggest disappointment of us all. I always wondered if that was partly why he left—Jason Watts was far more of a son to him than his daughter could ever be.
