The game gets vicious after Logan’s goal. Kieran Marsh scores five minutes later, tying it up and making the home crowd roar with joy.
And then it’s nothing but a tug of war for the rest of the game, spilling the tied 1-1 game into overtime.
We’re on the edge of our seats as five minutes of three-on-three play ticks by. This is a very different style of hockey, more keep away than anything else.
“Are they going to shoot it?” Sloane asks more than once.
“I dunno,” I whisper every time.
But then the announcers explain that if they take a shot and miss, they’ll turn over possession of the puck and be out of position, creating a prime scoring chance for the other team.
So…more keep away games, until overtime runs out, and everyone looks completely ragged.
“What happens now?” Sloane asks.
My gaze doesn’t leave the screen. “A shootout.”
Hamilton elects to shoot first, and Ty Connor is up. He scores, bar down.
Sloane squeaks. Logan is Buffalo’s first shooter. He approaches Artyomov slowly, but this time his sister’s fiancé is ready for him, and gets his blocker up in time.
Shaking his head, Logan heads back to the bench, pausing just long enough to whisper something to Cooper Bernhardt.
Marsh shoots for Hamilton, but the Buffalo goalie gets his whole chest in front of the puck.
Bernhardt takes his place at center ice.
“Let’s go Coop,” someone calls, interrupting the silence of the moment.
He picks up speed.
Artyomov comes out to meet him, and then something happens really quickly, it looks like Bernhardt is going to shoot the puck, but he doesn’t, he drags it to the side, and the big Russian goalie tries to get over, but he can’t, and Coop shovels it into the net.
A small but mighty contingent of Buffalo fans who made the drive down the highway goes nuts.
There’s one more shot for Hamilton, but it feels like the game is already won.
The camera zooms in on Logan and Cooper as they fist bump each other, and then Logan looks straight into the camera and winks at me.
I bump Sloane’s knee with my leg. “Hey, do you want to come house hunting with me this weekend?”
“Yeah?” She glances from me to the TV and back again. “Are you going to let him buy you a house?”
“I mean, it’s real estate in LA. It’s a good investment. I’m just going to live in it.” I squirm as she stares at me.
“Fuck yeah,” she whispers. “Let’s go find you an amazing house.”
CHAPTER 37
LOGAN
My post-game routine is down pat now. Gloves off, ring off. Strip off half my gear. Necklace off. Ring on the chain. Keep stripping down. Hit the shower and never, ever make eye contact with my useless coach.
The only thing that’s different tonight is that instead of going back to Buffalo with the team, I’m staying in Hamilton for the night. My parents are in the city on baby watch for my sister, and the plan is that my dad will drive me home in the morning since it’s just an hour down the highway.
But the plan was also that they were going to drive me to Emery and Alexei’s house after the game.
“Granger, Artyomov is looking for you,” one of our trainers says.
