“I meant it, about being a fan. You were incredible at FSU. I’m sorry about—” He paused. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to keep playing. That must have been hard.”
Jacks’s expression flickered as something vulnerable crossed his face. “I’m okay now. I like it here.”
“Good. That’s—that’s good.” Skyler smiled. “Maybe we could talk sometime? About football, or hockey, or whatever?”
“Yeah,” Jacks said. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Cool.” Skyler’s smile widened.
Benji grabbed him the moment he was in reach. “What the hell was that?”
“I don’t know!” Jacks’s eyes were wild. “He knows who I am, Benji. Skyler Shaw knows who I am. He has my jersey and everything.”
“And he wants to talk to you.”
“I know!”
“And you want to talk to him!”
“I KNOW!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled out my phoneand texted Chase.
Me: 911. Seriously. 9-1-1.
Me: You need to get down here right now.
Me: You’re not going to believe what just happened.
Chapter 44
Epilogue
Chase
Six Months Later
I pushed through the crowd toward my usual booth. It wasn’t “my” booth anymore; it was “our” booth. I tried not to spill the beer I’d gotten from Benji, but the jostling from the bargoers was a force of nature. It was opening night of the new hockey season, Lightning versus Boston, and Barbacks was overflowing with excitement.
Six months ago, this place had been busy on game nights.
Now it was a phenomenon.
The Lightning effect was real.
After Skyler Shaw, Erik Lindqvist, and Tyler Chen had shown up that night in April, everything had changed. Other players started coming by. They’d post photos on their social media. Theteam had even given Finn, Mark, Jacks, and Benji tickets to several playoff games. The guys had sat in a box with some of the players’ families, watching the Lightning beat Carolina in the first round.
The team hadn’t won the Cup. They lost to their archrival from Miami in the second round, but the exposure they gave us had been incredible for our business.
Now, Barbacks was the most official unofficial Lightning bar in Tampa.
And on opening night, they hit capacity an hour before puck drop.
I found a spot in our booth and watched Finn work behind the bar. He was in his element, laughing with customers and pouring drinks with practiced efficiency. His auburn hair messy, something barely worth noting, as it was always a bit unruly. His sleeves were rolled up, and there was a flush to his cheeks from the exertion and the heat of the crowd.
Pride stabbed into my chest like a dagger.
God, I loved him.
