“Yeah. C’mere.” I wave him over. His bag looks like it might swallow him whole.Was I that small when I was just starting out?“What’s your name?”
“Austin Lamontagne.”
“Austin. You played hard tonight.”
“Don’t have much to show for it,” he mutters. There’s not a trace of the cockiness from when we started the game.
“You scored. That’s a positive.”
“You annihilated us. Not much to be positive about.”
“Are you a freshman?” I ask.
He nods. “I got bumped up to the starting line because two of the guys got busted for cheating.”
“Shit. No wonder it’s been a hard season.”
“Yeah. No one is really happy with how things are going.”
I smack him on the arm. “Don’t get discouraged. You have four years ahead of you. A lot can happen during that time.”
“I’m trying not to think that far ahead. I’d love to play in the NHL, but I don’t know if I’m good enough.”
“Look, it was one loss?—”
“After another after another after another,” he interjects. “Hard to come back from.”
“I scored on my own team my freshman year.”
“You did?” That gets his attention.
I nod. “Worst fucking feeling in the world. Trust me, I know. But it gets better.”
“Yeah, okay.” Austin perks up a bit. “Hey, thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t sweat it. Hopefully I’ll see you around.”
“Thanks, Troy!”
He heads out to where I know the team buses are undoubtedly waiting for him.
“That was nice of you.”
A warm voice has me spinning on my heel.
Angie.
She’s wearing an SDU hockey sweatshirt, red knit cap, leggings, and white tennis shoes. Her brown hair is flowing around her shoulders, and her cheeks are pink from the cold.
I didn’t think Angie could get any more sexy, but she is. She looks fucking gorgeous.
“You saw that?”
Angie pushes off the cinderblock wall she’s leaning against and walks over to me. Guys are still filtering out ofthe locker room. Grabbing her elbow, I guide her to a quiet alcove.
“I did.” A small smile plays on her lips. “It was really nice of you.”
“Kid’s got talent.” I brush it off. “It’s what anyone would have done.”
