“Sounds like a plan.”
Epilogue
CASH - THREE MONTHS LATER
“One minute left!” someone yells down the bench.
One minute left and the Colorado Black Diamonds are Stanley Cup Champions. We’re up 4-2 against Detroit, and our guys are out there skating hard.
The home crowd is cheering loud, knowing the win is within our grasp. It’s been a hard-fought playoff run to get here. No game is a given. We had to play the full seven games in a few series, but now? Now it’s game five and we’re getting ready to take this thing home.
In front of our home crowd.
Detroit’s goalie is pulled, giving them an extra man, but it doesn’t help. The seconds are ticking away. Long seconds that seem like they are stretching on for hours.
Troy shoots the puck down the ice, just missing the empty goal. Detroit is flying down the ice and grabs the puck, but it’s useless.
“Three, two, one!”
The fans explode as all of us leap over the bench.
“Your Colorado Black Diamonds are Stanley CupChampions!” The announcer’s voice booms over the loud speaker.
“Holy shit!”
Gloves are flying as the guys all pile down on top of Nick at the other end of the ice. I have no idea who I’m hugging as we all clamor together. Fans are banging on the glass in front of us.
It’s the best feeling in the world as we line up to shake hands with the players from Detroit. Their heads hang as we make our way down the line.
That’s a feeling I never want to experience. Losing the biggest game of your life while having to shake hands with the winning team. They skate off the ice, not wanting to hang around a minute longer than they have to.
“That was a pretty good goal you had there," Noah tells me, slinging his arm around my shoulders. “Don’t think we would’ve pulled ahead without it.”
“Nah,” I brush him off. “We would’ve gotten it.”
There’s no way we would’ve lost this game at home. The energy tonight was something I’ve never felt before. Even during our first Stanley Cup run.
That one was about as easy as it gets.
This season, we had to fight. Fight for every goal and every win. Nothing about it came easy.
It makes it that much sweeter that we’ll get to lift the cup over our heads.
Carpets are being rolled out for reporters and members of the Black Diamonds’ staff to come out onto the ice.
Bexley Hart, the team owner’s daughter, is congratulating everyone around her. With her taking over more of team operations this season, I have no doubt it’s just as sweet for her.
On-ice reporters are already making their way to us.There’s hardly a moment to breathe as a Stanley Cup Championship hat is placed on my head.
“Think you have some time for a reporter?” Cassie asks, sauntering up to me.
“Come to gloat?”
“Who, me? Never.” A playful smile is on her face.
“For you, Cassie? Always. You won’t even have to tell me what to say.”
“About damn time, Willy.”
