“Oh, I can keep it up.” His sky-blue eyes light up with mischief. “Especially when it’s nice and tight.”
Cam’s bigger size gives him an advantage as our goalie, but on top of that, it makes people underestimate just how fast he is. His reflexes and speed are just as honed as the nimbler players. It’s why Logan doesn’t move out of the way in time before Cameron barrels into him, side-checking him into the board.
Once he’s steadied himself, Logan simply grins at Cameron, unflappable. Though his borderline sociopathic tendency to incense people is usually directed at the other team, none of us are safe from his constant chatter. It used to drive me insane, but I’ve learned to tune him out.
I bring myself to an abrupt stop, ready to intervene, but Coach Henderson blows his whistle to end the practice before it can go any further.
“That’s it for today, boys. Be at the arena by five tonight.” He dismisses the team with a flick of his arm. “Berrett. I need a quick word.”
“Someone’s in trouble,” Logan sings as I skate past him. I swear he’s worse than a mouthy grandma playing bridge.
While the rest of the team shuffles off the rink to guzzle water and towel off, I skate to where Coach is camped out on a bench a good distance away.
Every inch of the worn seat is covered in printouts of plays and strategies. I’ve always admired Coach Henderson. Not only is he one of the most successful hockey coaches in history, but he somehow balances his professional life and personal life with an ease I’ve never seen from anyone. He’s got stress lines on his forehead and laugh lines around his eyes and lips to prove it.
“You good?” he asks, his brows dipping.
I take a swig of my Gatorade and swipe at the excess that dribbles down my chin. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“You’ve been ballsy with your defense,” he notes with a raised brow. “Something going on?”
I grab a nearby towel and run it over my face. “Honestly?”
He folds his arms over his chest, his gaze steady. “I don’t pay you to lie to me.”
“You don’t pay me for my opinion either,” I point out with a teasing grin.
His lips twitch, but that’s the only reaction he gives me. “Fair enough, but I’m curious. Humor me.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I confirm that none of my teammates are close enough to overhear our conversation. “Jefferson’s favoring zones.”
Coach nods but doesn’t speak, signaling I should continue.
“He needs to know when to swap spots,” I say, dragging my towel over my sweat-soaked hair. “Momentary two-on-ones are fine, but he needs to communicate better with the other defenseman on when to move, especially toward the support zone.”
“Hmm.” He leans back, arms crossed. “Any idea who to pair him with?”
“Erickson,” I reply without hesitation.
Freddy Erickson is a beast of a defenseman. He’s intense, but he’ll correct Jefferson in a way that’ll make the rookie scared to fuck up.
When I’ve explained my logic, Coach nods thoughtfully. “Smart thinking. Your mind for strategy is one of the reasons you’ve been chosen as our team’s new captain.”
I squint, as if that’ll help me make sense of his out-of-pocket comment. “What?”
“Not exactly the response I was hoping for,” he says with a gravelly chuckle.
Our longtime captain retired from the sport at the end of last season, leaving a vacancy. The team turned in their nominations anonymously, but Coach has been clear that there’s no rush to fill the big shoes he left behind, leading us to believe that a decision wouldn’t be confirmed by management until much later in the season.
My throat constricts with emotion, making my words gruff. “Wow, um, no. Thank you. I’m shocked, is all. I thought—well, I thought you were holding off on the decision.”
With a shrug, he runs a hand through his thick gray hair. “We just wanted to make sure the player with the most nominations from the team lined up with our opinion of who would emerge as the team’s unofficial leader.”
Nerves zip up my spine. “You think I’m that leader?”
“I know you’re that leader,” he says without hesitation
“Thank you,” I mutter, my cheeks heating in a way that has nothing to do with my work on the ice. “I won’t let the team down.”
