There were many tears, endless hugs, and a multitude of emotions.
But we couldn’t be prouder of her.
She’s worked so hard for this. She deserves it.
And it’s because of Tate that I’m running severely behind for breakfast with the guys and Coach.
Thankfully, when I arrive, Jeremy and Coach are nowhere to be found.
"Get lost or something?” Zeke raises a teasing eyebrow.
“I lost track of time. I was talking to Tate, and she was telling me all about rehearsals, and before I knew it, I was supposed to be here but was still sitting in my room.”
“How’s she doing it?” Declan asks.
“She’s doing well.” I beam.
“Absolutely hating it, right?” Jax jokes.
“Oh, one hundred percent.”
The waitress comes over to our table and pours me a coffee.
“What do you think Coach wants to talk about?” I take a sip of my coffee. It’s not as good as the coffee at the coffee shop Becca and I frequent, but it is not bad for a small-town diner.
“I think he’s cutting us all from the team, and he wanted to tell us in person.” Brooks crosses his arms. “I mean, that’s typically what happens after you win a championship, right?”
“Oh, one hundred percent.” Zeke nods. “Coach wants to keep the team fresh.”
“I know you guys are joking,” Cam chimes in, “but if we were getting cut from the team, it’s quite the way to go out.”
“Yeah, but back-to-back wins will be even sweeter.” I wink.
“All jokes aside, I think the news is that Jere isn’t playing with us next year. I think he’s going into his Panthers contract a year early.” Declan butters one of the rolls on the table and shoves half of it in his mouth.
It’s weird to be here and not at Greystone since that’s become kind of the unofficial hangout for the team, aside from Cam, who we all try to make sure never finds out about the place.
It does feel like a betrayal, though.
“We’ve only got one more year. Why wouldn’t Jere finish out his degree and then go play?” Brooks sits up.
“He’s going to finish his degree, but all the classes he needs to graduate, he can take online,” Declan continues. “He’s worked so hard to make it to the NHL, and I know recently he’s been worried about wasting his best years playing for the NCAA.”
“You’re right. Jere’s back isn’t getting any better.” I sigh. “It hasn’t gotten any worse, but every game strains his back a little bit more.”
“And he was sure that the Panthers would give him his contract at the end of this year,” Zeke adds. “He’d be a fool not to take it now. Especially, like we said, with his back. It’s a wild card for him.”
“Actually, Coach said his back is better than ever. The experimental therapy they’re doing is doing wonders for him.” Jax leans back into the booth. “But I also know Jere is practical. He won’t risk everything he worked so hard for to play one more year with us. As much as he’d love us to go out the way we came in, together, he knows we’d want this for him more.
“I definitely think that’s the news,” Cam says. “What other good news would Coach want to get us together for?”
Cam’s right about that.
It would’ve been one thing if Coach had asked the whole team to be here. If that were the case, I’d assume it was a post-championship celebration since we didn’t properly celebrate with him.
But he didn’t ask the whole team to be here.
Just the juniors.
