“That’s extremely unfair.” I sent her a fake glare. “This house is like a prison.”
“I think you’ll survive.” Mom waved me off. “Why don’t you go see if Steven is ready for the hot dogs?”
“I don’t want to be in here anyway,” I mumbled. Leaving Emmie with my mom and Josie, I headed for the back door.
I pulled it open just in time for Kai, Wrenley, and Jayden to run past, Tucker right on their heels.
“See, even the kids want to be with me,” I shot over my shoulder with a smug look. I closed the door before they could respond, following after the kids into the backyard.
“Mom all but kicked me out of the kitchen,” I said by way of greeting as I stepped onto the patio.
“Tried to lick the frosting, huh?” Steven extended a beer my way from the cooler beside the grill.
“I got one swipe but that was it.” I shook my head, popped the top of the beer, and took a sip.
“The kids got a taste earlier,” Landon commented from a chair off to the side.
I held up a hand. “Hold up.They,” I pointed to Kai, Wrenley, and Jayden running through the yard, “get a taste and we don’t?” Landon nodded. “This houseisa prison.”
I flopped down onto an empty chair. Steven chuckled, turning back to the grill. Smoke curled up into the warm afternoon air as he flipped burgers.
Beside me, Wyatt leaned back in his chair, one ankle crossed over his knee, looking more relaxed than I’d seen him in years. Retirement suited him, less tension to his shoulders, more ease in the way he smiled.
I took a pull of my beer, glancing his way. “So,” I said, nudging his shoe with mine. “How’s coaching life treating you now that you’re officially washed up?”
Wyatt gave me a hard look. “Just because I retired doesn’t mean I’m washed up. I’ve won four Cup Championships and one gold medal,” he defended himself.
“And you’ll always be number one in my heart,” I cooed. He gave me a swift kick to my calf, making me yelp. “Hey! That was uncalled for.”
“From where I’m sitting, it was definitely called for,” Landon said.
I reached down and rubbed my calf. “Geez, I was just asking my dear brother how he was doing.”
“Uh huh. I’m sure that’s what you were doing.” Wyatt rolled his eyes.
Wyatt, along with Trevor and Bryton, retired almost two years ago. They played their last game shortly after winning gold at the Olympics.
We all knew it was coming. They’d been hinting at it for a while, and as a group, they wanted to do it together. At thirty-two, they felt it was time to move on and do other things in their career. And none of them went too far from hockey.
Wyatt was currently coaching alongside Steven for the Knights to get his legs under him with coaching. There were already a few teams looking to snatch him up as their head coach, but I didn’t think Wyatt was going to move the entire family away from here. Rumors were flying that Steven was about to step down and let Wyatt take over.
Trevor instantly got a job as a sport caster and analyst. Pretty sure he got the call to be a part of the hockey network before his final game. So far, he seemed to love it and he was good at it. He knew the game inside and out.
As for Bryton, he stepped into scouting. He was with the Knights, scouting out potential hockey players from universities and colleges in Canada and the US. Bryton knew talent like the back of his hand, which made him the perfect fit for the job. Plus, he was helping coach Junior League with Landon at Hockey Haven.
When all three announced their retirements, it was like the world ended for fans. I remembered people posting the world is ending memes with RIP attached as the caption. When three of the world's best hockey players decided to retire all at once, it was a big deal. The legacy they left behind was one no one could ignore.
Crazy they finished up their career while mine was just getting started.
“How’s Emmie enjoying retirement?” Wyatt asked in return.
I leaned back in my chair. “She’s doing good. Thinking about becoming a skating coach.”
While retirement didn’t look the same for the guys as itdid Emmie, it was still a hard decision. Saying bye to the one thing you loved most wasn’t easy. After taking this last year off, enjoying life without the pressure of skating, Em brought up the idea of becoming a coach.
I personally thought she’d make a great one. She knew what she was talking about, and she could be a huge help to young skaters out there wanting to be just like her when they got older. A few networks also reached out about her being a commentator at competitions in the future. She hasn’t made it official yet, but I knew my girl. She’d kill it at whatever she put her mind to.
Plus, who wouldn’t want to be coached by one of the most medaled figure skaters?
