Page 104 of Heartless As Puck

“They’re going into overtime,” Hazel hissed, as if I didn’t already know that. “Do you think they’ll keep Austin on?”

“They’d be silly not to.”

We watched the team gather around the coaches. They had a brief talk and then most of the team left the ice. I studied the players who remained. Austin, Nick, Jesse, and Mitch.

Five minutes were added to the clock. Detroit positioned themselves opposite the Chaos. It looked like they had opted to use their center, a wing, a defenseman, and the goalie.

Play started. It moved more slowly with fewer players on ice, each one trying to cover all the ground they could. Our guys started off strong, dominating the play, and for two brief minutes, I thought the Chaos had it in the bag.

But then Detroit’s defenseman managed to get between them and send the puck flying back toward Mitch. The Detroit center was hovering in exactly the right place to snatch it up and take a shot at goal. Austin, Nick, and Jesse didn’t have time to get back and help Mitch in defense.

Mitch blocked the first shot with his glove, but the center immediately scooped a backup and flicked it into the air over Mitch’s shoulder and into the corner of the net.

The whistle sounded. The overtime ended.

The Chaos had lost.

Still, they’d played well, and no one had expected them to make it this far.

I was proud of them.

The players who’d been on the bench spilled onto the ice and the team embraced and clapped each other on the shoulders and did those dudebro side hug things. No one appeared distraught over the loss, even though I was sure they were disappointed not to come out on top. They’d known going in that it was a long shot. Everything was when it came to them. But they’d given all they had and that was worth celebrating.

Detroit shouted their success to the ceiling and their fans did the same. Once they had gotten over the thrill of the win, the teams lined up to shake hands. It was hard to tell from a distance, but there didn’t seem to be any bad blood between them.

The players returned to their respective changing rooms, and people from the audience began to rise from their seats and make their way to the exits. Once the area around us was clear, we picked our way down the stairs and around the rink to wait outside the changing rooms.

“Do you think they’ll be upset?” Hazel asked me.

I tilted my head as I thought about it. “I doubt it. A year ago, doing this well would have been a dream. I think they’ll appreciate how far they’ve come.”

We moved closer to the wall, getting out of the way so the last few spectators could pass us as they left. The team stayed in the changing room for longer than usual and I wondered if Coach Dunn was giving them some sort of pep talk or postseason briefing.

When they emerged, Austin came over to me and pulled me into his arms.

I hugged him tight and stretched onto my toes to kiss him. “You did so well.”

“I’m… happy with it,” he said, as if thinking it through as he spoke. “Obviously, it would be better if we’d won, but we put on a good show. I don’t think anyone could accuse us of not coming to play.”

“No way in hell.” I smiled up at him to soften the words, relieved to find a sparkle in his electric blue gaze. He took hockey-related things so seriously that I worried sometimes about what would happen when games—or seasons—didn’t go his way. It was good to see that the loss hadn’t gotten him down.

He grimaced. “I guess I owe Alec two thousand dollars.”

I laughed. We both knew that it wouldn’t put a dent in his bank account, only his pride.

Hazel gently shoulder-barged me aside and threw her arms around Austin. “Proud of you, big brother.”

“Thanks, Haze.” He glanced toward the room where the press was assembled. “I’ve been tapped for the interview, so I’d better go. See you out here soon?”

“We’ll be waiting.”

He flashed his teeth in a grin. “By the way, I like the way my name looks on you.”

Heat flashed through me, but I ignored Hazel’s knowing look. God, I loved that man.

As he headed toward the room, Hazel and I followed behind and listened in as he repeated a similar sentiment as what he’d said to us to the press. He told them he was disappointed about the loss but thought the team could hold their heads high and be proud of how far they’d come.

I challenged anyone to disagree.