Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
She is, however, my friend and secondly, she’s going to be a sister to me when she and Drake tie the knot.
The first period is winding down and neither team has scored. We’re playing the LA Vipers and they’ve been having a rough season with injuries. Their goalie, however, is hot this year and it’s hard to get anything by him.
The players converge on the defensive zone face-off circle after a TV timeout. Drake rolls his shoulders and crouches, ready to stop a quick shot.
I fix my gaze on Bain, positioning himself nearer to the net. The deafening cheers of the crowd reverberate through the arena, fueling my excitement. Twenty-five thousand cheering people coalesce and that massive buzz of excitement is how I feel every time Bain is on the ice.
The ref drops the puck and Stone reaches it first, but there’s a scrabble for control. It squirts free and Bain gives chase, managing to collect it off the boards and shovel it to Kirill just before he’s slammed into the glass. I wince but he’s fine, pushing off and giving chase as the Titans race down the ice toward the Vipers’ net.
We’re quick to capitalize on the transition. Coen charges forward with lightning speed, accepting a quick pass from Kirill. Stone matches Coen’s strides along the near side with Boone just opposite him, their movements synchronized beauty. Bain and Kirill hover back to defend if we lose the puck. Coen jukes, fakes a pass to Stone, but sweeps it cross ice to Boone with pinpoint accuracy as he makes a beeline for the net. The cheers intensify with each passing second and all of us women stand up in a giant wave of frenzied support.
“Go, go, go!” Harlow screams. She’s so fashionable in her gray blazer over a white blouse, paired with black pants and ankle boots. She’s wearing a purple beanie with the Titans’ logo on it, her crimson hair in a fishtail braid down her back.
Boone Rivers has really stepped into his position. Last season, he took Coen’s spot after Coen’s suspension, and Boone did so well, they kept him on the first line after Coen returned, moving Boone to a winger position.
His agility is off the charts and his stick handling is among the best on the team. He weaves through the Vipers’ defenders with the strength of a bulldozer and the grace of a dancer. Boone rips a fast shot that catches the goalie in the chest. It bounces off… right at Boone who connects his stick perfectly to do a little scoop shot over the goalie’s left shoulder.
The red light comes on behind the net and the arena explodes into a deafening roar.
“Yes,” Tillie screams, hopping up and down with her arms around Harlow. While she normally wears Coen’s jersey, tonight she’s sporting a black-and-purple plaid shirt that I think might be Coen’s it’s so baggy on her. She’s adorable in her tattered jeans and black combat boots, her golden curls bouncing with her exuberance.
I turn to Danica and give her a stinging high five and then lean across her to do the same to Stevie. They’re both wearing their men’s jerseys and while that’s not ordinarily significant, it is tonight for Danica. She’s got on Camden’s jersey rather than Mitch’s, which is a solid statement that she’s living in the present and not the past. I’m sure she’ll wear Mitch’s jersey again and she told me that Camden never minds that she keeps his memory alive, but I think it’s sweet she’s embracing her new relationship.
We watch as the final minute and a half winds down and when the buzzer goes off signifying the end of the first period, we all scoot out of the rows and hit the buffet.
I’m first in line and load my plate up. I grab some vegetables, but I mostly have a mountain of tacos to consume. Parking at a high-top table, I’m soon joined by Jenna and Ava.
“Where did you get that jacket?” Ava asks, eyeballing the purple puffer vest with the Titans logo. “I love it.”
I look down, happy with my wardrobe choice tonight. Unlike some of the other women here who have their men’s jerseys, I don’t have a Hillridge sweater. I have my brother’s, of course, but I didn’t want to wear it tonight. Instead I went with a white turtleneck sweater paired with gray jeans and white Chucks. I’ve got a gray knit infinity scarf, which looks great with the puffer vest.
“It’s Brienne’s,” I say, picking up a taco and pushing stuff back in that’s falling out. “One of the benefits of her dating my brother is I raid her closet all the time.”
“Lucky,” Ava says, nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie. I admire her going straight for dessert.
Ava’s dating Coach West and she’s probably the one I know the least out of the women. We have a massive group text thread going and most of my interaction with her has been there, although we’ve met up for coffee a few times.