Page 121 of Hat Trick
Look how much fun we’re having!
Riley
No self-control, whatsoever.
Me
I’ll work on it.
Riley
No, you won’t.
Me
No. I definitely won’t!
* * *
Merv drivesthe Zamboni off the ice, and I give him a wave.
To my right, Riley sits on the players’ bench and works on his skates. I catch his fingers shaking from here as he ties the laces, and every few seconds he mutters something to himself under his breath.
“Hey,” I call out, and he glances up at me. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I want to throw up.” He grips the board in front of him and slowly stands. “I don’t know what to expect.”
“Having no expectations might be a good thing.” I shuffle over to him and check my own skates. The laces aren’t as tight as I’d like them to be, but I don’t want to waste any time. “No matter what happens, you’re always going to be a better skater than me.”
“The two of us are going to try and make it around the rink?” Riley lifts a wary eyebrow. “I should’ve worn my helmet.”
“Me? Hell no. I’m here for emotional support. There are people better suited for that job,” I say, grinning when all the Stars players skate out of the tunnel. “You’re precious cargo, Mitchy. I need to make sure you’re taken care of.”
Maverick leads the line with Hudson, Liam, and Grant behind him. They all do a lap, crouching low to the ice until they stop in front of us.
“Heard we’re doing some skating lessons today,” Maverick says, and Riley sucks in a sharp breath.
“You all want to be here for this?” he asks.
“There’s nowhere we’d rather be,” Hudson says.
Liam opens the gate on the end of the bench and lifts his chin in Riley’s direction. “C’mon Mitchy,” he says, and my heart almost cracks in two when he holds out his hand.
Riley eyes his offered palm for a beat before his fingers curl around the goalie’s. Moving carefully on his blades for the first time since last June, he steps onto the ice, legs shaking under his weight.
“I’ve got left,” Maverick says, looping an arm around his waist.
“Right,” Hudson adds, his arm resting on top of Maverick’s.
“I’ve always been a fan of behind,” Liam grumbles, and Riley’s laugh is rough as the trio arranges themselves.
“Do I get to be in front?” Grant asks, practically jumping up and down. He takes both of Riley’s hands in his, holding his arms out straight. “This is the best day of my life.”
“Snail speed,” I yell, and all the boys nod solemnly. I’ve never seen them look so serious, so focused, and the second Riley pushes off the ice, I’m close to bursting into tears. “Nothing faster.”
He’s worked so hard for this, and for as much as I know I’ve played a part in his recovery, these guys are his brothers. He’s gone to battle with them, clawed his way out of hell with them, and I want them to have this moment without interrupting. It’s special, a once-in-a-lifetime chasm in his timeline, and I lean over the boards, watching them as I fight back proud tears.
“Look at him go,” Coach says from my left, surprising me. The rest of the team cheers as the group of five makes their way down the first straightaway, and Ethan starts chanting Riley’s name. “Never in a million years did I think he’d get here.”
