“That’s true.” I regard him, transfixed.
“In taekwondo you learn patterns, and you practice the moves over and over until you don’t have to think about them. That helps with goaltending, too. That kind of training helps you react fast without having to think. It helps you keep your composure.”
“So that’s how you stay calm in net?”
“More or less. I also think a lot about sharks.”
I choke on a laugh. “Sharks?”
“Yeah. Sharks are fascinating.” He flashes a grin. “Thinking about them keeps me from getting too in my head, otherwise I overthink moves, get hesitant, and start to panic.”
“Panic.” I snort a laugh. “I thought for sure you were going to get a shutout tonight.”
He rolls his eyes.
“I even told Tilly you were going to,” I add. “We were excited.”
“Wait, what? You told Tilly I was going to get a shutout?”
“Yeah…”
“You said it?Out loud?”
“Yeah…” My smile droops.
“Shit!” He stares at me. “You can’t do that!”
I blink at him and push my glasses up on my nose. “Can’t do what?”
“You can’t say it out loud! The word shutout!”
“Oh, no. Is that another superstition?”
He takes a breath, his strong chest rising. “Yes. But everyone knows that. If you say it, you jinx it.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “So you’re saying it’s my fault you didn’t get the shutout?”
He stares at me.
Holy shit! I think he really does believe that!
14
FORD
“Sorry I missed the baby shower.”
I look up to see Alfie standing in front of me in the locker room. We just finished practicing. Everyone else has headed out but I stayed on the ice for a while with Pete, our goalie coach.
“I get it, man.” I incline my head. “You doing okay?”
He sits on the bench and huffs out a sigh. “Not really.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry. What can I do?”
He looks at me. “Nothing.” Then he drops his gaze to the floor again. “Ayla’s having a hard time dealing with things.”
“That’s understandable.”
