There’s me, Silas, Jonah, Rhett and our team’s newest player, Dante Fox. The whole team isn’t at this dinner with our new owner Olivier Durand. He’s taking everyone out in small groups to get to know us.
It’s been a tenuous several months since Durand bought the Blaze from the Weller family, who had owned the team for more than twenty-five years. Durand is a French-Canadian tech billionaire who loves hockey. So far the changes he’s made to the team have been good, but many of us are wondering if it’s only a matter of time ‘til he drops his proverbial guillotine on our necks.
“I’ve never had such a time getting into a restaurant,” Olivier says to Jonah. “But this is the hottest ticket in town, so I had to make it happen.”
The place is called Magnolia, and it’s got a unique vibe. The table settings are formal, with a shitload of spoons and forks. The servers are dressed like English butlers. The chairs are all casual but comfortable upholstered leather. And the scents in the air are a mix of sautéed garlic and barbequed pork—not exactly uppity fare.
“Knox, I was so sorry to hear about your father,” Olivier says to me from across the table. “How is he doing?”
“Thanks. He’s hanging in there. The treatments have been really hard on him.”
It’s been three months since my dad was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. Nothing’s ever shaken me like seeing my father so physically wrecked by the treatments he’s enduring.
“Drake Deveraux’s a fighter if I’ve ever known one,” Olivier says. “If you need time away to be with him, at any point, it’s yours.”
“I appreciate that, thanks. But he’s adamant that I start the season as usual.”
He was also adamant that I take the trip to Kauai with my teammates a month after his diagnosis, telling me he could handle ten days of puking and sleeping between treatments without me there. My mom and sister encouraged me to go, too. It was hard for me to go, but I did.
Most of the time I was there, I was back and forth between worrying about my dad and missing Reese. Though I haven’t seen or heard from her in more than a year, she’s never far from my mind.
Sometimes our time together in paradise feels like a dream. It was the last time I can remember feeling perfectly happy, like nothing was missing from my life. And with my dad so sick, I’m not sure I’ll ever feel that way again.
After the Kauai trip, I spent the rest of my off-season with my parents. My sister lives in Milwaukee with her family, so she visits our parents in Hilton Head when she can, but mostly it was me and mom taking turns with Dad’s care, and him telling us both that he didn’t need our help.
“I’ll never forget watching him play in the Olympics on television when I was a child,” Olivier says of my dad. “It was magical.” He raises his glass. “To Drake Deveraux.”
A lump forms in my throat as I nod gratefully and drink to my father with Olivier and my teammates. Olivier’s somber tone and expression tell me he’s heard how grim things are looking for my dad. His respect for him means a lot to me, though.
I’ve always thought of my father as magical. He was larger than life when I was a kid. I woke up every morning wanting to be exactly like him. And even though he was a legendary forward and I made a better defenseman, he’s told me many times how proud he is that I followed in his footsteps.
“I can hardly wait for the first preseason game,” Olivier says with a grin. “How about you guys?”
“We’re ready,” Jonah assures him.
Dante is sitting next to me, and when a man taps him on the shoulder, I glance over as he turns.
“Mr. Fox, sorry for interrupting, but I wanted to say I’m glad you’re with the Blaze now. My wife and I are season ticket holders and we’re really looking forward to seeing you play.”
Our new defender, who shares my dark coloring, smiles and shakes the man’s hand.
“Thanks so much, I appreciate that.”
The man gives him a sheepish smile in return. “Sorry for the interruption.”
“Not at all,” Dante says. “Did you want to get a photo real quick?”
The fan practically bursts with excitement. “That’d be great! Let me get my wife real quick.”
Inwardly, I roll my eyes. This guy. I never assume people want photos with me. If they ask, I always say yes, but I’m not as arrogant as Dante.
I was less than thrilled when the team traded a quiet but steady defenseman for this showboater. While I can’t knock his hockey skills, I don’t think we need another high-profile player. Anton draws attention everywhere he goes, and the longer Jonah goes without dating, the more buzz there seems to be about when he will. And I was voted Most Eligible NHL Bachelor last spring. That’s enough chatter for one team.