“Good luck,” I tell him before he turns. I watch his retreating back, realizing I didn’t agree on where to meet him, so I send them all a group message and hope they see it at some stage.
After visiting the ladies’ room and getting some refreshments, I head back to my seat to find the bleachers are looking fuller than earlier. The home team is out on the ice doing drills.
I wait patiently for the Aspen players to make an appearance, goosebumps rising along my arms when I spot them filing onto the ice. I scan the names, desperate to see my cabin boys, a huge grin on my face when I eventually identify them one by one.
After the warm-up, they get ready to play. Luca wins the face-off. My anxiety levels are high as the puck gets passed between players, attempts at a goal at either end of the rink coming frequently. The sport is ridiculously fast, faster than it looks on TV, not that I’ve seen much to date, but I have a feeling I’ll be watching a lot more this season. And when the players clash, their sticks fighting for control of the puck, it sounds more vicious too.
I can practically feel the testosterone in the air. Feel the masculinity and dominance radiate off Luca and Brecken’s shoulders as they vie for possession.
As a defenseman, Brecken is a wall, blocking passes, movement, and play, frustrating the opposition. When he steals the puck and skates determinedly for goal, I think he’s going to slam it home. But as he approaches the neutral zone he suddenly changes trajectory, slotting it through to a guy named Joseph who whips it past the goaltender.
I launch out of my seat, cheering as loudly as I can.
Dramatic, uplifting music sounds as the scoreboard is updated, an announcement over the PA system alerting us to the score in the unlikelihood we were napping.
Go Aspen!
Even though players have been subbed on the fly during live play, I can see before they face-off again that there’s a quick line change. And now, Roo is up to play, the name Moore visible in bold letters across his back. I’m nervous for him, but he holds his own on the rink, his powerful legs moving him around swiftly and confidently. And I chuckle when he hip-checks the opposition as they tackle for the puck.
He’s much better than Brecken gives him credit for.
It’s not until the second period that Aspen gets another goal from a breakaway, but it’s followed quickly by Vail gaining one too, faking out the defense while Brecken sits on the bench.
It’s frustrating, and when I look towards the team bench, his body language says it all.
Time whizzes past, the electronic scoreboard counting down the final ten minutes. There’s a messy moment when Vail attack, everyone crashing the crease and looking for rebounds. But Brecken scoops out the puck and breaks away with explosive speed, his body expertly weaving past the opposition. It leaves just him and the goalie. Seamlessly, he dekes him out, the puck smacking into the back of the net.
The crowd goes wild.
I’m on my feet, Brecken celebrating with his team before he looks my way, skating towards my spot on the bleachers and pointing his gloved hand at me as he passes.
“Oh my god!” A woman behind me screams. “Sainz totally dedicated that goal for me!”
“It was forme. He was pointing at me,” Woman Two argues.
“No, Mary, he was looking atme,” Woman One rebuffs. “He was smiling too.”
He wasn’t smiling. He was too consumed by the game to lose focus, I’m sure. But his eyes were full of promises. Intensity and possession. Replaying that look has my heart pounding erratically.
“I bet he’s no saint in bed,” Mary giggles out.
“Ha ha ha ha! But his body is saintly, am I right? And he’s not the enforcer for nothing,” her friend agrees amiably. “God, I’d love him to come to my defense, protecting me with that big body of his. Doing other things to me with it.”
I blow out a breath, thinkingSame here.
“What is it with you two?” a man admonishes congenially. I think he must be the boyfriend. Or husband. “I’m all the man you need,” he adds dryly.
The two female friends snigger, and I’m sorely tempted to turn around and check him out, just to see how funny the comparison is.
Either way, I concentrate on the game. With only five minutes left, the atmosphere tightens. My muscles tense as I watch avidly. When Luca gets boarded, two opposition players laying into him, Brecken is the first to arrive, shoving them off his brother. Roo is quick to back him up, others piling in from all sides creating a brawl. Whistles blowing, the linesmen arrive and break it up, but it was hella entertaining.
We’re awarded a penalty, Aspen taking advantage and scoring another. But even though the player comes back on the ice, there’s not enough time for Vail to score.
It’s a decisive win.
Desperate to congratulate my guys, I stand up ready to leave, but there are so many seated people still that it’s hard to move. Besides, the players leave the rink, heading for the locker rooms to shower and change so I might as well wait it out.
I check my phone, wondering if they’ve replied to my message.