Making an Impact (Men of the Ice Book 6), page 10
Now, it all did. His reputation mattered. Char mattered. He wanted to be a leader. A role model. Someone who could be counted on. Looked up to. He was an all-star now. He had a future to think about, too, and Casey knew who he wanted to share it with.
The Western conference All-Stars gathered in the Generals’ home locker room before taking the ice for the skills competition. In the visitor’s locker room, the Eastern conference All-Stars were probably going through similar rituals and preparations. Casey knew the home crowd would be on the side of Western conference, and especially himself, and his two Generals teammates, defenseman Noah Mann, and their goalie, Becker Lawson.
Casey would be competing in the fastest skater competition, as well as the one-timer shooting competition, both of which played to his strengths. Even better, he was sharing a locker room with players he’d looked to over the years, and considered among the best in the NHL. Now, instead of rivals, they were teammates. Yeah, he could get used to this All-Star thing.
Since the Generals’ captain wasn’t participating in the game, the Western Conference needed a captain for the weekend, and after a vote, the other guys bestowed the honor on Casey. He tried to think about what Colton would do, and how he would lead. Colton had endured his troubles, too, but he’d grown up and turned into not only a great player, but a great captain and role model as well. “One, two, three, All-Star!” Casey shouted as he prepared to lead them out on the ice. “Let’s do this.”
He heard the cheers as he took the ice, and looked to the crowd, searching for his girl. It didn’t long for Casey to spot Char, and he raised a hand and blew her a kiss. She was there. For him. The future seemed brighter than it had ever been.
***
The crowd cheered for all of the players, but the loudest cheers were reserved for the three Generals All-Stars, first Noah, them Becker, and finally Casey, who would be serving as captain. Char was happy to lead the way in cheering when his name was announced.
“Look at that, he’s blowing you a kiss,” Beck’s girlfriend, Kendall, observed.
Sure enough, it looked as if Casey was, indeed, blowing her a kiss. Char liked it. She liked the man he’d become.
“That’s sweet.” The observation came from a young woman Char hadn’t met before, but accompanied Kendall to the game. She was introduced as Kendall’s as her daughter’s doctor. Riley, or something like that.
Char gave her a smile. “Yes. Casey’s a sweetheart.”
“Noah’s sweet, too,” Kendall said, and Char figured out what was happening. Kendall hoped to set Riley up on a date with Noah.
There was a time when Char would’ve steered well clear of that conversation. Now, she felt herself itching to chime in. She knew this team, these players. All of them. And she could speak to their character. “Yes, and he’s a lot of fun.” Known for his playful personality and tendency to joke around, Char couldn’t wait to see what Noah planned to entertain the crowd tonight. “I’m going to be working with him on a new charity golf tournament.”
“That’s nice,” the young doctor said. “He’s a good guy, then?”
“He sure is. They’re all good guys,” Char said. “I got the best, though.”
“Yeah, of course you’d say that.” Kendall rolled her eyes. “Good thing you’re not biased or anything.”
“Nope. I don’t think he’s the best. I know he is.” Char leaned back in her seat, excited to watch Casey compete tonight, and for the rest of their adventure together.
###
Keep reading for a preview of Breaking the Ice, book 7 in the Men of the Ice series, available October, 2016.
Breaking the Ice
Chapter One
The NHL All-Star game. It wasn’t the Stanley Cup, and some of the guys who were used to being selected to the game year after year, probably didn’t get excited about it anymore, but Noah Mann considered it an honor to be participating. It would be his first All-Star game, and it would be played in front of the hometown fans in San Antonio. Because San Antonio was the host city, there were more Generals players selected to the game than there would be if it were played in any other NHL city. After all, the league wanted to play to the home crowd and give them something to cheer for.
Noah was well aware that this played a factor in his selection, but he didn’t really care. For a kid from Red Deer, Alberta who’d been drafted in the fifth round and toiled in relative obscurity in the American Hockey League affiliate in Iowa for years before finally earning a shot in the NHL—thank you, expansion draft—playing in the All-Star game wasn’t something that happened every year. Noah planned to enjoy it.
He especially planned to enjoy the skills competition, which would allow him to show off his powerful shot in the hardest shot competition, and have a little fun in the Breakaway Challenge. He might not win either one, but that didn’t matter to Noah nearly as much as having a good time. Sure, his more serious teammates sometimes razzed him about being too much of a practical joker, but Noah knew it was only teasing. He’d proven, time and again, that he took hockey seriously, especially when it came to giving his all to his team and his community. But Noah also lived by the motto that life was too short to be serious all the time.
The actual All-Star game would be the following afternoon, and Noah would take that seriously. Tonight, though, his primary objective was to have fun and entertain the fans.
“What do you have planned tonight?” Noah’s teammate, Generals goalkeeper Becker Lawson, asked him in the locker room before they got ready to take the ice. “Anything special?”
Noah shrugged. “Maybe, but I’m not going to tell you. I want it to be a secret until I unveil it to the crowd.”
Beck gave him a puzzled look. “Huh?” Then it apparently dawned on him. “Oh. You mean for the challenge. You must have some gag planned.”
Noah didn’t care for the term gag, but he didn’t object to it, either. “What’d you think I meant?”
“Never mind,” Beck said. “I was talking about after the game, or rather the competition. Do you have any plans?”
“Oh, that.” Talk about being on opposite pages. Noah shook his head. “Nah. I’ll probably just go home. Make it a quiet night.” Noah was single, which wasn’t always easy on a team where it seemed like a lot of the guys were settling down, or at least pairing up. Heck, even the Generals’ most notorious playboy, Casey Denault, had turned into a one-woman man in recent months, after finding love with the director of the team’s charity foundation.
Charlene Simmons might be sixteen years older than Casey, but for some reason, they seemed to fit together, and all the guys were hoping it would work out. For one thing, Casey’s scoring streak since getting together with Char had resulted in quite a winning streak for the Generals. Noah sure wouldn’t complain about that, even if he did wonder if the world had suddenly gone mad. Casey, monogamous? If not mad, something close to it.
“Why? Are you going out?” Noah asked Beck. He assumed the goaltender would have plans with his girlfriend.
His teammate nodded. “Yeah. That’s why I ask. Kendall’s hoping you’ll join us for a late dinner.”
“As a third wheel?” Yeah. The world had gone mad. “Sorry, not my gig.”
“Yep, that’s what I told Kendall,” Beck said dryly. “Don’t shoot the messenger, but she’s got something else in mind. Like a blind date.”
“A blind date?” Noah was shaking his head before the words were even out, and when they were out, they weren’t no. Instead, he asked, “With who?”
“One of Ali’s doctors,” Beck said. “Her name is Riley.”
Beck’s girlfriend’s daughter suffered from a condition called Rett Syndrome, which Noah didn’t know much about, other than she couldn’t walk on her own and had seizures, and apparently had a doctor that Kendall thought he needed to meet. “Kendall wants to set me up with her daughter’s doctor?”
“Yep. She’s a pediatric neurology resident,” Beck said. “And she’s pretty hot.”
“Not the most important criteria,” Noah muttered. Still, he had to admit it didn’t hurt.
“I didn’t say it was,” Beck countered. He reached for his mask. “Anyway, she’s here tonight. Sitting with Kendall and Char. Have a look. Give it some thought. No pressure, though.”
No pressure? Right. Noah already felt as if he had no choice but to accept. The woman was here. He’d look like an ass if he didn’t even want to so much as meet her. Gee, thanks, Beck.
***
It was her first full day off in more than two weeks, and Dr. Riley Marks had intended to spend it sleeping. Sleep, was an increasingly precious commodity for a second-year medical resident, and when Riley clocked out after her last shift, the only date she had interest in was one with her pillow. Kendall Myers had other ideas, which explained—sort of—why Riley found herself sitting in the stands of a hockey arena, along with Kendall and a woman she’d never met before, but also apparently dated a player from the San Antonio Generals, preparing to watch the NHL All-Star Skills Competition.
“I’d rather be in my bed,” Riley muttered, sipping Diet Mountain Dew through a straw in the hopes that she’d stay awake. She was used to running on adrenaline, anyway.
“No, you wouldn’t,” Kendall said. “Sleep is overrated, and this will be fun. I’ve been trying to get you to come to a game all season.”
It was true. Ever since Kendall had met Becker Lawson the previous summer when he coached her son in the Generals youth hockey cap, she’d become a huge fan of all things hockey. And ever since Riley had joined the medical team providing care to Kendall’s daughter Alison, Kendall had started on a mission to try to turn Riley into a fan, too. Her reasoning was that Riley needed to occasionally relax and have fun, something Riley didn’t disagree with. The problem was she didn’t have time.
This afternoon, when Kendall’s phone call woke Riley from her sleep, she’d reluctantly agreed to tag along. Maybe by accepting, Kendall would stop asking. And maybe it would take Riley’s mind off of work for a little while.
“Besides, I want you to see Noah,” Kendall continued. “I really think he’d be perfect for you.”
“Whoa, wait a minute, what?” Maybe it was the lack of sleep interfering with her cognitive speed, but it took Riley a second to catch up to what Kendall was saying. “You’re trying to set me up on a date? With a hockey player?” She shook her head. “No. That’s all sorts of inappropriate.”
“Why?” Kendall countered.
“Um, because your daughter is my patient.”
“Right... which would be a problem if I was suggesting that we go on a date. As in you and me,” Kendall said, circling her finger from Riley back to herself. “Which is not happening, for a number of obvious reasons. Did you miss the part where I said it was Noah I wanted you meet? Noah, a hockey player who has absolutely zero connection to your work?”
“No.” Riley sighed. “Okay, maybe inappropriate was the wrong word. It’s still a bad idea.”
“Why are you so opposed?”
“Because I’ve told you. Repeatedly. I don’t have time.”
“Yes, and if every busy professional constantly used that as an excuse, no one would ever date or get married, and the population would eventually die off.”
Riley rolled her eyes. “Melodramatic much?”
“Fine. I won’t say another word,” Kendall promised. “Just sit and watch, and when it’s all over, if you haven’t had a good time, if you aren’t even a little bit interested, we can forget we ever had this conversation.”
It sounded like a good enough deal to Riley, so she settled back into her seat. She’d try to relax, try to have fun. She wasn’t being fixed up with any hockey player, though. No way, no how.
She sat through the introduction of the Eastern Conference All-Stars, none of whom Riley knew anything about. It wasn’t like she’d ever watched a hockey game before in her life. Then it was time to introduce the All-Stars from the Western Conference, ending with the players representing the home team. Becker first, followed by some guy named Casey Denault, who was dating the other woman who’d accompanied them to the game.
“At defense, from your hometown San Antonio Generals, number forty-seven, Noah Mann!” At the announcement, the crowd let out a loud cheer, and Riley leaned forward in her seat, trying to get a closer look at the guy Kendall seemed to think was perfect for her. He skated to the center of the ice, waved to each side of the arena, then went to join the other players where they all stood.
“So what do you think?” Kendall wanted to know.
“I don’t know... it’s a little hard to tell from this far away,” Riley said. “I suppose he’s kind of cute.”
“He’s a really nice, guy, too,” Casey’s girlfriend said. “I’m actually working with him to start up a new charity golf event.”
Riley nodded. “That is nice.” So he was cute, and believed in doing things for charity. That didn’t mean she was going on a date with him.
The competition began with the fastest skater, which Casey participated in, but didn’t win, then it was time for the Breakaway Challenge, in which players took one-on-one breakaway shots at the goal. Instead of just shooting the puck, though, they also tried to entertain the crowd. That seemed to play to Noah’s strength, as in his first attempt, he fired a beach ball at the goal instead of the puck.
“He did that move last summer in camp,” Kendall said. “The kids all loved it.”
“I’m sure,” Riley said absently. Okay, it was kind of clever, but she wasn’t won over.
On his second attempt, Noah donned a super hero cape, and Riley’s interest was piqued. Was it? No. Surely not. She peered closer. It was.
“Who is he dressed as?” Kendall asked. “I know it’s not Superman. The color is wrong.”
“It’s Hyperion,” Riley said.
Kendall frowned. “I’ve never heard of him, and I have a ten-year-old. I feel like a failure as a mother.”
Riley laughed. “Relax. Plenty of people don’t know Hyperion.” She did, because she knew her super heroes. And so, apparently, did Noah, which meant Riley was officially intrigued.
“Okay, you win,” she told Kendall. “I’d like to meet this guy after all.”
***
The Breakaway Challenge was less about hockey shots than it was about entertaining the crowd, and Noah did his best to oblige. For some of the guys, that meant trick shots, for others it mean costumes and disguises. Noah tried a little bit of both. The beach ball shot was an old favorite, but he knew he could do better, and that was why he brought out the superhero for his next attempt. Not just any superhero, though. No, he went with Hyperion, whom he figured half the audience didn’t know. There was a reason for the choice, though, and it garnered big applause. He opted for a basic spin-o-rama move for his last attempt, and hoped it was enough, and that the hometown crowd would vote him to victory.
Sure enough, when all the fan votes were in, Noah was declared the winner of the Breakaway Challenge. It meant a point for the Western Conference, but more importantly, he won a new car. He didn’t need a car, but Noah was glad to win it. He had big plans for that car, and when he was interviewed by the television crew after the presentation, he let the fans know.
Even though he wasn’t a fan of public speaking, Noah was happy to take the microphone for this. “First I want to say thanks to the all the fans here in the arena, and those watching at home, for voting for me, and thanks to our sponsors for the new car, which I will be donating to the youth center here in San Antonio. I’ve had a chance to visit before, and see firsthand the work they do, and it’s something I believe a lot in and want to support,” he said. “Besides, they need a new car a lot more than I do.”
The last line earned laughter from the fans, and plenty of applause. As Noah finished the interview, he tried to glance into the rows of spectators to see where Kendall was sitting with the mystery woman he was supposed to meet, but there were too many people and too many cameras. So much for that. He’d have to find out what she looked like when he met for the first time, assuming he agreed to go. He hadn’t committed himself to anything yet.
Noah also competed in the hardest shot competition, which he knew going into that he wouldn’t win. He liked to believe his shot was hard, and knew plenty of goalies hated to face it, but it wasn’t anywhere close to setting any records. No, his big moment of glory, such that it was, was getting that car for the shelter.
The Western Conference won the competition, and Noah was glad to have contributed. He got plenty of props from the other guys, especially those on his team, for gifting the car to charity.
“Congrats, man,” Beck said when they were back in the locker room afterward. “You won her over and she hasn’t even met you yet.”
Noah frowned. “Won who over?”
“Riley. C’mon, don’t tell me you forget. I just got a text from Kendall. Must’ve been the whole charity thing, but Riley’s anxious to meet you.” Beck said. “So hurry up and get changed.”
“I didn’t do it to impress the girl,” Noah grumbled as he headed off to the shower. “I didn’t agree to go out with her, either.” It wasn’t looking like he had much choice in the matter, though.
Fifteen minutes later, he stood in front of the mirror combing his hair while Beck tried to hurry him along. “Kendall’s waiting outside with Riley. You’re pretty enough, let’s go.”
“Bite me.” Noah shot him a glare, but set the comb back in his locker and put his watch on. “I hate blind dates.” He’d been on two before, and both had been disasters. If this one turned out the same, Noah would make sure Beck didn’t forget it.
“Yeah, but look at the bright side. You’ll be with Kendall and me,” Beck said. “So if it’s not working out, we’ll know, and we’ll just call it a night.”
“That might be the one saving grace.” Noah left with the locker room with Beck and they went out the players entrance. A few yards away, he saw Kendall waiting, along with a petite blonde. Was that the famous Riley? If so, she was, quite possibly, the most beautiful woman Noah had ever seen. “That’s the doctor?”
