Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
“Ugh,” Jaxon groans and his head goes back, and I laugh at his displeasure. “Like, how many times can you say ‘this isn’t how we wanted the season to go’ before you say ‘you think you can do better? I’ll lace up your skates.’”
“I will pay you one thousand dollars,” I grab my duffel bag from under my bench, “if you say that to them.” I look over at him. “Fuck that, I’ll double it and donate it to this guy for his foundation,” I point at Kirby, who just started a new foundation to help domestic abuse survivors.
“I will triple that,” Kirby adds. “Fuck, I’ll give you twenty thousand dollars.” I snort-laugh when he pushes Jaxon’s arm. “Do it.”
Jaxon smirks and shakes his head. “We’ll see,” he says, and I start packing my bag, grabbing the handmade cards the kids made me during the season. Smiling, I see the last one my five-year-old daughter, Nora, made me when we were away for two weeks straight. It’s the two of us on the ice together, holding hands, with her name and “Dad” in her handwriting with arrows pointing to our respective stick people. The next thing I put in my bag is a picture of the five of us at the last family skate. Josephine is next to me, with my arm around her and Nora in front of her. Vincent, our eight-year-old, has his arm around Nora and Westley, our six-year-old, is in front of him. The five of us are smiling big for the camera. “Two hours and I’m officially on summer vacation.”
I look over my shoulder at him. “What do you have planned?” I ask him as I put some of my workout clothes in the bag.
“We have Ariella’s family vacation for two weeks,” he says, “then we are going to just spend the summer here.” I nod at him. “What about you guys? Going to Italy again for two months?”
I laugh at him. “Last time I did that, I came back twenty pounds heavier, and it took me a whole season to work it off,” I remind him of the trip we took last year for our summer break. We drove from the top of Italy to the bottom, stopping for weeks on end in small towns close to the beaches. It was a trip I would never forget. “We’re going to spend the summer in Montreal with Josie’s family,” I tell them. “We rented a cottage on the lake. I have a trainer coming in four times a week and it’s got a rink not too far from it, so I’ll be skating too.” They both laugh at me. “It was all fun and games until I couldn’t even play two minutes last year.”
A couple of guys come back into the room. “Kirby, Jaxon, and Knox, they are ready for you guys.”
“Great.” I grab the last of my things and toss them in the bag. “Let’s do this,” I say, looking at Jaxon and Kirby, who take a deep inhale.
I walk out of the locker room and head over to the media room. Stepping in, I see the table in the middle of the room on top of the stage, walk up the three steps and head to the last chair, pulling it out and sitting down. Our PR coordinator, Jill, comes out and puts my name in front of me and then proceeds to do that with the other two. As if the reporters who have been following us for the last year don’t know who we are.
“Okay,” Kirby starts, “let’s get this over with.” We all chuckle as we take questions. The interview lasts for a whole forty-five minutes. We reflect on the year and add in what we should work on as a team.
When the last question is asked, I get up and walk out with my teammates. “Boys,” Jaxon says, “it’s been a pleasure.” He smirks. “Even though I didn’t win the bet…” He turns, walking backward. “I’m going to do the honorable thing and donate to the foundation anyway.”
“Great.” I roll my eyes. “So if I don’t, I’m a cheap bastard. Fine, I’ll match it.”
I walk into the locker room. “We’re done earlier than we thought,” Kirby states and I look at my watch and see it’s only one, and I told Josephine I would be back at four. Now I’ll be home in time to go with her to grab the kids at school. “Want to hit up the golf course?”
“Nah.” I shake my head. “I’m going to head home and surprise my wife.” I smile as I grab my bag and go give them a handshake and then a side hug. “Keep in touch over the summer break.”
I walk out and say goodbye to a couple of people before I head out and get in my SUV. I call my father on my way out, like I do all the time, something that became a habit from when I was in Montreal, but now he lives thirty minutes from me. They came down to visit and two months later, by chance, I found a house that wasn’t too far from us, so I sent it to them as a joke, never expecting them to move out here. But they shocked the shit out of me by buying it. Two years later, my younger sister and her husband also came for a visit and decided to uproot and move west. “Hey,” my father answers after one ring, “how was today?”