“Coach?” My brow furrowed so hard my eyes squinted. “What announcement?”

  Coach and Leo shot each other a glance. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard,” he said. “Let’s step into the hall.”

  Every eye in the room was on me as I followed the Coach and the assistant into the hallway. “You really haven’t heard?” Leo gave me a dubious look and crossed his arms.

  “Come on, guys. No. I haven’t heard.” I was starting to get pissed off. “When I’m not at practice, I’m at work, and when I’m not working, I’m working on my boat. And unlike the rest of this town, she isn’t much of a gossiper.”

  Leo uncrossed his arms, but Coach crossed his. “Mind your tone, son. You might be the captain of this team, but we are still your coaches.”

  “Sorry, Coach.” I shuffled my skates on the rubberized flooring of the hallway. “What’s the big news and what do you want me to tell the team?”

  “Leo.” Coach gave a nod to his assistant.

  Leo smiled. “The annual exhibition game is going to be a series.”

  “That’s cool.” A series was cool but didn’t seem to merit the huge buildup. “How many games?”

  Leo grinned. “It depends on how well we do. It’s going to be a round-robin with eight teams.”

  “Eight teams? What about the pros? That’s the big draw.” The exhibition game was a fun event for the local townspeople, they got to see the superstars in the Laketown Barn. Plus, if an Otter could shine in the exhibition game, playing against the National League guys, it seriously upped his chances of getting drafted.

  Leo rubbed his hands together. “You really didn’t hear?”

  “Obviously, Leo. The guys, I don’t think they’re going to be too happy about this. We’re top in the league, and one more series against the Northern professional guys, I mean, why?” I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms. No wonder they wanted me to break the news to the team. It was terrible.

  “It’s not Northern professional. The Otters are going to be in the first Laketown Summer Playoff Series against national league teams. McManus put this together. He’s got huge sponsors, and it’s going to be televised across the country.”

  “Hoooooly shiiiiiiit!” Everything was starting to make a lot more sense. “Why us?”

  Coach smiled. “You said it yourself. We’re the top team in the league. Only a few national league teams wanted to participate and there was space for one more. Not to mention that McManus is organizing the whole thing, and he happens to own this team.”

  My heart started to pound against my chest. This was like the exhibition game on steroids, but we didn’t stand a chance. “Are you sure it’s a good idea, Coach? I mean, we won’t make it past the first round.”

  Coach’s hand felt heavy on my shoulder pad. “Dylan, first of all, that’s not the right attitude.”

  I sighed. “I know. I’m just nervous for us.”

  “Let me ask you a question. What have those national guys been doing all summer? I know that you’ve been to some parties with them.”

  I raised my eyebrow at Leo. He knew that I’d taken my foot off the gas when it came to the party scene, but I guess Coach still thought I was spending my weekends getting loaded and swimming naked with puck bunnies. “They’ve been at their cottages?” I wasn’t sure what answer Coach was looking for.

  “And, what else?”

  “Golfing?”

  “What else?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know what answer you’re looking for Coach. As far as I know, they party, drive around in their boats, and golf. That’s it.”

  He smiled and nodded. “And what have you guys been doing?”

  I let out a little laugh. “Practicing.” I could see what he was getting at.

  “Practicing and working out. You guys have a shot.” Coach slapped the back of his clipboard.

  I paused with my hand on the dressing room door handle and noticed that it was shaking. This was big fucking news.

  “But, Dylan.” Coach stopped me before I could pull open the door, “Don’t tell them until after practice. This anticipation.” He grinned. “It’s good for them.”

  “Roger that, Coach.” I nodded. Like me, Coach had been through a rough patch as well. It was good to see him with his head back in the game. He was one of the best in the league and we were lucky to have him.

  I was lucky to have him.

  Steam hung heavily in the dressing room as the players finished their showers. Everyone kept looking at me, waiting for me to stand up and confirm the rumors that they’d already heard. When the last guy, Jasper, was out of the shower I stood and picked up my bag. “See you guys later.” I pretended to leave. I was immediately pelted with a bunch of gloves and even some pucks.

  “Come on Dylan,” Mike groaned, a puck waiting to be lobbed held in his left hand.

  I turned and dropped my bag dramatically on the floor. “Alright, guys.” I spread my arms wide like wings, “Are you ready for the greatest news you’ve ever had in your entire life?”

  Mike threw the puck. “On with the show, ringmaster.”

  I caught the puck, tossed it into the air, spun, and caught it behind my back. I thought it was funny, but I could see a few of the guys glancing at each other, and their technical watches. I set the puck on the bench. “There is no exhibition game this year.”

  “What?” A collective murmur spread through the room.

  I had tortured them enough. “There are going to be THREE. It’s a round-robin and all of the other teams are from the National League. It’s the biggest hockey event Laketown has ever seen.”

  It took a second for the news to register and then the room shook as my teammates jumped to their feet. Some cheered, some roared, and some hugged. Jasper approached and pulled me aside.

  “You said three games? But it’s a round-robin.”

  “That’s right, Rookie.” I slapped him on the back. “We’re playing in all three rounds because we’re winning this fucking thing,” I said loud enough for the whole team to hear. The nervousness I’d felt earlier was completely gone. We were a talented team, and Coach was right, we had a real shot. We just needed to believe it. As the captain, it was my job to make my team believe that we could beat three different National League Teams.

  The thunder in the room got louder. The guys were pumped. It was my job to make sure they stayed that way.

  Someone called my phone twice as I drove home from practice. But after working on my boat project and then working a full day at the marina, then practicing, I was spent and didn’t answer. All I wanted to do was go home, turn on the tv, and fall asleep with a pizza box on my chest. I grabbed my jacket and hockey bag and headed into the house and my phone rang again. Multiple calls in a row were usually not a good thing and I fumbled with my jacket to find my phone.

  It was Jessie. I took a deep breath and answered.

  “Why aren’t you answering your phone?” Her voice sounded anxious, and I immediately felt bad. After my rough patch, where I’d spend days drinking and not talking to anyone, I promised Jessie that I would never disappear on her again.

  “I was driving and wanted to be safe.” She couldn’t argue with that. “I just walked in the door, what’s up?”

  “We’re having a few friends over for dinner and want you to come.”

  “Sorry, I have plans.” I tossed the keys to the car on the table and kicked off my flip-flops. The fridge was always fully stocked with cans of sparkling water, and I cracked one open.”

  “That better be water.” Her voice was stern on the line.

  I knew that she was coming from a place of love, but it had been over two years and I still hadn’t slipped back into the surly drunk jerk that had gotten kicked off the Otters. I wanted to snap at her, but it felt very nice to know that someone cared. Mom was gone and Jessie, my younger sister had stepped into her role.

  “The finest sparkling water from Delaware.” I read the can and laughed.

  “What are your plans? Watching hockey and falling asleep on the sofa?”

  She knew me too well.

  “No.” I shifted the phone to the other ear so I could pre-heat the oven. “I’m eating pizza too.”

  “I thought so.” She sounded triumphant and I didn’t know why.

  “What does that mean?”

  Her laugh was light on the other end of the phone, and I could hear the sound of people talking and cupboards banging in the background. “Get over here. Kane’s got the outdoor pizza oven stoked and a huge projection screen set up on the boathouse to watch some hockey hits and fights and stuff.”

  “Wood-fired pizza?” The frozen pizza clunked against the side of the box as I turned it over to read the instructions. “And Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em on a big screen?”

  “Yeah, that’s what it’s called. Now get over here.”

  She didn’t give me the chance to say no, but suddenly my house felt lonely, and all of the pepperoni pieces had fallen to one side of my crappy grocery store dinner. I turned off the oven and put on my Otters’ baseball hat. I didn’t know who was going to be at Jessie’s, but just in case Sidney was there, I needed to make my wedding date story a little more real. At least that’s what I told myself as I scrolled through my phone to find Bronwyn’s number. And, before I realized what a bad idea it was, the phone was ringing.

  Nine

  Bronwyn

  In the photography world, they called that time the Golden hour. Why? My best guess was because anybody could look like a model in the golden hue from the setting sun. Everything in my bunkie had a warm glow. For the first time in weeks, I opened the door to the third bedroom. The blinds were closed, as they always were, for privacy and to keep prying eyes from seeing that my third bedroom had been turned into a nursery.

  * * *

  There was no baby shower, all of the gifts matched perfectly and were exactly to my taste. I hadn't had any fun games where friends, melted chocolate bars into diapers and made me guess which chocolate bars they were, and part of me told me I didn't care. Those things were stupid, but keeping this baby a secret had been hard. I slid my hand to my belly, and as the baby grew, things in my life were only going to get harder.

  My housekeeper, Lisa, had left me a jar of iced tea and I poured myself a glass and headed down to the dock. The staff had all gone back to the Yates’ staff housing complex, which was a 20-minute walk away. It was a ghost town, and I loved it.

  The glass of iced tea was sweating. Even in the early evening, it was still over eighty degrees. I had planned to watch the sunset sink behind the horizon, but dark black clouds started to appear, and I wasn't ready to get my yellow silk dress completely soaked.

  Back in the bunkie, I saw that I had missed a call from Dylan. What could he want?

  I wondered briefly but didn't call him back. He hadn’t left a message, so it couldn't have been that important. My phone rang again, and my heart leaped into my throat. But when I looked at the screen it wasn't Dylan, it was Tess.

  I hesitated, but seeing as Tess was one of my few friends in Laketown, and I was feeling a little lonely, I picked it up.

  “Hello, Tess.” I put on a bright voice.

  “Bronwyn.” Her voice was slurring and I could hear loud music in the background. She was either at Valerock or out at the island club.

  “We’re coming to get you,” she shouted.

  “Get me? Where are you?”

  “We’re out on Tad’s boat, but we're going to go to Valerock for a sunset cruise and some cocktails. We'll be at your dock in 10 minutes.”

  I was lonely, but somehow, I knew that hanging out with Tess and the popped collar crowd at Valerock wasn't going to help. “Tess, I’m beat. I'm going to pass on Valerock tonight.”

  Tess must have thought she was whispering. “See, I told you she wouldn’t come. She's totally fucking lame now.”

  Well, at least she'd noticed that I wasn't partying much anymore.

  Tess put on a fake sad tone. “We are all going to miss you so much.”

  “Next time,” I singsonged, then hung up the phone before my supposed best friend could say anything more.

  I dropped the phone on the sofa, and with my feet rested on the tufted ottoman, I clicked on the TV. I was going to spend my night watching TV. 'How sad was I? This sad,’ I laughed to myself, selecting Dirty Dancing from the TV screen. I couldn't help but laugh and muttered to myself, ‘If you are going to wallow, might as well kick it old-school.’

  As the opening scene of the movie started with the family heading to the mountain resort, I was comforted by the soundtrack that I'd listened to at least one hundred times throughout my life.

  About the same time, a knock on the door startled me. I paused the movie to check my phone to see if anyone had texted that they were dropping by. It was highly unlikely that any of my staff would just show up at the door unannounced. They knew better than that.

  The knock sounded again. It was aggressive, almost like a police knock. I wished that I was in my city house with its fancy peephole and video system, but the bunkie didn't have any of those things - just a screen door. There was no hiding.

  It was Dylan. I was surprised to see him, but since he'd already seen me, I couldn't pretend to not be home. The screen door groaned as I opened it towards him.

  What are you doing here? I asked.

  The last of the sun's golden rays passing through the pine trees cast a golden glow around Dylan's dark brown shaggy hair. I wondered if he knew how good-looking he was, as his six-foot-four stature towered in the doorframe.

  I wanted to invite you to a pizza party."

  "A pizza party?" "Will there be party hats and grab bags?" I laughed, trying to make a joke. It had to be a joke, right? Who gets invited to a pizza party in their 20s?

  Dylan had a way of smiling that made my body heat up from the inside. And he did it now as he stood in the doorway. He took the Laketown Otters’ hat off of his head and put it on mine.

  "I could stop and get another baseball hat if you want to wear a hat to the party."

  I took the cap off my head and handed it to him. "No thanks, I have plans tonight."

  Dylan glanced behind me, does that plan include a bowl of popcorn and the movie Dirty Dancing?"

  I looked behind me and could clearly see Jennifer Grey's face paused midsentence on the screen and heaping bowl of popcorn on the table. "It's not your business what my plans are tonight. The only thing you need to know is that they don't include you." I don't know where the attitude came from, and I immediately regretted it.

  Dylan stood straight in the doorway and smoothed his T-shirt out before crossing his arms across his well-defined chest. His eyes looked a little sad and he glanced on the ground before meeting my gaze. "I guess you don't want your boat done then, do you?"

  "Hey, we already have a deal for the boat. You can't change the terms now."

  “I guess that’s true.” The softness had returned to his eyes. “Kane and Jessie are having people over to Pine Hill for pizza and hockey on a big screen.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled, “And for some reason, I thought that you might be interested in going.”

  It was utterly ridiculous – and completely sweet. “Me?” I pointed to my chest. “Do you see a bunch of empty beer cans and a pink camouflage hat somewhere?” I joked and hoped that he found it funny. I was basically throwing out the only stereotype I know about Laketownie girls. They could crush beers like the guys and usually had some form of camo print on their bodies at all times.

  Dylan laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You know Kane and Jessie. I thought you might want to get out of this castle.”

  “Are you asking me on a date?” My heart had sped up and I hoped that Dylan didn’t notice the shakiness in my voice. “You know that we aren’t dating material.”

  His lips pursed like I had hurt his feelings. “No. We’re going to tell everyone that we’re friends.”

  It had been hot, having a guy in Laketown with no strings attached. At least, I felt that way and I’m pretty sure that he did too. During the entire time we had been together we never talked about getting serious. I thought it was an unspoken agreement. I never told him that I didn’t sleep with anyone else but him.

  “Is that true?” I asked. “Technically, you’re blackmailing me into hanging out with you. I think that there might be another word for that.”

  The mischievous glint returned to his eyes. “Friends with benefits.”

  “In your dreams, Moss. Those days are over. Now, I think we’re…” I tapped my chin trying to think of something witty, but his damn eyelashes had rendered my brain useless.

  “Ex-friends with benefits.”

  I couldn’t help the smile. “Alright, come on. Let’s go.” I smacked his hard abs and then turned off the TV.

  “You’re coming?” His eyebrows shot up.

  “Sure. As long as we tell everyone we’re just friends. It might make the wedding date story thing a little more believable.”

  He nodded. “Good point.”

  The two of us headed to the driveway – a good five-minute walk from the bunkie where I stopped dead in my tracks. “What’s that?” I pointed to the motorcycle parked in front of the carriage house.

  “It’s a dirt bike – a classic KTM.” He beamed.

  “It’s a motorcycle.” I was unimpressed with whatever kind of motorcycle he had just cited. I hadn’t read any baby books yet, but I’m pretty sure getting on the back of a motorcycle in a silk dress with your unsuspecting baby daddy wasn’t on the list of acceptable three-month pregnancy recommendations. “I can’t get on that.”

  “Sure you can.” He jogged to the motorcycle and pulled a black helmet from one of the leather bags on the side. “I brought you a helmet.”

  I crossed my arms. The flags above the garage doors flapped as the breeze picked up. “Dylan Moss. I’m not getting on the back of that motorcycle.”

  “Why? I’ll take it easy. I promise.” He held his hand up with his index and middle finger extended.