So yeah, I need to let her go.

The problem is, I’ve been trying to do that since Florida.

And no luck so far.

I can smell the ice.

Someone is skating.

Oh, the sound of the puck.

I’m home.

And man, I’m so fucking excited.

Following behind my teammates, we all go on the ice before playing around with the bucket of pucks that were left for us as we wait for the coaching staff. Word got out about Coach Moss leaving, not from me of course, and so we are all excited to find out who the new coach is and if he’ll be worth a damn. I did a Google search on a Coach Rivers but couldn’t find anything, so I’m pretty sure Jude didn’t have the name right. I tried to find something on it, but like Jude said, it’s pretty damn quiet and that makes me nervous.

Taking the puck, I pass it through my legs and then kick it up just as Jace rushes the net, tapping the ice. I sail it to him and he goes top shelf over Shane’s shoulder. It almost feels like it does when Jude and I are on the ice, and when Jace flashes me his little girlie grin, I can’t help but grin back as we high-five.

“We’re gonna murder this year!” he exclaims before stealing the puck I was about to play and rushing the goal again.

“Yeah, if I don’t kill you,” I say, but he isn’t listening to me.

“Hey yo, Jay,” Frayer says, coming up and stopping beside me.

I tap his shin as I nod my head to him. “What up, bro?”

“Nothing much, but did you see the new guy?”

Looking at where he is cocking his head, I see that, down the ice, a guy is playing by himself. Raising my brows in a perplexed way, I ask, “What the hell is he doing down there?”

“I have no clue, but I think he’s wearing lipstick.”

“What?” I ask incredulously because surely I heard him wrong, but when the guy turns the corner, I see that it does look like he’s wearing lipstick.

Bright red shit.

“What the fuck?”

“Right, maybe he’s a cross-dresser?”

I shrug. “I don’t care what he is as long as he can pass, shoot, block, and score. Might need to discuss the red lips though.”

“True that,” he says with a nod, and then he scoffs. “Either way, Moss comes out here and sees him down there by himself, we’re gonna get shit. If you don’t go welcome the poor idiot, I will.”

Shaking my head, I say, “I didn’t see him or I’d already have him down here. I got this.” Skating off, I turn, skating backward as I call back at him, “You know, ’cause this is a captain-type thing.”

Frayer laughs as he nods, but before I can turn to head toward the guy, a whistle is blown three times in a row.

Which means we hit the ice and jump back up.

Standing up, I look in the direction of the whistle to find Moss coming on the ice with a taller dude beside him. When he blows the whistle again, we all drop once more and get back up in record time. I’ve been doing this all summer, preparing myself for when Coach Moss wanted to release his evil whistle. When I first came to the team, I threw up four times during these drills.

It was great.

“Take a knee, boys,” he calls, and we skate toward him, dropping a knee. Jace comes up beside me and grins through his cage at me.

He’s as giddy as a virgin having sex for the first time.

Turning my attention back to Coach, he meets my gaze and nods at me. I nod back, and then I see the guy from earlier by the boards, looking down at his stick.

What the hell is he doing?

“All right, boys, no reason to beat around the bush: I’m done here,” Coach Moss says, and I have to hold in my laughter. Coach Moss is always to the point. “I got a job coaching the Wild, and since they pay way more than you street rats do and also, are better, I’ll see you guys later.”

We all know he’s joking around, but the guy standing by him looks a little taken aback until Coach starts to laugh, which means we get to laugh too. But when Coach Moss starts to talk again, we all clamp our mouths shut.

“No, really, I’m gonna miss it here. I’ve been a part of a great coaching staff, coached some of the greatest boys in the world, and even turned some of you into men. I’m proud to say I coached here and I’ll miss you guys, but I have to say, I’m leaving you in the best hands possible,” he says, turning to the guy beside him. He’s big, like my height big and I’m a big guy, but this dude makes me look small. He’s burly with big shoulders and huge arms, and when he smiles, he’s missing a few teeth.

Then I remember that Jude said he played for the Bruins, which makes a lot of sense once you look at him.

“Coach Moore is one of the winningest coaches, behind me, of course,” he says with a grin, and Coach Moore grins back. Aren’t they chummy?

“He has played for the Bruins, brought the Cup home. Has coached female and male Olympic teams for…nine years?”

“Yes, sir. Brought home the gold in seven of them,” he says, and a lot of the team is nodding. Hell, even I’m impressed by that.

“So yeah, y’all are in good hands and I’m done. See you guys on the flip side and hopefully in the NHL.”

With that, Coach walks toward the exit and we all tap our sticks to the ice. Coming to each of us, he taps us on the head and wishes us luck in a very fatherly way. He has been the only father figure some of us have ever had. He’s coached my family since we were kids. It’s sad to see him go.

When he comes to me, he hugs me tightly and says, “You go into the NHL, and I’ll scoop you up, got it?”

I grin as I back away and nod my head. “Yes, sir.”

“Good, now help this schmuck coach and make sure we don’t lose,” he says, tapping me on the head one last time. “And keep your boneheaded brother in line.”

Jace grins as we both nod. “Yes, sir.”

Sending me one last grin, Coach heads off the ice just as Coach Moore blows the whistle.

“He looks familiar. Do we know him?” Jace whispers to me, but I shake my head.

“Don’t think so,” I say with a shrug, but then I do start to look at him and maybe he does.

Where though?

“Maybe that’s the coach’s son? That’s the drama behind him?” Jace asks, and again I’m shrugging.

“I have no clue, but if I get in trouble because you keep talking to me, I’m gonna stuff your balls down your throat,” I warn in a whisper, causing him to glare as he presses his lips together.