Jessa Haywood and her best friend, Sheldon Hopson, have accepted jobs as junior athletic trainers for team USA's Olympic hockey team. When Jessa accepted, she didn't realize that four players would fall for her, and she didn't expect to fall for the...
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"Hey, Rizzo." Jessa said as the familiar boy entered her office without even as much as a hello. "Do you think I deserve to be here?" He asked quietly. Jessa didn't hear him. "What was that? I didn't hear you." She said. He looked up with a frown on his face. "Do you think I deserve to be here?" He repeated. Jessa's eyes softened. She got up from her desk chair and moved to the front of her desk and leaned against it.
"Honey, of course you do. You've worked so hard for this. You know that." She said. Rizzo didn't say anything, but his heart did start beating faster at the pet name. "Does this have something to do with Timmy showing up?" Rizzo nodded. Jessa scoffed. "You can't let him or Herb get to you. You're worth more than that." Rizzo looked up at her. "You really think so?" Jessa nodded. "You deserve to be here, Rizzo. Your family knows it. The rest of the boys know it. I know it." She told him with a smile.
***
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Jessa stood behind the bench in between Sheldon and Doc. Timmy got the puck and shot it into the net. Some of the boys went for a line change and Timmy came back to the bench. Herb leaned down and whispered something to him, and Jessa watched as Rizzo watched them with a sad look. He turned back to Jessa. "Remember what I told you." She mouthed to him and watched as he turned back around.
***
Jessa was walking with Sheldon to the bus after the game when OC ran up to them. "Hey, Sheldon. Mind if I borrow Jessa for a minute? Okay, thanks." He rambled off, not even waiting for a response. He grabbed her hand and dragged her with him to where Mac, Rizzo, and Johnson were standing. Herb was already on the bus, but Coach Patrick was still outside. "Can you get Herb for us?" Mac asked. Coach Patrick nodded, getting on the bus. He soon came back with Herb.
"I can't believe you guys are making me wait out here. I don't even know what's going on and I'm freezing." Jessa said. OC wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into a hug to warm her up. "This had better take about two minutes." Herb said when he got off the bus and approached them. "This is crazy, Herb, bringing him in this late." OC said with his arms still around Jessa. "We got parents buying tickets, getting rooms. What are we supposed to tell em?" Mac questioned.
"With one of us going home as it is?" OC continued. Herb sighed. "I guess I don't have to ask where you stand on this, huh, Rizzo?" He asked. "This wasn't Rizzo's idea." Mac defended. "You want me to say I'm scared of getting cut? I'm scared of getting cut. Everybody is." Rizzo said. "We just want it to be fair, Herb." OC said. "You can try telling me that. He was right there in Colorado." "That was six months ago." Rizzo said.
"What? You don't think he's been playing for the last six months?" Herb questioned. "Not with us, he hasn't." Rizzo exclaimed. "So?" "So, there's a difference." "Like hell there is. All I know is that kid can flat out play." "What, and we can't?" OC asked. "He moves the puck, he's got great vision on the ice, stick, soft hands-" Mac interrupted him. "That's not the point." He said. "I'll tell you something else he's got. He's got the attitude I want on and off the ice, so somebody here better explain why I shouldn't be giving him a hell of a look."
"Because we're a family." Johnson spoke up and everyone turned to look at him. "What?" Herb asked. "We're a family." Johnson stood his ground. "A family?" Herb questioned. "Yeah." Everyone agreed. Herb was silent for a moment. "And this is the family that you want to go to Lake Placid with?" He asked. "Definitely." OC said. "Yeah, without a doubt." Rizzo added. "Absolutely." "Wouldn't have it any other way."
"Timmy Harrer can help us, boys. And I'm gonna send him home." The boys looked at each other in satisfaction. "We got one more to get down to twenty. You understand?" They nodded. Herb and Coach Patrick left to get back on the bus. "Alright, let's go. I'm still freezing." Jessa said, leading the boys back onto the bus.
***
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"I'm really excited. I finally get to officially meet all your boys." Kristie said as the group of three walked through the mall. They were going Christmas shopping. The team Christmas party was tonight, and of course, they still didn't have the gifts. They were doing gag gifts instead of regular Christmas gifts. The group could never be serious, so what better way to show the Christmas spirit? "I can't remember the last time we went to a Christmas party. Probably about three years ago." Kristie continued rambling.
Sheldon chuckled, wrapping an arm around his fiancée. "Calm down, honey. You're rambling again." He said. "Oh, sorry." Kristie said, causing Jessa to giggle. Sheldon smiled at the blonde before turning to Jessa. "Now, Jessa, I think something's gonna happen tonight, so I'm just gonna warn you now." Jessa's eyebrows furrowed. "What?" She asked. Kristie turned to him. "Oh, is it that thing? The one you were telling me about? The major problem?" She asked.
Jessa grew even more confused as Sheldon nodded. "What's a major problem?" She asked. Sheldon shook his head. "It's a good thing you're so oblivious sometimes." He said. "It's not my place to tell you." He continued. Jessa rolled her eyes. "Alright, keep me in the dark. Kristie?" Kristie pretended to zip her lips shut. "Nobody tells me anything."
