No Shots Missed

Chapter Two- Drowning

(Kalen's POV)

"I could skate rings around you and your fat ass, old man." Lance, the Tower's newest rookie, skated away fast.

Instead of giving chase, Zane Davies slowed down, looking behind him, clearly trying to get a glimpse of his admittedly very large bubble butt.

A smile tried to work its way out but I bit down fast, not wanting to add to the hurt expression on my new friend and teammate's face, his offended tone sounded through the rink as he asked, "Is it really that fat, Sharp?"

This time my grin couldn't be tamed.

The ridiculousness of this guy.

I responded, "I mean I've seen smaller in my day."

My gaze was drawn sideways as Sam, our current team captain and goalie coughed into his fist, failing to hide his laugh.

It was as our gazes connected that we both lost the battle and as I snorted in laughter, Zane huffed out a, "Fuck all of y'all", before taking off.

As Sam and I sat down next to each other, stretching, I asked, "Jesus, are they always so..."

"Young?" I smiled as he filled in my sentence. It wasn't what I was going for but it fit. I remembered when I used to still have energy after a blistering practice. Now, it was all I could do to drag myself home for a hot tub before having to pick up Jilly. I nodded.

Sam laughed and explained, "Hawthorn was our first round pick two years ago."

He spoke of Lance, as if he wasn't one of the best hockey players the game had ever seen. As if, I wasn't aware that the tower had won the draft lottery that year and chosen the young rookie, completely reshaping their team. 

He switched legs before explaining further, "Davies has taken him under his wing but part of that apparently, is to chirp the shit out of him." He shrugged, "He says it's to keep the kid humble."

I shook my head as Zane Davies and Lance Hawthorn, the two grown-ass men we were talking about, started wrestling at the other end of the ice.

Sam added thoughtfully, "I don't think that Zane realised that Lance wouldn't take his ribbing sitting down. He gives it right back to him and now they bicker, or whatever that is..." He gestured down the ice, "non-stop. We all tend to just sit back and watch the show."

His green eyes turned my way, "How are you getting settled?" I considered him for a moment, forcing myself to meet his gaze. Sometimes people asked a question and wanted the glossed over truth.

But, Sam and I had grown up together and I knew he was earnest. He'd always been a stand up guy and now that I was back home, he was one of the people that I wanted to reconnect with the most. Plus, it would be nice if at therapy this week, Serena could feel like we were getting somewhere when she asked if I was making any progress with actually being a part of this team.

'It's okay. I hired a company to move us in so we're settled that way. I'm still not sure it was the right move but Jillian's not as silent as she was two weeks ago. I'm hoping with time..." I trailed off, looking around, worried about adding to the gossip around me. Why was everyone so quiet now?

I shook my head at my paranoia. I needed to have some trust in this team, no one was listening to us. Instead, practice was fully over now and most of the guys were also down on the ice stretching or heading for the changeroom. I didn't need to worry, Sam and I were on our own, closer to his goal posts. No one was within earshot.

He smiled sympathetically,  "If it makes you feel any better,  I think that's part of being a parent. I never know if I am doing anything right. Ever. All you can do is try your best and your intentions for coming here... I can't think of better reasoning."