13. Ziggy

Chapter thirteen

Ziggy

W hen I entered the arena locker room, I saw that Kade had arrived ahead of me and was busy lacing up his skates. He looked up, and our eyes met, setting off a familiar warm sensation in my chest.

"What a coincidence running into you here." I chuckled softly, glancing around to ensure we had a private moment.

The lopsided grin on Kade's face made my skin tingle. "Yeah, who would have guessed? Not like we have any commitments here."

I sat on the bench beside him and moved close, speaking just above a whisper. "Today at practice—"

"We need to be careful. Yep, don't worry. I'm still the invader on your turf as far as Rory and the kids are concerned."

Brushing my hair to the side with my fingers, I patted Kade's thigh and wanted to do so much more. "We still have to work together, but it doesn't have to look like we're having fun every minute. It's getting tough, though, pretending I don't want to…" My voice trailed off, and I looked around again.

"Yeah, but throwing in some trash talk won't be too hard. How about an eye roll from you when I show off my fancy stick moves?"

"Or, 'Hey Kade, what happened to the standards at UNH? Did they lower them just for you, or do they run a lottery?'"

His jaw dropped as he pretended to be offended. "Ouch. I'll have you know they picked me purely for my skills…and maybe some of Dad's money."

We laughed together, but then, the sound of footsteps meant it was showtime.

"Ready to be rivals again?" Kade whispered.

"Again? Did we ever stop?" I grinned as we headed for the ice.

The part I had to play implied that Kade wasn't the guy who made my heart race. As UNH's star forward, he was a threat to UMaine's hockey legacy. I had to make sure everyone believed that.

When the young players skated onto the ice, their enthusiastic chatter filled the air. Rory watched from the boards with a poker face. It was the first session he left entirely to Kade and me. I took a deep breath and called out to the group.

"Listen up, everybody! Today's a day when you get to see what real hockey looks like, up close and personal. We're going to show you how it works, and when I say 'we,' I really mean me. After all, what can you learn from this New Hampshire puck bunny besides how to warm the bench?"

When I glanced at Kade, I saw amusement first, but he quickly covered it with an indignant glare. "Big words from the guy who can't score on an empty net."

I scoffed. "Okay, here's how we'll get started." I explained a drill focused on stick handling. "Treat those pucks like they're your partner at a dance. You want them to stick close as you move the two of you around the dance floor, or in this case, the ice."

I raised my arms, and the kids responded, "Yes, Coach Ziggy!" I beamed. The excitement caught me in the gut and reminded me how much I loved hockey.

Kade stepped forward to demonstrate a drill. "Watch closely." He was in his element, speaking in a silky-smooth tone and gliding his way through complicated moves that he made look easy. "When it comes down to it, this is all about finesse and control."

I couldn't take my eyes off him. I figured the kids were blown away. It looked like he had the puck glued to his stick as he blazed a trail, weaving in and out around imaginary defenders. When the demo was over, the kids clapped as hard as they could.

"Show-off," I mumbled, but I knew my complaint sounded weak.

Kade winked at me. He delivered it so quickly that I nearly missed it. "I'm just setting the bar high for you, Knicks."

We randomly divided the group into pairs. They worked together, doing their best to replicate some of Kade's moves.

I skated up to a small boy with a head of curly red hair. He furrowed his brow as he struggled with the drill.

Crouching down to his level, I gripped my stick in both hands. "Hi, what's your name?"

"Benny." He glanced at me and tapped his stick on the ice while looking down. "I can't get this right."

"Mind if I help?"

"Can you show us how?" I nodded, and Benny and his partner watched closely while I adjusted Benny's grip on his stick. "Now, I want you to pretend that your stick is a dog that's helping herd little lambs. The puck is one of the lambs. You need to gently guide it, not force it."

Benny tried again; this time, he kept control of the puck and moved more smoothly across the ice. He tapped the stick again. "I did it!"

"Great job!" I high-fived both Benny and his partner. It was one of those little moments that made coaching so rewarding. I didn't just teach a skill. I helped build his overall confidence.

On the opposite side of the rink, Kade worked with a girl with shoulder-length black hair. He spoke softly, patiently demonstrating. Even from a distance, I saw the raw determination on her face. The interaction made me feel closer to Kade, and I knew I was falling even harder.

We'd both softened our approach, and I knew it was time to ramp up the rivalry play. When we all came back together, Kade demonstrated a speed drill. "Oh, puh-leeze. My great-grandma can skate faster than that, and she's been dead for ten years."

The kids tittered behind me.

Kade skated back to us and kicked up a small shower of ice shavings. "Prove it."

I grabbed a puck, determined to put on a blistering display of speed. As I began to weave through the cones, I lost my focus for a split second.

Struggling to regain my balance, I found myself careening toward Kade. Our eyes met, and I saw panic in his a split second before the collision. We landed in a tangled heap on the ice.

We struggled against each other. "Damn, get off me! This isn't wrestling." I did my best to untangle my legs while fighting a powerful urge to laugh.

"Me get off you? You're the one that can't skate in a straight line, Mr. Maine Moose." Kade's face was just inches from mine. It took everything I had not to kiss him.

We both managed to scramble to our feet, fighting for breath. I looked at the kids; they were all staring, appearing rather bewildered.

I cleared my throat. "Uh, kids, that was a demonstration of why you must always be aware of what and who is around you."

Kade brushed the ice off his jersey. "Yeah, always watch out for opposing players who are blown off course."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rory standing by the boards. He had his face buried in his hands, and his shoulders were shaking. I hoped he was laughing and not crying.

When we skated to the opposite end of the rink with the kids following us, I heard one of them whisper to another. "Are they always like this?"

Another answered, "I think they just really like hockey."

If they only knew.

The rest of the session passed in a flurry of drills. I toned down the rivalry schtick and did my best to focus on hockey. The kids' excitement grew.

One of the older kids called out to me. "Hey, Ziggy, can you show us that sick spin move again? I've gotta learn that."

"Of course." I skated into position and then executed the move. Kade gasped. His soulful brown eyes made my pulse race when I glanced his way.

His voice was a little rough when he decided to one-up me. "That wasn't bad, but watch this." He performed a variation that made my jaw drop.

"Damn, I guess sometimes you do come through with something impressive." I led the kids in a round of applause.

As our session wound down, Rory called us over and praised us: "Good work out there, guys. The kids love you, and they're learning a lot."

Something about his voice told me there was more, but I acknowledged the praise. "Thanks, Rory. We're having a great time with them."

"I can see that, and I'd like to see the two of you in my office once you've cleared the ice. We've got some program details to discuss."

I glanced at Kade, and he looked as anxious as I felt. We corraled the kids and got them back to the locker rooms, where they could change into their street clothes.

In Rory's office, we sat in wooden chairs with our knees close enough that they nearly touched. My palms started to sweat.

Rory leaned back in his leather office chair. He folded his hands together on the desk. "So, tell me more about what you think of your coaching experiences."

I jumped in immediately, perhaps a little too quickly. "It's great. The kids are totally into hockey." I did my best to keep my voice steady and calm.

Kade chimed in. "I agree, and I think it's a great way to give back to the game. Thank you for the opportunity."

Rory nodded. I thought I detected a hint of a smile. "And working together. How is that going? Have you run into any issues or challenges?"

My face began to flush, and I heard Kade shift his position in his seat. "We managed to put our rivalry aside for the kids' sake." That might have been true, but there was so much more to the picture. I nervously drummed my fingertips on my thigh.

"Set the differences aside." Rory leaned forward, his eyes opening a little wider. "What's interesting to me is that when I was standing there by the rink, watching, it looked like you'd gone well beyond setting aside differences."

My mouth suddenly went dry, and Kade was silent. Feeling like I was speaking around cotton balls, I asked, "What do you mean?"

Rory's voice turned soft and direct. "Ziggy, I've known you for a long time, since the first time I saw you on the ice here at the arena when you were… what? Six or seven?"

I nodded. "Yep, around there."

"I've never seen you look at anyone the way you look at Kade. You move around each other like you've choreographed some dance, except for the collision… which was hilarious, by the way."

I glanced at Kade and bit my lip. He tensed, pressing his knee against mine. I desperately wanted to reach for his hand.

Then, he spoke. "Rory, we—"

Rory raised his hand. "Let me finish. I'm not going to judge or even pry for more information. There is something special between the two of you. I'd say it looks like it's helping push you both to do well. Whatever the details are is nobody's business but your own."

I exhaled. Tears began to burn at the corners of my eyes. "You're not disappointed in us?" It sounded like a ridiculous question, weak and lacking in self-awareness.

Rory chuckled. "Disappointed? Why would I be? I've known few players more talented than the two of you, and Ziggy, you're the best that I've coached. Beyond that, I know you're both good young men. My bet is you're searching for a deeper kind of satisfaction even hockey can't provide. Maybe you've both found it. How can I be disappointed about you doing that?"

Kade reached for my hand under the edge of Rory's desk, and we wove our fingers together. His gesture helped keep my heart from racing. He asked the questions we both had on our minds. "But what about our teams and the big rivalry?"

Rory raised his voice slightly, sounding like he meant what he said. "Hockey is just a game. It's an extraordinary, breathtaking game, but that's all it is. The two of you have something that extends into real life. Don't let anybody tell you that you have to choose between the game and the rest of your life."

A single tear ran down my cheek, and I quickly reached up to brush it away. "So, where do you suggest we go from here?"

Rory leaned back. "I've got some advice for your first move. You can stop working at acting like you hate each other. The two of you only look ridiculous when you attempt that."

Kade and I both laughed. The tension in the room dissipated.

Rory continued. "Be yourselves. Coach the kids and work like hell when you're showing them the best hockey you can demonstrate. Work together at it, and then love with all your hearts off the ice. If you do that, the rest will sort itself out."

We walked in silence, hand-in-hand, as we left Rory's office. Our skates made a rhythmic swish-thunk sound on the rubber mats in the hallway. When we reached the locker room, it was empty, and Kade turned to face me.

"So, no more pretending, huh?"

My heart pounded. "Yeah, suppose not." Gathering my courage, I decided to speak out. "Kade, I—"

"Wait." He interrupted me and held a finger to my lips. "Before you say anything else, I need to share something."

I held my breath, wondering if we were on the same wavelength.

"This summer, when I arrived in Whistleport, I looked at it like an escape. It was the little place I'd explore while sorting my head out with Dr. Fellows. But then you turned it all upside down. Suddenly, I wasn't escaping. I was arriving somewhere new. Does that make sense?"

"I think so."

Kade continued. "What I'm trying to say is… you're my guiding light, the North Star these days, Ziggy."

A lump formed in my throat. "Kade, I—"

He interrupted again, and I grinned. "Let me finish. I know we're from different worlds—UNH, UMaine, city boy, small-town hero… but, for me, all that disappears when we get together."

I couldn't hold my thoughts in any longer. "You wanna know something? For me, you're like the perfect pass at a clutch moment, part of the ideal teamwork that wins the game."

He tilted his head to the right. "Did you just compare our relationship to a hockey play?"

"Yeah, I did because you've completely altered my game, and I don't mean just hockey."

Kade gripped both of my hands. "So, what you're saying is—"

"I'm falling hard, and I'm all in. If you want me, I'm yours."

"And I'm yours, too."