Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

Logan

Dad flies into town the day before our road trip. He comes to the rink with me on Tuesday morning for our practice. A bunch of other dads are here, also an uncle, a brother, and a couple of step-dads. Everyone's in high spirits, looking forward to the trip. Tag Heller is also a dad of a player and he's hanging out with them, making jokes and laughing. Coach is here as well, greeting all the dad/mentors as Rick Blackmore, who works in Communications, introduces them.

Dad and I join the group and I introduce him to Rick.

"Heeeey!" One of the fathers slaps Dad on the shoulder. "Dennis the Menace! It's good to meet you!"

Dad's old nickname from playing. He loves it.

I make a bit of small talk but then I have to get dressed and I take off to the locker room.

So far Dad hasn't been on my case about things. We went out for dinner last night at a restaurant he liked last time he was here, and he's pretty pumped about coming on the road trip with us.

When we all jump onto the ice, the dads are in the stands, most of them with coffee cups in hand, and they already seem to be best buddies judging from all the chatter. It is kind of cool, and for my dad I know it's bringing back memories of his playing days.

Our coaches put us through our paces and I work hard because I always do but maybe a little extra hard because Dad's watching.

I get distracted for two seconds when I spot Annie near the boards.

Right. I have a coaching session with her after the regular practice. Me, Adam Wong, and Brick. My competition for that spot on the third line, which gives me extra motivation.

As usual, she looks fresh and pretty in her black Bears sweats, ponytail swinging, smile flashing. She casts an amused glance at the group of men watching us.

I stay on the ice when the other guys leave. I exchange a look with Annie as she comes on and flies around the surface to warm up. That look heats me up more than the workout did.

I gesture at Dad as he's coming down the stairs. "I have to stay for an extra practice," I tell him. "You can watch if you want, or go hang with the other dads."

"Extra practice?" He frowns. "Why?"

"We have a skating coach this year." I gesture at Annie on the far side of the rink. "She's uh, giving us extra, uh, practice."

Dad cocks his head, forehead still creased. "That girl?"

"Yeah. That's Annie Bang." I say it like he should know who it is, but his expression doesn't clear. "One of the Bang family…you know, Lars Bang's kids."

His eyebrows shoot up. "She doesn't look like a hockey player."

"No, she's a figure skater."

After an open-mouthed beat, Dad barks out a laugh and doubles over. "Get the fuck out of here. You're taking figure skating lessons?"

My jaw tightens. I'm aware of Annie gliding toward us. She probably heard that.

She scrapes to a stop near me. "Hi! You must be Logan's dad. It's so nice to meet you. I'm Annie Bang."

Two other dads have gathered next to mine.

"And you're Adam's Dad," Annie says with a warm smile at one of them. "He looks so much like you." She greets Brick's dad as well. "Well guys, let's get started."

She glides backwards and gets us going. "Backward outside edges," she calls, and shows us what she wants us to do.

It looks weird and awkward and slow. I keep my face neutral. I can only imagine what Dad is thinking.

"Stay low!" she calls. "Okay, faster!" She crosses her legs faster. And faster.

And holy shit, I'm skating backward and lucky I'm not tripping on my own blades. Brick does trip and goes sliding across the ice. And yeah, we laugh.

"That's okay," Annie says, smiling. "Try it again. Turn around, everyone, let's go back."

Once I get the rhythm, it feels good. After practicing that, she starts us working on transitions.

"Forward to the center line on your right foot," she calls. "Then transition to backwards. Inside. Out. Inside. Out!" She looks so graceful, and then, on that one foot, she turns elegantly. I'm sure my turn isn't that graceful. I fucking hate looking like an idiot in front of my dad, so I focus hard on my edges as I shift from inside to outside.

"Good work, guys! Okay, we're going to work on some tight cuts around the cones."

She has a couple of orange cones set up and she skates toward them. "Forward cuts first. Get some speed up…lean into the cone and stay close to it…" She curls around it effortlessly then speeds to the next one.

Easy peasy. We take turns and I focus on bending my knees and leaning in. Adam is having more trouble with these and Annie guides him, showing him how to use his shoulders. Then we do backward cuts.

"Sprint forward to the cone, turn backward, and circle around the cone," Annie calls. As she twirls around the cone, arms extended, she's so graceful she looks like she's going to do a figure skating spin. "We'll do right first, then left."

I set my jaw as I race toward the cone, shift my weight and sink down low, and curl around it.

"Yeah, good job!" she calls. "Okay, other side."

I pause. I don't like doing the other side and she knows it. But I press my lips together and do it.

"Again!" she cries. "Really press into those edges! Good!"

We practice it over and over, and I feel my edges getting deeper and surer every time. Then she has us skating in pairs, doing the same kind of transition and cut around each other. After a few more drills, we're done for the day.

I coast up to the boards, sweat dripping off my face. Dad's there to meet me. "Well, that was cute," he says, grinning.

Cute . I give him a slitty eyed look.

"Never thought I'd see the day you'd be figure skating." He shakes his head. "That stuff's a waste of time. You should be working out in the weight room."

"Hockey's not all about strength," Annie says cheerily. "Maybe in your day it was, but the game has changed. Skating's important. Being able to shift your weight efficiently and make use of your edges effectively."

Dad's eyebrows snap together.

"Players are younger and faster," she continues. "Hockey players are much more athletic than they used to be."

Dad's face gets red.

"That's true," Adam's dad replies, unaware of the tension as Dad takes Annie's comment personally.

"These young guys are after my job," I joke, nodding at Adam and Brick. "I have to keep up with them."

They laugh and disappear down the tunnel with their dads.

"You were always a fast skater," Dad says.

"Yeah," I agree. "But these days that's not enough. A game isn't just an end-to-end sprint."

I catch Annie's eye and the curve of her lips.

"That's right," she agrees. "It's those moments between the sprints where you have to rely on agility and mobility. It's more of a transition game, where the action can shift in an instant from one way to the other. Being able to pivot and use your edges is so important."

Dad laughs. "Okay, Kristi Yamaguchi."

Annie's eyes flicker, but she smiles. "That sounded kind of patronizing."

Dad's mouth opens, then closes.

"You're not one of those men who thinks figure skating isn't a real sport, are you?"

I choke on a laugh. "Don't get into that argument with her, Dad. You'll lose."

"I can't believe they're making you do this pussy bullshit," Dad mutters. "I'm gonna have a word with Tag."

Like Tag Heller is his best friend now. Jesus. "No, you're not," I say through a clenched jaw. "I admit I was skeptical of this when we started but if it's something that'll make me a better player, I want to do it."

Annie's eyes shine at me. I fucking love it.

"He was resistant," she says to Dad. "But you know what? It takes a real man to overcome pride and ego and be willing to admit there's something he can do better at. All these guys are pros. Learning something new when you're considered an expert is hard. I give them all credit for it. Anyway. Nice to meet you! I hope you have a great trip!" She holds my gaze for a second, then turns and treks away in her skates.

Dad glares at her back.

"Let's go grab some lunch," I say, hoping he's not going to be a total dick about this. "I'll meet you in the lounge after I shower."