8. Bowen

eight

Bowen

" H ow's the goat farm treating the three of you?" Tate skates next to me, surprising all of us in his practice gear.

It feels good to be back on the ice. I know it's only been a few days but that's a lifetime for a pro-hockey player. There's always someone younger ready to take your spot if your not on the top of your game.

"It's quiet on the farm." is all I say. I can't very well tell him I've developed an obsession with his cousin.

Sleep eluded me last night as thoughts of Aubree in my bed plagued me. They weren't my normal thoughts either, they were continued fantasies from yesterday of Aubree pleasuring the three of us, sometimes all together and sometimes separately while the other two watched.

"It must have been a good night normally those damn goats spent half the night bleating." I newcomer skates next to us and I have to reign in my anger.

How the fuck does this douchebag know what Aubree's farm sounds like at night?

"Oh, hey guys, this is my brother Sam." Tate motions to the guy that skated into our group. "We both like to scrimmage with new players to get a feel for their skill level. Coop should be out here shortly to observe from the sidelines."

My anger recedes as we take turns shaking Sam's hand, "So, you guys pissed off our dad. That's not an easy thing to do considering he raised three spawns of the devil as he likes to call us."

Sam's dry sense of humor catches me off guard and I end up mumbling something about at least your dad acknowledges he has sons. I don't talk much about my personal life so I have know idea why I said that.

Tate takes pity on me and changes the subject, "Well we're glad to have you here. The rookies we sent to dad to replace the three of you on the Norse team had some crazy, mad skills—let's see what the three of you have to offer."

River, Kyson, Sam, Tate, and I all run through the normal warm up drills with the rest of the team—passing the puck with ease and precision until a whistle blows stopping our warm up.

"Ah, and there he is, our esteemed head coach." Tate does some kind of medieval bow to Cooper.

"Cut the crap Tate. Everyone huddle up." Cooper yells to his players, with what seems to be a permanent scowl on his face. Once we gather around him he makes quick introductions of the three of us to our new teammates.

"We're only two games out of first place. Everyone needs to pull their own weight. We can't afford any distractions." His scowl lands on River, Kyson and me. "If any of your on or off the ice antics jeopardizes our chances for a championship this year, I will bench your ass so fast your head will spin. Got it." His gaze never strays from the three of us as to make his point he adds. "I don't care if it wasn't your fault. Any sign of scandal and your done on the team and possibly in the league."

Not exactly how I wanted my first interaction with my new head coach to go. We'll have to make sure to fly under his radar at all times.

The rest of the practice goes as smooth as could be expected with only a couple of hiccups as we learn the new plays. A whistle sounds and Cooper dismisses the team for the day.

"What do you think about our new coaches?" River finishes tying his shoelaces on a bench in the locker room.

The three of us are the last to leave the locker room so we can talk openly about our new coaching staff, "I like Tate and Sam for the most part. The verdict is still out on Cooper." I answer honestly.

"Yeah, he seems like a hard ass not unlike his dad." Kyson joins the conversation. "But to be fair, he has every right not to trust us. We don't have the best track record when it comes to fighting."

Strange but I haven't felt the need to fight or argue with anyone since I stepped foot on the goat farm and saw Aubree standing there with the breeze blowing through her long blonde hair.

"Are you okay, man?" River nudges my arm. "You got a weird look in your eyes. Are you having a stroke or something?"

I blink a few times to gather my thoughts. Not necessarily a stroke, but I definitely feel something I've never felt before.

"Nah, it's nothing. Why don't we grab some pizza and go home to Aubree." The words fall naturally off my tongue as I imagine this as our future—going home to Aubree after practice.

It's something I could get used to.