36. Hayden

CHAPTER 36

HAYDEN

Ten minutes into the game against Boston, we get our first power play. All the guys who were at the bar the night Darcy talked about her analytical models look at each other.

She doubts herself, but I don't.

"How about we switch up the power play teams?" I suggest to Ward at the bench.

He raises an eyebrow and gives me a long look. "The teams I've carefully selected and spent an entire season training with?"

I glance at Miller, whose eyes light up with curiosity, before I nod at Ward. "Yeah. I think we should try something different."

The corner of Ward's mouth ticks up. "Alright, Owens. What do you want to do?"

"Let's swap Volkov for Novotny." Jayden Novotny is the second-line defenseman Darcy suggested, who plays more offensively than Volkov. "And Miller for Lockwood."

"You want to take Miller off the ice during a power play?"

Miller and I exchange a look, and he wiggles his eyebrows, offering no help.

"Yeah." I nod at Ward. "I do."

"Miller?" Ward looks to him. "Any notes?"

"Nope." Miller grins at us. "Just excited to try it."

Ward shakes his head, a hint of a smile on his mouth. "Go get 'em, boys."

The revised team takes position for the face-off, and we nab the puck. Novotny darts and weaves around their defenseman while the noise from the stands crescendos.

He takes a shot, and Boston's goalie deflects. There's a collective oh of momentary disappointment before Lockwood snags the puck.

Twenty seconds left on the power play clock.

He passes to me and I take the shot. This time, the puck sails into their net. The arena roars with noise and the goal horn blows as our guys surround me. Blood pounds in my ears and I look to Darcy sitting behind the net, beaming and cheering.

See? my expression says, and she just smiles harder.

"Owens." Ward approaches in the dressing room. "Good work tonight. I like that out-of-the-box thinking on the power play." He shakes his head. "It isn't easy taking risks like that, but sometimes they pay off."

"It wasn't my idea. It was my"—I stumble over what to call her—"roommate, Darcy. She's an actuary and she plays around with analytical models for fun."

"For fun," Ward echoes, but he's smiling.

I laugh. "Yeah. She has a degree in statistics and she loves that kind of stuff."

"Is she looking for a job?"

"I don't know." Something dances around in my chest. Darcy working for the team. How fucking cool would that be? I bet she'd like it a lot more than her boring insurance job. Maybe she'd get to come on the road with us to away games. The idea of her getting excited about her work, lighting up and doing something she loves, makes hope rise inside me. "You should ask her."

Ward's expression turns thoughtful and he nods to himself. "Maybe I will."