Ice Time by David Skuy Read Free Book Online Page B

seemed really nice, too. May as well stay here for a while. If he needed to, he could take his time and find something better later.
    “Sounds good,” Rocket said. “I’ll take it.”
    “Wonderful news,” Ritchie proclaimed. “
Mi amor
, Bryan will be taking the room.”
    “Yay!” Rafa said. “Now can you answer my questions?”
    “Shush,” his mom said. “Bryan, I won’t be here when you return. I must go to work. But we’ll have dinner ready for you.”
    “Thanks, Mi Amor,” Rocket said.
    Ritchie and the kids began to giggle. He got the feeling he’d said something silly.
    “Did I say that wrong?” he said.
    Ritchie and the kids burst out laughing. Rafa was laughing so hard, he bent over and held his stomach. Leona draped herself over his back.
    “
Mi amor
means ‘my love’ in Spanish,” Ritchie said, finally.
    “That’s what Papá calls our mamá,” Leona said.
    “My name is Mariana,” her mother said, laughing also.
    Rocket joined in. It felt good. Somehow it felt like he hadn’t laughed — really laughed — in a long time.
    “I’ll zip back to the hotel and get my bags — before I say anything else embarrassing,” Rocket said as the laughter wound down. “Hopefully, I’ll learn a little Spanish while I stay here. How do you say ‘I’ll see you soon?’”
    “Hasta pronto,”
Leona said.
    “Hasta pronto,”
Rocket repeated. He shook hands with Ritchie and Mariana and left.
    He felt ten times better already. While he waited for the bus, he took out his phone and texted his mom the good news.
    Is it in a good area?
she texted back immediately.
    He leaned against the bus shelter and replied:
It’s real nice, and so is the family. Don’t worry. All good.

CHAPTER 11
    Rocket spun his helmet in his hands. Floyd was never going to shut up. He’d been lecturing them for the past fifteen minutes.
    Nadav came into the dressing room. “Coach Mack, Zamboni’s almost done. The guys have to be on the ice for the introductions.”
    Floyd turned to face him, his face twisted in rage. “I’m right in the middle of talking,” he roared. “Why don’t
you
go on the ice for the introductions?”
    Looking confused, Nadav backed up and left.
    Rocket had heard that Floyd was a difficult guy — a total jerk was more like it. And obviously not too bright. The team had to hit the ice.
    “Who was that?” said the woman next to Floyd.
    Rocket had decided she must be Queen Stella — Floyd’s wife. She wore a floor-length, tight-fitting red dress, and she was draped in diamonds. Her blond hair fell below her shoulders in soft curls, and her face was heavily made up. Rocket had never seen such long eyelashes.
    “He’s the trainer,” Blywood told her.
    “Why we can’t hire people born in this country?” Floyd said.
    “I believe he’s from Pinewood,” McGill said.
    “I mean his family,” Floyd shot back. “Anyway, what was I saying? This is a veteran team, and we don’t have an excuse not to win — and we will win. I pay some of the highest salaries in the league, and I expect results. I won’t hesitate to make changes if it’ll help the club.”
    Blywood nodded gravely.
    “You’ll notice that Stephen Strauss isn’t here,” Floyd said.
    Rocket had been wondering.
    “He’s gone. Say hello to Terrence Day,” Floyd said. “We picked Terrence up on waivers. He’s a twelve-year AHL veteran. He’ll take over centre on Strauss’s line.”
    “Hey, boys. Happy to be on the team,” Terrence said.
    Rocket hadn’t heard of him, so he was fairly sure Terrence had never played in the NHL.
    “You don’t perform, you’re outta here,” Floyd said. “We had to let Strauss go — we like guys with experience who don’t make dumb mistakes. This is what happens when you lose every faceoff. So, take note. And that goes for each and every one of you. Last year will not be repeated. Do you understand me? We will not lose in the first round again. We will not. That was totally