Coach’s eyebrows crawled to his hairline. Here it comes. T.J.’sheart sank a few inches. He’d been plugged into the enforcer role for so long,told who to wreck and when, he wasn’t sure he had a scoring touch anymore, buthe sure as hell wanted to try. Yeah, he followed orders, and he was good at hisjob, but what if he could be something other than that guy? Playa different kind of game? Be the guy he’d started outto be all those years ago? Someone who could make room on the ice with his bigbody and handle the puck with enough skill to set up the goal-scorers and chipin a few himself? A right wing who could surpass hiscareer best thirty-six points in a season and crack the fifty-point ceiling?
Coach pursed his lips. “Of course we expect the same levelof toughness you’ve always brought. But I’m glad you want to up other parts ofyour game.” To T.J.’s surprise, a twinkle lit his eyes, deepening the creasesradiating from them. “I’ve seen tape of you when you first broke into theleague. I also watched you before you were drafted, when you played in majorjuniors. You have good puck sense and vision on the ice. With your size andstrength, you could be a force out there, a real power forward like theCapitals’ Tom Wilson. That’s the reason I wanted you here. And likeWilson, you’ll need lots of photo ops and serious community involvement. If youdo it right, you might even get nominated for the King Clancy like he was.That’s my goal for you. But,” Coach continued, “let’s see how it goes. That allright with you?”
T.J.’s heart hoisted itself up a few rungs, and optimismsparked. Maybe Herb had been right and this trade was a do-over. Beforehe got too carried away, though, his oldest inner voice—the one planted by hisfather when he was just a kid—told him he was a piece of crap who wouldn’tamount to anything. A waste of space and air.
Though he desperately clung to it, the spark of optimismfizzled and winked out.
.~* * * ~.
It was early afternoon when T.J.pulled into Craig Hospital’s parking lot and cut the engine. He remindedhimself that all he needed was one quick look at Kevin May—he was sure the guywas fine—and he’d be on his way. But another minute or two to compose himself wouldn’t hurt.
With a huff, he sank a little deeper into his seat andstared out the window. The sky was crowded with thick gray clouds that looked asthough they were trying to decide whether to spit out their load of snow. Awhite-haired couple teetered toward the hospital entrance as a mother holding achild’s hand speed-walked around them. What were these people doing here?Visiting loved ones? Getting help for themselves?
A blur of motion snagged his attention. He narrowed his eyesand made out a woman being dragged across the parking lot by one—no, two—dogsof different sizes. The woman yanked on the dogs’ leashes and dug in her heels.T.J. half expected to see asphalt peeling up like ice cream scoops, but shestumbled instead, and a leash flew from her grasp. The dog attached to it torefor the unsuspecting oldsters heading for the entrance.
T.J. unfastened his seat belt, threw open the door, andleapt from his car in one motion. Sprinting across the parking lot, he vaultedfor the furry fugitive and snatched up the leash, wrestling the animal to astop. The couple trundled on, oblivious to their near miss while T.J. reeledthe big dog in. Behind him came a gasp, and he pivoted in time to see the womanclamber to her feet, her remaining charge capering around her at the end of itslead.
“Thank you. I couldn’t hold him.” She was breathing hard,dusting off her jean-clad thighs, the remaining leash wrapped around her wrist.
T.J. ruffled the dog’s thick-furred neck. The animal wasbig, its blocky head so huge T.J.’s splayed hand barely spanned its breadth.The beast gave him a sloppy slurp that striped the back of his wrist, then saton its haunches, eyeing him with what could only be described as a shit-eatinggrin.
Showed her! it seemed to saywith laughter in its large brown eyes.
T.J. turned toward the woman. “Yeah, no problem. You okay?”Her head was down, and when she raised it, eyes the color of an amber pendantlocked on him. For a beat, he was transfixed, lost in gold and copper.
“I’m fine. I was letting them out for a walk,” she said,snapping T.J. out of his daze, “when that onemade a break for it.” With a frown, she inclined her head toward the dogsitting beside him.
Even with the frown, she was beautiful. Not in aglamor-girl-perfection way like Julia, but in a natural,this-is-what-she-looks-like-all-the-time way. Healthy. Vibrant. Her clear skinhad a bronze cast, as if she were bathed in sunlight. High, flushed cheekbonesaccented an oval face surrounded by wavy hair that cascaded over her shouldersto her elbows. Its color and sheen reminded him of glossy milk chocolate withstreaks of caramel.
Her sable eyebrows eased as she reached for the leash.“Thank you so much. I don’t think I could’ve stopped him from knocking thosepoor people down.” She jerked her chin in the general direction of the hospitalentrance.
T.J.’s mouth curled up on one side, but he held on to thelead. “Yeah, that would’ve been bad. Like a bowling ball on steroids, cutting awide path through undersized pins. You sure you’re ready for me to hand himover?”
“Thank you, yes. C’mon, Meathead. Back to the car.” Shereached for the leash again.
“Meathead?” T.J. tugged on the leash, and the dog stood, itsadoring eyes pinned on him.
“He’s not my dog, so I had nothing to do with the name.” Alittle smirk played on her features. “He seems pretty enamored with you.”
“Oh, so you’re not his owner? Who is?” Boyfriend?
“No, I sometimes watch him and Annie.” She inclined her headto the other dog who had heeled politely at her side.“They’re my brother’s dogs.”
A little alarm bell rang in his head. “Is your brother inthe hospital?”
“No, no. I stopped
