Gauging the Player
Book Three in The Playmakers Series
G.K. Brady
Copyright © 2020 G.K. Brady
All rights reserved
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-7332763-7-5
ISBN 978-1-7332763-8-2
ISBN 978-1-7332763-9-9
Cover design by Jenny Quinlan, Historical Editorial
Edited by Jenny Quinlan, Historical Editorial
Proofread by HippoCampus Publishing
Trefoil Publishing
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter 1…There’s a Hitch in my Skate-Along
Chapter 2…Etta James is Alive and Well in Denver
Chapter 3…You Meet the Darnedest People at Strip Clubs
Chapter 4…Of Vampires and Pancakes
Chapter 5…Because Everyone Needs Social Media
Chapter 6…Sisterhood Doesn’t Require Pants
Chapter 7…Flow with the Go
Chapter 8…There’s a Football Game Going On?
Chapter 9…Tell Me Sweet Little Lies … Please
Chapter 10…Game Time
Chapter 11…If Wishes Were Wings, I’d Crash
Chapter 12…Crush, Crush
Chapter 13…Game On
Chapter 14…Careless Whispers
Chapter 15…Stuck in the Discovery Channel
Chapter 16…Spectral Visions
Chapter 17…Shall He Do Her?
Chapter 18…Is It Hot in Here, or Is It You?
Chapter 19…I’m Not Shy
Chapter 20…What’s Passed Isn’t Past
Chapter 21…Making Beautiful Music
Chapter 22…Phantom Shadows
Chapter 23…Red Light, Green Light
Chapter 24…I’m Going to … Dillon?
Chapter 25…Parenting 101
Chapter 26…You Know What They Say About Assuming
Chapter 27…Wisdom Is an Elusive Pearl
Chapter 28…Claiming a Stake
Chapter 29…Deep Into That Darkness Peering
Chapter 30…Grabbing a Gear on the Stick Shift of Life
Chapter 31…Reveals and Reasons
Chapter 32…Nice to Meet You, Rod Serling
Chapter 33…And This Is Why
Chapter 34…Big Sister Knows Best
Chapter 35…The Long Good-bye
Chapter 36…The Holy Grail
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Let’s Connect!
Other Books
About the author
Dedication
To my dear friend Sue, love’s eternal optimist—may you find your second Gage in this lifetime. To all those who have loved and lost too soon.
Chapter 1
There’s a Hitch in my Skate-Along
Late January
Drop the damn puck already!
Gage Nelson gripped his stick across his thighs. Poised and taut, he deliberately placed the blade of his stick on the ice, mirroring his opponent’s stance, keeping his eyes glued to the puck in the linesman’s hand. Drop it, drop it, drop it! He waited. Normally, he had patience in spades, but right now it was as hard to find as meat in a frozen pot pie.
Tonight his team, the Denver Blizzard, faced Boston. For the most part, he respected all the NHL teams—but not Boston. He hated Boston. He also hated that they were owning his team on home ice, thanks to his poor play. Fortunately, it didn’t show on the scoreboard. Yet.
Not one usually distracted by anything beyond the rink glass, he had to remind himself, for the fifty-sixth time, to forget about the blond with the long curly hair sitting in the stands. Was it her? He hadn’t been able to get a close look all night, though he’d sure tried his damnedest.
Forget about her and focus, doofus.
The other center in the faceoff circle growled out a taunt—another part of the game Gage usually had infinite patience for—and though he didn’t catch everything the guy said, it was enough to make him flinch and draw his blade back too early.
“Premature again, meat sack,” his opponent chuckled under his breath. “Just what your last girlfriend said. Or was it your boyfriend?”
The linesman tossed Gage out of the faceoff, and he glided backward, making room for his right winger, T.J. Shanstrom, to take his place. Shanny side-eyed him. Gage easily read what was written on his teammate’s face despite the bright arena lights bouncing off his visor. He had to be thinking something along the lines of, What the fuck, Nelson? Three times in one period.
Yeah, contrary to what Gage’s family yapped at him, he was not perfect. Hopefully, his mom was watching and would finally understand he could be off his game. Way off.
Darting his eyes toward the stands, he went into another crouch, waiting for the puck drop. Before he dragged his eyes back to the play, he glimpsed the blond in question laughing at something the guy beside her said. He’d absently scanned the stands when he’d taken the ice for warm-ups, and that’s when he’d caught sight of her and his game went off the rails. He hadn’t been able to keep his mind—or his eyes—off of her. And now something unidentifiable jolted through his bloodstream.
Watch the puck. Keep it simple. It’s all about the game. Nothing else.
Watch. Puck. Get. Puck. Skate.
Put. Puck. In. Net.
T.J. drew the puck back, winning the faceoff, but Gage missed corralling it. The other team picked it up before he could get his stick on it, and their line flew toward the Blizzard net. A three-on-two breakaway. Damn it!
He dug in, turning on the turbos. Normally, he could overtake anyone on skates, but he was a step behind. His D-men backed up. A smooth give-and-go between the opposing forwards. The puck landed on the winger’s tape. Gage dove from behind. Swept his stick in front of him. Caught the guy in the skates. The player went down hard. Crashed into the Blizzard net. Took Wyatt, the Blizzard goalie, down with him.
A whistle blew.
Wyatt sprawled on his back on the ice, looking like he was frozen mid-snow angel. The net had come off its moorings when the Boston player ended up in the back of it. As said Boston player untangled himself from the netting, he spewed a spate of choice words at Gage, who was picking himself up off the ice.
Gage didn’t need to look to know the orange armband was in the air—the one around the ref’s arm—and a penalty was being called. On him.
Shit!
He stood up fully, relieved when Wyatt got to his feet, seemingly unhurt. The goalie adjusted his cage and gave Nelson a quick “it’s
