Bending the Rules (The Rules, #1)

49

Shea

Playoffs.

Damn playoffs.

I have a love-hate relationship with the playoffs. Watching or playing them. Either way, the human body is not made to experience such high levels of adrenaline and anxiety combined. However, the feeling is addictive. Playoffs guarantee a winner and a loser. They also guarantee the inability to sit still.

And potentially have a heart attack. How many times have I watched the Canucks in the playoffs while clutching my abnormally thumping chest?

I skid to a stop, sending a wave of snow against the boards. I've skated fifteen laps around our half of the ice. We're facing Penticton in the first round of the playoffs. Brenna's team is playing Rutland. Vernon is against Winfield. Summerland and Enderby. The pairings are even across the board, and I hope like hell we can beat Penticton and Vernon can beat Winfield. I want to take Connor's team down. I want to drive them into the mud, and so does Catina. KJ and Jayden. Basically anyone who hates Connor. 

"Fucking Connor," she says as she skates up next to me. "Why is he here? I thought they played tonight."

I shake my head, glancing into the stands. Connor is sitting with several of his newfound buddies. They're a couple sections over from where Brenna, Tucker, and the rest of the gang are sitting. Scoping out potential opponents. If they can beat Winfield. "Vernon's series starts tomorrow like Brenna's does. Best of three. We have to win two games to eliminate Penticton."

Cat taps me on the shins with her goalie stick. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"That's Captain Smith to you."

"Careful, Smith. I was starting to like you."

Catina continues to blab on. She's discussing potential plays and the weaknesses she's noticed within Penticton's team. It doesn't take a genius to know what she's doing. Wasting my energy by skating around isn't a good idea. It might tire me out or allow the nerves to get to my head.

She claps me on the back. "Two games. That's all we have to win."

I grunt in response, watching as Penticton's team warms up. We're locked in second with Penticton within the Okanagan. West Kelowna's first.

"Don't tell me you're nervous," she teases. "Not that I can't understand why you'd be nervous. Having the best player in the league watching you must be nerve-wracking."

This time, a smile curves across my lips. Yeah, maybe Brenna's presence makes me nervous. But that doesn't mean I don't want to play hockey. I want to. And I want to play the best I can for her. That's why we're so good together. We make each other want to be better.

Slipping my stick beneath my arm, I remove my helmet and run a hand through my hair. My breath comes out in a white puff, dissipating into the air. "Not nervous because she's here, Cat. I'm glad she's here to watch us play."