Page 3 of Icing on Top

I smiled politely, even though I knew the chances of that were slim, and waved him off as he returned to his wife.

The kids began to file out of the rink, and I quickly got to work helping rid Charlie of her equipment.

“Don’t take your mask off yet, Tot. I wanna get your chin strap tightened.”

I tossed her leg pads into the duffle and then attended to her mask, lightly lifting it so she’d tilt her head back. It was a quick and easy adjustment, the chin strap not too far off.

“Okay, there.” I sat back so I could see her. “Give it a good shake and see if that’s better.”

Charlie shook her head so hard it made me dizzy just watching her, giggling the entire time. But the goalie mask stayed put, not swaying an inch.

“Looks solid to me,” I said with a chuckle.

She quickly discarded the mask, her hair a wild, sweaty mess despite my attempts to keep it tamed in braids. With everything packed away, I handed Charlie a Gatorade and then hefted the duffle onto my shoulder. Uninhibited by the bulky bag, Charlie took off running to one of her friends. How she still had the energy for it was beyond me. That child was an Energizer Bunny.

I spotted Zoe near the boards, tucking away the cones she’d used for drills into a net bag. She looked up when I approached and sent me a smile, albeit a tired one.

“Hey. I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Charlie’s dad.” I tilted my head in the direction she’d run off in.

Zoe stood up straight and took my outstretched hand in hers, giving it a polite shake.

“Nice to meet you, Charlie’s dad.” The corner of her lips quirked up in a hint of a grin.

Did she just dad-joke a dad?

I could feel a flush of embarrassment creeping up the back of my neck. “Sorry. Jeremiah. I’m Jeremiah.”

“Are you a big Seattle Cascades fan?” she asked, nodding toward my chest.

I glanced down at my hoodie, momentarily forgetting what I was wearing. Sadie had bought it for me right after I had been drafted to the team. I was surprised Zoe could even make out the faded graphic.

“Oh, uh, I used to play for them. I retired a couple years ago, though.”

“Ah, that’s right. Charlie said you were a goalie.” She tightened the net bag shut. “Well, at least you’re not one of those dads who thinks he knows everything because he played in high school on a tier two team.”

I let out a mix between a scoff and a laugh, which just made Zoe laugh, too.

“I know that kind very well, but no. You’re the coach, not me. So I’ll be keeping my mouth shut.” I squinted one eye and tilted my head back and forth. “Except for when it’s my daughter. I can’t say I won’t coach her from the sidelines, because I one hundred percent will.”

“I get that,” she allowed.

She hefted the bag over her shoulder, doing one last double check of the bench to make sure no one had left anything behind. I took that as my signal to find Charlie and head out.

“Well… I better get the kiddo home and fed.” I tapped my knuckles against the top of the boards. “Glad to have you, Coach.”

I turned and walked away before she could respond, inwardly cringing at how awkward of an introduction that was. God, I really needed to get out more. Maybe I should have taken up Tom on his offer after all.

Thankfully, Charlie was a quick distraction, colliding into me hard enough that I stumbled back a step.

“Daddy, that was the best practice ever. I love Coach Zo,” she sighed, face buried in my stomach, but I could still hear the smile in her voice.

“She’s a good coach,” I agreed, giving her a tight hug before pulling back quickly. “Whew! We need to get you home and in the tub. You stink, girl!”

Charlie laughed and just rubbed her head even further into my hoodie until I playfully pushed her away.

“Get away from me, Stinky.”

Once I was free from her grasp, I made a dash for the door. Her little feet pounded on the concrete as she chased after me, giggling the entire way.