Page 51 of Here We Go Again

“So you’re saying you think the Jaguars would have made it to the finals if you’d been playing?” she asks, interrupting me.

“That’s not what I said.”

“It’s what you implied. That the power play suffered because you were missing.”

On my right side, Becca moves into my periphery, and she smiles, eyeing my walking companion in a way that makes me think she’s heard the last few moments of our conversation.

“The power play is going to suffer when any player who is usually a part of it is missing,” I say.

Brianna wrinkles her nose like she’s considering. “Maybe. But a Stanley Cup-winning team should be able to fill those gaps when injuries happen. What do you think of Cash’s low scoring through the final series? Did that also contribute to your eventual loss?”

I run a hand over my face and glance over at Becca one more time, who is keeping pace beside us a few lanes over. I widen my eyes, like I have no idea how I’m supposed to handle this girl.

Becca grins and shrugs.

“Sebastian is a great player,” I say to Brianna. “Nobody can score every game.”

“Why don’t we shift gears, Bri?” Will says, dropping a hand onto his daughter’s shoulder. “Is there anything else you want to ask Theo?”

She wrinkles her nose, like she’s considering, before asking, “Who do you think is better? You or your brother?”

“Bri,” her dad says, shaking his head. “You don’t have to answer that,” he says to me.

I let out a little chuckle. “Actually, I’ve got a story that has to do with that exact question.”

Brianna perks up a little, and I take that as a good sign. I’m still unsure if she’s my biggest fan or my biggest critic.

“So, when we were in high school, Carter and I decided to switch jerseys before a practice to see if we could fool anyone into thinking I was him and he was me.”

“Did it work?” Brianna asks.

“Not even a little bit,” I say. “But not because they could tell us apart by looking at us. At first, nobody even questioned. But then we started to play. Within a matter of moments, they knew we weren’t who we claimed we were.”

“How?” Bri asks. “You look exactly the same.”

“But we’re completely different players,” I say. “Carter has strengths that I don’t have, and I have strengths that he doesn’t have. We complement each other, but we aren’t the same. For us, it’s never about who’s better. It’s about being the best we can be at the stuff we’re particularly good at.”

Bri lets out a little huff. “Fine. That’s a good answer. But if it was about who’s better?”

I grin. “Then it would totally be me.”

She finally cracks a smile, which feels like a huge accomplishment. “Did other people get you and Carter mixed up?” she asks. “When you weren’t playing hockey?”

“Sometimes,” I say. “Teachers did all the time. And people who didn’t know us well. But our parents could always tell us apart. And my girlfriend never got us confused.” My eyes dart to Becca. Something about referring to her as my girlfriend, even in the past tense, while she’s within hearing range sends a jolt of nervous energy humming through me.

“Do you still have a girlfriend?” Brianna asks.

I clear my throat. “Uhhh … no. Not right now,” I say.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mia nudge Becca and give her a pointed look.

For the last five minutes of our walk, Brianna tells me she can name at least two players from every team in the league and then proceeds to demonstrate. It’s honestly pretty impressive. The kid must eat, sleep, and breathe hockey to know as much as she knows.

When we get back to the Jaguars tent, I say goodbye to her and her dad, then pick up two new walkers and a fresh water bottle. The pattern continues for the next hour. I’m no longer close to where Becca is on the track, but I’m constantly aware of her walking ahead of me. Every once in a while, I catch the sound of her laughter, and I find myself wishing I were near enough to know what’s making her so happy.

Whatever it is, I hope it lasts all day.

By the time I finish my first round of scheduled walks, I’m hot and sweaty and looking for a way to cool off, so when Maggie tells us it’s time for the firefighters to get the water hoses going, I’m happy to head that way.