Page 31 of Home of the Brave

It wasn’t groundbreaking reporting, but it was something fresh.

“What’s this?” Hartman elbowed me and pointed.

“Oh,” Schultz hurried over. “This looks interesting.”

“Are you guys sure you’re not too tired from practice?” another woman asked. She was holding a camera near her waist and had short pink hair that swung from side to side as she spoke.

“I’m never too tired for mini stick,” Hartman dropped to his knees and grabbed the nearest stick on the floor, immediately shooting a small puck at the empty net. “Score!”

I rolled my eyes. “That doesn’t count.” I lowered to one knee and picked up the mini goalie stick.

He shot again, and I easily blocked it.

“Come on, Schultzy,” Hartman called, and Erik joined us on the ground, passing a puck to Hartman.

I watched them pass back and forth and saw Schultz’s mind decide the plan a second before he threw his body on the ground, shooting for my right shoulder as he fell. I popped up enough to block it and came down hard on my knees.

“Ah, I’m too old for this.” I laughed as Hartman hurried and took another shot without giving me a chance to get up.

I threw my elbow up, but the puck got past me.

“Goal!” Schultz roared.

“You get all that?” a female voice asked.

I turned as I was standing up to see Victoria next to the camerawoman.

What was she doing here? She was working with Miles.

“Yup,” the pink-haired woman grinned. “I almost don’t think we even need to ask them questions after that.”

Victoria nodded. “It’s great content, but maybe one just in case.”

As if we weren’t standing in front of them, they decided, and Victoria stepped forward. “We’ve had to bribe the guys from the Stripes to play. I’m glad you were much more willing participants.”

Schultz lifted a brow. “Now it feels like you set up a trap.”

Hartman nodded. “The best way to capture hockey players.”

“You didn’t give me a chance to explain before you dove in,” Victoria teased.

“Can we go?” Micah asked behind me, with Dante at his side.

“Just a second.” Victoria held up a finger before checking with the other woman who had the camera up and gave her a thumbs-up. “We have one of the alternate captains joining us with his Utah teammates.” She smiled at the camera as it panned to us. “Wyatt, what have you found to be the best way to unite when you all come from different teams?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “It’s all about the game. We love it, and we want to win. Joining forces to make that happen is all that matters.”

“Erik, do you have anything to add?”

He smiled. “Yeah, we might all play against each other during the season, but we can put that aside because right now, we’re wearing the same jersey.”

She beamed at that, then turned to me. “And Josh, as the goalies, you, Joel, and Jason, set the tone for the team. What have you found to be the best motivation?”

Her smile never wavered, but I caught the moment her eyes met mine, and she didn’t see a grin reflected back.

Her question was just a variation of the same she’d asked Hartman and Schultz so I could come up with a bland regurgitation of what they already said, but that would make me look stupid, when it was the question.

It was like she set me up on purpose. How many ways would we say the same thing?