Page 78 of Taking Sides

I pull open one side, but still don’t know what I’m looking at. There are just too many of them and the items are packaged in foam and bubble wrap. Landon, however, knows immediately what’s inside.

“No freaking way,” he says, voice filled with awe. “Are these for us?”

He pulls out a carefully wrapped hockey stick.

“I think they are,” I say, grinning wider.

There must be two dozen brand-new sticks. Between two boxes that’s enough for all the kids on JV and varsity.

My heart flutters in my chest.

“This is just like D-Low’s.” He pulls the foam off the blade of the stick, still smiling with complete reverence.

It does something to me hearing him call Danny by the nickname that Conrad and his other teammates use. The sticks were sent to me, but this is a gift for my team. Which is somehow even better.

“Why don’t you grab a few and take them down to the ice when you go,” I say.

“Okay.” Eagerly, Landon fills his arms with as many as he can carry.

I maneuver the box back into the office and then pull out my phone. Conrad answers on the second ring.

“Hey.” He sounds pleasantly surprised that I’m calling. We usually text. In the background, people are talking, and music is playing.

“You just made at least one young man very happy,” I say.

“The sticks arrived?” he guesses.

“Yeah. Landon was with me when I opened the first box, and he practically floated out of the office. That was really nice. The rest of the boys are going to be thrilled too.”

“I can’t take all the credit. D-Low and I were talking about how much the kid liked using his stick, so we thought they could use some new ones. I hope it’s okay.”

“More than okay. Thank you and thank Danny for me.”

“I will.”

“When I saw the size of the boxes all I could think about were giant sunflowers.”

He chuckles into the phone. “Wish I’d thought of that. There is something yellow in there for you though.”

“There is?”

“Mm-hmm.”

I dig back through the box, looking for something besides hockey sticks, when a yellow one catches my eye.

I burst into laughter as I pull it out of the box. It’s a pale yellow hue, nearly identical to the shade of tape I use to wrap my stick. And it has the same curve and flex. I have no idea how he knew my preferences, but he matched it perfectly. “Flowers are nice, but hockey sticks last longer.”

He chuckles softly. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Are you at the rink?”

“Yep. I stayed after our team meeting to lift weights with Galaxy and Trav, but we’re mostly just shooting the shit. Ruby’s out of town and Hannah’s at the gym so they aren’t in any hurry to leave. Shouldn’t practice be starting there?”

I love that he knows my schedule. “Grady is getting the teams warmed up. We’re doing corner battles today.”

“Still pushing hard, huh?”

I murmur my agreement. I’m not sure it’s doing any good, but then again maybe it’s too soon to tell. “I should get out there. I wish I could thank you in person later.”