Page 103 of Pucking Good Girl

Dad and the two Scouts from Seattle are sitting on one side of an oval mahogany table. There’s one single chair opposite them.

“Take a seat, Becker,” the oldest of the two men invite me. “I’m Rick Eubanks and this is my colleague George Hammond. As you might be aware of, we work for the Seattle Guardians. George and I have been following you and your brother, Macklin, very closely this season.”

The other guy, George, agrees. “You and Macklin have been playing a spectacular game this season. And as you know, we’ve been looking to sign one new winger.” He pushes a folder toward me on the table. “We’re going to need you to report to our summer training facility at the beginning of August. So that would mean you being happy to cut short your full-time college career. As you can see highlighted in the terms we’re offering, you’ll be signing an entry level contract for one year, but we’re adding a very attractive signing bonus. There’s also going to be a number of performance-based incentives that can bring your earning potential significantly higher than the figure you see on paper. We’ll have the option to resign you with a much more lucrative deal after your rookie season.”

I scoot back, my ass already leaving the chair. “Thank you for considering me. I’m sure Mack will be a great addition to your roster. I wish him and the Guardians a record breaking season next year.”

Dad clears his throat. “Becks, what are you talking about? They just offered you the contract. They chose you.”

I stop in my tracks, landing back on the chair. “Me?”

Rick smiles. “Absolutely. I’m not gonna lie, at the beginning of the season, we came here to watch your brother. But from the first game, you caught our eye and took us by storm. We were intrigued to see if you could keep up your performance to the end of the season, and you blew every expectation out of the park.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” George continues. “Macklin is an outstanding player, too. But the more we watched the two of you, the more we could see you fit into our team.”

“Even more so,” Rick looks me right in the eye. “If your rookie season goes the way we expect, we have great plans. We’re going to build the future of the Guardians around you.”

I shake my head, confused.

If it didn’t look unprofessional, I’d ask Dad to pinch me to make sure this isn’t a dream.

But the proud smile on my old man’s face tells me that, as surreal as this might sound, the Seattle Guardians want to sign me.

They chose me over Mack.

“Your agent is more than happy with the terms we’re offering,” Rick says. “So all we need is for you to make it official with a signature on the dotted line. Then we’ll take it from there. We’re excited to see you take the Cove Knights to the Frozen Four.” He offers me a heavy, expensive looking pen.

This is it.

This is my biggest dream come true. Or at least one of them. The first thing I’m going to do after I sign is speak to Talia. Hopefully, she can see herself living in Seattle next year. With me. Whether she wants to look for work, pursue further education, or take some time to decide what’s next in her professional future, I’ll support her.

The second the pen in my hand touches the paper, I hesitate.

Mack is gonna be devastated. Losing the contract is going to hurt, but if Talia decides to come to Seattle with me, he’s going to lose the two things that matter the most to him in the space of a few hours.

We knew this could happen, and I’ve been bracing myself for being the loser in this scenario the entire time.

Mack is strong and resilient. The second the news that he didn’t sign with Seattle becomes public knowledge, there’s going to be a line of NHL teams with great offers at his door.

I set the pen down without signing. “Thanks, but I think I have to decline.”

“Come again?” The two scouts look surprised, but Dad looks positively shocked.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t sign that contract,” my heart is beating so hard and loud that I’m sure they can hear it too.

“Becker,” Rick says. “We’re aware that an entry level contract looks well below your worth and your earning potential. But these are the rules, and that’s also why we offered the biggest bonus we could possibly⁠—”

I shake my head. “No, it’s not that. I’m happy with the contract, and playing for Seattle is what I’ve wanted since Dad put me in skates for the first time when I was four. But I’m not going to sign, unless you sign Mack too.”

They look at me as if I had sprouted a second head. “We have room for one winger on our roster,” one of them says. “Or we would have offered a contract to your brother, too.”

“I think there are a few things you haven’t considered.”

Macklin

I’m the last player left in the locker room.

Everyone left, headed to the Zeta House for the most epic party of the season.