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Pete stepped closer, and time seemed to slow down. He looked at me and slowly lowered his gaze from my eyes to my lips.
Seconds later, his lips met mine.
The kiss wasn’t just a kiss; it was a promise. His mouth moved against mine as if we were channeling every emotion we’d ever felt through our lips. His arms wrapped around me tightly, pulling me close.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, as if I’d just sprinted the length of a hockey rink and scored the game-winning goal. That kiss was a landmark. Moving forward with the Cougars was the only option.
Walking back, I felt lighter and happier. I grabbed Pete’s hand and pulled him toward me for another kiss. He smiled against my lips, and I knew we'd made the right choice.
Just as we reached Pete’s truck, my phone buzzed. It was Eddie. We had a quick conversation. “Heard you guys might be leaving," he sounded anxious.
"Don't sweat it, kid. We're not going anywhere," I assured him.
A few minutes later, my phone pinged again. A text from Eddie popped up on the screen:
"Can we talk? In person?"
I glanced at Pete. “Eddie again?” he asked.
“Yeah. Says he wants to see us in person.”
Pete sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Let’s go, then. The kid looks up to us—especially you. If he needs to talk, it's important. Where is he?”
“The community rink.”
"Of course he is," Pete muttered.
"Kid's a rink rat; what do you expect?" I grinned as Pete pulled onto the street.
* * *
We walked into the Cold Pines Community Rink, which was nearly empty. Eddie was there on the bleachers, phone in hand, staring at the blank sheet of ice below.
"Eddie," I called out as we climbed onto the metal bleachers. He looked up, and his shoulders dipped a bit as he relaxed.
"Coach Hoss, Coach Z,” he smiled as he tucked his phone away. "Thanks for coming."
I sat next to him while Pete settled on my other side. "You sounded like it was urgent. Of course, we’d be here. What's up?"
Eddie leaned forward and turned his head to see both of us. He started to breathe faster. "I got an offer."
Pete and I exchanged glances. "An offer?" I asked.
Eddie laughed nervously. "The NHL. The Chicago Blackhawks."
My heart skipped a beat. It wasthemoment. "Wow, that's huge."
"Yeah," Eddie continued, "it's what I've always wanted, but hearing you guys might leave got me thinking—what happens to the Cougars if you guys go? What happens to me if I go?"
Pete leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Does that mean you're thinking about turning it down?"
“No, I don’t think so. I mean, I don't know for sure. That's why I wanted to talk to you both.” Eddie looked from one of us to the other. I knew he was trying to read our faces. “You've been through all of this. You know the highs and the lows. I want your advice."
I looked at Pete; he nodded as if passing the puck to me for the next play. “An NHL offer is a big deal,” I began. “It’s the biggest. It's the dream, right? Still, dreams are complicated things. They're not one-size-fits-all. Pete and I had a shot at going back to the NHL, now, as coaches, but we’re choosing to stay here."
Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why?"
Pete took over. "Because we found something here that we didn't know we were looking for—something that means more to us than the big leagues. We're shaping futures here and not just running plays. Plus, we’ve both had the NHL experience as players, so we’ve sort of been there, done that. Helping build a community is a new adventure.”
