Delayed Penalty (Crossing the Line, #1)(44)

There was a lot to be said about attending a live hockey game. You could actually hear the sights and sounds, but you could also feel the skates grating against the ice, the sticks hacking at the puck, the hard checks into the boards, the grunts from the players, whistles, yelling, shoving, and chirping—all part of the game experience.

I loved watching Evan. He was quick, but any time I caught a glimpse of him with his hair wildly sticking out past his helmet, wet from the exertion, and his cheeks flushed, I was hooked. I would be a hockey fan for life now.

"Fuck!" Callie shook her head, raising her drink. "He's not watching Kolten."

I looked up to see Evan pause across the ice, up against the boards, the puck on his stick, watching Remy to his right. Kolten, a player on the Canucks, was coming right at him. I cringed when Evan was checked against the board and knocked off his feet.

Leo skated by as Evan got to his feet and appeared to say something to him. I could see Evan's jaw set in determination and a fire burning in his eyes as he shot up the ice again behind that Kolten guy.

Leo had the puck again, tearing up the right side of the ice before faking left and firing a shot at the upper left of the net. He brought his hand to the sky, pumping the air twice, before his team was all over him.

The foghorn went off, the crowd shouted, and I couldn't stop myself from cheering when Evan, Leo, and Remy got together, hugging as the stadium blared with "Chelsea Dagger."

The game was close the rest of that period when the Canucks scored to tie it.

When they came out for the second period, it was clear that the guys were getting more and more aggressive. The occasional hand in the face or slamming against the boards was no longer tolerated and answered with an even harder hit down ice or the occasional brawl.

Having never been to a game, I had no idea what to expect, but Callie was there to walk me through it all.

"Evan is usually pretty aggressive out there. Leo is the instigator, along with Remy, but Evan cleans up their messes. But…" She held up her drink. "…if they get personal with Evan, Leo will get physical."

I heard what she said and watched with just as much attention. Sure enough, when that Canucks player, Kolten, got chirpy again and bumped Evan, muttering a string of what looked like lewd remarks, Leo shoved him hard into one of his teammates. When the linesman called him on it, Leo grinned. "What? He tripped."

The guy tried to land a punch on Leo, only to be shoved back by Evan.

I wasn't sure what he said back to Leo, but Leo stuck his gloved hand in his face. "You think I meant to hit you? Fuck you. You'd know if I f*cking hit you." Evan, who was still beside Leo, gave the guy a face full of his glove and was called for roughing.

Callie and I both laughed, having heard that over the screaming fans. She then had a full ten minute conversation with me about what icing meant.

"Evan's hand-eye coordination is impressive for a defenseman," Callie said. Evan was to our left balancing a puck on the end of his stick. "Sam was always working with him on that when he was a kid."

"Did you know Evan when he was a kid?"

"No. I met him last year, but he's told me a lot about his dad."

The screaming around me brought us back to the game as the Blackhawks scored again. This time it was Remy with an assist from Leo.

The entire display of athleticism was quick, fast, and even brutal at times. It was an entirely different side to Evan. I watched in awe as he poked at the puck and other players' sticks trying to gain control. He was pushing and bumping into other players, slamming them against the boards.

Just when I would catch sight of him, he'd be gone again. This time he twisted in an impressive pivoting maneuver. Leo gained the possession and started skating backward with the same speed they carried in the forward motion.

During the intermission between the second and third periods, Callie was trying to figure out how to get me into the bar later. Evan had briefly mentioned they usually headed to a bar called The Fifty/50. I was eighteen. That wasn't happening.

"I'm only eighteen."

Callie must have known. "It doesn't matter when you show up with the Blackhawks."

At the start of the third period, Callie explained a few plays I didn't understand.

"Watch, O'Brien will put in Mase. He knows how to work guys like Ressen back in the crease and make 'em play the pipes."

Ah yes, more hockey lingo.

Mentally, I was constantly taking notes on all the terms. I could see myself throwing out hockey slang the next game like I actually understood it. The thought made me smile thinking about how proud Sam would be.

Callie knew her shit, though. I was thoroughly impressed with her knowledge of the sport.

Sure enough, they put Evan in, and he scored within a minute for the Hawks.

Watching him celebrate the goal was adorable. The horn sounded, the same goal song played, and Evan leaned back, his weight all on his left foot, and he raised his right knee, bending his arm at the elbow and pulling it toward his body in a celebratory move, his stick raised in the air.

Much of the third period was spent with Evan in the penalty box from either roughing or boarding, and then finally a ten minute major for fighting that Kolten player near the board on the opposite side of us. I couldn't see much of the fight, but heard the screaming and knew what was happening.

A few fans shifted, and I was able to get a better view of them fighting. Seeing Evan so wild and aggressive was not what I expected. It was a huge turn on. My breath was practically panting.