Taking Charge (21 page)

“You’re going to win? You’re going to be lucky to
keep the score down to single figures,” Max told her.

“We’d better go; I don’t like leaving Nancy
unsupervised at the roadhouse,” Robyn said, checking her watch.

“You can’t go yet!” Max exclaimed.

“Why not?”

“Because you haven’t told us about Taboo,” Max said,
practically foaming at the mouth.

“Nothing much to tell. We went, we drank too much, we
saw lots of girls with very little on, and then we went home,”
Robyn stated quickly.

“Lordy! Bet you had a close look, didn’t you, son?”
Max remarked to Cole.

“Closer than I anticipated at times,” Cole admitted
with a smile.

“Right. Are we done? Beef stew on the menu today with
fruit salad for dessert. Make sure you eat it. And you, Max, you
dare to bet against the Panthers winning tonight, and I’m going to
force-feed you tomorrow’s lunch—I hear it’s chickpeas,” Robyn
warned, pointing at him.

“Eddie, you have to do something about your daughter,
she’s unhinged,” Max exclaimed.

“Welcome to the Portage Arena, home of the Portage
Panthers! Tonight, in charge for the game of the season, Robyn
Matthers! Let’s hear it for Robyn, everyone! For anyone who doesn’t
know Robyn, she is none other than Eddie Matthers’ daughter and
also the only player to net three in one game and get sent off for
misconduct. Now, time for the team news,” the PA announcer said,
his voice echoing around the arena.

Robyn had been at the arena since 5:30 making sure
everything was ready for her first game in charge. Before that, she
had spent two hours at the mall with Sarah hearing all about
Mickey’s failings as a boyfriend. She had also caught Sienna and
Sierra trying to shoplift half the make-up counter in the
department store, devoured two toffee chocolate ice creams, and
bought half a dozen t-shirts she didn’t need. Now it was time to
turn herself into an ice hockey manager.

“I feel sick,” Robyn told Cole as he skated up to
her.

It was less than ten minutes until the game started
and seats were rapidly filling up. It was good news for ticket
sales but bad because Robyn didn’t want the entire county
scrutinizing her team choice if it all went wrong. She had chewed
every nail down to the quick and she was seriously concerned about
the size of Reading’s enforcer.

Cole looked completely hot in full hockey uniform
too, and that wasn’t helping her temperature. She was already
sweating. She’d argued with him over not paying attention to her
team-talk to throw the players off the scent of their coupling, but
what she really wanted to do was take off his pads, strip him of
his underwear, and see how far she could get before the fear kicked
in.

Now she sat on the bench, watching the team warming
up. The Reading team was doing some complicated drills. They looked
so professional.

“Hey, it’s going to be fine,” Cole assured her.

“Dad’s going to be listening on the radio, you know.
They’re just giving out the team news and he’s going to be shouting
and cussing and going crazy. He might even go so nuts that he ends
up down here chastising me in his hospital gown,” Robyn said,
putting her fingers in her mouth to chew her nails again.

“You did the right thing picking Henrik. The team
relies on him. We don’t have someone who goes insane and hits
people and we have to stick to what the team knows,” Cole
replied.

“Cole, I’m expecting you to enforce where you have
to. I’ve seen you can throw a punch. Don’t let me down and go all
namby pamby on me,” Robyn ordered.

“Namby pamby?” Cole questioned with a smile.

“See the big guy? He’s slow, but he looks like he
could crush Wes with one arm and probably snap Mickey in two at the
same time. Don’t let that happen,” Robyn told him.

“I’ve got it covered. Relax, have an energy drink,”
Cole suggested, putting his mouth guard back in and joining the
team.

“Yeah, like I need any more energy! I’m still wired
from that extra strong coffee this morning,” Robyn yelled after
him.

“Hey,” Grant greeted as he sat down on the bench next
to her.

“Nice of you to join us,” Robyn remarked, not looking
at him.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Listen, Robyn, Jason…” Grant
began.

“Stop. Stop right now. This is an important game, I
need to focus,” Robyn said, dismissing him at the mention of his
son’s name.

“Just…let me say this,” Grant begged.

He stood in front of her so she couldn’t avoid
him.

Robyn met his eyes and tried to remember he wasn’t
Jason. It was almost impossible when they looked so similar.

“I didn’t know he was coming back here. He’s been
staying with a friend. He told me he tried to speak to you last
night and I apologize for that. He shouldn’t be bothering you after
everything that’s happened,” Grant told her.

“Cole hit him,” Robyn stated.

“I know. I don’t blame him for that, but I really
think Jason’s telling the truth,” Grant stated.

“What?” Robyn said coldly, looking straight at
him.

“He’s always said he didn’t do it, right from the
start. I know he didn’t have anyone to substantiate his alibi, but
I believe he was at home,” Grant continued.

“I was raped, Grant,” Robyn said, standing up and
facing him.

Her body prickled with rage. His words acted like a
thousand pinpricks being jabbed incessantly all over her skin.

“I know. It was horrible and we all feel so…” Grant
began.

“It was his DNA,” Robyn accused, scrunching her
fingers up into a ball.

“So they say,” Grant said.

“So they say? What’s that supposed to mean?” Robyn
snapped.

“Well, mistakes are made, aren’t they? And I believe
Jason; I’ve always believed Jason, deep down,” Grant told her.

“Well I don’t. He had photographs of me all over his
bedroom; he had a sweatshirt of mine…” Robyn began.

“He had a crush on you, Robyn, he was fifteen. He was
a shy, nervy boy, and he liked you, that’s all,” Grant
insisted.

“I don’t want to talk about this. We’re about to play
Reading! Reading who are unbeaten and have an enforcer who looks
like he should be in the WWF,” Robyn announced, moving past Grant
and going to stand beside the ice.

“He’s hired a solicitor to try and get the case
reopened,” Grant informed.

“Come on Panthers!” Robyn yelled at her team.

She had to blank him out. She didn’t want to hear it.
If she couldn’t hear it, it wasn’t really happening.

Grant let out a sigh and picked up the tray of water
bottles. For now the conversation was over.

“They’re holding their own,” Grant commented,
watching play.

“There’s only ten minutes gone,” Robyn reminded
him.

“Yeah, but still…”

“Hold him up, Cole! Don’t let him get past you! Bam!
In the boards, that’s what I’m talking about!” Robyn hollered,
clapping her hands together as Cole crushed a Reading player
against the advertising hoardings.

“Wes looks like he’s taken a knock,” Grant remarked,
watching as the player held the side of his body.

“He got swiped by the number eleven; it’s probably
just bruised ribs. Come on Brad! Pass it to Henrik. Yes! That’s it!
Shoot God damn it! Argh…Oh my God! It’s! He’s scored!” Robyn
shrieked hysterically, raising her hands in the air and leaping off
her seat.

The crowd went wild, Robyn screamed at the top of her
lungs, and the team bundled on Henrik. They all skated toward the
bench where Grant was dancing excitedly along the edge of the
ice.

Victory horns and organ music filled the air and the
lights flashed up on the scoreboard.

“Get in!” Brad exclaimed as the team high-fived Robyn
and jostled with Grant.

“Henrik, I am now in love with you!” Robyn squealed,
hugging the player.

“We’re gonna win!” Mickey said with a smile a mile
wide and jubilation in every step.

“I want focus; don’t let this lead go. Back out
there, one hundred percent,” Robyn ordered, trying to calm herself
down.

She couldn’t believe they were winning. She couldn’t
believe they had scored against the best team in the league. Her
heart was pounding so hard in her chest it hurt. It was the best
feeling.

“It was an amazing goal,” Grant remarked as the
referee recommenced play.

“Yes, it was. Are they filming the game for the
website?” Robyn inquired.

“I believe so.”

“I want that DVD; I want to relive that goal twenty
times over. Oh, what’s happening? Where’s the defense? Shit! Cole!
Get back! Oh man! No! No! This can’t be happening!” Robyn yelled as
Reading scored at the other end of the rink and their fans began
celebrating the equalizer.

“Stupid error from Wes caused that. He needs to come
off, he’s hurt,” Grant told her as the heads of the Panthers team
went down in recognition of their lost lead.

“There’s only five minutes until the end of the
period,” Robyn said, looking at the clock counting down.

“Yeah, but that player just skipped past him. He does
that again, we’re losing,” Grant told her, stating the obvious.

“Who would you put on?”

“Art.”

“He’s defense.”

“I know.”

“We can’t do that. We can’t start defending a draw,
we need to win,” Robyn told him.

“A draw against this team would be a great result,”
Grant told her.

“That wouldn’t be good enough for me. Jon, you’re
going on for Wes. Wes!” Robyn shouted, beckoning him over as play
was stopped.

“You’re doing really well,” Grant said to the team at
the end of the second period.

The score was still one all, but the Panthers were
looking tired. Their squad was smaller than Reading’s, and they
didn’t have the option to change players around so much.

“We need another goal,” Robyn told them
seriously.

“I’m done,” Mickey announced, drinking water like it
was going out of fashion.

“Me too. My ribs are on fire,” Wade said, supporting
his side with his hands.

“I have ankle that feel like large rock hit it,”
Henrik announced, holding up his skate as if everyone could
see.

“Anyone else got any complaints? Because I thought
you were an ice hockey team and not a ladies club,” Robyn shouted
at them.

No one dared answer back.

“Now, what we need to do is hold up their attackers
and at every opportunity get the puck to Henrik. He’s your main
front man. Everyone else…I want you to consolidate their attack.
That’s all,” Robyn instructed them.

“Their number fourteen’s carrying an injury,” Brad
informed everyone.

“Then take him out. It isn’t rocket science, guys, is
it? We can beat them, they’re nothing special. I have no idea how
they’re top of the league if they play like this every week. We’re
better than them,” Robyn told her team.

“She’s got a hundred dollars on us to win,” Cole
spoke up.

“A hundred dollars! You’re kidding me! Are you
crazy?” Mickey exclaimed as the players all turned to stare at
Robyn.

“You promised you wouldn’t tell them!”

“What were the odds?” Brad inquired.

“Fifty to one.”

“Oh man! You get five thousand dollars if we win?”
Mickey said excitedly.

“What is odds?” Henrik wanted to know.

“I put that bet on because I have faith in you. Don’t
prove me to be as stupid as the bet sounds,” Robyn said as the team
huddled close together.

“A hundred dollars,” Brad said shaking his head at
her.

“Oh, easy come, easy go,” Robyn replied with a
smile.

“You know, if Reading get another goal, we’re done
for, don’t you?” Grant remarked as Robyn gnawed at her fingers.

“Thanks for that Grant, what d’you want me to do? Sub
myself on?” Robyn asked.

“I’m just saying; don’t be disheartened if we leak a
goal now. We’re under constant attack.”

“I am well aware of that.”

“You’ve done a good job picking their chins up off
the floor, you know. They all really want to play for this team
now, the camaraderie is returning—that’s because of you,” Grant
told her.

“That’s all they needed. Success is eighty percent
belief, don’t you know,” Robyn replied.

On the ice, Brad picked up the puck, dodged past one
player, and laid the ball off to Henrik. Henrik picked it up but
was immediately slammed into the boards by the Reading enforcer.
The puck slipped free and Cole caught it with his stick and turned.
He looked up, shrugged off a tackle from a Reading defender, drew
back his stick, and hit the puck toward goal.

The goaltender went down on his knees, the puck flew
past him into the top of the net, and the light lit up—Goal!

Robyn let out an ear splitting scream, throwing her
hands in the air and punching it in delight. Cole was mobbed by his
team and Grant was almost on the ice, jigging up and down and
yelling while the referee was surrounded by Reading players
demanding the goal be disallowed.

Two minutes later, time was up and the Panthers had
won. It was unbelievable, no one had thought victory was achievable
but they had done it.

The Portage crowd seemed more satisfied than they had
been in months and excited about the games to come.

“I can’t believe we won, I mean, Hell!” Mickey
exclaimed loudly.

He then threw his head back and howled like a
wolf.

“Jeez man! You have to stop doing that, it freaks me
out!” Wes said as they all began to strip off their kit and get
into the showers.

“He’s done it since we were kids,” Robyn informed
them from the corner of the room where she was sorting out the
water bottles.

“Is that traditional celebration noise?” Henrik
asked, pulling down his jockstrap and getting under the water.