Page 22 of Charm on the Rocks

Chapter 10

The memorialfor Ken Brown went beautifully. The walls of the first floor of the Sea Side were filled with signatures and messages to the owner and manager of the Gulls. Staff were waiting by every entrance of the 200 section, armed with Sharpies so anyone could sign the walls. There was a speech given by Seraphina and Katella that commemorated him as a person - as a hockey coach back in Ohio, as an owner and manager of the Gulls', why he started the team, how he never played hockey but loved the sport, and finally, as a grandfather. They ran over but no one dared stopped them. Even though Ken never played hockey, they retired the number twelve in honor of his birthdate.

What was probably most surprising was that Brandon Thorpe prepared a speech as well. As suspect of Ken's murder and the recipient of showers of boos during every game following and as the man slaughtered in the media for asking for more money for playing with the Gulls' despite not making playoffs, no one expected Thorpe to say anything. In fact, as Madison watched from her position at the zamboni entrance, she was surprised any player would say something. More than that, she figured the player that would make the most sense to write a speech wouldn't be Brandon, it would have been Matt, Katella's boyfriend.

"Good evening," Brandon said into the microphone. He looked out at the crowd, his pale green eyes not afraid to meet his criticizers. His voice was low and tainted with a light Canadian accent. Half the team was Canadian, while a quarter was American and a quarter was Swedish. "I'm here to speak on behalf of the Gulls' organization - the team, the coaching staff, everyone. I wasn't forced to do this because I'm captain, I wanted to speak because I think most of you assume I didn't like Ken or he didn't like me. That couldn't be further from the truth.

"Ken took a chance on me when I thought my career was over. He made a ridiculous trade in order to acquire me and I've never played better than when I'm in a Gulls' sweater. I know there are a lot of rumors that said I wanted more money and that I was thinking of leaving the team. I wanted to tell you directly that those rumors were true. I asked for more money and was considering my options. This speech isn't a chance to justify my behavior or even explain it. I want you to know that I regret how I handled the situation. I came off as arrogant and flighty but I want to let you know that my loyalty to Ken, his granddaughters, and this team, is unwavering.

"Ken was one of those guys who was older than he acted. I swear, whenever we warm up before a home game, kicking a soccer ball around or playing jacket sack, he would jump in and hold his own. He read constantly and was always talking to Henry about the latest book or an old john Wayne movie. He was a direct man, one you couldn't help but respect. He was admired by all, respected my many, but the only two people he cared about in the world were his granddaughters, Seraphina and Katella. He loved hockey, but he loved them more. We, as a team, are lucky that they have decided to keep the team in the family. We are lucky to have a GM and owner who has the passion the team needs to fuel her increasing expansion of knowledge about the sport. And finally, we are lucky that she has faith in every single one of us, even when we don't have faith in ourselves.

"I know you and I have had a rocky start to this season," he continued. "Though I don't agree with how you handled it, I respect and even understand why you felt that way. I hope from this point forward I won't let you, Ken, or Katella and Seraphina down. Thank you."

He stepped back and the audience proceeded to applause.

At that point, Henry stepped forward, which caused Madison to furrow her brow. Brandon's speech was already a surprise but even that was suppose to have represented the team and the organization as a whole. What could Henry possibly say that Brandon hadn't.

And then he said it: after this season, he was planning on retiring.

He went on to say that this team had been his primary the past five years, that Ken had been his best friend and confidant for even longer, but that this had taught him that he needed to focus on his family and his wife should be his best friend. He only had so many years left, and while he didn't regret his time with the Gulls', this would be his last one.

Henry's speech garnered thunderous applause. At that point, the game was about to start, the national anthem started, and the focus shifted from commemorating Ken to winning this game. The referee dropped the puck, the whistle blew, and Madison's heart jumped in her throat. She was starting to get too invested in this team, in their games, where even watching them play caused her blood pressure to rise. It wasn't even that she was nervous about scraping up the ice or being caught by her parents on television; she just wanted the Gulls' to win.

The game was intense and fast-paced. The Gulls' played as though they were fighting for a spot in the playoffs. It was as though they felt that they needed to win this game for Ken.

If that was their intention, they came through for Ken and his granddaughters by winning. Madison flew across the ice as she cleaned it during the quick commercial breaks. As a Gulls' Girl, she was required to smile as she skated. Typically, she would have to force it but not tonight. There was something in the air about tonight, a certain electricity that touched the air, made it tingle, made it crackle. Her smile was big, wrinkling her eyes and beaming through her entire face. The team played as a cohesive unit; it was hard not to watch them. In fact, Amanda had to push Madison out on the ice during the first break because she had been taken by the play that she had forgotten she had her own role to play during the game.

When the game was over, the Gulls' won by a point - three to two. The defense collapsed during the third period and Thorpe let in two goals he couldn't have stopped. Matt Peterson made a lazy play, reaching for the puck rather than skating and one of the defenseman covered a Star when he should have covered his man.

Ken Brown was awarded the first star and both Katella and Seraphina were presented with a stick as a way to commemorate him by Brandon Thorpe himself. Madison might have been imagining things, but she thought she saw his fingers linger a beat too long as he gave Seraphina the stick. Not that Seraphina minded. She had a cool look of appreciative passiveness on her face but there was something in her eyes, something that shined only when he was around. They had a thing for each other, she realized, but they had to keep things professional.

That sucked.

After the game, Seraphina and Katella invited everyone associated with the Gulls' organization to a party that celebrated their home opener, their win over cross-town rivals, and to celebrate Ken brown one last time. Amanda all but insisted Madison was required to make an appearance so after changing into her street clothes, Madison allowed her friend to lead her to the club level of the Ice Palace where loud music was thumping away and tons of people were already there. Madison felt her entire body start to thrum with excitement and her lips curled up into another smile. She might have only been wearing a long-sleeves shirt and skinny jeans, but she felt like she belonged.

It wasn't long before Amanda pulled her onto the half-filled dance floor. The lights were low so no one could easily discern dance partners, which meant Gulls' Girls could associate with players without being caught.

"Hey." Amanda had to shout over the music. "Is that Katella and Matt Peters? They look like they're fighting."

Madison pressed her brows together and glanced to where Amanda pointed. She was right. Katella and Matt were in an adjacent room with closed windows. It looked like a small office, probably for any club members to go to in case they needed to discuss their ticket plan with a team member of the organization. The door was closed but it appeared as though they didn't realize they were still visible to those who happened to look towards them.

Katella had her arms crossed over her chest and tears in her eyes that had yet to fall. She was glaring at Matt, still in his simple white t-shirt and black skinny jeans. His arms were sleeves with a variety of tattoos and his black hair was combed back. He was big and bulky, filled with muscle, but his face was gentle, the kind of face you could trust. If Madison was being honest, he reminded her of a hipster, but a handsome one, and one that had nothing to prove and didn't have to try so hard. Though she couldn't see his face, it was hard for Madison to picture Matt as angry unless he was on the ice, especially with Katella. She had always thought they were the definition of relationship goals.

"All couples fight, Amanda," Madison said, tearing her eyes away from Katella and Matt in order to focus on the dance floor. "I'm sure it means nothing."

Amanda opened her mouth to argue but shut it. "You're right," she said. "Let's forget about everything and just dance."

--

Madison wasn't sure how long she had been on the dance floor, but it didn't matter. She loved dancing, even though she wasn't very good at it. She was having more fun than she originally anticipated. When she had first gotten here, she had been looking for Alec but hadn't found him. She found that that was okay. She would have fun by herself if she had to.

Until the part where Alec gently grabbed her wrist from behind, spinning her around so he could lock eyes with her. "Dance with me?" he asked, a small grin on his face.

She should say no. She should tell him that this was most definitely not the time or the place, not when anyone could see them. Not when eyes were everywhere.

But the way he was looking at her caused her body to do things that she didn't think was possible. And the dance floor was dark and filled with nameless faces. She and Alec would be just another shadowed face on the dance floor.

Nobody had to know.

So Madison nodded. She turned around and let him place his hands on her hips, drawing her back to him so her back hit his chest. He rested his chin on her shoulder and flattened his palms, pressing them down on her flat stomach. She was wrapped up in his ocean-like scent, the feel of his rough hands on her soft skin, the way his body felt warm against hers. She could get lost in the music, lost in the moment. He felt so good, right, and the way he held onto her, like he would kill anyone who tried to take her away, made her body so more things she couldn't explain.

When she excused herself to go to the restroom, Alec insisted on walking her there himself and waiting outside the door. Madison headed into the stall and pulled out her phone just to make sure she hadn't received any emergency calls.

There was a text. From her sister.

Madison, Dad saw you on TV. He knows.