Legal Page
Title Page
Book Description
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgement
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
New Excerpt
About the Author
Publisher Page
Crashing the Net
ISBN # 978-1-78651-102-7
©Copyright Cheyenne Meadows 2016
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright November 2016
Edited by Ann Leveille
Totally Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2016 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN
Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 2.
CRASHING THE NET
Breaking barriers on the ice is just the start for a woman who craves so much more.
Ranger Deacon can’t believe his team’s bad luck. First their season falls into a steep slump, then their number one goalie goes down with a knee injury. Morale is in the pits and the coach springs one outrageous development on them—a woman will be joining the team to finish out the remainder of the games. He’s skeptical until he sees her play and loses a piece of his jaded heart in the process.
Piper Darrow is a hockey prodigy, a goalie at the top of her game in the women’s league. She’s just finished a stellar year when the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself—becoming the first woman to play in the men’s professional league. Plenty of obstacles stand in Piper’s way, including acceptance from the fans, the players and even her own teammates. That, along with some hard hits from opponents, she can handle. It’s the fierce desire she feels for Ranger that throws her for a loop.
Playing a male-dominated sport is difficult enough without the additional challenge of falling for the captain of the team. Piper knows the score, is determined to get the job done, but can’t help but wonder if there’s more to Ranger than excellence on the ice.
Dedication
For Edward, who is always encouraging, helpful, and insightful. Without you I’d still be stuck at the beginning of most stories.
For my parents and my sister, who are my biggest fans. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did writing it.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Olympics: Comité International Olympique association
The Gong Show: Chuck Barris Productions, Inc.
Gatorade: Stokley-Van Camp, In.
Zamboni: Frank J. Zamboni & Company, Inc.
Rocky: United Artists
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi Alliance Corporation
Band-Aid: Johnson & Johnson Corporation
Cheshire cat: Lewis Carroll
GQ: Advance Magazine Publishers Inc
Teflon: E.I. DuPond de Nemours and Company
Snow White: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
iPod: Apple, Inc.
Sleeping Beauty: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Energizer Bunny: Energizer Brands LLC
Bow Chicka Wow Wow: Mike Posner, Bruno Mars, Phillip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Christopher Steven Brown
Prologue
“Piper. Hold up a second.”
Piper Darrow swung around to find the team’s owner, Rob Stearns, approaching from down the hall. She’d just finished the championship game, cleaned up and left the locker room on her way to meet the other ladies at their favorite watering hole to celebrate.
She watched him come near with leeriness, unsure what he could want with her. After all, he’d received the prize trophy not an hour earlier, surrounded by the whole team.
Rob came to a stop, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. “I have a proposition for you.”
Heard that before. Men are jerks sometimes. Still, the idea that Rob might hit on her fell flat. The man wore a nice wedding ring. He also held a high status and powerful reputation in the hockey world. The last thing she’d expect would be for him to throw all that away. “Such as?”
He stuck his hands in the pockets of his black slacks. “As you’ve probably heard, Gunderson blew out his knee and is done for the season.”
Piper nodded.
The news had flown through the hockey world. One of the best goalies in the sport had torn some knee ligaments and had been scheduled for surgery. His recovery would take months. The resulting absence would hamstring the rest of the team, the Denver Wolfpack. Their season had proved lackluster thus far. This last blow could sink them deeper into the loss category. Rumors already abounded that the players were frustrated and discouraged. The head coach, Tommy Smith, seemed to be at a loss on how to fix the mess and waiting for the ax to drop. Not a good state of mind for a team to be in, especially near the end of the season.
Rob studied her for a long moment. “Your season with the Bobcats is over. There isn’t any conflict of interest.”
“I’m not following.” Piper frowned, completely bumfuzzled at where Rob might be going with this.
“To make this short, I need a goalie.”
The picture began to clear in Piper’s head. “You have Rayovic.”
Rob shook his head. “He’s a rookie. Just had a few starts. He’s not ready to assume the starter role.”
“Trade?”
“In February? For a top-level goalie? Keep wishing.” Rob sighed. “Look, I know this is a bit unconventional, but I’d like you to take Gunderson’s spot.”
Piper blinked at the man. “You want me to play with a men’s hockey team as a lead goalie? For the rest of the season?”
“Yes.”
As the owner of both teams, Rob had the power to hire anyone he wanted. Including a woman to play on the men’s team. A definite rarity, too. Most owners focused on a single team. As far as she knew, Rob was the only owner who’d ventured into the women’s game and picked up another team. Same city. The teams just differed in names and the gender of the players. Either way, he held her contract in his keeping and was her boss, season over or not.
She blinked at him. “Is that even legal?”
“There’s no rules against women playing in the men’s league. I already checked. Had the legal rep run over things. He gave me a thumbs up. No, it’s not been done before, but that’s not to say it won’t work out. Just think of the splash you can make.” He offered up a lopsided grin.
Well, that’s something. Piper ran through possible chinks in the plan, coming up with a blank slate. It just couldn’t be that easy. Or could it?
Rob glanced away then turned his focus back to her. “You’re the best in the women’s league. Men’s hockey isn’t that much different.”
Piper snorted. “Just that they’re bigger, faster, love to slam bodies together on hard checks and actually are allowed to fight it out when tempers flare.” The sport, unlike many others, did have some differences. Most notably, the hard checking, sending opposing players crashing into the boards. As a rule, goalies were protected from this. That didn’t mean goalies didn’t receive their fair share of stick whapping, shoving and being knocked down in the crease when the puck rebounded.
“You’ve been there before. Nothing new.”
“Yeah, but that was in college. This is the pros.” Piper chewed her bottom lip uncertainly. The fact that he was asking fluffed her ego. Not to mention the lure of being the first woman to play professional men’s hockey compelled her to agree.
“I’m not expecting miracles. We’re in a slump. A big one. Times are hard and the men need a shake-up to spark the team. I’m betting on you.”
Piper frowned. “You do know some of the guys will resent me, right?” She’d played with enough men over her entire life to understand some of them believed women had no place on the ice. She bristled at their attitudes and worked that much harder to prove them wrong.
Rob shrugged. “They don’t have a say in the matter. We need a goalie. Now. You’re available and one hell of a player.” He paused a second. “You’re just what we need to save our season. What do you say?”
Piper peered down at her shoes and considered the options. Go to the party, celebrate a brief moment in time, then return to work the next day. Or she could take a leap of faith, jump in with both feet, and be the first girl to play with the big boys. Her heart sped at the challenge.
First things first. “Are you going to make it worth my time?”
“Of course.” He grinned as if in victory.
“I want equal pay, equal benefits. Hell, I want the same everything as you gave Gunderson.”
Rob narrowed his eyes. “You don’t have his experience or his reputation.”
“No, I don’t. I have more.” She grinned wolfishly and waved her hand. “That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.” She adjusted the strap of her duffel bag on her shoulder, pivoted and started toward the exit.
“Show up tomorrow morning with your lawyer. We’ll iron out the details.”
Piper bit back a proud grin. “Will do.” She waved at Rob and walked off, still concealing the surge of excitement that made her want to jump up and down. Tomorrow would be soon enough to let that out. As soon as the ink dried.
By mid-week, I’ll be on the ice with the best of the best. They won’t know what’s coming.
With a happy chuckle, she left the building.
Chapter One
“What the hell are you talking about?” Ranger Deacon, the captain of the Denver Wolfpack, voiced the question probably every man in the room had on their mind.
“Piper Darrow is taking Gunderson’s place. She’ll be the number one goalie for the rest of the year.”
“Holy shit,” one of the guys in the corner muttered.
“We must be pretty damn awful to have to invite women to play with us,” Adam Lancaster, seated behind Ranger, hollered out.
“Who came up with that fucking awful idea?” another asked.
A chorus followed, voices filled with exasperation.
Tommy Smith, the head coach, held up his hands. “It’s a done deal. No use in getting all pissed off when we have to fill that crucial position. Besides, she’s one hell of a goaltender.”
“Let Rayovic play,” Des Croft, one of the second line players, tossed out.
Smith pinned the guy with a firm stare. “I am letting Rayovic play. But he can’t be expected to play every minute of every game for the next thirty games.” His voice rose and turned hard as steel. “You know as well as I do one goalie can’t do it all.”
Ranger glanced across the room, noting the confusion and frustration painted on the guys’ faces. They’d had a tough year thus far. The loss of their goalie had nearly proved to be the final nail in the coffin containing the men’s morale. He knew many of them had voiced concerns, even whispering about finding a new home for the next season. As much as he hated to break up a team who’d previously gotten along so well, Ranger understood their sentiment. He couldn’t claim to be happy right now either.
But a woman?
He pulled up what he knew about Piper Darrow. Certainly, the last name rang clear as a bell. Her Canadian father had been one of the game’s best scorers in the almost twenty years that he’d played. Big, fierce, he had a talent for attacking the goal, combined with stamina, durability and a hell of a backhand shot. The name alone invoked reverence and legendary awe. At least to Ranger.
He’d seen Piper play a couple of times. Quick of hand. Fearless. She defended her goal like a momma grizzly defended her cubs.
Still, she wasn’t big or bulky. The nature of the women’s game protected her smaller frame from hard collisions commonly found with men. She’d have to be one tough woman to hold up physically for the rest of the season. As a goalie, she had a shot. As a forward, like her father, she’d be likely be out before the week was done from teeth-jarring checks meant to crush her against the boards.
Uncertainly flared. Again.
“She just won the women’s league championship and was named MVP,” Tommy added.
“Whoopee.” Anthony Hillman twirled his finger in the air.
“Big fucking deal,” Riley Dickenson snarled.
Ranger swung around to glare at Dickenson for that comment. “I don’t care what sport or what gender plays that sport, being the best there is demands respect.”
“The decision is final. So if anyone still has an issue, there’s the door.” Tommy bit out every word and pointed toward the exit. He would have made a drill sergeant proud.
Murmurs answered.
Sometimes being captain sucks.
Ranger stood up and moved to the front of the meeting room. “It boils down to this. We have to have a goalie. As hard as Rayovic tries, he can’t do it all.” Ranger nodded toward the young rookie, who dipped his head in acknowledgement.
Time to think outside the box and get this motley crew on board. “Think of it this way, you all know who her father is, right?”
A chorus of “yeah” followed.
“Well, who do you think she faced all those years in practice?”
A few laughed. Others began to smile.
“If nothing else, it should prove to be an interesting rest of the season.” Tommy grinned encouragingly.
The men agreed. Ranger eyed each one, saw the various reactions, and knew Piper faced a formidable challenge before even meeting their first opponent. She had to earn these men’s trust and belief. Hard enough for any new player. Let alone for one who started with predisposed attitudes against them. He had no doubt most men would consider her gender a handicap.
“Get geared up. Practice starts in fifteen.” Tommy waved them toward the door. “No cheap shots. The first man who lays a hand on our new goalie will answer to me.”
The stern tone told Ranger all he needed to know. The head coach already saw Piper as a daughter figure. To cross him would earn his wrath.
Good. That just might keep Piper standing after today’s practice.
Heaven knew she needed all the help she could get.
A few minutes later, Ranger ambled up to the ice, his eyes drawn to the woman with the long blonde hair streaming behind her as she zipped from end to end, chasing a puck with decent skill. She ducked, dodged and finally flipped the puck on edge, pulled back her stick, and let loose. The wobbly shot hit the upper right corner of the net.
“She’s the goalie?” Rocky, the left winger on Ranger’s line, asked.
“Looks like more of a forward to me,” Sven, his linemate and the right winger, pointed out.
Ranger watched the gliding motions, the power contained in a small body. As he stared at her, she stopped on a dime, lifted her chin and turned to face the lot of them. He caught a glimpse of narrowed deep blue eyes, a short sigh and a furrowing of her forehead. Defensive mechanisms if ever he’d seen any. She stood up straight, then rested her hands on the stick before looking back at the guys. Her body language spoke of irritation from having her playtime interrupted along with bracing herself for the impact of dealing with twenty men, all new to the idea of playing with a woman. On the ice. Ranger had no doubt the guys had spent many hours playing with a woman in bed. Including himself.
She checked them all out, sizing them up. As a group or individually, he didn’t know. The second her focus landed on him, his breath caught as an electric zing carried through his body. Intelligence showed in her features, along with classic beauty tempered by fitness and strength.
Interest piqued, he skated out on the ice toward her. “You must be Piper.”
“Yep.” She tilted her head and raked him from top to bottom and back again. Cautious appreciation flared in her eyes. “You must be Ranger.” She pointed at the big C on his jersey.
“That’s me.” He noted the others closing around them.
“She’s not dressed for practice,” Hillman, another forward pointed out.
Piper cut him a glare. “First of all, I was told practice started at three. It’s only two-fifteen now. Plenty of time to put the pads on. Secondly, since I don’t have a Wolfpack jersey, the best you’re gonna get is my Bobcats one until someone provides me with a uniform.” She shifted her gaze to Tommy.
“The order’s in already.” He offered up a small smile. “Since that’s taken care of, do you think you can get into gear so we can get to work?”
Piper grinned at him and saluted. “Yes, sir.” She kicked the puck at her feet into motion. In a flash, she flew to the other net, spun and fired.
Another strike.
“Damn.” Ranger couldn’t take his eyes off her. Beauty. Talent. All with a fiery attitude. Impressed, he found himself staring at his new teammate with avid interest and more than a hint of desire.
“Shit, she’s good,” Adam remarked.
“Don’t start handing out line places yet, Adam.” Anthony rubbed his forehead. “Scoring is easy when there’s no one in your way.”
Ranger had played hockey most of his life, starting on the frozen ponds of Minnesota as a small child. He’d seen a girl occasionally play with the boys during pickup games, but never one in organized play. He didn’t doubt Piper had plenty of skills. What he did question was whether she could be the answer they needed and hold up under the pressure of the big leagues.
Time will tell.
* * * *
Piper watched one of the forwards approach, pass the puck off to another guy, then swing his stick as it sailed back to him on the ice. Instinctively, she did the splits, preventing it from sliding under her and across the goal line. Her glove came down fast, covering the puck before anyone could smack at it on a rebound try.
The whistle blew. None too soon, as the two huge men crowded her space just in front of the net.
Tommy skated over. “Nice save.”
“Thanks.” Piper regained her feet and tossed the puck back out and into play. She’d spent the past hour fending off pucks sailing her direction. None of them had gotten by. A pretty snazzy showing, if she said so herself. Of course, she’d carry a few marks tomorrow morning for her efforts. She’d thought some of the women had powerful line drives. The men had them beat easily. One puck to her chest had stolen her breath and nearly put her down for a good couple of minutes. Sheer pride and determination had forced her back to her feet as if nothing had happened. Good thing she had years of practice with that particular move. Her father had taught her toughness above all else.
Gunther Darrow, her father, could be considered a hockey legend. He’d taken her to the rink with him one day while her mother was away. Piper had been six at the time. He’d strapped hockey skates to her feet as well as those of her brother, Darius, and let them loose. Piper had never once looked back. The ice offered her more than a chance at playtime and exercise. It gave her an outlet.
“Change lines.” Tommy waited a beat before tossing the puck toward the middle of the ice.
Piper resumed her butterfly position, her focus completely on the small piece of black rubber zipping across the ice. As the other team brought it over the blue line, a tall, solidly built man took up position three inches from her crease, the blue area directly in front of the net. She craned her neck, shifted back and forth, and struggled to keep her eye on the puck with such a big man right in her way. Tempted to give him a shove, she maintained her composure instead, knowing she’d face this situation over and over again in the near future. Screens weren’t limited to the men’s game. Women had also developed the practice. Although none were built like the moose presently blocking her view. She’d seen enough of that from peewee games all through college. With no women’s leagues at that time except for the professional level, she’d had no choice but to play with the boys. Hadn’t bothered her. She had still kicked their butts at every given opportunity.
“Hey, Moose. You might have one fine ass, but I really don’t need a bird’s-eye view, all the same. So move it.”
Ranger turned around and flashed a quirky grin.
She poked him with her stick while keeping a close eye on the puck. A player took it down the middle, then cut across near the face-off circle. He pulled back, then lined up for a shot.
The slash of a hockey stick caught her across the shoulder, the force spinning her around. She maintained her balance, found the puck in her peripheral vision, and grabbed it with her glove at the last second.
After a moment to suck in air, she dropped it in front of her and stared back at the men gaping in her direction.
Aha. There it is. The look of amazement and shock she’d been waiting to see since the rest of the team had stepped on the ice that afternoon.
Hiding a smile, she used her stick to nudge the puck back toward the tall man with black hair and green eyes. Ranger. Ranger Deacon. The team’s captain and one of the best power forwards in the league. Built like a true position guy, Ranger towered over her and could easily outweigh her twice. Just now in his prime, he’d played with the team for a couple of years after doing his time in the minors. Skill, talent and plain old hard work had carried him to the pros and landed him a spot on the team. Attitude, people skills and leadership had netted him the captain position as well.
Rumor had it he didn’t take crap off anyone. Normally laid-back, he was slow to rile, but once there, he made sure his opponent never trod down the same path again. Big and strong, the guy could generate speed as well as send another player flying when checked.
Piper liked that in a man.
Too bad most of the guys carried a chip on their shoulder and attitudes that belonged in the caveman days. Just another reason she didn’t date hockey players. Hell, lately she hadn’t dated anyone, athlete or not. She’d lost interest after finding too many toads and none that turned into a prince with a mere kiss.
The couple of men that she had dated hadn’t ended up working out, either. Mostly, they’d had sex on their minds. Typical for guys that age, she figured, especially athletes who lacked shyness and had primed bodies to show off. The difference between men and women. Intimacy ranked low on her totem pole behind companionship, friendship and romance. A traumatic childhood had made trust difficult, pushing that level of closeness way down the line. Only time, familiarity and love could motivate her to sleep with a man. Her beaus, on the other hand, had made it known that getting hot and heavy in the sack hovered around the top of their list of goals. At an impasse, they had each gone their separate ways. Since she refused to be a trophy put on display, she’d turned her interests to other, more meaningful activities. Until a man wanted her for her, she wouldn’t bother to give them more than a fleeting look.
When and if that happened, she’d reconsider her take on men. In the meantime, she focused on making a place in the world for herself and trying to do a bit of good along the way.
“Penalty shots, then we’ll call it a day,” Tommy hollered from the nearest blue line. He moved to the edge of the rink and watched them all with a critical eye.
Piper perked up. Time to shine.
She banged her stick on the side bars and resumed her stance. The past couple of days she’d spent hours watching video on these guys, in preparation for this very moment. She’d learned their preferences, their tendencies. All that studying would pay off. It always did.
Skater after skater approached her with speed, snaking their way toward her before taking their shot. She rejected each one in turn. Until Rocky flew past her, caught her going low, and shot a nice top-shelf laser that streaked by her before she could do more than blink.
He waved his stick in celebration.
She flipped up her goalie mask and smiled at the team’s leading scorer. Since creating masks took time and precision, she’d kept her old one. While the bobcat painted on the side might not match up well with a wolf for a mascot, she didn’t really care. As long as it fit well and worked, she would hang onto it. “Good shot. Guess that’s why you’re the sniper on the team.”
“Yeah. You could say that.” He grinned at her before tipping his head. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
She accepted the compliment with a quick grin.
“Nice job.” Rayovic skated to a stop in front of her. “You’ve sure got the fast glove.”
“Thanks. You’ve got some guts standing there with the whole team crashing the net.”
Rayovic smiled proudly. “That happened a lot on the ice when I was a kid.” His Czech accent came through well, though his words weren’t hard to understand, testament to his time and practice speaking English.
“You’ve got a bright future.” She sobered. “I’m sorry it had to happen like this. I feel like you’ve been given the stick.”
Surprisingly, Rayovic offered up a sly grin. “It is okay. I’m not one of those men who have a problem with women playing the game. You play great and the team needs someone like you.”
“Thank you.” Piper smiled softly. “How do you say thank you in Czech?”
“Děkuju.”
“Děkuju.” She stumbled over the word the first time, earning a chuckle from the other goalie. “Děkuju.” Her second try earned her a nod of approval.
“With your size you have to focus more. If the other team realizes this weakness, they’ll take advantage big time.”
Piper’s grin faded with the heavily accented words. “Stanza. I was wondering when you’d appear.” The old Swede had written the record books on goaltending back in his day. He’d turned coach a couple of decades ago and passed his nuggets of advice to his players. More like beat it into their heads. Stanza believed in a hardline approach and in-your-face challenges rather than praise and uplifting inspiration.
He snorted and skated closer. “You want to play men’s game, you have to think like a man.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “That might be a problem. I’m not one to ogle boobs and think with a dick that I don’t happen to have. Guess that leaves out scratching the balls as well.”
Rayovic laughed openly.
Stanza stared at her for a long moment before his lips twitched. “You’re going to be difficult.”
“Who? Me? Difficult?” She shrugged. “I’m not the one trying to turn me into a man.”
Stanza’s lips curled up into a reluctant grin. “Point taken. Now, we still have some work to do.”
Piper caught a glimpse of the rest of the team leaving the ice for the day. She had a momentary longing before shaking it off. The ice had become her home away from home years before. With a non-existent social life and the decided lack of hobbies, she had nothing waiting for her at the house anyway.
“When you see the shooter coming…” Stanza rattled on.
She tuned into him completely, needing to get her head on straight before the first game, when she faced opposition in the form of a rival team. Filled with men. Who probably didn’t want a woman invading their territory.
The story of my life.
Chapter Two
Piper took to the ice. Ranger had led the rest of the team out first. She followed at the back of the pack, a little hesitant and unsure of what her reception might be. A chorus of cheers mixed with catcalls and wolf whistles answered her question. A mixed bag. Better than she’d feared. Worse than she’d hoped. Despite being at the home rink, she obviously had several naysayers to silence.
Ignoring the crowd, she made her way to the net, securing her water bottle in the holder at the top. Task complete, she started her normal stretching routine by sitting on the ice and spreading her legs wide. Satisfied, she lifted up marginally before dropping into a side-to-side split, which lowered her pelvis all the way to the ice.
“Damn,” Sven, one of the forwards, said with a Swedish accent.
“Holy shit,” Keith, the third line winger, uttered loudly enough for her to hear.
“Guess that takes the five hole away today.” The five hole was a slang term for the space between a goalie’s legs where many pucks slid past and scored.
Piper had heard all the same comments before, although not from her own team, and not for several years. In college, when she’d last officially played with men, she’d been the recipient of accolades and boos, hate and awe. The price a lady paid for daring to enter a man’s domain.
“She’s too small. How in the hell is she going to see past a screen?” Sven asked.
“Same way I did when we played the Soviets in the Olympics,” she answered. “Those ladies were stout,” she added with a bit of humor.
Sven Karlsson, the right winger, shook his head, spouted something off in a language she didn’t recognize and skated away.
Keith stared at her for another second before following.
Not taking offense, Piper finished her stretching and returned to her feet as the official called the two teams over to center ice.
Piper puffed out air, focused on the puck and centered herself.
It’s now or never.
The small bout of nerves she suffered quickly disappeared at the first face-off. The Wolfpack took the puck to the far end, only for it to be stolen. On a quick break, the Silks dashed toward her, passing from the middle to the edges as they came.
She slid back and forth, staying deep in the net to keep the puck in focus. A large guy set up right in front of her, forcing her to alter her stance and edge to the right. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the guy take a shot. Managing to lift her stick in time, she blocked it, sending the puck flying to the far corner. A Silks team member collected it and sent it back into the zone. His buddy swung to meet it. Piper snared the puck in her glove, then held on tight as a player slid in, knocking her down and into the side bar of the net.
The whistle blew. She sat up and handed over the puck.
“You okay?” the referee asked.
“Yep. Just another day at the office.”
The guy smiled before skating away with the player who’d tried to run her over. He’d earned two minutes in the penalty box, giving her team a one-man advantage for that same time period.
Over and over again, the Silks attacked. Piper turned them away each time. More than once she hit the ice, being bowled over for one reason or another. Hot, sweaty and tired, she ignored the discomfort of her muscles as she fought to get to the end of the period without giving up a goal.
With a minute to go Cushing, the best scorer on the Silks team, made a breakaway. He sped her direction, setting up the puck as he came.
She focused on the man and the puck, actively moving her feet in order to prevent getting caught flat-footed.
He zipped by, hitting a sharp-angled backhand hard in her direction.
Piper dropped down into the splits, felt the puck bounce off her thigh pad, and immediately covered it lest someone snare a rebound and catch her unprepared. A strong knee smacked her in the jaw for her efforts.
She grunted, but held on.
Men started yelling, then pushing. She heard another whistle blow, got to her feet and opened her glove so the nearest ref could take control of the puck. Turning, she saw one of the Wolfpack wrapped up with a Silks player.
“You okay?” Ranger shielded her from the fight with his big body.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. Really. It would be awfully nice if you guys could knock off the boxing match so we can get this period finished, though.”
Ranger laughed. “It’s all part of the game.”
“Uh-huh.” She took advantage of the break to get a much-needed drink of water. After replacing her water bottle on top of the net, she caught her breath and prepared for the next onslaught.
The opponents kept coming. She’d give them credit for aggressiveness and hits on goal. Over and over again she faced pucks hurled her direction with speed. Each time, she managed to stop the puck, despite the shooters aiming for all parts of the net. The crossbar helped her out now and again, too. She’d thank it later, as she had more than enough to handle with the constant defensiveness they forced her into.
Come on, Wolfpack. Do something. Anything.
As if he’d heard her, Ranger took control of the puck and sent it down to Rocky, who angled across the area in front of the net. Ranger set the screen. Rocky played catch with Tomas before finding his spot and smacking the puck. The red buzzer sounded loudly in the arena, setting the spectators off into small celebrations for the score.
The play started quickly again. The Silks took possession and sprinted for her end. They hung to the perimeter before banging another shot. She got in front of it just in time. The rebound had her sliding to the left side of the net. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a guy shoot. Instinctively she lunged the opposite way, catching the puck in her glove as she skidded down on her side.
The whistle sounded again.
“Shit. What do I have to do?”
Piper ignored the disgruntled player as she handed over the puck again.
“Great save.” Riley Dickenson skated by.
“Thanks.” She lifted her mask, wiped at the dripping sweat, and took another drink of water.
All too soon, play resumed. She panted as she tried to keep up, facing endless pressure as the Silks kept the puck at her end of the ice most of the time.
Ranger checked a guy right in front of the net, stole the puck and started a pile-up. Piper kept her focus until Rocky slammed her into the side bar, knocking the net off its moorings.
He hurriedly got to his feet and reached down to help her up.
Piper glared at him. “What did you eat for breakfast? A whole buffalo?”
He snorted. “Not quite.”
“You’re damn heavy,” Piper complained as she regained her footing.
Ranger skated over and nudged him with an elbow. “Nice penalty. Maybe next time you can trip the other direction and spare our goalie?”
“Yeah, right.” Rocky skated toward the bench.
Ranger’s gaze cut through the mask and straight to Piper’s soul. She couldn’t tear herself away from those green eyes. Her heart picked up speed at the intense look.
A nearby whistle broke through the moment, putting Ranger back on the move.
Piper watched him go with interest.
* * * *
“She can’t take much more of this.” Ranger watched as yet another Silks player slammed into Piper, sending her sprawling on the ice.
The official blew his whistle and led the man responsible to the penalty box for interference.
Ranger had lost count of how many penalties the Silks had committed, mostly for going after Piper. He stood up and slapped at the wall in front of him. Anger and annoyance threatened to spill over. “This is one hell of a Gong Show.” The hockey term was used to describe a game with lots of penalties and fights. Normally it meant lots of scoring too, but Piper had blanked the Silks so far.
“She’s playing like she has something to prove.”
Ranger spared Axel, one of the defensemen, a glance. “She does. She’s showing that women have a place, even in the pros.”
“Still not sure I believe it.” Axel took in some water.
“Square up, Piper.”
The man’s voice came from behind the bench. Ranger turned to find Gunther hollering at his daughter.
“Stand your ground,” the woman beside Gunther yelled. “Make them earn it.”
Her mother. Had to be.
Ranger took a second to study the couple. Both had dark hair and strong frames. Gunther had always been huge, but Piper’s mother didn’t appear to be a petite woman, either. Not anywhere near fat, the woman reminded him of a professional sprinter—muscular and strong. Oddly enough, Piper didn’t resemble either parent.
Before Ranger could consider the fact further, the buzzer honked, signifying the end of the second period. Men stepped away from their bench and back to the locker room. Piper brought up the rear, having just skated in off the ice.
He took a second to look her over, finding her sound and seemingly unfazed by the lowball tactics used by the other team. “Way to hang in out there.” He would have tapped her rear, but convention told him she might slap his face for doing so.
She removed her mask and spared him a small smile. “Thanks.”
Sweat poured from her forehead, causing strands of her hair to stick to her face. Her eyes twinkled and her steps appeared sure.
“You’re loving this.” The words slipped out before he could bite them back.
“Oh, yeah. Every time one of those goons thinks he’s going to look like a real man by showing me why women don’t play in this league, you guys get another power play to hurt them where it counts the most.” She smiled as she gestured toward the scoreboard.
Ranger shook his head. He’d give her credit for bravery and steadfastness.
The shock came when he realized that she enjoyed the roughness of the game. All those hits seemed to have wound her up rather than beat her down. Still, she’d carry her fair share of aches, pains and bruises by the next day. Probably more so than one of the hotshot forwards who had no problems sacrificing their bodies for the good of the team.
Water bottles were passed around, as well as cups of Gatorade and juice, as the guys filed in and took seats in front of the lockers.
Tommy stood at the front of the room, a serious expression on his face. Ranger noted the older man studying Piper with professional intensity. He was sizing her up. Seeing how much more she could take.
From his recent experience, Ranger would say a hell of a lot more.
She grabbed a towel and wiped the perspiration off her face.
Ranger did the same, slugged some juice and plopped down in order to listen to directions Tommy was sure to put out.
“We’ve got to be more aggressive. Stop playing in our own end. Piper is getting it done, but she needs some help.” Tommy drew on the dry-erase board. “We’re getting knocked off the puck at this point. If we attack here, and keep the puck on the move, we limit some of the losses.”
“And increase the hits.”
Ranger glanced over at Tomas. As big as the guy was, he could handle a few checks.
“We have to take the hits to them. We’re being too passive. Too hesitant. Quit sitting back and passing when a shot opportunity arises.”
Tommy went on. Ranger returned his gaze to Piper.
She drank thirstily, used the towel again, then blew out a breath. He wondered how this game compared to her experiences, either playing with the guys in her earlier years or with the women’s professional league. Certainly she’d seen some tough competition, especially in the Olympics.
His gut told him she’d endured more hits in the first two periods than she’d received in two whole games playing against women. Bravely, she battled on. Even her male counterparts rarely received as much jostling and as many bumps as she had. Obviously she knew they were out to prove a point to her. Yet she stood her ground.
Respect for her grew.
Idly, he scanned the room, finding several of the players checking out their newest goalie. Curiosity and admiration prevailed in some of their expressions. A nice change from the animosity of the meeting where they’d learned about her joining the team. A handful remained stoic or critical. Ranger knew they’d come around, once they saw Piper was the real deal.
Piper turned to face the other direction. He noted a slowly forming bruise on her cheek. Probably the result of that bastard kneeing her in the head.
Anger rose. Ranger shoved it down, knowing it did nothing for his play except cause an unneeded distraction. Cool heads prevailed.
Oddly enough, protective instincts rushed to the fore. While he’d feel the same way if one of the guys had suffered the same bullying, he felt doubly so since Piper was a woman. Considering the fact that women weren’t on his good list right now, that said something.
To borrow Piper’s words, the way to hurt them most was on the scoreboard.
He emptied another cup, tossed it into the trash and absorbed Tommy’s advice for the third period. Ranger couldn’t protect Piper from more vicious hits, but he could keep the opponent off her by maintaining the puck in the Silks’ end of the rink.
With a plan in place, he listened in, preparing to have a bit of a chat with the guys after Tommy finished. Piper was busting her ass to keep them in the lead. He wasn’t about to let her down on his end.
Nineteen minutes into the period, Ranger watched as the Silks pulled their goalie. The extra man skated hurriedly out onto the ice, taking the pass as he did so.
Ranger stood up, focusing on the game as the Wolfpack formed a protective ring around the goal. “Hold on. Just a little bit longer.”
A player shot, missed, and a scramble for the rebound caused a traffic jam in the far corner.
Seconds ticked by.
Another shot. Another rejection.
He held his breath as the Silks drove to the net for a final shot. Ping. He heard the puck bounce off the crossbar and into the corner a second before the buzzer sounded.
“Yes.” Smiling wide, he took to the ice in order to celebrate. They all lined up then made their way to Piper, congratulating her on the shutout with words and gentle taps to the shoulder.
She returned the favor, pointing out good things each of the men did and praising them for their hard work. Something most of them didn’t hear much from other players. It was a nice touch provided by Piper, paying the compliments back to the men instead of taking the credit all for herself.
His turn to compliment her came. “Nice game. I never doubted you’d pull through.”
Since she’d removed her mask right after the buzzer sounded, he could see the victorious smile that brightened up her face. “I had some help.” She wiped at the perspiration trickling down her cheek. “You’ve got one hell of a slapshot.”
“Thanks.” Ranger glanced around the stands. “I think you made an impression.”
“Good or bad?” She tilted her head.
He shrugged. “Depends on what team you’re rooting for.”
She met his eyes. “Think we set a precedent?”
“Oh, yeah. The other teams are going to be watching this game and taking notes. We’ve not seen anything yet.”
“Bring it on.” Her smile turned wolfish.
Ranger shook his head. “A chip off the old block.”
“Yep.” She gathered up her water bottle and skated for the bench.
He followed, pretty damn happy with their new goalie and the outcome of their first game. They still had a long row to hoe, but getting a few wins would improve morale in the locker room. Add in a bit of hard work and adjustment and maybe, just maybe, they could make something of the lackluster season.
It was a start. A really good one.
Chapter Three
On the way off the ice, one of the national sports reporters shoved a microphone in her face. “Piper. Great game out there.”
She decided to play nice. No sense in beaning the guy with his own microphone for simply doing his job. “Thanks.”
“I gotta ask. What differences have you noticed going from the women’s league to playing with the men?”
She shrugged. “The men.”
He snickered. “Besides that.”
“Well, I have to say the locker room doesn’t reek of flowery perfume after practice.”
People close by laughed.
She waved and continued on her way. A few unflattering comments followed, but certainly fewer than before. She tried to ignore them.
Fatigued, Piper sat on the far bench to unstrap her protective gear. Normally she’d shed her stuff in the women’s locker room. However, since the coach would be in shortly for an after-game speech, she had opted to hang out with the men, secretly hoping none of them decided to get naked right before her eyes. That would definitely be uncomfortable. Not that she didn’t appreciate a fine physique, but she had to skate with these guys for a couple more months. Seeing one without clothes ranked right up there with catching her brother coming out of the shower. Not a moment she chose to dwell on.
Hot and worn out after the long game, she reveled in the small victory. Sloppy play had allowed for a single goal for their team. Luckily, that was all they’d needed to count the win. She’d held the other team to a shutout, for which she’d received a few pats on the back and some love from the crowd. Nothing like she was accustomed to. Then again, she’d invaded the men’s domain. She couldn’t expect them to embrace her with open arms after a mere two days.
Clint, the equipment manager, took her skates from her. “How did they feel?”
She smiled at the middle-aged man who busted ass all over the place trying to keep skates perfectly sharpened, gloves dry, sticks in working order, and any other piece of equipment shiny and in good shape before, during and after games. “Great. I like the three-quarter cut best, I think.” She handed him her glove as well. “Thank you for all that you do. I know you work your rear off. I’ll try not to add to your workload.”
He flashed a contagious grin. “You’re easy to get along with. I spoke with Frank about what you liked.” Frank held the same position, only for the Bobcats hockey team. “He told me everything I needed to know. Said you were pretty laid-back about it all.”
“I try.”
Clint placed the skates at her feet and hurried off while Piper started removing her padding. As much as she’d have loved to have disappeared for some privacy, to do so would leave a bad taste in the coach’s mouth as well as irritate the rest of the team. If they had to stick around, so did she.
“What the fuck was that all about?”
Piper glimpsed rage building on Hagan’s face. The hot-headed defenseman had been primed for a fight all game. She’d seen the anger in his face before they’d taken the ice and throughout the game. What had gotten his dander up, she didn’t have a clue. Unfortunately, he’d picked a rotten time to unload. Against his teammates, in the locker room, no less.
She started making her way toward the commotion.
“What? You think you can do fucking better? I didn’t see you scoring any goals,” Keith fired back, nearly nose to nose with the bigger man.
“I’m a fucking enforcer. You’re supposed to score, prick. Not me.”
Piper saw Hagan clench his fist, noted the tension in his body, the reddening of his face. She hurried to the center of the action. “Stop it. Both of you! We’re teammates, for God’s sake.”
“I could score if you would get off your lazy ass and—”
Piper jumped in between them just in time for Hagan’s fist to connect with her jaw, sending her tumbling backward. She would have hit the floor had one of the guys not caught her.
Belatedly, she realized that Hagan had pulled the punch before he could unleash all his power. That didn’t matter. Nothing did except her gut reaction due to the locked doors flying open on her carefully buried past. Tremors shook her body as she regained her feet. Emotions boiled over and self-defense instincts launched into full gear. She lashed out, catching Hagan in the balls with a precisely aimed kick.
He went down as strong arms wrapped around her, yanking her away and refusing to budge even as she struggled.
Flashbacks raced through her mind. The beatings, the screams, the eerie silence that followed.
“Calm down, wildcat.” Ranger’s smooth voice broke through the red haze.
Piper drew in air, still unable to quell the shaking.
Get a hold of yourself, Piper. You can’t fall apart now.
She closed her eyes, forced the terrible images away and grappled for cool control.
“That’s enough!” Tommy’s yell carried through the entire room. He turned his angry gaze on her. “You, young lady.”
She swallowed and met his eyes.
“That’s a major penalty.”
“You’re sending her to the box?” one of the guys asked in amusement.
“No. Suicide sprints.”
A few of the men groaned. Others remained mute.
Piper’s shoulders fell. She hated those most of all. Proudly, she lifted her chin, slipped her skates back on, left her goalie gear on the bench and headed back to the ice.
The crowd had left, leaving only a few stragglers. Quiet had ensued where loud cheering had rung from the rafters only minutes earlier. The tranquility soothed her senses and assisted her in collecting her temper and recklessness.
She skated to the closest red line to use as a starting position and waited.
Tommy ambled back out onto the ice, minus his skates. He walked over and stared down at her, displeasure evident in every feature.