Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
There’s a firepit set up with benches and thermoses of hot chocolate. Willa and Mazzy pour mugs for us all and hand them out as we gather around the fire, basking in the warmth.
“This is perfect,” Willa says, cradling her cocoa. “I might never leave.”
Foster rests against a log, his face relaxed as he nudges Mazzy’s leg. “You’re like a kid in a candy store.”
“I can say the same about you,” Mazzy says with a shrug. “Everyone here, really.”
As the conversation flows, I notice North cough softly into his glove. It’s the second or third time I’ve heard him do it today, and I’m wondering if his flushed face is from the cold or something else.
“You all right?” I ask quietly.
“Fine,” he says, brushing it off. “Just a tickle.”
The conversation shifts to Penn, a man who’s been on everyone’s minds.
“Did anyone figure out what was up with that teddy bear yesterday?” Foster asks casually, but his eyes are sharp.
“All I know is it rattled the shit out of Penn,” North says. By the grave looks on Willa’s and Mazzy’s faces, I’m guessing they’re up to date on what happened in the locker room.
King is abnormally quiet though and North shoots him a pointed look. “What do you think? You’ve always been the one who made the consistent effort with Penn. You’ve stayed behind on more than one occasion to encourage him to come hang with us and seem to have the best rapport with the dude off the ice. Not that that’s saying much.”
His expression is troubled as he glances around at us. “I know something.”
King and North stare at him slack-jawed, clearly shocked at the revelation.
“I can’t tell you details because I promised him I wouldn’t. But let’s just say he’s got reason to be the way he is.”
“Whoa, wait a minute,” Foster says. “When did you talk to him?”
“How did you get him to talk to you is the better question?” North asks.
King nods, rubbing at his jaw. We women all watch silently. “It was after the Winnipeg game a few weeks ago.”
Foster shakes his head. “That’s the one where McLendon went after Penn.”
King nods, and I remember watching that game on TV. It was obvious that McLendon had it out for Penn from the first drop of the puck. He put two nasty hits on him, the last one causing King to jump to Penn’s defense and he knocked the shit out of McLendon in retaliation, earning them both penalties.
“Look,” King says with a sigh. “I will never tell you what Penn told me in confidence, but I got him to talk to me ironically because of the McLendon thing.”
“I don’t track,” Foster says.
“McLendon said a few things to me on the ice and I’m not violating any promises by telling you that much since anyone could have heard it. But after his first hit on Penn, I warned him to back off and he told me to keep a close eye on Penn because bad things happen to bad people.”
It’s Willa who gasps. “He said that about Penn? Called him bad?”
King nods, reaching over to squeeze Willa’s hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that part.”
“No, I get it,” she says, waving off his concern.
“And then after the second hit,” King continues, “after we got our penalties and were skating to the boxes, I asked him what his problem was. And he said that Penn deserved it and more. He said some things you don’t forgive.”
“What the fuck?” North growls incredulously. “What the hell does that even mean?”
King lets out a mirthless laugh. “I was curious myself, so I approached McLendon after the game and asked him. He refused to say anything but told me to ask Penn. So I did.”
“And he just poured everything out to you?” Foster asks skeptically. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Me too,” King admits. “But he did and he swore me to secrecy, and here we stand. I’m only telling you this much because I’m seriously concerned about the guy. That teddy bear was creepy as hell.”
“Do you think McLendon sent the bear?” I ask, hoping it’s okay for me to be part of the conversation. I am, after all, a part of this Titans family by virtue of sharing the same blood as Rafferty.
And now as… North’s girlfriend?
“I have no clue,” King says. “But that wasn’t the only incident.”
“Shit, that’s right,” North says. His eyes come to me. “Back in November, a fan threw a water bottle at Penn and called him a traitor, or something like that. We just thought it was an angry Spartans fan since he left that team high and dry when he came to Pittsburgh.”
“What in the hell could he have done to cause such enmity?” Mazzy wonders. “I know he’s sort of reclusive, but he seems like a good guy when he’s in player mode.”