I lean forward to look at him. I can’t tell if he’s serious, but if he is, maybe Jax isn’t as smart as I thought. Talk about fucking clueless. Even though Declan would never admit it, he knows about Brinley’s little crush. I guess it’s not hard to see; she doesn’t exactly hide her feelings toward him. On the other hand, Jaxon will do anything to avoid the fact that his feelings for Brinley might not be too far off from how she feels about him.
If it wasn’t for Declan, I think something would’ve happened there, but who am I to judge. I’ve had a girlfriend for months, and they have no idea. But Declan also has no right to use the“we don’t date each other’s siblings”rule because he’s doing just that by dating Ember. And he’s keeping it from Cam.
So, I guess we’re all keeping a secret of some sort.
“I don’t think I’ve been to a Hawks game since I was a kid,” Cam says. “Have you guys been to one recently?”
“I go with my dad whenever I can,” Jere replies. “He gets tickets from a friend all the time, so whenever we’re in town at thesame time as the Hawks, and it doesn't interfere with my school schedule, I’m here.”
“I honestly can’t remember the last time I was at a game,” I add. “One of the last games I remember I went to one with Jere and his dad.”
“Oh shit, I forgot about that. That was a fun game. Crazy overtime.”
I don’t remember much from the game. I remember having a great time, but it was overshadowed by coming home and finding out my mom’s cancer was back. They asked the Moores to take me out, so I got to enjoy life before having that happiness ripped away.
“Hawks games were one of the few things that got Ember out of the house when we were kids,” Cam continues, and I can see a smile tugging at Declan’s lips with just the mention of her name. “I think it was because she had a huge crush on Dylan Rhodes. Total googly eyes.” He laughs and then pauses. “Don’t tell her I told you guys that.”
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have my own crush on Dylan Rhodes,” I respond.
Dylan Rhodes was one of the first hockey players I saw that made me feel seen in the world of the NHL. I remember watching games when I was a kid and seeing mainly White players, which was fine. It didn’t stop me from wanting to learn, but it didn’t give me hope for a future in the NHL.
But then, when I was about six, they interviewed Dylan Rhodes after one of the Hawks games. It was his first post-game interview; he was twenty-two. I remember being in awe, seeing a Blackhockey player talk about how they made everything happen with all the odds against him. The following year, he became Captain.
He’s the player I’ve always admired in every aspect of the sport. And now he’s one of the older players in the league, yet he’s playing even better than he did in his glory years.
The teams are on the ice warming up, which means there are large crowds around the glass to try and get a glimpse of their favorite players or, if they’re lucky, maybe a puck before the game starts.
“Do you think she’s with him for the money? Or do you think she actually loves him?” Jaxon points toward the ice, where Rhodes stands talking to a girl, probably around our age.
“What makes you think she’s not just another fan?” Brooks shifts in his seat to see her better.
“I saw her with Rhodes earlier,” Jaxon continues. “His arm was around her, and he kissed her head. I’d say most hockey players don’t do that with fans.”
She turns her head slightly, and the second I see her face, I laugh.
“But they would do that with their daughters,” I reply.
“What?” Brooks squints at Rhodes and his daughter.
“But she’s like… our age,” Fletcher adds. “There’s no way Rhodes has a kid our age.”
“He’s not old enough to have a kid our age,” Jaxon continues. “He would’ve had to have her at—”
“Sixteen,” Cam responds. “She was born before his junior year of high school.”
“Holy shit!” Jaxon exclaims. “Why didn’t I know he had a daughter? And I thought our training schedules were hard with school but imagine having a whole fucking kid.”
“Everyone thought he was done when the news went public,” I say. “But he didn’t lose the fire and made it to the NHL anyway. Even though everyone said, he wouldn’t do it with a kid.”
“Damn… she’s hot,” Jaxon says, and I watch all of their heads turn and stare.
“Alright, put your tongues back in your mouth.” I roll my eyes.
“I’m not staring because she’s attractive,” Jeremy replies. “I mean, obviously she is, I just can’t believe Rhodes has a kid. Like a grown kid.”
“I wonder what it’s like having Rhodes as your dad,” Brooks says. “I imagine it can’t be easy.”
“I don’t think she cares,” I continue. “She seems to like being out of the spotlight when it comes to her dad playing hockey. I think she just sees him as her dad.”