by Anne Stone
“I know. It’s just so hard. I’m going to miss you so.”
“We realize that,” Wilford said. “It’s time for you to break free and fly. You’ll never forget that night, but you can’t let it consume you either. Your husband loves you so much. You have his family you can now call your own. Enjoy that, but know if you ever need us, we’ll be there for you.”
Wilford pulled Jennifer into his arms. “I love you, Jennifer. Never forget that.”
Ryne looked back through the door and caught Rose pulling Jennifer into her arms for the last time. “Enjoy your new life. I love you dear, with all of my being. You’ll never be far from my thoughts, but it’s time for you to make a life of your own. Start the family you’ve dreamed about since you were a little girl. Ryne’s dream of returning to Calgary has come true— now set about making your dream come true. Your grandfather and I will always be here, and we can’t wait to meet the next Steele.”
Wiping her eyes, she smiled at Rose. “You mean the next Ferguson.”
Laughing she said, “I’m getting as bad as your husband. He keeps forgetting and refers to Wilford as sir, and I still can’t remember that you’re a Ferguson now.”
“Deep down, I’ll always be a Steele.”
“I know dear, but now you have a new family. Get to know them and embrace the future.”
Ryne smiled at Rose’s last words. “Embrace the future.” That’s what they needed to do and they would.
Moments later, Jen emerged from the house, followed by Rose and Wilford. “We’ll call you from Rowena’s,” Ryne said as he reached for Jen’s hand.
“Call? Why not Skype?”
Jen had to laugh at her grandmother. As they walked down the steps to embrace their future, they turned back and waved goodbye. Ryne knew it wasn’t a goodbye to the past, they were moving forward to a future filled with hope and dreams.
Wilford and Rose surprised them as they were closing the door on her past and walking towards their future. Jennifer had just locked the door when she heard a car door slam. She turned and discovered her grandparents waiting at the curb. “We couldn’t let you leave today without saying goodbye.”
Jen ran to her grandmother and threw her arms around her neck. “Thank you, Grams. This means so much.”
“Dear, I thought you two might need this.” Rose pulled away and reached for the grocery bag that Wilford held. “Just a few snacks for the road.” She passed them to Ryne.
“What’s in here?” Ryne spoke as his head went into the bag.
“All of my granddaughter’s favorites, including another slice of my coconut cake.”
“Only one slice?”
“There’s enough for you too.” Rose reached for Ryne. “Come here son and give me a hug.”
Ryne hugged Rose, kissing her on the cheek. “Thank you,” he murmured.
Rose reached up and patted his cheek. “Anytime.”
Ryne had phoned Rose when Jen had been in the shower that morning, requesting they come and say a final goodbye. He believed that it would ease Jen’s fears of leaving them when they finally pulled away from her home.
They said their farewells and hopped into Ryne’s car. He knew he’d made the right decision with his early morning phone call as the tears he’d expected never materialized. She smiled and waved profusely at her grandparents as they drove down the street towards their new life.
After a quick visit with Rowena and Miles, they started on their long journey from Greenwich, Connecticut, to Calgary. They drove through Pennsylvania and Ohio, Indiana and around Chicago, through Wisconsin and Minnesota then finally North Dakota before they hit the border and entered Canada.
When they finally arrived at the ranch, they couldn’t wait to get settled. The movers had delivered their things and placed the furniture in the exact locations that Jen had instructed Jacklynne. Only a few boxes sat unopened in the family room.
Jacklynne had seen to unpacking the majority of their boxes. Jen knew immediately how much care she’d had taken to make the move as painless as possible for them.
“I can’t believe your mother did all of this for us,” Jen said as she swept her arm in front of her. “She unpacked our clothes, organized the kitchen…”
“She wanted to. And I’m sure she had a little help,” Ryne said as he discovered a note on the coffee table.
Dear Jen and Ryne,
I hope we didn’t make a mess of things. We did our best to put things away, but I’m sure you’ll find a better spot to put your kitchen utensils.
Take your time settling in and we’ll see you when we see you!
Much love, Mom
Jen handed the note to Ryne. “That was so kind of her. She didn’t have to unpack for us.”
“As I said, she wanted to and I’m sure she also had some help.”
“Yeah, I gather that as she referred to ‘we.’”
“Come on, it’s late. I’m sure you’re just about as tired as I am,” Ryne said as he reached for her. “We can unpack the car tomorrow.” He draped his arm around her shoulders and led her off to their bedroom. It was the first night in their new home, and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and sleep.
Jen spent the next few weeks settling in unpacking and arranging things to her liking. They’d both been surprised how little they’d seen of Emma. They assumed she’d taken her parents warning to heart.
When Ryne wasn’t training for the start of the season, he was out on the range helping his dad maintain fence lines and cutting hay that would be used to supplement the cattle feed during the winter months.
The day before training camp was officially set to begin, Jacklynne had a family dinner. Everyone was there. Philippe, Ryne, and Etienne didn’t have a far commute the next day, while Rafael couldn’t linger long after dinner as he was taking a red-eye flight back to Arizona where his training camp was set to launch on Tuesday.
Jules, on the other hand, had flown home for the weekend, surprising even his mother. He’d been back in Madison for the new semester, but decided to return home to share the weekend with his brothers. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the family was together before the all-important beginning to the new season.
“Mom, can you hurry up…I need to leave for the airport.”
“Jules, I still don’t understand why you came home. You’re here for less than forty-eight hours.”
“Yeah, I know but it was important for me to be here.” He looked up at his brothers. “I still can’t believe you’re all playing for the Storm. Who’d have thought?”
“I did,” Ryne stated as he reached for Jen’s hand. “Even before I met Jen, I knew I wanted to end my career here.”
“Are you thinking about retirement, son?”
“No, Dad, not really. I’m just being realistic here. I’m not sure how long my hip’s going to hold out.”
“Is it bothering you?” Jacques asked with a quirk to his brow. “If it is…”
“It’s not, Dad. You know what my dreams always were. I was disappointed when they didn’t draft me, but all along my heart has been with the Storm.” Looking at his brothers, “Look at us, the three amigos…”
“Don’t start there,” Etienne said.
“Well, it’s true. Anyway, look what we can accomplish. Three brothers taking a team that was once led by their father to the Stanley Cup finals.”
“Don’t you think you’re taking this a little far?” Philippe asked as he stood and reached for the tray Jacklynne had carried into the room.
“No, I don’t. In fact, I think we’re going to go all the way. Right here, right now, with our talent, I predict we’re going to win the Stanley Cup this year. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
“Ahh, big brother…I think I have something to say about that,” Rafael said. “We have a decent team too. I believe the Tide could go all the way.”
“Is that a bet little brother?”
“No, Ryne, it’s not. I’m not betting on who g
oes to the Cup. What I’m hoping for is that none of us gets seriously injured and that includes you, Ryne. So quit thinking about that hip of yours. I foresee you being a member of the Storm for many years to come.”
“We can only hope,” Jen quietly spoke. “I have to agree with Rafael. Here’s to a safe season filled with much success and no serious injuries.” She leaned over, kissing Ryne’s cheek.
Jules and Rafael lingered as long as they could before leaving for the airport. As he headed out the door, Jules turned back to Ryne. “Stay safe, big brother. I don’t want to hear about you getting injured again.”
“I’ll do my best. And while you’re at it, bring another championship to UW.”
“Like you, I’ll do my best.” With that, Jules headed out the door.
Jen stood in the background watching the interaction between brothers. She still couldn’t believe that she was married, and was entrenched in this family.
She hadn’t heard Emma approach until she felt a hand brush hers. “Jen, are you okay?”
“Of course, I am.”
“You had a funny look on your face. You seemed far away and didn’t hear me when I called your name.”
“Em’s, I was just enjoying the view.”
“Huh?”
“Oh nothing. I was having fun recalling your brothers’ argument over who was going to win the Stanley Cup.”
“You’re sure that’s all?”
She was looking forward to the hockey season. It was her favorite sport and for the first time ever, she would be seeing it from the inside.
She knew life would be different. She was doing her best to embrace all of the changes. And family would definitely be the key in surviving her first year as a hockey player’s wife.
“Yep, all is good.” Jen slid her arm around Emma’s shoulder. All was good in her opinion. She’d settled into life in her new home, had a family that she could call her own, and was married to wonderful man.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Training camp flew by and, thankfully, Ryne’s worries about his hip were in the past as they rolled through the preseason, winning seven out of eight games.
He was definitely on a high, playing well, when he was called into the coach’s office. For the first time in his career, he was a little apprehensive. In his opinion, his preseason had been the best of his career. His thoughts had been all over the place when Raymond Oldsman, the coach of the Storm, asked to see him before leaving the facility for the day. “Hey, Ferguson,” Ray had called out after practice. Ryne, Etienne, and Philippe all turned their heads. “I need to see you—Ryne—after practice. Meet me in my office after you’ve showered and changed.”
“I wonder what that’s about,” Etienne said as he skated alongside his brother.
“I haven’t a clue,” Ryne responded.
He made his way down the tunnel towards the showers and tried his best not to question the meaning behind the meeting. When he reached his locker, he stored his equipment and walked straight towards the showers. Normally, he would take his time changing but not today. He didn’t want to keep Ray waiting.
After a quick shower, Ryne threw on his street clothes.
As he approached the closed door, he found his heart rate increasing and actually felt sweat running down his back. If he didn’t count meeting Rowena and his wedding, he hadn’t been this nervous in a long time. He pulled in his lips and knocked on the door, unsure what the future held in store.
He was surprised when Anthony Theophilos, the Storm’s general manger, opened the door. Ryne thought he’d been nervous before; his heart rate escalated even more when his eyes landed on Anthony.
Anthony reached out his hand. “Hey there, Ryne. Come on in.”
Ryne eased his way through the door, his senses on high alert. His eyes immediately sought out Ray along with Assistant Coach Ty Randspeed. His eyes scanned the room further, landing on Head Trainer Oscar Tomas. He couldn’t imagine what he’d done. His thoughts were all over the place. Why are they all here? I thought I was meeting with Ray only. Am I playing that badly?
Ryne grew tenser as he took in the scene before him. “Have a seat, Ryne.” Have a seat? Maybe I should just stand. If I’m being traded again? What will Dad think? What about Mom? And Jen? She’s just getting settled.
“We wanted to touch base with you before our opening game tomorrow night.”
“Okay?” he said questioningly as he ran his finger along the neck of his shirt. He was getting hotter by the second. I’m going to let them do all of the talking. I’ll sit here and see exactly what they want. And then he thought even further. Adam’s not here. Maybe I’m not being traded.
All four men were staring at him. “You can breathe, Ryne. We aren’t the firing squad.” Ray stated. Ryne knew he must look a sight. He took a breath as instructed.
“And stop worrying. You’re not being traded,” Anthony chimed in right behind Ray. “In fact, there are a few things we’d like to speak to you about, and one of them is your contract. But you and I can have that discussion after we’re done here,” Anthony added as he reached for a bottle of water that sat on the table behind him. “You look warm,” he said as he handed it to Ryne.
Ryne unscrewed the cap and took a long swallow of the cold water. It felt like heaven going down his throat. At least I’m not being traded. He wants to talk about my contract. That’s good, I think.
“So…we decided to have a sit down with you since the preseason is over.” Ryne listened to Anthony. “I have to say we’re impressed with what we’ve seen so far. You definitely came prepared to play.”
“I trained hard this offseason.”
“It shows,” Ray spoke up. “I like what I see out there, Ryne. I’ve looked at game footage from your past preseasons, and I have to say I think this is your best yet. You’re really on your game.”
Ryne nodded as he listened to Ray. “Your hip doesn’t seem to be bothering you.”
“It’s good, really good. I haven’t felt this good in a very long time.” Ryne looked towards Oscar, hoping for some added support.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing and hopefully you’ll stay out of my office,” Oscar commented with a half-smile.
“It seems married life agrees with you.”
Ryne smiled broadly back at Anthony. “It certainly does and I think Jen is adjusting well with the move and all.”
“Glad to hear,” Anthony added.
“Putting all pleasantries aside.” Ryne turned towards Ray. He held his breath again unsure what to expect. Now what? He’s going to drop the hammer. I’m not being traded…what else could it be?
“So the real reason why I, better we, brought you in here was this…”
Ryne looked Ray directly in the eye. He realized he could take whatever he threw at him— good or bad. “Didn’t I just tell you to breathe?” Ray asked.
“You did.”
“Well, do it. Haven’t you figured out by now we’re not the firing squad?”
“I have.”
“Then what’s got you so nervous? You look like you could keel over?”
“Ahh, I’d have to say I’ve never had a meeting like this before. Being new and all…”
“Stop fretting, will you? The main reason we called you in here was to touch base with you, see how you’re feeling, how you’re adjusting to the team and all. But most of all, we want you to wear an ‘A’ on your jersey and be one of the alternate captains on the team.”
Ryne almost jumped from his seat. He was taken aback by the leadership role they wanted to give him. He was new. His brothers had been here forever and were alternate captains too. “So what do you have to say?”
“I’m surprised. I’m the new guy.”
“Yeah, you’re the new guy with loads of experience. We haven’t forgotten your past leadership roles. You played a significant role on the Eagles and the Generals, and we need that leadership here. We have a team that can go all the way. You are a team player and
role model for all. We need your guidance to take us there. The question is are you up for the challenge?”
Ryne was speechless. He was blown away with the confidence they had in his abilities.
“Well, cat got your tongue? What do you say? How do you feel about being a team captain?”
Ryne ran his tongue across his lips. It was rare that he’d be asked to fulfill this role in his first year with the team. He believed he needed to gain the trust with his teammates, but he also realized that management had seen something in him that convinced them he could do the job.
“I’d be honored to be a team captain. I’ve already told my family that this is our year to win the Stanley Cup. Thank you for the confidence you’ve shown me. I’ll do my best to make this a reality.”
Ryne stood and shook hands with them. “Again, thank you for this opportunity.”
“I guess we had you going there for a minute— with all of us practically ganging up on you.”
Ryne swallowed the rest of his water. “You certainly did, Anthony. I wasn’t sure what I was in for when I saw the four of you. I’d have to say I was a tad nervous.”
“You have nothing to be nervous about. We all know how much you want to be here playing for the Storm. I know it’s been your lifelong dream. You never gave up, and I have to say I respect you for reaching out to both me and Adam. Plus, you had Ed in your corner. He loves Jen and wants her to be happy. It’s a win all the way around. Now, go out there and be the player we know you can be. Lead us on to becoming the next champions of the NHL.”
Ryne clasped Anthony’s hand and walked out the door feeling energized. He’d just been given the title of alternate captain for his team. He was elated and couldn’t wait to share the news with Jen. But first, Ray had called a team meeting where his brothers would be the first to learn his news.
He knew his brothers would be excited for him. The three of them would do a hell of a job leading the team along with Team Captain Josh Ulteria.
Ray led the charge into the locker room where all of the players sat listening to loud music, waiting for the meeting to begin.
