Chapter 1

Set in October of 2007

Blood was everywhere. It was impossible to see where it was coming from. Was it possible that there was more than one wound?

“Suction!” I yelled to the assistant next to me. It didn’t seem to do any good. There was just too much blood. I worked as best I could to repair the damage to the German shepherd’s heart, but it was no use. I called it and walked out of the room. I left the OR and walked straight into my office where I sat down and cried. They weren’t tears of sadness, but tears of frustration and anger. How could someone be so cruel that they would just stab a family dog? I don’t know how long I sat there staring at my desk.

I was an emotional person. Too emotional, I often thought. It was definitely a fault. I liked to think it was my only fault, but I knew better. I'm a crier, a big time crier. I cry when I'm sad, I cry when I'm angry, and I cry when I'm happy. I'm the girl that cries at the end of every movie. Nothing made me cry more than my job. Being a veterinarian meant that I saw pets die on a regular basis and it was tough. It didn't matter that I didn't know these animals, it was enough to know that someone was going to miss them.

“Loralei?” I looked up to see one of the veterinary assistant’s standing in the door.

“What is it?” I asked in frustration.

“There are people waiting to see you. Dr. Markham sent me in to get you,” Nancy responded. I covered my face with my hands and sighed. The last thing I wanted to do was put on a smile and see more patients.

“I’ll be right there.” I spent the rest of my day with a fake smile on my face giving cats and dogs shots and lecturing a few people on the right nutrition for their animals. Normally seeing healthy pets made me smile and forget everything negative that was currently going on in my life, but not today. The German shepherd case had an affect on me. I desperately needed a drink. And that’s exactly what I told my friends when I called them on my way home. Thank God it was Friday.





He glanced up at the clock and saw that it read 45.3 seconds. They were down by a goal and he was spending the time out trying to catch his breath. He’d been on the ice for the last 30 seconds since they had pulled the goalie trying to score. He’d be on the ice for the rest of the period as well. It was hardly an important game, it was only the third of the season, but points mattered, however you got them. The guaranteed point could mean the difference between playoffs or an early summer at the end of the season.

When the time out was over he skated back to the circle preparing for the faceoff. The fans were on their feet making all the noise they could to encourage his team to score. The puck was dropped and he followed the play. He forgot about the time on the clock and focused on the puck. The puck came to him and he turned and fired it at the net. The crowd erupted as the red light flashed. He stuck his arms in the air as his five teammates on the ice crowded around him.

The game went into overtime without a goal being scored. It was time for the shootout. He knew he’d be shooting. He always did. Without hesitation he skated to the end of the bench where backup goalie Dany Sabourin sat.

“Look to shoot high blocker,” Sabby said without having to be asked.

“We’ll see,” he replied with a smile and the move he would make formed in his mind. Of course he’d have to wait and see if Lundqvist bit at the fake before he could be sure, but he knew what he wanted to do. He would be the second shooter of three. It meant he’d always shoot and that he always had a chance to make a difference.

“Come on, Sid!” he heard Brooks Orpik yell out to him when it came to his turn. The shootout stood at 1-0 for them over the Rangers. Although it wasn’t necessary for him to score to still win, it was important. It didn’t matter, this is what he thrived on. The pressure and the important situations were his specialty. He played better when it mattered.

When the ref blew the whistle signaling that he could go, he skated to the puck and took it down the ice. He went in fast and hard moving to his left. Lundqvist followed him cutting down the angle. He cut to the right moving the puck to his backhand and Lundqvist bit. Without hesitation he angled back to the left and lifted the puck to the top left corner. Lundqvist’s blocker just missed the puck and it found the back of the net.

He went back to the bench greeted with cheers from the boys. Now it was up to Fleury to stop the next shooter and the game was theirs. Without trouble Fleury made the save and they all poured out onto the ice celebrating the comeback win. They’d be going out tonight for sure.





“Another round, please!” I yelled to the bartender at Sharky’s. I’d just discovered the place two months before and it had quickly become a favorite. There were enough people to make it entertaining, but not so many that you were bumping into people as you walked around. There was an area for people to dance if they pleased, but it was more like a lounge than a club.

“Girl, you’re lucky it’s a weekend, because you’re going to be hurting tomorrow,” my friend Phoebe said to me laughing. I knew she was right. The need for one drink at dinner had turned into the need for another when the anger didn’t subside. Three glasses of wine later I felt too good to go home so my three friends and I decided to hit up Sharky’s for a bit.

The snakebites came and we held up our shotglasses to each other and took the shot. There were some hoots from the guys that had gravitated towards us. It wasn’t surprising that we seemed to hold most of the male attention in the place. My friends were gorgeous. Phoebe was a tall, leggy blonde. Reagan reminded me of Jessica Alba and Sheila’s dark, exotic looks caught guys’ attention everywhere she went.

I sipped on the Captain and diet that followed the shot and laughed at some poor guy on the dance floor who thought he was a good dancer. If I had another shot I knew I’d be out there doing the exact same thing. Just then a group of guys in suits caught my attention. They were sitting further down along the bar and were all looking our way. Well, look at that, we caught the Pittsburgh Penguins’ attention. I rolled my eyes and turned away.

“So, who’s house am I crashing at tonight? I certainly can’t drive home and I’m not paying for a $40 cab ride,” I overheard Reagan saying.

“You can stay at mine. I have to head out towards your place tomorrow anyway,” Sheila responded. I was about to ask what she was doing when I felt someone bump my arm as they sat down on the stool next to me. I glanced over to give the person an annoyed look but stopped when I saw Sidney Crosby smiling at me.

“Do you need a refill?” he asked pointing to my drink. He was kidding right? I’d just gotten this one, I thought. But when I looked down I saw that it was almost gone. Had I really had that much of it already?

“Thanks, but I already have one coming.” I started to turn away. In no way was I interested in being picked up by this kid tonight. He was the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the super star of the NHL. You couldn’t hear the word “hockey” without hearing his name attached to it. “The league’s next great superstar,” they used to say. He was a hell of a hockey player, and probably had a hell of a lineup of girls in and out of his house every night. No thanks.

“I’ll grab the next one then.” He obviously wasn’t going to give up that easily.

“Are you even old enough to buy me another drink?” I asked him knowing that he was, in fact, only 20 years old. He’d obviously only gotten into Sharky’s because of who he was. He probably didn’t even need a fake ID.

“Of course I am, how else would I be allowed in here?” I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. This guy was a joke. I looked to see if my friends were hearing this, but they’d moved off to talk to a group of guys at the other end of the bar. Thanks for abandoning me, I thought.

“Well, you are only 20, aren’t you?” I asked. He laughed in response.

“So you know who I am.” He had a cocky smile on his face.

“Does anyone in this city not know?” I asked rolling my eyes.

“Only the ones that watch hockey do, I’m sure. Obviously you watch.” I had no desire to follow my friends and at least this was going to be amusing, so I decided to continue the conversation.

“I am a hockey fan.”

“You must have loved the comeback win tonight then.” He was obviously proud of himself, gloating in a self-important way. So he’d scored twice in the game and then once in the shootout, big deal.

“I could care less, actually,” I said shrugging as if I could care less.

“I thought you said you were a fan.” He looked confused. Poor kid thought everyone loved him.

“I said I was a hockey fan, not a Penguins fan.” I smiled at him. He looked like he’d been shot.

“Who are you a fan of then?”

“The Devils.”

“How do you live here and like the Devils?” he asked, baffled. Now he looked like someone had just skinned his puppy.

“Well, since I just moved here a year ago and I spent a chunk of my life in New Jersey, it’s easy,” I responded. I wasn't about to get into how complicated my childhood had actually been.

“Well, you know who I am, so how about telling me what your name is?”

“Loralei.” I pushed away my now empty glass.

“I thought you had another one coming.” I wanted to pat the kid on the head and tell him to go find someone his own age. It wasn’t like I was that much older, but 24 and 20 can be a big difference. The bartender came back over.

“I do now. One more please and then close out my tab,” I said turning to him. Sidney laughed. I guess he thought it was funny that I would buy my own drink when he had offered. He obviously wasn’t used to being turned down. Girls must just throw themselves at him. I glanced down the bar towards his teammates who were now surrounded by almost every girl in the place. Those girls had no self-respect.

“So what do you do?” he asked. He was trying hard. You had to admire the tenacity.

“I work in a veterinary hospital.” I hoped that my friends would be ready to go soon. I was starting to really feel the affects of all those drinks.

“Oh yeah? So you're a receptionist or something?” I was insulted. He thought I was a receptionist?! I decided it wasn’t worth it to correct him.

“Look, I don’t know you. For all I know you’re a really nice guy. I just feel like I should tell you that I’m not going home with you.” He looked stunned. It took him a minute to respond and he drained the rest of his beer before he did.

“I’m not sure I ever asked you to come home with me. I was just having a conversation.” He was trying to save face and it was kind of cute.

“Well, I’m sorry if I offended you. I’m just a straightforward kind of person and I thought I’d let you know so you wouldn’t waste all your lines on me. I figured if your intention was to take someone home tonight, I'd let you move on.” Instead of the reaction I was expecting, he smiled.

“That was certainly not my intention tonight at all. Honestly, I’m quite intrigued talking to you right now. I’ve got to admit, you’re the first girl that knew who I was and still didn’t care.”

“Well, I could care less if you were a hockey player or a janitor. I’m not going to judge someone because of what they do for a living. I’d rather get to know someone for who they are than who they appear to be. I’m very well aware of the fact that hockey players are just people. I don’t get too excited when I see one.” He smiled at that and I found myself smiling back. I could see why the NHL used him so much. He had a charm about him. I’d been fighting it since he’d sat down, but I found that I was actually enjoying the conversation. Before he could respond I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“We’re going to get out of here. Want to share a cab or are you going to hang out for a bit?” Phoebe asked. I finished off the last of my drink, signed the bill in front of me and looked over at Sidney.

“It was really nice meeting you and talking to you, but I’m going to get out of here with my friends. Good luck the rest of the season, just not against the Devils.” He laughed and I walked outside with my friends and went home.