The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon as Kyla eagerly jumped into her mom’s van the next day. She was heading to her early morning practice. Even after yesterday’s terrible scrimmage, Kyla was looking forward to getting back in the rink. Maybe today she could redeem herself.
As they drove, they passed the local outdoor ice pond. The early morning light glittered off its surface.
Mom sighed a little. “Remember when I taught you to skate out there?” she asked.
“I’ve always known how to skate, Mom,” Kyla answered, grinning.
Most people assumed it was Kyla’s dad who’d taught her to skate. But Dad could hardly glide a few feet on the ice without falling over. It had been all Mom.
“I love seeing you out on the ice,” Mom said, pulling up in front of the ice arena. She paused. “Tom does too.”
Kyla rolled her eyes as she reached for the door handle. “Bye, Mom.”
“Go get ’em, Fire!” Mom called just before the door closed.
Kyla sighed. Why did Mom have to ruin the moment by mentioning Tom? Maybe she should take Ana’s advice and talk to her mom. She had to do something before Tom ruined her whole hockey season.
After putting on her gear, Kyla walked into the cool arena. Then she noticed someone in the center of the rink, next to Coach Adams. It was Coach Rafferty, the varsity coach.
Kyla’s heart pounded as fiercely as if she’d just speed-skated a mile. She waved at Ana and joined the team as they crowded around to hear what the varsity coach had to say.
“Ladies,” Coach Rafferty began, “we’ve had some injuries on varsity. So I’m going to be recruiting a few new players earlier than expected.”
Kyla’s hammering heart stopped mid-thump.
Coach Rafferty scanned the girls’ faces. “I’ll be watching you all in action. Not in practice, but in games. I want to see you under pressure.”
From where she stood, Kyla could see Mackenzie’s face shining with excitement. She probably already thinks she’ll make the team, Kyla thought.
“I’ll be watching the next three games,” Coach Rafferty continued, “starting with tomorrow’s game against the Rockets. I’m looking to add one to three girls to the roster. Show me your skills, and you may just earn a spot on the team.”
Kyla swallowed as the players broke from the huddle to start their warm-ups. She was excited but also nervous. She’d thought she had until mid-season to perfect her game. Now, she had just one day.
“You’ve got this, Fire!” a voice shouted from the stands.
Kyla turned to see Tom grinning and waving at her. She gave him a small, halfhearted wave, trying to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
“Looks like you have a super-fan!” Mackenzie chirped. She smiled at Kyla as she adjusted her gloves. “Good luck tomorrow.”
“You too,” Kyla muttered. She glanced back at Tom. To her horror, she saw him leaning over the glass and talking excitedly to Coach Adams. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he was waving his arms and gesturing toward the goal.
Kyla skated in close. She was just in time to hear Coach Adams say, “I’ll think about it, Mr . . . ?”
Oh no, Kyla thought. What is he up to now?
“Taylor. Tom Taylor,” he replied. “I’m a family friend of Fire Woodson!”
Coach glanced at Kyla and turned back to Tom. “Like I said, I’ll think about it, Mr. Taylor.” The coach didn’t seem pleased as she skated toward the center of the ice.
“I’m sorry!” Kyla nearly tripped over her skates as she chased after Coach Adams. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just . . . I’ll try to keep him away from practice.”
“Don’t worry about it, Kyla,” Coach said. “You just focus on your game. I’ve dealt with a lot of hockey dads before. I can handle it.”
“He’s not my dad,” Kyla said, but Coach had already turned away.