Oh yeah, did I mention Dad played in the NHL? He was center for the Detroit Red wings for almost 10 years. Now this is why I didn't want the hockey players to meet my dad. If they find out who my dad is, they want me. For only that reason. That's what happened last year. A guy found who my dad was and he went after me. He wanted to be close to me to be close to my dad, to get in good with a player to hook him up with scouts from the NHL.
Noah's mouth almost drops to the floor, "Randy. Adams." Dad smiles.
"Nice to meet you, Noah", he laughs a bit as Noah stares at Dad's hand.
Shaking his head, Noah comes from his trance. "It's an honor to meet you, Sir. And even more pleasure to have become friends with your daughter today". Dad seemed impressed, but also that over protective dad thing forms on Dad's face.
Cara rolls her eyes and walks up the stairs. Now she's the mad, jealous one.
Noah says goodbye after a few minutes of talking to Dad. I walk him out onto the porch.
"Noah, I need to ask you something".
"Anything for you, Princess".
"Could you not tell the guys who Dad is? After my last school in Michigan, I prefer to keep my dad, and who he really is, out of my social life. I will never be embarrassed by him. It's just who he is. The hockey god that compares to Gretzky. I will tell some of them when I'm ready".
"Of course. Anything". Noah wraps his arms around me. He brings his lips to the top of my head for a kiss. "Goodnight". He steps away from me. "Oh yeah, I took your phone earlier and put my number in, and Cole's. Text us if you need anything". And he is off into the dark to his car.
~~~~~~~~
It's Sunday morning. Time for family breakfast. Every Sunday, breakfast is at 8. No matter what. We, as a family go over our week with one another, in case we didn't say something we wanted to during dinners during the week.
Dad calls me and Cara down for breakfast. I'm still in my pajamas while Cara is already up and showered. She is leaving with her new friends to go shopping. I get to stay home and watch Hockey reruns with dad. Well, he is going to do that. At this point, I'm considering texting either Noah or Cole. I could get one of them over here to get me out of the house.
Mom sets piles of pancakes, bacon, fruit, toast, and a cartons of juice in the middle of the table. We all grab for something different. I go for the juice first, Mom, the fruit, Cara, the pancakes, and Dad, the bacon. All of us switch off the food until we have what we want on our plates.
Mom starts, "As the youngest, Meredith, you can go first today".
I think for a moment, "I semi enjoyed my first hockey game in a few years", Dad almost spits his juice everywhere. We all laugh, and Mom hands him an extra napkin to wipe the juice that's leaked from his lips.
Cara cuts in, "Yeah, so she sat above the penalty box at the rink so she could see everything, and after, she hugged two of the boys on the team. The captain and assistant captain. It was a big deal". My eyes shoot to my sister. "And my friends think you are going to be the hockey team's next puck s-l-u-t".
Mom drops her fork onto her plate, yelling at Cara. "Do not use that language at the table".
I drop my fork, "Okay, two things. First. What do mean? I haven't done anything to deserve that title. And second, what do you mean next? Who was the last?"
"I don't know who she was, or even if this is true. But that's what Sam said", Cara takes a bite of her syrup covered pancakes.
I realize that she was talking about the same Sam from art class. The one I had made friends with. Was she really that out to get me on my first day at my new school?
We finish up breakfast as we hear a knock on the door. Mom answers and soon enough Noah and Cole walk into my kitchen.
"Morning Princess. Adams. We are here to kidnap Meredith", Cole starts.
"Where are you taking me?" I ask.
"You will find out, but grab your swimsuit and skates. They won't be used together". Dad seems suspicious, but I obey.
Going up stairs, I take am extremely quick shower and get dressed. I can hear my father talking to Cole and Noah. I'm guessing Cole has figured out who dad is.
Less than 10 minutes later, I have a bag packed and I'm ready to go. I still don't know what we are doing, but I don't care. I'm not staying home and watching hockey with Dad. I walk down stairs immediately bombarded by Cole.
"What the hell, Mere?" Cole says. "Why didn't you tell us your dad was the Randy Adams?" Dad laughs.
"I don't know. Maybe I was afraid you would kidnap him too", I say with a snarky tone. Cole and Noah laugh. "Let's go".
The guys follow me out of the front door and into the frigid Maine October air. They show me into the car.
"So are you going to tell me where we are going and why I need skates and my swimsuit?" I say from the back seat.
"Okay, first we have 9:30 practice, so that's why you need skates, but we will tell you about bathing suit later", Cole says as we leave my driveway.
"Great", I mumble. The boys laugh.
Another practice.
Edited: 3/2/22
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Just Another Goal (Counting on Hockey #1)
Romance*Book one of the Counting on Hockey series* To Meredith, watching hockey was torture. But her sister was a hockey player. She wanted nothing to do with hockey, even thinking about it made her angry. But she had her reasons. Starting 10th grade at a...
