Page 1 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

Chapter one

Jamie

The Hit

Something tears.

Not my jersey.

Not a muscle.

Something deep inside my left shoulder explodes with a sickening pop that shoots all the way down to my fingertips.

The force drives every ounce of air from my lungs.

One second, I’m skating.

The next, I’m flat on my back, staring up at the bright white lights of an away arena that feels a thousand miles away.

The roar of fourteen thousand fans fades into a dull ring.

I try to push myself up.

Pain slams through my chest.

Sharp.

Blinding.

Wrong.

“Don’t move.”

A woman’s voice.

Calm.

Confident.

Close.

I turn my head.

Dark eyes meet mine behind the clear shield of a medical helmet.

No panic. No hesitation. Just quiet authority.

She drops to one knee beside me. “Captain Walker, can you hear me?”

I drag in half a breath. It burns. “I’ve…had better nights.”

The words come out thinner than I want.

Good. If I can joke, I’m probably still alive.

Someone else drops to the ice on my other side.

“Annette?”