Here's the third little snapshot of Krista & Rizzo…this one takes place right after the boys return to Minnesota from Norway, about a month after her birthday party.

It was early afternoon, and the place hadn't opened yet. Krista stood behind the bar wiping out mugs and pitchers in anticipation of the evening rush. Over the years, she had mastered the skill of reading while working by laying textbooks out on the bar. Since graduating, though, there was little need for textbooks, so she had switched to novels. She had one out now, and didn't see the door open.

Rizzo was halfway across the room before she noticed him. "You're a little early, aren't you?" she asked smiling.

He returned her smile tiredly. "Is it okay that I'm here? I mean, I know the bar isn't open yet…"

"It's fine," she told him. "Lou might not be the most generous boss, but as long as I'm working he won't care."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. And I could use the company, too. This book kinda sucks," she said putting it on a shelf behind the bar. He took a seat on a stool in front of her. "So how was Norway?" she asked.

"Pretty bad," he replied putting his head down on the bar.

Krista put down the mug she'd been cleaning and reached over to him. "What happened?" she asked gently touching his head.

"Herbies," he said, face still planted on the bar, "lots of 'em."

"Oh boy," she mumbled, stroking his hair. "Why?"

"We weren't ready to play," he told her, sitting up and shaking his head a little. Her hand slid across his cheek and back to the mug. "So after the game he kept us on the ice doing herbies for an hour."

"After a game?"

"And a practice—we practiced right after we got off the plane." He sighed and put his head back down on the bar. "We practiced again today when we got back."

"No wonder you look so terrible," she smiled, playing with his hair again. "Why aren't you at home sleeping?"

He looked up at her, his head still resting on his arms. "I wanted to see you."

She touched his cheek again and looked down into his eyes, not knowing what to say.

After a moment, he sat up and took her hand in his. "I should go," he said.

Krista didn't want him to leave, but having just told him how awful he looked, she couldn't ask him to stay. Instead she just nodded.

"Some of the boys were saying they wanted to come out here tonight, after they get some sleep," he told her. "But it might be a small crowd."

"Well, if you feel up to it," she said, "I'll be here."

He squeezed her hand and smiled a little less tiredly before turning to leave. She picked up the mug she had been cleaning and finished wiping it down, watching him walk out the door.

"Weekends are so brutal," Sandy said, slowly clearing bottles and glasses from a table.

"That's what you get for working at a bar," Krista said with a small smile, loading up her tray with empty pitchers.

"How can you possibly be in a good mood? Aren't you tired?"

"I just worked ten hour shift on a Saturday night where three fraternities decided to pay us a visit, with only one other waitress," Krista replied. "I'm exhausted."

"I can't believe Laura called in sick at the last minute!" Sandy fumed for the hundredth time. "But you have relief waiting for you over there, don't you?" she gestured to a booth along the wall where Magic, Mac, Silky, and Rizzo sat.

"Yeah, small crowd tonight, but maybe I can get Mac to rub my feet."

"Well, you'll find out as soon as we get this place cleaned up…"

The boys sat patiently at their booth, allowed to stay due to the fact that Lou had also called in sick, and waited for the girls to complete their tasks.

When everything was back in order, Krista told Sandy to go home. "I'll get the lights and the locks on my way out—I'm just going to sit with the boys for a minute and rest."

Sandy didn't object, and headed out the door with a wave to the boys. Krista slowly made her way over to their table, worn-out and sore. Rizzo and Silky, sitting together on one side of the booth, slid over to make room for her. There wasn't much, but she took a seat beside Rizzo.

"Woo, Sandy was right. That was brutal," Magic said.

"And you were only here for part of it," Krista told him. "I think I know how you guys felt in Norway."

"That bad?" asked Silky.

"Oh yeah."

"Come on, give me your feet," Mac told her.

"I can't, I'll fall if I pick them up off the floor," she said.

"I'll hold on to you," Rizzo said wrapping a strong arm around her.

Securely held, she allowed Mac to lift her feet into his lap and remove her shoes.

"You're getting spoiled," Silky said.

She smiled wearily and rested her head on Rizzo's shoulder. "I know."