I woke up and stared at the ceiling. We were in Milwaukee just days before Christmas and about a month before the opening games. I had gone with the guys because Buzzy was calling me his good luck charm. Did I like that? Yes. It meant I got to go watch the game for free because if you arrived with the team, you got a free pass. Or Herb put in a good word for me and I got to go.

Speaking of Herb, he was not my favorite person at the moment. He had brought a new guy in. I thought it was to shake the boys up, which it did. That's what they had been upset about the night they had come into the bar and the cops showed up. They had come into the bar to cool off and rant but when the cops showed up, they got to rant about the jackass who had hit me.

Timmy Harrer was the new guy. He played for the Gophers and had been having a good season. I didn't like him because he was replacing Rizzo. I had been at practice. I saw what was happening. I wasn't liking it.

But that was the last thing on my mind.

I'd been sleeping at Silky and Jack's since the cops had come into the bar. It wasn't anything against Buzz or anything. I just felt more comfortable at Silky's. The night after I voluntarily slept at his place, I had a nightmare that came from nowhere. I found myself knocking on his door at like six. He opened and let me in, no questions asked. It didn't matter what I did. He never asked any questions; just let me come in.

Jack had quit asking why I was there. Buzz never said a word either. It had been this way before. I would have a nightmare and I would end up in the room with Buzz. He understood that I had found someone else who didn't ask questions so he was okay with my leaving at odd hours or not even coming home.

I was beginning to think Silky and I were in a relationship. Not just a friendship relationship like I had with the boys. It was more a romantic relationship. We hadn't kissed or anything. We slept together every night on that twin size bed he had. I wasn't sure if we were in one and if we were, I didn't know how I'd take it. I wasn't the relationship type. I had only been in one in my entire life and that one had ended with me in the hospital and him in jail. That had been in high school and after that I refused to date anyone.

I watched as the bathroom opened. Buzz stepped into the room. He and Silky were sharing a room because that's where their names fell. I secretly thought it was because I was coming. He turned away from me and dropped the towel. I had to laugh. We were so proper. Not! We really didn't care if we stripped in front of each other. Hell, you know we grew up together.

"You going with us to the rink?" he asked as he buttoned his jeans. He then took the towel and ran it over his wet head.

"I don't know. Do you want me to?" I replied. I really wasn't certain I wanted to go. Timmy would be there and that boy was giving me extra attention.

"Herb wants you there."

I sighed and jumped from the bed. I was tangled in my favorite PJs which were still Silky's t-shirt and shorts. "I guess that means I have to go. He's not going to make me do Herbies is he?" He shrugged. "Great."

I threw my hair up in a loose ponytail and ransacked my suitcase for clothes. Christmas was coming up and it was cold. I threw on my most comfortable bra and pulled on my jeans while Buzz went back in the bathroom to dry his hair. He had gone out one day with his hair wet and it froze. I laughed so hard I cried as I helped thaw it out.

"Well, isn't this a sight." I turned on the balls of my feet from my suitcase. Timmy was standing in the doorway. We always left the slide bar out because we got tired of opening the door for everybody. At the moment I was really regretting this. The other guys didn't say a word although I did feel them checking me out.

"What do you want, Harrer?" I asked as I continued to search for the jersey sweater I had packed.

"Is your brother here?"

"He's not my brother, Harrer." I found it and stood, feeling the soft material against my skin. I turned around and there he was. I looked up at him. "Get out of my face."

"You're the one not wearing any clothes."

"It's my room. I can wear as little as I want."

"Harrer, what do you want?"

Timmy looked away from me as Buzz walked out of the bathroom. My eyes never left his face even as I bit my lip. He talked to Buzz for a bit then walked out, winking at me as he went. My nostrils flared as I fought the urge to hit him.

"I hope he gets knocked in the face." I told Buzz when he was gone. He just started laughing at me. I turned around and there was a coffee cup in my face. "Is this a two sugars and three creams?"

Silky smiled. "Yes, that's what it is. It took forever. Half the team's downstairs getting coffee. Herb's having us on the ice before the game tonight."

"Do you know why Herb wants me down at the rink with you guys?"

He thought a minute. "No. He just told us to make sure you were there for the thirty minute practice."

I frowned and helped move all our luggage to the bus. I had to restrain myself from hitting Timmy as I passed him on the bus to sit with Silky. He was smirking at me and that irked me. I took a big gulp of coffee to calm myself but only succeeded in burning my tongue. Silky laughed at that and I punched him, making myself feel a lot better.

"I got to know." he said as we pulled away from the hotel and headed to the rink. "Is the 8 on your sweater for me?"

Frowning I looked down. "Uh, no. it was my number on the rec league hockey team when I was in high school. The girls made a team because we were tired of being left out. I was the smallest so I got this jersey. I like it so much I wear it every chance I get. Sorry."

He shook his head. "No biggie."

We got to the rink, grabbed the gear and headed in. jack started poking me in the back with his hockey stick. I got tired of it, turned and kicked it out of his hands. When he looked at me in shock, I stuck my tongue out at him like a child would then turned around and walked in. Silky was shaking his head in wonder.

"Minni, good of you to join us." Herb said as I came in.

"How could I not when you so gracious told me to show up?" I replied.

"Good. Put your skates on."

That took me by surprise. "What?"

"Did I stutter? Put your skates on?"

"What for?"

"Put your skates on and grab a stick. Boys, you do the same."

Luckily I had brought them with me. Bah had an extra stick and handed it to me. I sat with the boys on the bench and put my skates on. I was the first one on the rink, making interesting patterns in the ice. Buzz and Silky joined me and the three of us made some sort of interesting circle.

"Buzz, look." I said. Herb was placing garbage cans on the ice in front of the net.

We looked at each other, huge smiles blossoming on our faces. "Garbage hockey!"

"We'll be playing three on three. Coneheads against Silky, Jack, and Minni. Minni, you'll play the entire game but we'll switch everyone up. Got it." We nodded. "Good. No full contact. We have a woman on the ice. If you hurt her, Buzzy and Jack will take you out. Just a warning." We all looked at one another. "Okay. Bah, Jack, front and center."

I looked at Buzz. "You're going down, Schneider."

"Nice try, Minnesota." He shot back.

I smiled as Jack stole the puck from Bah. He sent it to Silky and we moved forward. I hung back. And I was glad I did. Buzz fired it from the other side of the ice. I was there and stopped it, firing back just as hard as he did. Buzz looked at me and made a face as Herb called a changeup. I got Johnson and Rizzo as Mac, Strobel and Christoff took the ice.

My adrenaline was pumping as we played. I felt free and wild as I skated against the men's Olympic hockey team. These guys were my friends and that was fun. We understood one another. I fired the puck from center ice and sent the garbage can into the net. My team was up 3-2 and I was enjoying every minute of it.

During the next changeup, Timmy came up against my team of Christian and Verchota with Suter and Baker. I was not amused as he smirked at me. He had something up his sleeve. My refusing to go past center ice was the best thing I had done this entire game. Then Timmy came at me with the puck. I caught him easily. We were in the process of fighting over the puck when he elbowed me in the face, on purpose I might add, and I fell into the boards. Just my luck. Not only does the ass ogle me while I'm in my room, he elbows me in the ace during a pickup game.

I sat on the ice and waited until he had finished partying on the ice. I think Buzz saw it coming because he was yelling at me from the bench. I didn't hear him. I shot up and made a beeline for Timmy. I yanked his stick from his hand and used it to trip him. He didn't even know what was happening until I straddled him and pressed the blade of his stick to his neck. He stared up at me.

"You're a feisty one." He smiled disgustingly.

I only pressed the blade harder. "You elbowed me on purpose, you ass. You're lucky you missed my jaw. I would have done something much worse if you had hit that." I tossed his stick to the side and jumped up. "I'm done, Herb."

"That's fine. We're also done."

I skated over to the booth and sat down at the end. Jimmy rubbed my back but I didn't say anything as I pulled my skates off and shoved them in the bag I brought with me. I was angry and that would spill over into my night. This was just great.