Read On the Surface (In the Zone) for Free Online

back in the day. Where’s Hart playing now? Seattle?”
    Calder scratched his chin. “Yeah. Last I heard.”
    Okaaay.
    Some hockey-playing brothers were close, supporting each other, training together in the off-season, sometimes even playing on the same team, like the Sedins and the Staals. Others, not so much. Hart and Calder fell into the latter category. Although Tim and Hart had been roommates on the road and Hart had talked about his little brother with fondness, Tim never witnessed them hanging out when their teams played each other.
    Calder put his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. “I was sorry to hear about your daughter. I registered with the bone marrow people but I wasn’t a match...”
    That took Tim by surprise. They hadn’t even been on the same team at the time. “You did?”
    Calder shrugged. “Yeah. Word got around. I thought it was worth a try.”
    “I appreciate that, man. Means a lot. Thanks.”
    They sat at the table.
    “Looking forward to the new season,” Calder said. “Should be interesting with you and Sullivan coming in. It’s good to have some veterans in the room.”
    Tim sat on the folding chair and gazed out at the people approaching. He saw several Sharpies on the table, a couple bottles of water and two stacks of action photos. Well, Calder’s was an action photo. Since Tim hadn’t played wearing a Barracuda jersey yet, his was a posed shot they’d taken at the press conference where they’d announced his signing with San Diego. In the photo, Tim had a dark blue home jersey on over his street clothes and it looked like a hockey mug shot.
    Jasmine beckoned to the fans who had gathered a few feet from the table and said, “Okay, gentlemen, let’s do this.”
    * * *
    Q Burger was only a couple of blocks away from Good Sam. When Erin got there, she noticed something going on in the parking lot with an awning and people milling in the parking lot. She almost turned around and went to Carl’s Jr. instead, but Dr. O was craving a Wicked Good and she couldn’t disappoint him. As she walked toward the entrance, she noticed some guys signing autographs. Curious, she approached a man in one of the two lines.
    “Who’s up there?”
    “A couple of the Barracudas,” he answered.
    Erin gasped. “The Barracudas who play hockey?”
    He looked at her as if she had a low IQ. “Ah, yeah.”
    “Oh my God. This is great.” Dr. O would love her if she got him a couple of autographs. She gauged the length of the shorter line—about six people. A girl wearing a Barracuda jersey and hat joined the longer line, probably twenty people. She had a boatload of makeup on which made it hard to estimate her age. She only stood about five feet tall and didn’t have boobs to speak of—at least ones that showed under the enormous hockey jersey she wore.
    “Meet me inside when you’re done, Megan. I’m going to get the food.”
    “Okay, Dad.”
    At that moment, Erin realized she was the only one who wasn’t carrying something for the Barracuda to sign. She looked again at Megan.
    “Hey, I like your hat.”
    “Thanks.”
    Erin smiled. “Is it new?”
    “Yes. We got it just before we came here.”
    “It’s really nice,” Erin said. “I was wondering if you’d take ten bucks for it.”
    Megan cocked her head. “No.” Then she thought about it. “I’ll give it to you for fifty, though.”
    Erin gasped. “Fifty bucks! Are you kidding?”
    “No.” Megan checked her line.
    Erin thought about how much cash she had in her wallet. “Will you take twenty-five?” she asked.
    “How about forty-five?”
    “That’s highway robbery.”
    The girl shrugged. “Well, we got this hat at Sports Central. They had plenty left.”
    Erin fumed. The little brat knew she wasn’t about to drive to a store to buy a hat.
    Gritting her teeth, she said, “Thirty.”
    Dr. O had better appreciate this.
    “Deal.” Megan smiled.
    “Let me see the hat first.”
    Erin examined it and saw Megan had