Cross Check

Amelia travels to Baltimore to speak at a Women in Sports event organized by Emmy. Feeling nervous, Amelia texts Grant, who gives her the confidence-boosting advice to view the audience as a team she is coaching. Before taking the stage, Emmy confides that she has a bad feeling about her new coach, a sentiment shared by other players. Amelia advises her to file an anonymous report with the NHLPA.

Amelia’s speech is a success. She discusses her career path, her role models, and the importance of mutual support between men and women in professional sports. Afterward, Emmy invites her to dinner with friends. There, Amelia meets Lexi and Piper Mitchell, a rink-side reporter. When Grant’s name comes up, Lexi dismisses any romantic interest, calling him an “annoying younger brother” (109). The thought of Grant with Lexi makes Amelia’s stomach twist. Later, Grant messages Amelia to praise a clip of her speech he saw online. As they arrange to see each other at their next game in November, Amelia convinces herself that her excitement is about professional rivalry, not personal feelings.

Grant messages with his DC Stars teammates in a group chat before texting with Amelia. She is coming to Washington, DC, and asks him to get sub sandwiches at Pete’s Café. Citing security concerns about social media, Grant suggests they switch to texting, and he saves her number in his phone as “AG.”

At a team dinner at Maverick and Emmy’s apartment, Grant is distracted by his texts with Amelia. After she tells him about her turbulent flight, he secretly jots it down in a notebook. They finalize their lunch plans, and a playful message from Amelia about using her “coaching influence” on him leaves him flustered. He reflects on his growing crush, acknowledging that it is becoming intense but deciding to enjoy the feeling for now.

The next day, Grant picks Amelia up for lunch. He gives her his undivided attention, ignoring his phone and asking about her life. At Pete’s Café, he insists on paying and surprises her by remembering her exact order. While Grant is inside, Amelia snoops in his neat car and finds a team photo of the happy-looking DC Stars. He returns with two meatball subs for her—one for now and one for later.

They eat in the car, and Amelia shares a memory of scoring her first goal on a boys’ team. Captivated, Grant calls her an inspiration. To get to know her better, he initiates a “this or that” (127) game. He notices she has sauce on her face and gently cleans it off with a napkin, a moment filled with unspoken tension. After he drops her off, she finds she can still feel the ghost of his touch on her cheek, even as she watches him score a goal on TV that night.

Over the following months, Grant and Amelia’s friendship deepens through their text conversations. They banter about hockey, and she impresses him by noticing he is ambidextrous from watching his games. He texts her from the team’s holiday gala, where he later has an uncomfortable encounter with a woman who bid on him in a charity auction. They bond over their shared experiences with inappropriate fan behavior. For Christmas, Grant sends Amelia a T-shirt from Pete’s Café with a suggestive slogan, which she finds hilarious and loves.

A drunk Grant celebrates in Las Vegas with his teammates after Maverick and Emmy, who decide to elope. He texts with Amelia, who sends him a cute dog video. In his inebriated state, he asks her if she ever wants to get married. She admits she is hesitant, believing she is too “selfish” and career-focused to make the compromises a marriage requires. Grant staunchly defends her, insisting she should never have to give up her ambitions for a man.

He confides in his teammate Hudson that he has a “crush” on someone who he believes only sees him as a friend. Later, he video calls a very amused Amelia to tell her about his dream of having a large family one day before being pulled away by his teammates to make a human pyramid. As he ends the call, he tells her he misses her.

At five in the morning, Grant video calls Amelia again from his hotel room, still drunk. He laments that the culture of professional sports discourages men from showing vulnerability, confiding that he is a “sensitive and soft” person (144). Amelia comforts him, calling his sensitivity a gift. He then prompts her to talk about her family, and she calls herself the “underachiever” compared to her scientist and teacher sisters. Grant passionately disagrees, calling her beautiful, smart, and important.

He falls asleep during the call. The next day, Amelia texts to check on him. He is hungover and apologizes for his behavior, but she thanks him for his kind words even if he doesn’t remember saying them. He replies, “I remember everything with you, and I meant everything I said” (150). His sincerity unnerves her, and she resolves to put distance between them, deciding that being vulnerable with him was a mistake that could threaten her career.

Through text messages, Grant reveals to a surprised Amelia that his teammate Liam and her friend Piper also got married in Las Vegas on the same night as Maverick and Emmy. As Grant’s next game in Denver approaches, Amelia suggests they get dinner together at the Italian restaurant where they first met, since her yoga class is nearby.

Grant is giddy with anticipation for his dinner with Amelia in Denver. At the restaurant, he is stunned by how beautiful she looks in her workout clothes and feels an immediate physical attraction. They agree to avoid talking about hockey and instead get to know each other better. During their meal, they spot the same man from Amelia’s disastrous past date and mock his misogynistic T-shirt. Grant tells her she deserves a partner who would proudly support her career and call himself “Mr. Green” (160). Amelia admits she would like that, and Grant internally wishes he could be that man for her. He insists on paying, promising she can get the check “next time” (161). After a high-five goodbye, he returns to his hotel feeling as though he is falling in love.

Amelia and Grant text throughout the NHL playoffs, supporting each other as their teams advance. Grant shares that the Stars are planning to offer him a contract extension. When Amelia’s team is eliminated, she tells Grant she is secretly rooting for him to win the Stanley Cup. The Stars win, and a jubilant Grant sends Amelia a photo from the champagne-soaked locker room, thanking her for her friendship. A month later, he signs an eight-year contract extension. Amelia is ecstatic for him and affirms that he has earned his success. He thanks her for her support, and they both admit they are looking forward to seeing each other again soon.