Page 117 of Slap Shot

“It’s like Fort Knox over here.” He lifts up his jersey to show off the gear I’m not familiar with, but I’m distracted by a bead of sweat dripping down his stomach. “Hey.” He knocks his stick against the glass again, and I jump. “My eyes are up here, Galloway.”

I blush.

I can’t believe he caught me staring.

I can’t believe I was staring in the first place.

“I thought I saw a bug,” I say.

“Nice save.” He lifts his chin. “Whose jersey are you wearing?”

“Oh. Um. Riley’s?” I turn so he can see the name on the back. “Lexi grabbed it for me. I don’t own any Stars gear, and there weren’t many options in the team store.”

“Interesting.” His eyes blaze with heat when I look at him over my shoulder. “Guess I’m going to have to make a call to our merchandise folks. Enjoy the game, Mads.”

With a wink, he skates away from us to join his teammates lining up. When he pulls up next to Maverick, takes off his helmet and looks back at me, there are butterflies in my stomach.

THIRTY-FOUR

MADELINE

The puck dropsafter the national anthem, and it’s nonstop action from the very beginning. The crowd is loud, standing when the Stars almost score and cheering when Liam blocks multiple shots on goal.

Lucy knows exactly what’s going on. She tries to keep me up to speed, but I’m lost when she starts mentioning words likeicingandcross checking.

The first period ends with the score tied at zero, but nothing about it is boring. Lucy and I sneak down to the lounge at intermission to grab an ice cream to share, and we add way too many crushed Oreos on top.

When the second period starts, the group of women in front of us stand. Every time Hudson skates by, they pound on the glass and try to get his attention. They hold up a heart they make with their hands, hoping he can see it.

I’m all for appreciating a man’s body. They’ve been gawking at women for decades, and we deserve to be the ones doing the eye-fucking for a change, but I draw the line at their offhanded comments. There’s a sour taste on my tongue when they say things likehe’s a fine piece of assandif he knocked me up, I’dforce him into letting me keep the baby, and I do my best to not let them ruin our night.

Maverick scores with four minutes to go in the period to give the Stars the lead, and the way the players celebrate his goal is absurdly cute. The game turns rough in the third period. A scuffle breaks out between Grant and a Denver player after the two start shoving each other, and they both end up in the penalty box.

I watch every play while sitting on the edge of my seat. My heart is somewhere in my throat, and I didn’t realize howintensethe game is.

Being this close adds a new layer to it. You can hear how hard the contact is. You can see the grimace of pain when they get slammed into the walls. When Hudson lands on the ground after a rough hit, I spring to my feet, checking to see if he’s holding the shoulder he hurt before. I’m overwhelmingly relieved when he gets up and keeps playing.

It’s sofun.

Adrenaline courses through me every time the Stars have possession. Every time Liam makes a diving save or lifts his glove to catch the puck, I gasp with the rest of the crowd.

The other team ties it up with a goal late in the period. I expect the Stars to panic, but they don’t. With fifty seconds to go, Riley tears down the ice and banks in an answering goal that sends the arena into a frenzy. Lucy jumps up and down and hugs me around my waist. The guys pile on each other while they tap Riley’s helmet.

The energy carries the Stars the rest of the final minute. When the final buzzer sounds and the Stars secure the win, streamers fall from the rafters. The crowd cheers, and the Hudson Hayes fan club almost loses their minds when he skates over and tries to toss one of his gloves to Lucy.

One of the women snatches it out of the air and clutches it to her chest. He frowns, disappointed.

“Hey,” he yells. “That was for the kid behind you.”

“Oops.” She giggles. “Finder’s keepers.”

Hudson meets my gaze. I shrug and pick up Lucy. It’s really not a big deal, and I don’t want to create any issues. We give him a wave and fight through the mass of people exiting the building into the cold February air.

She falls asleep on the Metro ride, and when we get back to the condo, I tuck her in bed with a kiss on her forehead.

An hour later, I check my phone to see if Hudson is close so I can start his dinner. I find his location dot down in the parking garage, and I turn on the oven.

The front door opens and closes with a click. Gus and Millie come barreling down the hall, and I give them each a pat on the head.

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