Page 99 of The Nanny Goal

Beside me, Shannon lets out an audible exhale.

Hale is up next for us, and he snipes it top left, bar down, and that’s one.

Next for Calgary is my brother, and I recognize his approach. It’s what I would do, too, because we learned how to shoot from the same man.

Somewhere below us in the arena, my dad is muttering coaching notes I can hear in my head.Don’t slow down too much, no fucking showboating, and don’t fucking project your shot.

Unfortunately, Forrest projects his shot, and Alexei blocks it easily.

They exchange a few words before he returns to the Calgary bench, defeated.

Ty Connor is next for Hamilton, and Kiley rises to her feet.

His shot is a beauty, the puck starting low and rising slower than the Calgary goalie expects. But the blocker catches enough that it bounces up and out.

Close, but not enough.

Calgary’s third shooter is one of their rookies—fast hands, good edges, cocky as hell.

He cuts hard right, then left, trying to catch Alexei off-balance. But Alexei doesn’t bite. He follows every move, mirroring and waiting.

The rookie flinches. Shoots.

And Alexei gets right in front of it, absorbing the puck right in the middle of his chest for a save.

The arena explodes.

That’s a win, with Haler’s goal meaning Hamilton doesn’t need a third shooter.

On the bench just behind me in the suite, Inessa is fast asleep, completely unaware that her dad is a victorious gladiator.

And like Shannon, I can finally exhale.

I shouldn’t be feeling this much.

Not when I’m trying to keep things professional. Not when I’ve dismantled every part of my life because I’m moving overseas this summer. I havegoals, and they have nothing to do with being Alexei’s emergency nanny or secret…whatever I was to him this morning.

But watching him be absolutely unshakeable tonight did something to me. I don’t just feel pride or admiration, it’s deeper than that. Something has cracked open that I’ve been trying really hard to pretend wasn’t growing inside me.

Tonight he felt like he wasmine.

Not officially. Not something I would say out loud. And definitely not forever.

But right now, he’s mine, and I was happy to be wearing his number as he chalked up another win.

“Long night,” Shannon murmurs as she stretches her legs out in front of her.

She won’t be in a rush to leave tonight, not until the cheers have long faded from the rafters of the arena.

“I’m going to wait until it’s quieter to leave,” I say after the other WAGs say goodbye and head out. “Increases the chances of Inessa staying asleep.”

“You don’t need to keep me company.”

“Who says I’m doing that?”

She smiles at me. “Hey, how would you feel about helping me plan a baby shower for Ani?”

“I would be honoured.”

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