Page 164 of Seal the Deal

Alison’s eyes widen at that name, but she doesn’t protest. And I have no doubt she deserves that title.

“And,” I smile, “I’ve got your mother’s brownie recipe—I’ll make some while you’re with us.”

She blinks. “Jake gave you that recipe?”

I nod. “On the last day of camp. He said it was the best thing his grandma ever made.”

She lets out a soft laugh, her eyes misting over. “I always thought he’d forgotten those little things.”

“No.” I shake my head, squeezing her hand. “He hasn’t forgotten. He’s proud of you, Alison. He talks about the things that matter to him.Youmatter to him.”

Her eyes brim with tears as she nods, her decision made. “I’ll come,” she whispers. “I’ll be there.”

I squeeze her hand again, relief and joy swelling in my chest. “He’s going to be so happy. And I’ll take care of everything. You won’t have to worry.”

Alison smiles through her tears and reaches out to embrace me. “Thank you,” she whispers. “Thank you for loving my boy.”

I hug her back, feeling the warmth of her words wrap around me. “Loving him is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

When we pull back, the kids are watching us, wide-eyed. Meadow leans into Alison for a cuddle, and Noah sits down next to her, eager to hear what Jake was like at his age.

Alison’s face lights up as she starts telling them stories, her voice soft but filled with affection. I sit back, watching them, my heart full. I know this moment will mean everything to Jake.

He’ll have his mom there. For the first time in his career, he’ll have everyone he loves cheering him on.

Chapter forty-nine

Best deal I’ve ever made

Jake

I’m staring at the ceiling of my condo, trying to force myself to sleep, but my mind’s racing. Charlie. It’s always her. Even tonight, the night before the biggest game of my life, she’s the one thing I can’t stop thinking about.

She’s at home with the kids, probably getting them ready for bed, while I’m here trying to do the 'focus on the game’ routine that’s been drilled into me since day one. Usually I can tune everything else out, but tonight, nothing works.

This isn’t just any game—it’s the Stanley Cup Final. The thing I’ve been chasing my entire career. I should be dialed in, laser-focused. Instead, all I want is to be with them.

I spent years in this place chasing nothing but wins, nothing but the next high of a game. But now, there’s more on the line. It’s not just for me anymore. I’m not skating for some contract extension, some headline. I’m skating for them, for my family.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and the second I see her name light up the screen, my whole body relaxes. I grab it, not even trying to hide the smile in my voice.

“Hey, Lady Lightning.”

Her soft laugh is all it takes to ease some of the tension clawing at me. “Hey, Captain Thunder. How’s the pre-game routine going?”

I exhale, rolling onto my side. “I wanna be with you. This shit’s driving me crazy.”

“I know,” she says, her voice a gentle balm. “But you’ve got this. Tomorrow’severythingyou’ve worked for. I’m so proud of you.”

“I don’t care about that,” I mutter, half-joking. “I just wanna come home.”

She scoffs, and I can almost see her shaking her head. “Now Iknowyou’ve lost it. You care, Jake. You’ve poured your whole life into this. And we’ll all be there tomorrow, cheering you on.”

“I know. It’s just hard not having you next to me.” I pause, my voice dropping. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” she whispers. “But just think, after you win we’ll celebrate properly.”

The idea of celebrating with her... yeah, that’s something I can focus on. “How are we celebrating, exactly?”

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