Page 75 of One Pucking Life

I leap to my feet, screaming without even processing the words flying from my mouth. My hands slap against the glass as my heart thunders. Max spins off the defender and fires.

The red light flashes.

GOAL.

The arena erupts. The glass vibrates beneath my palms. The roar of the crowd is deafening. The scoreboard ticks down to zero, and the buzzer blares.

Game over. They won.

Max throws his arms into the air, instantly mobbed by his teammates. Jaden hugs him. Cade slaps his helmet. Gunner raises his stick from the crease and points it toward Max in triumph.

I scream along with everyone else, overjoyed like I’ve been a lifelong fan. I hug Iris, then Cade and Beckett’s parents, Bash’s family, Anna, Miranda, Elena, Ari, and Penny. The entire suite is electric, overflowing with joy.

Amid the chaos, a tiny cry pulls me back—Caroline.

She’s startled awake in her stroller, overwhelmed by the eruption of sound. I scoop her up, cradling her against my chest. I bounce her gently and whisper through the emotion in my throat. “We did it, baby girl. Your daddy did it. He’s amazing.”

Tears stream freely down my cheeks as love, pride, and joy collide inside me, bubbling up and spilling out in waves.

Max looks up at the VIP box and finds us. His face radiates joy, his eyes shining as he lifts a gloved hand and presses it to his chest.

With a full grin, he mouths the words,I love you.

Not long ago, those words would’ve sent me into a tailspin—but not anymore.

I nod, smiling through tears, and press my palm to the glass.

“Love you, too,” I whisper back.

And I mean every single word.

CHAPTER

THIRTY

MAX

Itake a final look at the Post-it Laney left for me earlier today.Go get that Cup! You got this. I love you.

It’s now stuck to my bedroom mirror, a reminder of what will always be one of the best days of my life.

Showered and changed, I’m ready to head out to the celebration. Only one more thing could make this day even more perfect.

As I step into the hallway, Laney is gently closing Caroline’s nursery door.

“All good?” I ask.

She walks to me and threads her fingers through mine, giving them a squeeze. “She went out like a light.”

Hand in hand, we head downstairs. My parents rise from the sofa.

“You heading out?” my mom asks.

“We are. Thank you so much for staying with the baby—we really appreciate it,” I say.

My parents were able to make it to the game today, which I’m beyond grateful for. My sister was planning to come if the series went to game seven, but thankfully, we didn’t need it.

“It’s our pleasure. It’s the least we can do,” my mom replies.

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