Page 147 of Of Pucking Course

You deserve to be here. You’ve earned it.

The nerves and anxiety fade, replaced with sheer determination.

I can do this.

I smack the puck to the goalie’s glove side. He reachesfor it, but he falls short. The puck lands in the back of the net, and the goal siren blares. The entire arena explodes.

I scream and pump my fist as my teammates surround me, smacking me and hollering in celebration.

As we break apart and skate off, I spot Dakota jumping and cheering for me. When she catches eyes with me, I look at her and mouth, “For you.”

She stares at me, mouth open in surprise. I want to mouth, “I love you.” I almost do, but I stop myself.

It’s too soon. She’s not ready. You’ll freak her out.

So instead, I just wink and throw her another smile, the entire time my chest aching with the need to tell her how I really feel.

Chapter 52

Dakota

“We made it to the Stanley Cup finals, boys!” Xander hollers.

He raises his shot glass of tequila in the air. The rest of us at our usual table at Spanky’s do the same. Everyone cheers as we clink our shot glasses, then down our tequila.

The entire team has taken over half the tables in the dive bar to celebrate their win against Montreal. I turn to Sam, who’s sitting next to me, my heart racing in my chest.

I watch as he flashes that shy smile I love so much while everyone congratulates him on winning the game for the Bashers.

“To Sam! The MVP!” Xander says. Everyone cheers. Even the grumpy regulars who don’t care about hockey raise their glasses.

“You won it for us, man,” Del says.

Theo claps his back. “I think us forwards better watch out. This d-man is coming for us.”

Sam chuckles. “Just trying to score more when I see the chance.”

The whole time, need courses through my body as I watch him humbly deflect praise from his teammates. My skin tingles when I think about the way he bolted from the ice to defend me when I bumped into Henry’s dad, and he started going off on me.

He dropped everything to protect me. Without hesitation.

I think about the wild look in his eyes, the way he shoved Henry’s dad out of the way the second he saw him pushing into my space, the low, lethal tone of his voice when he warned him to stay the hell away from me.

Goosebumps flash across my skin. No one’s ever defended me like that. It made me wish I could climb Sam like a tree and have my way with him right then and there.

And then I think about the goal he scored. How confident and sure he was on the ice. How he held my gaze when he mouthed, “For you.”

For me.

My heart skids in my chest as the feelings whirling inside of me become clearer.

I’ve felt them the whole night, but I wasn’t sure what to call it. But now it’s crystal clear.

I’m in love with Sam.

I love how protective he is of me. I love how he builds me up. I love the surprises he plans for me, like when he buys my favorite food or when he plans the most thoughtful date.

I love how he’s let me take the lead on our relationship. I love how he doesn’t pressure me for more.

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