Page 29 of Hat Trick
“Hell yeah we do,” Dom sounds from across the table.
Finally, the three of us go about drinking our coffee, getting lost in normal conversation, but one thought continues to plague my mind as the three of us sit at this little table tucked in the corner of the cafe.
If finding someone who will love you the way I know Dom loves me is such a rarity, when Lil held my face in her hand, when she looked at me as if she could see into the depths of my soul, like she could see me for everything I am and am not, why did it feel like I just might be lucky enough to experience such a rarity twice?
Is anyone ever reallythatlucky?
CHAPTER 19
WHAT’S THE PRICE?
DOMINIC
“Atta boy, Banner!” Daisy, aka Casey Flowers, the team’s first-line left defenseman, yells as he and Emerson skate over to me. They both clap me on my padded shoulders after I stopped a goal attempt from our second line.
We have a home game tomorrow night, so we’re having a light scrimmage and practicing some plays before we face South Tampa, one of the season’s bigger rivals.
The save was nothing overly impressive, but regardless, my teammates never fail to hype me up. That’s what we all do for one another—day in and day out.
I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to play with over the last four years.
Besides my mom and the Bakers, they’re the closest thing I have to a family.
“Alright!” Coach Bailey yells. “One more and we’ll wrap it up for the day.”
Cap, our first line center, and Patty, aka Patrick, our second line center, face off on the dot to my right. I can hear the two of them chirping at one another from here. It’s nothing serious, just lighthearted banter between teammates, but hockey isn’t hockey without a little chirping.
Coach blows the whistle and drops the puck between the two of them as we run the last play of practice. As the puck makes its way toward the other side of the ice, I watch as Emerson momentarily turns his head and winks at me through the visor of his helmet.
The surly bastard has been unusually flirty since our talk with Lil at the cafe the other day. It’s been a complete one-eighty from how he was the day of the car wash. So much so, it’s kind of giving me whiplash. It’s been nothing but stolen glances, flirtatious smiles, brushes of the hands, and he hasn’t even been trying to hide the fact that his eyes are on me the entirety of the time we’re in the locker room.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the man’s more than ready for round two of our fearsome threesome.
No, Dom. Lil said if you called it that again, the only thing you’d be fearing is, and I quote, her fingers as she gives me the worst purple nurple of my life.
I didn’t even know anyone past the age of fifteen gave purple nurples, but whatever.
Anyway, as Emerson skates away from me, I have to force myself to get back into the zone. Because the fasterthis practice is over with, the faster we can finally meet up with our girl.
Me
Lil, how do we feel about subjecting Emmy to our favorite spot?
Honey
Please tell me you’re not joking?
Me
I would never joke about something so serious.
Honey
This is going to be the best night of my life.
Wait, is it okay if I bring Gigi?
Me
