Page 141 of One Good Puck
When he crawls into bed with me, he spoons me, wrapping his arms around my waist. He presses his nose against my neck and inhales deeply before kissing the hinge of my jaw.
“Stay with me tonight?” he asks.
I close my eyes and smile. “Yes.”
He kisses my hair and whispers, “I love you so much.”
“I love you so much, too.”
In this moment, everything is perfect.
I fall asleep, wishing it could last forever.
Music blasts through the arena during warmups.
I look down at Emma, who’s standing up, excitedly bouncing around, wearing her bedazzled Bashers jersey. When Xander skates by, he waves at her. She beams and waves back.
That anxiety knot in the pit of my stomach eases when I see how happy she is. It’s been a few days since her dad threatened to take me to court for custody of her. I met with Gavin’s lawyer friend, who reassured me that I had everything in place legally to keep Emma with me.
As comforting as that was to hear, I still can’t shake the dread lingering over me. I haven’t heard from Levi since that awful phone call, and part of me wonders what he’s going to do.
I push the thought out of my mind and refocus on being happy for Emma.
I haven’t told her anything about Levi’s threats because I don’t want to scare her.
She beams up at me. “Mom, I waved at Xander! And Gavin!”
I smile at her. “That’s nice, honey.”
She waves at Gavin again, who’s standing in the Bashers box, observing the guys warming up. He waves back, the corner of his mouth quirked up in a small smile. He looks at me and winks. I smile. Warmth and comfort pool at the center of my chest.
Gavin’s been amazing. Every time I start to stress or vent about Levi, he listens patiently. Then he hugs me and promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep Emma safe.
He’s been my rock through all of this. He’s been by my side, comforting me and taking care of me through it all.
Warmup ends, and the teams get ready for puck drop at center ice. The Bashers are playing the Nashville Wolves tonight, and they’re a top-ranked team, so it’s a fierce game from the start.
Our seats tonight are behind the Bashers net. We watch as a Nashville player in possession of the puck skates toward Blomdahl. Before he can take a shot, Xander checks him into the boards. The loud crash startles me and Emma, who jolts back, her eyes wide.
“Whoa,” she says.
Dakota, Maya, and Bella, who are sitting next to us, chuckle.
“Pretty tough stuff, huh?” Bella says to Emma. She nods.
Halfway through the first period, Emma pulls on the sleeve of my jacket. “Mom, I have to pee.”
I take her by hand and lead her up the stairs to the nearest restrooms. On our way back to our seats, she points at the concession stand.
“Can I have some cotton candy? Please?”
“I thought you said you didn’t like cotton candy anymore. It made you sick, remember?”
She shakes her head. “No, I like it again.”
I chuckle. “Okay, but we’re getting you a small size. Too much will give you a tummy ache.”
We get in line at the concession stand. When we get to the front, I order cotton candy and a hot dog. I hand the hot dog to Emma.
