Page 27 of Playing the Pucking Game
“Screw you, old man. I’m stronger than all of you and you know it.”
“Enough, children,” Fletch snaps once we’ve all had a chance to warm up a little. “Let’s set this up. Lil Rivers, you ready to face off?”
“You ready to lose?” Sutton taunts as if she’s not talking to a six-foot-three brute of a man.
I fucking love watching her hold her own with these guys. It’s funny as hell.
Fletch holds the puck between them, their eyes locked, their chests heaving.
“Come on, Lil Riv, you’ve got this,” I call.
She nods, accepting my encouragement, but other than that, she’s solely focused on the task at hand: winning.
Fletch drops the puck and Sutton steals it, shooting off to successfully score our first goal of the morning.
Ignoring the fact that he just failed to save a goal shot by a seven-year-old, Handsy grabs her and lifts her high in the air in celebration. She squeals as he does a victory lap with her before placing her back on center ice to start over again.
We play for thirty minutes before we all hit the bench, sweaty and out of breath, but with smiles on our faces.
“Fuck, I love you guys,” Marilyn says, earning himself a slap on the head from Kodie for swearing around Sutton.
“We love you too, Monroe, even if you’re like our annoying little kid,” Fletch states.
After a bit more banter, talk turns toward our upcoming games—both the Vipers and the Polar Bears, the girls’ team Sutton plays for.
She has no idea, but we’re all going to watch one of her games soon. We’ve had it planned for ages, and I’m eager to see her reaction.
She does it for us, so why shouldn’t we do the same for her?
Eventually, we say goodbye to the guys.
“Ready to head home?”
“To the crying women on my couch? No, not really.” I laugh, although it’s a lie. I’m more than ready to check on Parker.
But before that can happen, I need a favor.
“Can we head to a store on the way back?” I ask.
“Sure, which one?”’
“Sephora?” I ask hesitantly.
“Sephora?” Kodie echoes. “You need some more blush, Storm?”
“Something like that,” I mutter, shaking my head as I contemplate what I’m about to do.
8
PARKER
“Move in with us,” Casey begs after listening to me relay the horrifying events of the night and my bleak reality.
“I can’t, Case. You and Kodie are just starting your life together. It’s not fair. He’s already on the road half the time.”
“You will be, too,” she points out.
“Yes, but we’ll be together at the same time. If I were with a different team and on a different game schedule, then maybe. I’m not putting myself in the middle of your relationship like that.”
