Page 103 of In Your Wildest Dreams
Beatrice Fisher, Tris for short, is five years old and can skate as well as half the guys on my high school hockey team. She’s incredible. I have no doubt someday I’ll be watching her dominate leagues. The skill level at this age varies greatly. A lot of them are still learning how to stay upright while navigating around teammates and defenders, or they shoot with so much strength it throws them off-balance. But they never fail to bring a smile to my face.
“Ash, this is so cool.” Bridget drops one hand to my knee but keeps watching the action on the ice.
I stare at her hand for a few seconds before threading my fingers through hers. We sit that way, holding hands and watching the game. A simple thing maybe, but after hiding away for weeks, it feels big.
A few of the players spot me between shifts, but their excitement at seeing me has nothing to do with me being a professional hockey player and everything to do with the promise I made them at the beginning of the season: Win more games than they lose, and I’ll get them onto the ice at the Wildcat arena. A promise it’s looking like I’m happily going to get to make good on.
Bridget squeezes my fingers when Tris skates down the ice on a breakaway, and stands and cheers when the puck slides in between the goalie’s legs. It feels so damn good being with her, watching her enjoy something that I love.
I turn to smile at Tris’ parents sitting a few rows behind us. They’re cheering so big. That’s the thing I love about hockey at this age. It’s all for fun and the love of the game. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to do it as a career, but it’s a good reminder of why I started playing. I love it down to the very core.
And sharing that with Bridget feels so perfect.
29
ONE MORE STOP
BRIDGET
“That was unbelievable.I can’t believe how well some of them play already.” The wind whips around my head, blowing my hair around my face, but I’m too excited to care.
Ash nods proudly as I go on and on about the Mini Mite hockey game. Never in a million years did I expect him to take me to watch four and five-year-old kids play hockey, but it is somehow still so him.
“How did you get started coaching and how long have you been doing it?”
He runs a hand over his jaw. “Not long. Last summer Maverick asked if any of us wanted to help with a hockey camp that his buddy was running. It was a few weeks, no big deal. The camp was all ages, so we got split up and I ended up with the youngest group.” One shoulder lifts in a small shrug. “I enjoyed it and asked around about places I might be able to help. Rhett, that’s Maverick’s friend, put me in touch with the league president and that’s pretty much it. I don’t get to too many practices, but I try to make any games that I can. They’re a trip.”
“I loved it. Thank you for bringing me here.” Every little thing I learn about him has me falling harder for him despite all my misgivings.
We come to a stop next to the passenger side door of his truck and I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him like I’ve wanted to do for the past hour.
He makes this little humming noise deep in his throat when we break apart. “You’re welcome, but it’s not over yet.”
“It’s not?”
He shakes his head. “Nope. We have one more stop.”
“Is it your bed?” I ask hopefully.
Silent laughter makes his chest rise and fall and a wolfish smile takes over his face. “Make that two more stops.”
We drive back to Ash’s house, but instead of parking his truck at his place, he pulls up to the curb in front of Jack’s.
“I’m intrigued,” I say hesitantly as Ash grabs a bag from the back seat and gets out.
We head around the back of the house instead of going in the front.
“Uhh…do I need to worry that this night is going to end in the back of a police car?”
“Jack’s not home and he knows we’re stopping by.”
I still feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t be as Ash leads me into the backyard and then to a gate at the other side of the property. He tries the handle and then clicks his tongue when it doesn’t budge.
“I forgot the key.”
“The key to what?”
“I’ll give you a boost over.” Ash laces his fingers together and looks at me expectantly.
