Page 100 of Pipe Dreams
The Bruisers fans in the audience erupted with glee. It was 2–0.
After one more faceoff, the team clomped back to the dressing room for the intermission, elated. “Well played!” Coach hollered.
“How’d that feel?” Beacon asked Silas.
“Felt great. You said I was gonna be scored on tonight, but I think you were wrong.” Silas removed his helmet and wiped the sweat away with his arm.
“Yeah?”
“If anyone’s getting scored on, it’s you. Coach would be crazy not to send you in now that we have the momentum. They won’t know what hit ’em. Better keep stretching.”
He was right. Beacon was sent in at the start of the second period. “Ya miss me?” he asked his opponents as they skated past.
“Thought I got a night without your ugly mug,” Detroit’s captain muttered.
“Not so much!” Beacon called after him.
They won game seven 3–1, and advanced to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in four years.
•••
Beacon didn’t leave the rink until midnight. The dressing room had swarmed with reporters after the game, and Beacon told them all he’d felt a bit ill just before the puck dropped. “Mighta been something I ate,” he said every time someone asked why he hadn’t started tonight.
It sounded better than “I freaked out and went AWOL.”
By the time he’d boarded the bus, Lauren texted him that Elsa was asleep. And by the time his key card let him into his room, all the lights were out. As he tiptoed through the dark toward the king-sized bed, Lauren rolled over and sat up.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hi, beautiful.” He took off his suit jacket and kicked off his shoes. Then he stripped down to his boxers and padded into Elsa’s room.
His daughter was asleep, hugging her pillow. He kissed her head and then retreated to his room, closing the door behind him and locking it.
Then he dropped his shorts and practically did a swan dive into bed with his woman.
“Whoa,” she said as he did the military crawl toward her for a kiss. “Somebody’s happy to see me.”
“You have no idea.” The conversation stopped while heplundered her mouth for a few pleasant minutes. Then, with a happy sigh, he rolled to the side and pulled her onto his chest. “Thank you for taking care of my girl tonight. She got her period, huh? I don’t think that ever happened before.”
“It hadn’t,” Lauren said softly. “And it’s pretty freaky the first time. Seeing your own blood doesn’t seem normal, you know?”
“Except at the hockey rink,” he joked. “No, but seriously. Hans and I wouldn’t have been nearly so helpful with that.”
“Right place, right time,” Lauren said lightly.
He ran his nose along the smooth skin of her forehead. “I love you both so much. How were your seats tonight?”
“They were great. Except Elsa thinks we’re due a partial refund because you didn’t play a third of the time.”
He laughed into her silky hair. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“Was it bad that you were late?” she asked, sounding awfully worried. “Are they going to fine you?”
“I really have no idea. What’s done is done.” He put a hand right onto her breast. “Speaking of things getting done...”
“Smooth transition.”
“I know, right?” He rolled, pushing her onto her back. Pushing his hips down against hers, he kissed her again.
