Page 205 of Almost Ours
The players laughed, nodding along like they were actually taking notes. One of them looked Connor straight in the eyes and asked, “Any other tips, Coach?”
Connor tapped his chin, pretending to think hard. “Yeah, don’t let them steal the puck so much. You gotta fight for it!”
“That’s solid advice,” I said, biting back a laugh.
I stood back, watching him interact with the team, my heart swelling with pride. He was completely in his element, and the players treated him like he was one of their own.
When I finally called everyone to gather around for my pep talk, Connor stood right beside me, hands clasped behind his back. He listened intently as I spoke, nodding at all the right moments.
When I wrapped it up, Connor turned to the team and added, “Okay, now everybody give Ryan a big cheer because he’s the best coach ever!”
The room erupted in applause and cheers, and I couldn’t help but laugh, pulling Connor into a side hug. “All right, buddy. You can stay and hang with the guys for a bit. I’m gonna go find Mom.”
He gave me a fist bump before running off to help the guys put their gear away as they changed.
I walked out of the dressing room and over to Harper, a grin spreading across my face as I pulled her close. “What’s a beautiful woman like you doing down here in the dressing room area? Don’t they have security in this place?”
She smirked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Apparently, they'll just letanyonein.”
I laughed, leaning down to kiss her. Her lips were warm and soft, and for a moment, I forgot about everything else.
When I pulled back, I looked into her eyes and smiled. “I still can’t believe this is my life.”
She reached up, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “Believe it, Coach.”
Her words settled deep in my chest, and for a long moment, we just stood there in the hallway, the sounds of laughter and celebration echoing from the dressing room behind us.
Kyle rolled by, a big grin plastered on his face as he wheeled up to us. “Harper! How are you enjoying Europe so far?”
Harper turned to him, her face lighting up. “It’s amazing, honestly, the perfect place to spend Christmas. I still can’t believe we’re here.”
Hearing her say that sent my mind spinning back to the day I found out about this tournament. It has been a couple months ago, but I could still remember it like it was yesterday.
Jeff had handed me the schedule with a smirk. “Europe over Christmas. Think you can swing it?”
My first thought hadn’t been about hockey strategy or logistics–it had been about Harper and Connor. There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d miss Christmas with them, so the decision to invite them along was immediate.
When I’d told Harper, her eyes had widened, and she’d tilted her head. “Really? Europe? At Christmas?”
I could still hear the disbelief in her voice. She’d never left the country before, let alone travelled internationally during the holidays.
“Really,” I’d said, grinning at her. “Pack your bags, Harper.”
Connor had been even more ecstatic. When we told him, his face lit up like the Christmas tree we’d just finished decorating. “An airplane? For real? And we get to be with the team? Over Christmas?”
“Yep,” I’d said, ruffling his hair.
He’d been a little sad about leaving Liam behind, but I reassured him, “If this becomes a thing every Christmas, we’ll bring Nina and Liam next year.” That had sealed the deal for him, and his excitement hadn’t waned since.
Coming back to the present, I watched as Harper laughed at something Kyle had said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Well, enjoy the rest of your day,” Kyle said, waving as he began to roll away.
“Kyle, hang on!” I jogged over to him, catching up before he got too far. “You’re still good to hang with Connor for the evening on Thursday, right?”
Kyle gave me a knowing look, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You mean so you can pull off whatever grand romantic plan you’ve got cooking for Harper? Yeah, I’m in. Connor is easy to entertain.”
I clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
