Page 98 of Hot Puck
Bex’s face is in mine and next thing I know, he’s grabbing my helmet and giving it a shake. “We’re going to the Cup!”
“Holy fudge sticks!”
“I think you can say holy fucking shit right now, Chase,” Bran laughs. “The kids aren’t out here yet but they’re coming.”
I turn my head and through the arms and legs and torsos and gear, I see what he means. Everyone is pouring onto the ice. Is the game even over? I don’t remember hearing the horn.
It has to be though. No one would be out here if it wasn’t.
I see the girls before Gem. The twins have Candace with them, and I push up, shoving guys off me so I can get to my feet—get to them. I don’t want any of them slipping on the ice.
Out from under my teammates I see the ice is full of people. And the crowd on the other side of the glass is going crazy. I can’t hold back the grin. Don’t want to. I just put us in the Cup final!
This is why we moved. Why I trusted a stranger to help me make my dream of playing in the NHL a reality.
Cass launches herself at me and I catch her. Spin her around. Stell, with Candace on her hip, arrives at a slightly more sedate pace but she’s still moving faster than I want on the slippery surface.
“Here. Give her to me.”
I reach for Candace, scoop her against my side and throw my other arm around Stell. Lifting her off her feet, I give them the same treatment I gave Cass. And when I put Stell back on her feet, Cass presses against my front.
“You won!”
I nod. Because suddenly the moment is sinking in. I scored a goal. Won the game that puts us within touching distance of the Cup.
“You scored a goal!” Stell looks at me with astonishment and I have to admit, I’m feeling the same.
“Crazy, right?”
“I told you you’d break more records.”
Cass’s words have me turning my head and that’s when I see Gem. She’s a few steps away, congratulating each member of the team as she draws closer to us.
Every instinct I have wants to kiss my wife. It’s insane how sharp the need is. Except I can’t. She’s the reason I’m here. The reason I was able to make that record breaking, game winning goal, and I can’t do more than say thank you.
Maybe give her a hug.
It sucks.
And when she’s right in front of me and I see the desire in her eyes I almost say fuck it and crush her to me.
But I know it wouldn’t be a good move. Especially with the media capturing everything.
In spite of the gnawing need in my gut, I reach out and pull her close for a hug. Candace is between us, her small body blocking mine from Gem’s and that’s probably a good thing.
“Congrats! I’m so proud of you, Chase.” Her words are a whisper in my ear, and I tip my head so I can whisper in hers.
“You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now.”
Her body jolts but she doesn’t pull away. She doesn’t speak either. But her arms around me tighten and I take that as a good sign. An acknowledgment of the want and need brewing between us.
It’s been building for weeks. Months.
Less than a year ago I had no idea who this woman was. Now she’s my boss, my co-parenting partner, my housemate—my wife.
Without her I wouldn’t be standing here. Wouldn’t be heading for the Cup final.
And I wouldn’t be surrounded by hundreds of people sporting a hard on beneath my uniform.
