Page 73 of Season's Schemings

I love being her husband, paperwork or no paperwork—this marriage is no longer about anything butherto me.

I grin, lost in memories of Maddie and me in the kitchen last night, making dinner together but mostly making out. The chicken we ended up eating was bone dry, but neither of us cared about that at all.

“Dude.” Colton Perez gives me a little shove. “You’re up.”

I look over to see my teammate inclining his head at a red-faced Coach Torres screaming from across the ice.

“Slater! You get hard of hearing over Christmas or what?” Coach bellows.

“Sorry, Coach!” I call back, still feeling sunny as all hell as I get into position for the shooting drill.

The coach’s whistle blows, and I shoot forward, skates slicing across the ice, puck dancing against my stick. My eyes flick to Lars’ backup goalie, Randy Allen, and I attempt to read his body language as I gain on him. I zero in on the net’s corners, and I take the shot, reveling in the satisfyingthudthe puck makes against my stick before it sails in a beautiful line of precision right at its target, evading Allen and hitting the back of the net neatly.

“Nice shot, Slater,” Coach grumbles. “Almost makes up for you being in La La Land today.Almost.”

I’m still on top of the world when we skate off the ice at the end of practice. Tomorrow night, we’re facing the Tampa Storm, here at home, and I’m feeling pretty optimistic that we can beat them if we keep playing the way we have been at the last couple practices. Although, to be honest, I’m pretty optimistic in general these days. Hard not to be with Maddie in my life.

Tonight, I’m taking her to a little sushi place in West Midtown that I found a few months back. Apparently, she loves the stuff, but Adam hated it so she hasn’t been on a sushi date since… well, ever.

I’m more than happy to change that. And then take her home afterwards.

The team pours into the locker room and it’s quickly filled with a cacophony of laughing and teasing and banter as the guys all grab their stuff and head for the showers. Meanwhile, I’m rooting through my gym bag for my phone before I bother to shed any of my gear.

My grin stretches wide when I see that she’s texted.

Stef gave me free rein with today’s lunch menu, so steak tacos are up. I plan to make up for that dreadful dry chicken we ate for dinner yesterday.

I settle down on a bench and start typing out a text back to her. Flirty, of course, because I like to imagine her down the hallway, blushing in the kitchen.

I dunno. I’d say you more than made up for that last night ;)

Sebastian Slater! This is a workplace. Am I going to have to call HR on you?

Sure. You can tell Adrienne about how skilled I am, both on and off the ice.

*GIF of Jake Peralta saying “I have no idea what you’re talking about right now”*

*GIF of Jake Peralta saying “I love your face and I love your butt”

SEB!

Oh, please, you know you love the NSFW comments.

You’re right. I really, really do.

I laugh out loud. This woman…

The fact that she can get behind my ridiculously suggestive banter is just a plus on top of a million pluses that make up Madelyn.

I’m typing out a response when a throat clears above my head. Loudly.

I look up to see a towel-clad Malachi Holmes staring down at me with a dark eyebrow raised. I’m still sitting on the bench in full gear, giggling at my phone like a pre-teen girl. And only then do I notice that the locker room is totally empty—the guys have clearly all traipsed off to the showers already.

The captain folds his arms. “Slater—or at least, Ithinkyou’re still Sebastian Slater, I’m not convinced that your body hasn’t been invaded by aliens and I’m speaking to one of Earth’s new overlords… What is going on with you today? And yesterday too, for that matter? It’s like you came back from the Christmas break a whole new person.”

I shoot Mal a sheepish smile. “Well, Captain, it’s that… I think I might have accidentally fallen in love with my wife.”

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