At the end of the game—a 4–2 win—Jordy was kept busy with his cool-down and media, but Rowan replied to Jordy’s apology text with pictures of Kaira finding plenty of entertainment in the box. Eventually he escaped and found his two favorite people snuggled on a couch looking at something on an iPad, a cute and cozy scene that was immediately ruined when Kaira caught sight of Jordy and rushed into his arms.
The puck he’d slipped into his pants pocket felt heavy against his thigh, but he didn’t pull it out.
Kaira had some of Jordy’s game pucks already, including the one from the first goal he scored after her birth and adoption. She didn’t need this one.
So Jordy held on to the puck until after she’d gone to bed and he and Rowan collapsed onto the couch together.
“So, what did you think of your second NHL game?”
“Being in the box was different,” Rowan said. “Also, I still have no idea what’s going on most of the time and Kaira is still terrible at explaining things. At least this time some of the neighbors were helpful.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, a couple of wives took pity on me and gave me some pointers.” Then he shrugged and smiled. “Thankfully I got the most important details down. Puck in net good.”
“Wow. With insight like that, they’ll be asking you to do game commentary soon.”
“I try.”
“Well, to mark your new insights, you should have this.” Jordy handed him the puck.
“A rubber disk, what I’ve always wanted,” Rowan snarked, but his grin took the sting out of the words.
“Not just any rubber disk. That’s an ‘in net good’ one.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, it’s tradition for players to keep pucks after important or milestone goals. Like your hundredth or first in a league or on a team.”
“Wait, this is your first Orca goal puck? Jordy, that’s yours.”
“Yes, and I’m giving it to you.”
“But—”
“I want you to have it. After all, you get some of the credit for it,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Not sure that goal happens tonight if not for last night.” It was cliché but true. Jordy had been riding high all day, and Rowan had inspired that invincible feeling. Jordy might not get to keep Rowan, but knowing that Rowan thought him worthy of love? An ego boost of the first order.
“Well. Since you won the game today and I helped, we should probably go celebrate,” Rowan suggested coyly, sending a bolt of heat rocking through Jordy.
“Yeah. Let’s go do that.”
CHRISTMAS EVEwas a whirlwind of hyperactive child and last-minute jobs. Rowan had never done Christmas with a small child before—not since he was one himself—so he was unprepared for how the day seemed to alternate between hurry-up-and-wait and a mad scramble to get everything done.
Kaira was ecstatic that Santa would definitely be able to find her new house, cross their hearts. Rowan was just relieved Jordy had taken care of all the gift wrapping before their arrival.
And that Jordy had barred the rest of his family from joining him over the holidays, given that more chaos of any sort would make things more difficult for Kaira. Not to mention that spending the holidays with the rest of the Shaws would be an awkward in-law-esque time for Rowan.
Especially since anyone who didn’t sleep like the dead might have heard the howling Rowan had licked out of Jordy in celebration of his goal. Rowan had figured he should reward that perfect hockey ass for doing its job so nicely by eating it.
By some miracle, they got Kaira into bed at a normal time, set up the presents under the tree, and then fell back into Jordy’s bed for dirty, if rushed, blowjobs before sleep.
All in all, a great day.
So naturally, Kaira woke them at 5:08 a.m. by vomiting on Jordy’s bed.
