“He seems to have more than a spring in his step,” Em goes on. “I think that might have something to do with you, Jade. He’s always bouncing off the walls when you’re around.”
“So true,” Cindy chimes in.
I laugh, trying to hide my embarrassment with my hands covering my face, but I realize what the heck. From what Jay and I were talking about earlier, it doesn’t seem like we’re going to be hiding anything for much longer.
We take our seats because the game is almost about to start, Cindy and Em find their seats just in front of ours and I glue my eyes to number #88 Jefferson.
His physique in that uniform as they stretch, sends my pulse into overdrive. That lean body and muscular frame, I enjoyed kissing every inch of it.
Seeing him in his element now is such a highlight, he’s worked so damned hard to get where he is. True to his word all those years ago, he sent us a postcard from every city he visited when he was recruited into the NHL. It makes me smile, thinking about the excitement it used to stir whenever one would arrive.
“I knew he was going to make it,” my dad would say proudly. He had so much faith in Jay and really helped keep him on the straight and narrow while he completed high school. I have so much respect for my dad for that.
It etches in the forefront of my mind what they’re going to think about Jay and I being a thing. But I’m broken out of that train of thought when I see Em in front of me covering her face with her hands, then Cindy giggling next to her.
When I look back to the ice, I see Jake, Taylor, Tyler and Ashton are all in a line in front of Jay as music starts rolling from one of the speakers, and seems to flood around the arena quicker than wild fire.
In tandem, they all stick one foot out to the right side, shimmying their hips, then to the left, following the same motion. Then a step forward, a step back, another roll of their hips. They all exaggerate the moves over again and it’s then I realize it’s part of one of the dances Jay and I were learning with Markus.
I cover my hands over my mouth, muffling the sound of my squeak even though it surely can’t be heard anyway over the noise of the crowd. Mom glances at me in my peripheral, but my eyes are transfixed on the team.
Jay’s giving them a withering look, but the smile is all in his eyes. They ham it up a notch as they clap their hands together over their heads; the crowd joining on in, the hoots and cheers echoing off the barrier walls as the boys shimmy around in a circle. I’ve no idea how they’re doing this on skates, I guess it’s years of practice on the ice.
Tyler gives Jay a friendly shove in the back, it’s obvious he’s coaxing him to join them in the dance they’ve clearly been practising. Jay is shaking his head and trying his best to protest.
Cindy turns her head and looks back at me, she can’t contain her smiles and laughter, Em is clapping along with the rest of the crowd. As I glance down the long row of my family and some of Tanner’s friends, even Ben made it tonight, they’re all clapping and cheering toward the ice. Luca is beside himself, dressed in the little Hawks hoodie and hat that Jay brought for him.
Finally, Jay throws his arms up in the air and pushes off his skates, joining the boys at the end, right next to Tyler as they do their shimmy routine twice more.
His hip sway action is next level, and I have to admit, the rest of the boys aren’t bad themselves.
The crowd hoots and cheers, at least, the Hawks fans, anyway. But really, everyone seems to be having a good time as the boys all pat each other on the back and give Jay a friendlyshove. It’s then he turns and looks at me, right when their opponents are called onto the ice. His face is flushed and his eyes dance. That heart-warming, panty-melting smile I know is for me, seems brighter than anything I’ve ever seen.
CHAPTER 27
Jade
The first period goes by in a blur. Jay is interchanged here and there with the new guy, Adam, reminding me his coach didn’t want to be taking too many chances when Jay has to stand up and be the best man on Saturday. I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of him since he first skated out and that dance on the ice was next level.
“I’m just going to the ladies,” I whisper to Mom, who has Luca jumping around on her knee.
“Okay, Honey.”
I slip out and join up with Em and Cindy, who are heading the same way as me. We walk up towards the exit together while the ten-minute break takes place.
“Can you believe the boys initiated that dance!” Cindy exclaims when we’re out of the noise of the stadium, heading to the bathrooms. “I mean, Tyler doesn’t dance for anyone.”
“I heard you and Jay have been taking a few lessons for the wedding coming up?” Em says as we pass a group of Hawks clad women; hats, hoodies, flags, the works.
“We sure did,” I reply. I can’t help but laugh when I think about all five of them doing their little thing on the ice before the game. Holy shit, that was unexpected. “Seems like the guys know about it, too.”
“So that’s why they were egging Jay to get involved.” Em practically jumps up and down happily, then her hands fly to her stomach. “Ohhh—” She stops in her tracks.
“Are you okay?” We pause just outside the bathrooms as Em catches her breath, suddenly looking a little pale. An almost green flush comes over her as she rests back against the wall.
“I’m fine,” she says, though she’s holding one hand to her stomach and another to her throat. She and Cindy share a glance, and after she catches her breath, a smile ripples over her lips as she flicks her eyes back to me. “Can you keep a secret?”
I curl my lip under my teeth, nodding with excitement. “Yes, of course.”
