It sure doesn’t hurt knowing I scored the final shot with Jade and her family here. It feels phenomenal. I want to skate up there to the players’ door and grab her down here into my arms, but obviously I can’t do that, and there’s a tightness in my chest because of it.
Not right now, anyway.
“Fire in your skates tonight.” Jake slaps me on the back as we skate over to Coach and the rest of the team.
“Wonder why,” Taylor muses, nodding towards the players’ bench. “Doesn’t hurt to have someone watching your every move.”
“Can’t argue there,” I concede, they know exactly what I’m thinking and how I’m feeling, so there’s no point trying to deny it. I rip my mask off and smile up at her, my eyes traveling down the line of the Jones family as I cast a wave to them. Luca is waving his arms around from Billy’s lap and everyone is cheering us on.
The feeling is phenomenal, knowing they’re here for me. Their faces say a thousand words and my heart literally soars. This is just a seasonal match but I feel like it’s so much more. I just hope they’re going to be that receptive when Jade and I tell them about us.
CHAPTER 29
Jay
“Man, it’s been a while.” Ben slaps me on the back when we meet up back at the hotel casino I’m staying at after the game. All the guys came out for a few hours since the team isn’t leaving until tomorrow, and I have a few extended days leave for the wedding.
“Tell me about it.” We pound hug it out for a few solid seconds before we break apart. He came to the game with his wife and kids, but it’s only now we’re having a chance to get reacquainted.
“It’s kinda like old times,” Tanner says, handing us all a round of shots.
“I think some of those times should definitely be left in the past.” Ben casts me a wink, and I can only shake my head sheepishly at my own idiocy back then.
Fuck, I knew nothing when we were kids in school, and I didn’t really think about the things I did before it was too late. “Alicia still speaks very highly of you,” he adds.
I cover my face with my hands. “I can never look your mom in the eye again,” I sigh.
“Wait, what’s this?” Tyler gives me a nudge. We’ve stopped at the bar for a few drinks before we check out the casino.
“Old history.” I wave it off.
“He made out with my mom’s assistant, slash friend, on a visit back home after he turned pro. She had ten years on him.”
I run a hand through my hair. Not exactly what I want Tanner to remember since he’s going to know soon enough about Jade and I. “I’m an idiot, I was drunk,” I say with a shrug. “Not even I would do that kind of shit now.”
“We’ve all done dumb shit,” Taylor says, casting me a wink. It’s like he can see the cogs in my mind turning.
“But making out with his mom’s…” A sharp elbow to the ribs from Taylor cuts Jake off in his tracks. I can see Ashton’s shoulders shaking with laughter in my periphery.
Nice going, asswipe. I want to slap myself stupid.
“It was a long time ago,” I say, flattening my palms out. “Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since us guys all got together. So, let’s raise this next one in a toast to Tanner and Deb for a happy and healthy life together.” Changing the subject is key here, but I really think a toast is in order, too.
“Thanks, man.” Tanner smiles across at me as we all raise our glasses to the center of the table, a round of clinks follow and we all down our shots of tequila. The bitter, sweet sting hits the back of my throat as we all slam our glasses down in tandem. Tyler calls for another round and our glasses are quickly refilled.
“I got lucky early on with my wife to be. Nothing like a good woman,” Tanner goes on.
Tyler glances at me across the table and my mouth twitches. Thank fuck no one can read my mind. “Here, here,” he says. “I never knew it could be the way it is now before I met Cindy. I highly recommended it.”
“She’s a good woman,” I agree. “You gonna put a ring on it?”
“Before the season is over for sure,” he says. “Maybe then we’ll start trying to make little baby Petersons.”
He’s serious too. After a huge drama a few months back with his ex involving a false accidental pregnancy, I know he wants kids of his own someday. I think Ty would make a great father.
“That’s my boy.” Ashton pats him on the back. “There’s no way me and Mads are ready for kids, down the track, who knows?”
“Never say never.” Taylor smiles with a press of his lips, for some reason looking more smug than usual.
