Ryan thumps his stick against my shoulder. “Let’s go, lover boy.”
I shove him with my elbow, moving toward the faceoff circle. I line up, dropping low, my eyes locked on the puck.
The second it hits the ice, we’re flying.
It’s fast. Faster than I expected. But I feel good. Better than good. I don’t realize how much I missed this until I’m slamming my body into the boards for a loose puck and the crowd roars behind me.
I scoop it free, twist on my blades, and send a clean pass to Logan. He barely holds it a beat before snapping it across the crease to Ryan, who hammers it home.
Goal.
Just like that.
My first assist of the night, and I’m grinning so hard it hurts.
My jersey sticks to my chest, sweat dripping down my back, but I don’t care. I can’t stop grinning. Nothing,nothingin the world feels better than this.
I glance up at the stands, and see Maisie standing, with a wide smile as she claps and cheers, her eyes locked on me.
Okay… maybe I lied. There is something better.
The game flies by in a blur of hits, shots, and shouts. The final buzzer sounds with the scoreboard glowing 5–2, and I don’t think I’ve smiled this hard in weeks.
We won.
Logan skates over, bumping my shoulder with his. “Nice work out there, Rhodes. Good to have you back.”
I flash him a crooked grin, my chest still heaving.It’s good to be back.
I don’t wait around. The second my skates hit the tunnel, I’m already tugging my gloves off, ready to find her.
She’s waiting near the exit, tucked beside Isabella and Aurora, the three of them huddled against the wall. Her eyes find mine instantly and her lips curl into the softest smile. It hits me right in the damn chest.
I slow to a stop in front of her, still fully geared up, sweat cooling under my pads, my breath hitching in my throat for a whole different reason now.
God, she’s so pretty, standing there in a denim jacket, and a white flowy dress, and those sky blue eyes I dream about.
The rink’s noise fades a little as I catch my breath, sweat dripping down my neck.
“Hey,” I say, smiling when I spot her watching me.
“Hey,” she echoes, looking up at me through those thick lashes. “You were incredible out there.”
I smirk, leaning in just a little. “Yeah?”
She nods, her lips twitching at the corners. “Not that I understand much about hockey, but watching you out there was fun.”
A laugh escapes before I can stop it. “You came all the way out here just to tell me that?”
Maisie shrugs. “Thought you might need the ego boost.”
“From you? Always.”
She bites her lip, trying not to smile. “Though honestly, you probably don’t need it. You always seem to know how to get what you want.”
I step a little closer, my voice dropping to a murmur. “That’s because I’m a playmaker, baby. I know how to make moves when it counts.”
She pauses, her lips parting at the nickname that slipped from my tongue. Her eyes lock on mine, intrigue swimming in them. “What kind of moves?”
