Again, I bite back my smile, turning and hurrying out before he calls security to escort me.
CHAPTER 43
HAPPY
Carrying my stick and gloves, I follow Logan and Robbie through the doors to our practice rink where we’re stopped by the social team, Samara and Brianna, and Douglas the intern, holding up a sign that saysWHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PREPARE FOR GAME 1 TOMORROW?
“Sleep,” Robbie mutters, walking off.
“Yeah, probably sleep,” Logan says with a laugh.
Brianna’s seductive gaze slides to me, her tongue dragging along her plumped up bottom lip.
Unlike the other guys, I stop, looking at the camera as I say, “I’m going to hang out with my daughter and my girlfriend.”
Someone behind me drops something. Samara and Brianna gasp. And, in front of me, Logan stumbles on his skates, colliding into the back of Robbie, who fumbles his stick.
“Daughter?” Samara questions at the same time as Brianna practically shrieks, “Girlfriend?”
Nodding, I flash them my trademark grin, turning like it’s no big deal as I follow Robbie and Logan who are, understandably, gaping at me incredulously.
“Dude!” Logan says, impressed.
“Way to soft launch, my guy,” Robbie chuckles, slapping a hand against my padded shoulder.
“Coach knows everything now,” I say. “That’s all that matters.”
“Proud of you, brother.” Logan nods before skating out onto the ice.
“Slater!”
I startle suddenly, dropping a glove at the sound of Coach’s booming voice coming from behind me. Spinning around, I crouch to pick up my glove, standing back up to attention to find my girlfriend’s father’s steely glare settled on me. Wow. Talk about POV change; last time I saw this guy, he was literally giving me his blessing, telling me he was happy for me and Hannah. Now, the man looks like he wants to tear me to shreds.
I swallow hard, squaring my shoulders. “What’s up, Coach?”
“You’re down with Mason,” he barks, nodding his head in the direction where Robbie is stretching next to our defensive coach, Gunther, as he sets up some blue line markers.
My jaw drops as realization dawns on me. “I’m starting tomorrow?”
Chomping on his gum, Coach looks at me with little to no expression whatsoever. “Yeah.”
I could cry. “C-can I hug you?”
“Not unless you want that there stick shoved up your asshole,” Coach responds without missing a beat, tipping his chin at my hockey stick.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Coach,” I say, my attempt at joking lost to the emotion that causes my words to tremble.
“What are you waiting for, son?” Coach huffs after a few beats. “A goddamn written invitation?”
“Sorry, Coach.” My grin wins its battle against my self-control as I skate out onto the ice, feeling like I’m on cloud fucking nine.
“You okay, Lucky Duck?”
Lucky hides behind me, poking her head out to look at herself in the mirrored doors of the elevator, her big eyes meeting mine in the reflection. She nods, causing her pigtails to bounce against her shoulders with the movement, but the way she’s clinging onto me, I don’t know if I believe her.
My eyes flit to Hannah as she watches on with a sad smile. “She’s not a fan of elevators,” I explain.
“You know what I do?” Hannah crouches down, bringing herself to Lucky’s eye level. “I watch the floor counter.” She points to the panel with the lit-up numbers. “And I try to count in time with the floors. I’ve gotten pretty good at it over the years, if I do say so myself.”
