We won that game and the next three, which propelled us into the second round of the playoffs. We won those games, too, increasing our winning streak and forcing the sports pundits to find loads of superlatives when it came to discussing the Wildcatter organization.
We were able to expedite the closing, and Vivi and I moved into our place during the break after our fourth win, since we had to wait for the other two teams to duke it out in their series.
“It’s going all seven games,” Maxim told me when he and Ida Jane stopped by with a housewarming gift. Naomi and Adam followed them in, and ten minutes later, Hana, Naese, Stol, Millie, Cormac, and Keelie were all in our grand room, enjoying a drink and some healthy snacks while I fired up the grill.
“Good thing I went to the store while you were at Mom’s,” I told Vivi. My mother hadn’t wanted to move in with us, but Mia, my sister, was more than happy to take over Vivian’s bedroom. She was saving for her own house, and Mom’s place cut her commute in half. Plus, Mia understood that Mom might be on the road to recovery now, but she was aging. Mia hadn’t focused much on family for the past ten years, and I could tell she was trying to make up for lost time.
“I’m glad Mia’s there, no matter the reason,” Vivi said. “Your mom came through her therapy really well, but you never know when a body will react.”
“I think you should think about sticking with private nursing,” I said.
She raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
“Well, you seem more relaxed, happier than you were when talking about your work schedule back when I met you, and because I like knowing I get to see you when I’m home.”
She smiled and kissed me. “All good reasons. We’ll see. Much as I love nursing, I may need to find something else to fulfill me.”
“Whatever you want, Vivi.”
She bit her lip. “Well…”
I waited.
“I was wondering about helping out with the foundation, now that that’s moving forward. Being a kind of liaison between service members and their VA doctors or whatever? Someone who could help with their prescriptions and develop tailored nutrition, exercise, and medical plans.”
My chest warmed. “That’s a fantastic idea, and exactly what Camden and I want to do for these guys.”
She blew out a breath as she blinked at me. “Really?”
“Yeah, it sounds amazing, Vivi.”
She bounced into my arms. I twirled her around, and everyone hooted for us to kiss. I was happy to oblige.
“Man, oh, man,” Naese said, rubbing his hands together fifteen days later. “Game five—we can win the Cup tonight, my fellas!”
“Don’t jinx it,” Stolly said.
I smirked. I wouldn’t have taken Stol as the superstitious one of the group—not while we had a crazy Russian on the team. But the younger man been so serious, so determined to ensure every little detail of his game plan, that I realized it wasn’t superstition, it was anxiety.
I leaned over the bench and patted him on the back. “Just keep doing what you do, and we got this.”
He groaned. “You shouldn’t say that. Don’t say that. I’ll fuck something up.”
“Mistakes happens. Just pay attention. Be alert to opportunities,” I said.
“And don’t fuck up,” Maxim added with that terrifying Russian glare.
“That’s enough,” Cormac said mildly. “But seriously, Stol, don’t fuck up.”
Stol dropped his head between his knees and groaned.
We all laughed. It felt good, and most of the tension seeped from the locker room. Many of us had been here before. We understood the pressure. We knew we had to clear our minds and focus.
We would because we all wanted this series locked down and the Stanley Cup in our possession. We headed for the ice, and the first period was a masterclass of precision and execution. We owned every minute of every play, and I could practically feel Coach Whittaker’s pride in our performance.
I glanced over at Vivi as I came off the ice early in the third period. She was watching me, so I winked at her. She smiled back and blew me a kiss.
I settled on the bench for a breather and water break. When Coach called my line up, Maxim and I were over in a blink, more than ready to slam into bodies and fight for the puck. We might be dominating the ice, but we needed a score to put us on the board—to clinch the win.
