Dropping the puck into her lap, I wink at her. “See you after, babe.”
I can hear my dad chuckling as I walk back down to the ice.
* * *
We win game one, four to nothing.
“This was a good win, men,” Coach Tucker says in the locker room afterward. “But we’ve got a long series ahead of us, okay? No resting on our laurels. No going out partying all night. Stay focused. Stay determined. We’re not done yet.”
“We’re just getting started,” I say as Coach signals me to wrap things up with the guys. “Let’s show up for practice tomorrow ready to go. Great job tonight. Let’s go, Kings!”
“Kings!” Everyone shouts before breaking for the showers.
After a shower and about a dozen interviews, Arch, Tex, and I leave the locker room by the back door.
We run into Jared and Max chatting with their brothers in the private hallway. Like the three of us, they’re all wearing suits although Liam’s tugging at his tie like he wants to rip it off. Normally, we would never see the opposing players in the middle of a playoff series. But the Storm brothers are tight, and nothing’s going to stop them from visiting with each other.
“Hey.” I shake hands and half-hug Hunter and then Liam.
All four Storm brothers are great players, but Hunter’s on another level this season. He just found out he won league MVP, an award I came in second for this year.
“You won it twice before,” Hunter reminds me with a grin. “Time for somebody new.”
I don’t want to tell him how right he is, that after this series, I’m making way for a lot of new guys with my retirement.
Instead, I congratulate him and ask him and Liam how they’re doing.
“Jared and Max told me about you ID’ing that asshole.” I shake my head. “I’m sorry it took so long to put him away.”
“Hey, the good news is it’s finally done.” Liam crosses his arms over his chest like the conversation is over.
“Congrats on your marriage, man,” Hunter says as he punches me lightly on the arm.
“Thanks,” I say.
“You seem happy,” he says. “Still scary as fuck on the ice…”
Jared snorts.
“But happy,” Hunter says.
“I am,” I say.
And I can’t wait to see Mia tonight to celebrate our win. I also have something important to tell her, and I hope she’ll be as excited about the idea as I am.
* * *
Mia
“Best sex in the history of sex,” I state breathlessly as I collapse onto Declan’s bed.
Declan kisses my bare breast and shifts off of me so he can lie next to me. “Every time with you is the best, Mia.”
“Do you think we’ll celebrate every time you win?”
“Let’s see,” he says teasingly as he turns me so we’re spooning, my back to his chest. “We have every time so far.”
“But we’ve also had sex when you’ve lost.”
