I sniffle as I pull them in for a hug. “I mean this in the mostlovingway, but I hate you both so much right now. Thank you.” I swipe the mascara from under my eyes. “Maybe you’re right. Fuck, I don’t know. But I have to pull myself together and get ready for work. I’ll see you all back in Milwaukee.”
“We love you, Kenni!” Maggie and Liv shout as I grab my bag and head out. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down a bit, as a burst of warmth floods my chest like a waterfall. Standing in the hall, still in uniform with his hair dripping sweat, skates off, in his socks and slides, and completely out of breath and ready to burst through the door is the man I’ve been worried as shit about.
“JJ! What…what are you doing here?—”
He interrupts me, pulling me in and pressing his lips so tightly into mine I am not sure they’ll ever come apart. I grip his shoulders awkwardly with all this gear, losing myself in this man. This feeling of warmth, of being in his arms? Nothing else matters. Not anyone who sees us. Not the fact that he is a hot,sweaty mess. Not the raw emotion I purged in the suite. It’s just us, in this moment, and it’s perfect.
We finally pull apart, and he immediately brings me in to hold me in his arms for another stolen moment.
“Kenni, I’m so, so,sosorry. I took that punch to draw a penalty. I didn’t think to mention I do that sometimes, and I’m sure that scared the hell out of you. I saw you crying, and I got my skates off as fast as I could to catch you before you had to leave for the airport. I’msosorry. I never meant to scare you.”
The tears fall again—I couldn’t hold them back if I tried.
“I’m just…dammit, I’m just so glad you’re okay.” I sob into his jersey as I squeeze him as tight as I’m able to. I can’t let him go. My pulse quickens, as goosebumps scatter across my skin.What if I don’t ever want to let him go?“I thought you were…I thought it was…”
“I’m right here, baby. I’m fine,” he says as he holds my head against his chest, rubbing my back and soothing this ache in my heart. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. You’ll have to drown me in maple syrup to kill me and, even then, I’ll drag you in with me.”
I let out an exasperated laugh. “Don’t you dare threaten to drown me in that horrible stuff. Let’s at least drown in blueberry compote if we’re destined to have a food-related Romeo and Juliet-style death. Deal?”
“Deal. Listen, I have to get back to, you know, the game.”
“JJ…oh God! I’m so sorry I took your focus away from the game?—”
“No.” He cradles my head in his hands. “Nothing,nothingis more important than you.”
My heart flutters in my chest, the words hitting me like a freight train.
“Thank you for checking on me.” I can’t help but kiss him again. “But get your ass back down to that locker room and win this damn game. Got it?”
“Have I told you I love it when you boss me around?” he whispers, a smirk on his face.
“No. But I’m not going to lie, I like this dynamic a lot more than I should.” We both laugh as he kisses me one last time. “Now go. I’ll see you on the plane.”
50
kennedy
Sitting in the FBO at the airport, my pulse is still flying through my veins like it’s gaining altitude, my heart soaring knowing he ran through an entire arena to get to me. Getting myself mentally prepared for a flight after all that is rough. Trying to focus on anything other than the score of the game is…also rough.
I have never been a huge sports fan. I enjoy going to a game once in a while, but have never really been the diehard fan that checks scores and keeps up with stats and standings. But now? There’s a minute left in the game, the Riders are still up 2-1, and I’m waiting with bated breath for the damn clock to hit zero. If they win, it will be a while before the flight with post-game celebrations. And I’m going to hug the crap out of my damn pretty-boy when he gets here. I don’t care if the team says shit, hoots and hollers, or whistles like we’re in high school. Him coming to check on me means I threw all the rules out the window.
If they lose, they’ll be packed up and headed out before I know it. I freeze, my blood going cold.If they lose, our arrangement is over.Date through the playoffs, and then we break up. If this was supposed to be a quick, easy, no stringsattached arrangement, then why the fuck are my eyes burning? Surely, he wouldn’t want to break up, not after what happened today. The way he found me, comforted me, and kissed me. Today, everything went way beyond fake dating.
Everything’s changed for me.I pick at my nails.Does he feel the same?
Fuck.I am a professional.I set my phone down and focus on my flight plans on my iPad.I can do this.My training taught me to compartmentalize during tough situations—I can’t show my emotions here. I’ve pushed them aside before, and I’ll do it again now—flip a switch in my brain and focus on the task at hand.
As soon as I power up my iPad, my phone buzzes. It’s face down. I stare at it, biting my lip as if that will somehow make the outcome what I want. We either won or it’s going into OT. Also, apparently, I’m talking in hockey terms now?Grilled Cheesus, what is happening to me?I pick up my phone like it’s a loaded weapon, flipping it over to see a notification of the final score flashing across the top of my screen.
“Steel Riders 2, Storm 1. Milwaukee Advances to the third round.”
I jump up from my seat, screaming and crying and wanting nothing more than to be back with my friends at the arena to hug them and celebrate together. I’m so damn proud of them. All of them. They’ve worked so hard this season.
Jordan talks about them all the time, a little hitch in his voice and an unconscious smile showing how much they mean to him. The fact that he’s so close with his family and they can’t always be here, but he does have his found family through the team, brings tears to my eyes. He talks about them every day like he’d do anything for any one of them. I smirk, knowing he absolutely would.
Another notification pops up.
Hannah
