My teammates scream and throw their arms in the air as the puck hits the back of the net right as the clock hits zero. My grin is instantaneous as they all dogpile on me with pats to my helmet. We fucking did it.I fucking did it.We forced a game seven back at home.One more fucking do-or-die game to win the whole damn thing.
“JJ!” The cheering from my family echoes in the hall outside the locker room after the game. As I approach, my mom nearly takesme out despite her five-foot frame, tackling me as she gives me a giant hug.
“We’re so proud of you, JJ! All those days sitting at the rink while you practiced are finally paying off,” my mom says as we all laugh.
“You’re almost there, bud,” my dad chimes in as he pulls me in next. “We’re all coming to Milwaukee for the next game. Wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
Hannah grabs me the moment I’m free, squeezing the shit out of me.Damn…I love having a family full of good huggers.“It’s unreal, JJ! You deserve this, and so does your team.”
My eyes are burning, the emotions of everything that’s been going on finally sinking in. “Thanks, everyone. I’m still in shock, I’m playing in a game seven for the Cup.”
“Sooo,” Hannah says in a singsong voice, completely derailing the celebration. “Now that we’ve got all the congrats out of the way…when can I see Kennedy? I’mdyingto see her again.”
“She’s at the airport.Apparently,she has to make sure the plane is working, review flight plans, checklists, safety protocols, blah, blah, blah,” I tease. “Actually…it’s pretty fucking badass.”
“Language, Jordan,” my mom scolds.
I cringe. “Sorry, Mom.”
“Oh my God.” Hannah quickly comes to my defense. “Aunt Maria, that’s mild compared to half the stuff these players say.”
“I don’t care that everyone else is cursing,” Mom snaps back. “If they all jumped off a bridge, would you follow after them?”
We all laugh and roll our eyes as I kiss Mom’s cheek. My mom will never see me as anything but the five-year-old in skates begging for a snack at the concession stand after practice. And I kinda love it.
“Bougie!” EJ comes up behind me, putting his arm around my shoulder with a ridiculous smirk on his face, his cheeks flushed. “Are you going to introduce me to your family?”
I let out a loud sigh. “This is Erik Johanson, but the team calls him EJ. These are my parents, Joseph and Maria, and you’ve met my cousin Hannah before.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Boucher,” he says, stepping forward to shake their hands. Then he turns to Hannah and does the same, holding her hand for a few seconds longer than I’d like. “Hannah, a pleasure seeing you as always.” His voice practically oozes flirtation. I grit my teeth.I hate it.“Are you coming to Milwaukee for the next game?”
“I’ll be there,” she says with a smirk.
“Nope! EJ, time for you to go.” I shove him down the hall, breaking up their little love-fest. “Did I mention Hannah will be joining a convent next week? She’s off limits. Got it?”
“I was just saying hello, not asking her to the prom. Calm down, Bougie!” he shouts over his shoulder, walking away, then has the fucking audacity to blow her a kiss. “Bye, Hannah. See you in Milwaukee!”
My parents share a look with one another, giggling to themselves. I suck my teeth, seeming to be the only one irritated at the thought of EJ hooking up with my cousin, who is my best friend and might as well be my sister. Just as I’m about to tell Hannah to stay the hell away from him, Tay walks up to see the commotion. We just won the game, but he looks like he’s seen a ghost.That’s fucking weird.
I shake my head, trying to focus on the fact that my family is here. “Tay, have you met my parents before?”
He forces a stiff nod. “Very nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Boucher. Hannah…” He pauses, offering her a soft smile as she flashes him one back. “Good to see you again, too. I gotta go get my knee iced before the trip home. See you all inMilwaukee.” He darts toward the training room, glancing over his shoulder one last time.
That was fucking weird too.What the hell is going on with my teammates tonight?I’ll deal with these jokers after we win the Cup.
“Nice to see you again, Colton!” my mom yells back.
“I'd better get going too,” I say, “See you all in a few days.”
We all say our love yous and goodbyes, and I head toward the bus, my steps heavy. The weight of not being able to spend much time with my family always hangs on me. I love them all so much. My mind wanders to the blonde bombshell waiting for me at the airport. Maybe after the season, we can spend a week with them. I haven’t seen Kennedy since early this morning, and I’m eager as hell to celebrate with her.
Finally stepping onto the plane, beyond exhausted from a grueling game, I peek down the aisle to see Kenni in the flight deck. I take a step toward her, only wanting a quick kiss since I see her looking over checklists, as a hand grips my arm.
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” Theresa says, shaking her head. “Captain Ainsworth is in a shitty mood, for some reason, and I have a feeling you going in there will make it worse for Kenni.”
My hand balls into a fist at my side, the excitement of seeing her quickly turning into rage. “If he’s mean to her, even the slightest bit, you’ll come get me?”
She nods, squeezing my bicep. “You know I will. Have I not passed along your coffee to her all season long? I’ve always been Team Jordan,” she says with a wink. “I’m working the front tonight, so I’ll keep an eye on her. You know he won’t touch herwith half this plane ready to beat the living hell out of him if he does, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a complete asshole when he thinks no one is looking.”
