“It’s worth a try,” I shrug.
“Yeah,” he sighs. “It’s right next door to the ballet studio where I signed up, Scar, so I guess it won’t hurt to pop over and try out one session when her lessons start. I swear if they make me put crystals on my forehead and chant weird shit, I’m out of there.”
“If it fixes your problem, I don’t care if they shove crystals up your ass and make you dance naked under the full moon. We need you out there…I need you. I want you in the net when we win the cup this year.”
“Dancing naked under a full moon doesn’t sound so bad,” he grins before turning serious. “You know me. I’ll do whatever I need to do to keep myself in this game.”
“I know you will.” Standing up, I squeeze his shoulder. “See you on the ice in five.”
He puts his headphones back in and leans against the wall with his eyes closed. “I’ll be there.”
Everyone finishes getting ready before I tap them out the door for ice time before the game.
The players hit the ice one by one before I follow suit, loving the feel of the smooth ice under my blades. Just like in every game, I skate over first to where Savi is.
Most of the wives and girlfriends have their own designated area during the games, but for now, she loves sitting with her family. I don’t care where she wants to sit as long as she’s where I can see her.
I grin when I see the shirt she’s wearing tonight. It’s a black tee matching our team jersey with the number twenty-two running down her sleeves and across her back. It’s the front that has me chuckling as ice flies from my skates when I come to a halt in front of her.
Grinning, she points to her shirt that holds the words going down the tee.
“Do you like it?” She smiles through the glass.
Ice Ice Babyis written in bold white letters framed by hockey sticks with an arrow pointing to her stomach.
She’s just about to enter her second trimester, so unless you know Savi’s body like I do, you wouldn’t even notice the tiny bump that’s just starting to appear.
“It’s perfect,” I grin.
Touching the glass with her hand, I raise my glove to cover hers from my side.
“I love you both,” I mouth.
“We love you,” she smiles.
Grinning, I skate away to get some warm-up in, feeling like the luckiest bastard on the planet.
FORTY-THREE
SAVI
Watching my husband skate away,I can’t stop the cheesy-ass grin even if I tried. I’ve been coming early for his pregame warmups, and it’s becoming my favorite thing to do. I can get right up to the glass and see him in his element.
Most of his practices are during the day when I work, but when I can, I show up for those as well. He’s a beautiful sight to watch on the ice, and I want to soak every moment of it in.
I finger the wedding band that now sits behind my engagement ring and smile.
With the help of my family…and Knox insisting on hiring a wedding planner to take the stress off of me, we were able to get married just four weeks after our engagement.
It was the perfect day surrounded by our close family and friends. We ended the night in our newly furnished bedroom, which we picked out together, and didn’t leave the bed until noon the next day.
We are fully moved in now, and already have solid bookings for my family’s beach house, leaving specific holidays and summer dates open for our family to use privately.
Even though we all live within an hour’s drive of the house, it will always be a gathering place for our family and a place our kids can make fond memories with their cousins.
I watch Knox net a practice goal before skating by and winking at me.
The boys leave the ice one by one as I walk back up to my seat. I spot my brothers, Travis and Miles, as their families appear at their side.
