I don’t answer him because the lump in my throat is as big as a golf ball. “Happy Birthday, baby,” he whispers and I look into his blue eyes.
“I love you, Knox,” I tell him when I know it won’t come out in a sob. And I do I love him with every single fiber of my being. I love him with every breath that I take. I love him and I know he’ll be the only one for me. I would do anything for him. Only for him. “Will you help me put this on?” I ask, picking up the necklace.
“Yeah.” He takes it out and I hold up my hair and turn around so he can attach it. He kisses the back of my neck as my hand comes up and I touch it. “So the K,” I look over my shoulder as I let my hair go, “is it for Kylie or Knox?”
He smirks as he pushes me onto my back on the couch. I laugh. “It’s for Knox because you’re fucking mine, Kylie.”
thirty-seven
Knox
The whistle blows and I start to skate back to the bench, trying really fucking hard to catch my breath. It’s the first time in a week that I’m on the ice, practicing with the team. I unsnap my helmet as I walk through the tunnel, handing my stick to the equipment guy as I walk into the locker room. I take off the special jersey I had to wear for practice, which was a no-contact jersey. Even though I have been cleared to start practicing, they want to give me another week before they clear me for physical contact. If you ask me, I’m ready to go, but the doctors just want to be cautious. “Coach has an announcement to make,” one of the assistant coaches, Zane says, sticking his head in. “He’ll be here in ten, no one leave.”
I sit down and start to untie my skate, the sweat from my face pouring down my nose. “It’s been a week,” I huff out to Jaxon beside me, “and it feels like I haven’t done anything in a month.”
“You know what that means,” Jaxon replies, taking off the tape from his socks. “Means you’re getting old, man.” I take off one skate, putting it under the bench before taking off the other one.
“Fuck you,” I mumble as he chuckles.
I stand up to take off my chest protector when Coach Martin comes into the locker room. He’s still in his tracksuit from the ice, his whistle hanging from around his neck. “Hey, guys,” he says and his voice is somber, so I look up and stop what I’m doing. I think the whole room sort of goes silent, when he looks down at his skates and up again. “I have some news for you.” I sit now, the room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “This season will be my last with the LA Warriors.” I look over at Jaxon, who looks at me, and then we look at Kirby, all of us sharing the same shocked expression. “It wasn’t an easy decision to make. But one I knew was time. I’ve been at it for a long time and I’m just done. Time for me to enjoy my grandchildren” He takes a deep inhale. “We aren’t going to be sharing this information with the media just yet, but I wanted you guys to be the first to hear it and to hear it from me.” He looks over to the corner where one of the other assistant coaches stands, wearing almost the same thing as Martin is wearing. “I’m happy to say I’ll be passing the torch to Zane.”
The gasp fills the room as Zane, who has been our assistant coach, steps beside Coach now. “I know I have big skates to fill.” His face shows a scowl, but it’s a look he always has so we’re just used to it. I think I’ve seen him smile maybe twice in the last season. “But I’m going to try my fucking hardest.” I look over at Kirby, who side-eyes me, the both of us thinking the same thing. He’s going to be the youngest coach behind the bench. “I just hope you guys give me a chance.”
Jaxon is the first one to speak, “Martin handing you the torch,” he looks at the guys in the room, making sure everyone is looking at him while he says this, “means something.” He looks back at Zane. “Looking forward to seeing what you are going to do.”
“Thank you,” Zane says and then he looks at Coach, who looks at us once more before they leave the room.
Once they leave the room, the whispers start from different groups around us. “Dude,” I look over at Kirby, “how old is he?”
“I think he just turned thirty-seven, could be forty—not sure—I never really asked him,” Kirby answers. “I don’t even think he’s married.”
“I think he’s married,” Jaxon says, “or he has a girlfriend.” I shake my head.
“I’ve never seen him with anyone. When we had family skate, he would often just skate with the kids who were there.” I stand up, taking off my pants. “Either way, looks like all eyes will be on us next season.”
We all nod at each other as we head to the shower. Forty minutes later, I’m getting into my SUV and pulling out of the parking garage. I think about heading home when I automatically start driving toward her office. I pull up to the building and park in the visitors parking lot and take the elevator up. There’s a smile on my face the whole time, thinking about finally being able to spend the fucking night with her, now that the kids went back to Josephine’s this morning. I get out of the elevator and walk over to the office door, opening it and stepping in.
I look around and then hear her voice. “I’ll be there in a second!” she shouts, and I stand here in the waiting area for her. I hear her moving around in her office and then see her coming out of her door. She’s wearing tight white pants and a cream-colored silk cami under her white tweed jacket. “What in the world,” she questions when she sees me and she walks to me, “are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood,” I say, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her to me. “Thought I could come and make out with you.”
“That’s gross!” Lexi yells from her office. “Don’t do it in the common area.”
“I think I heard you and Kirby going at it in your office,” she tosses over her shoulder.
“As if I would have sex with you in the next room,” Lexi snaps. “I know how paper-thin these walls are.”
“I heard moaning,” she calls back as I walk to her office, her walking backward.
“That’s because I wouldn’t give it to him and he had blue balls,” she retorts as I step into the office and close the door.
“I don’t even want to think about Kirby or his balls,” she mumbles as I bend to kiss her. The kiss starts off slow but then my hands are in her hair; her hands are roaming up my chest and I can’t wait to slide into her.
I let her go and the two of us are literally panting. “Hi.” She smiles up at me. “This is a nice surprise.” Her hands go to my chest as she places them palms down. “What’s the occasion?”
“I was coming to ask you if you wanted to have dinner with me.” She shakes her head.
“I had dinner with you every night last week.”
