And as thrilling as that is… it’s also terrifying.
“Rylee! Hey, are you done for today?”
Tensing, I spin around but relax again when I see that it’s Grace hurrying toward me from inside the entrance to the stands. She’s been around today for practice as well to take pictures and videos to prepare social media posts to hype up the team’s upcoming game.
Grinning, I reply, “Yep, I am. You?”
She gives me a thumbs up. “Sure am.”
“Wanna go wait outside the locker room?” I ask. “Stacey’s gonna meet us there.”
“Let’s go.” She hooks her arm through mine and we make our way down the hall like it’s the fucking yellow brick road.
The guys are just coming out of the rink as we draw near. I scan the flow of hunky hockey players for Zander, but I don’t see him, so I’m guessing he’s already inside getting cleaned up.
I imagine him in the shower, naked and soapy, scrubbing those big hands of his over his muscles…
Oh, fuck. It just got really hot in here.
Grace and I stand against the wall as we wait for Stacey to get off work.
Suddenly, we hear an excited cry.
“Aunt Grace! Rylee!”
Turning, we spot Millie running down the hall toward us, pigtails flopping. Stacey is following her and gives us a little wave.
“Hey, Millie!” Grace exclaims, squatting down to give the little girl a hug.
“Hey Stace,” I say with a grin.
“Hi, guys.” Stacey stops next to us and gazes down at Millie with her hands on her hips. “All right, young lady. We’re going to wait for Daddy and then you’ll go home with him so Mommy can hang with her friends, okay?”
Millie nods. “Are you going to drink wine and gossip?”
Stacey’s eyes go wide and she blinks. “What? Where’d you hear that?”
Millie shrugs. “Daddy said that’s what girls do on girls’ night.”
“Oh, he did, did he?” Stacey purses her lips and I get the feeling that Owen’s not going to get laid tonight. “Well, too bad mommy can’t have any wine. It’s not good for your baby brotherin my tummy.” Sighing, she looks around and asks, “Where’s Skyler?”
“Here!”
Skyler waves at us as she hurries down the hallway in our direction.
“Oh, perfect timing,” Grace declares as Skyler comes to a stop next to us.
“Yeah, I managed to get off work on time today,” she chuckles. “It only took a little bit of begging and pleading. Are we still waiting for the guys to come out?”
“Yep,” Stacey nods. “Millie needs her entourage before she heads home.”
“What’s taking them so long?” Skyler replies. “They all doing their hair or something? That actually might not be too far-fetched… some of those guys are as hairy as Chewbacca. I think Wilder actually brushes his chest.”
We all laugh at that as Millie laughs too, though I doubt she actually understands anything Skyler just said and is copying us.
Soon enough, the guys start filing out of the locker room. Jensen and Owen walk out first and come up to Grace and Stacey.
“Hey, beautiful,” Jensen says, grinning and dropping a kiss on Grace’s forehead. “Are you guys heading out soon?”
