“Tyler’s insane.”
“My turn.”
And before I could process what was happening, Erik was skating toward Section 108, stick raised, executing his own version of Tyler’s salute. He was more restrained because Erik didn’t do public displays of affection, but his salute was unmistakably deliberate.
The Jumbotron gods once again did not disappoint.
All four friends flashed onto the screen, each giggling and blushing like schoolgirls caught kissing boys behind the bleachers.
The stands in that section were buzzing now.
Other fans had noticed the attention being paid to what looked like a random group of four people, and I could see heads turning as people tried to figureout what made those particular seats so special.
I should stay away, I thought.I should skate to the other end and just swap jerseys with the opponents. I could defect. People do that. Okay, fine, not in hockey, but I could be the first.
I knew I should ignore that section until after the game, when I could find a private moment to acknowledge that Jacks had come, that he’d worn my jersey, and that seeing him here made something in my chest feel like it might explode.
Instead, I found myself skating in that direction.
I didn’t do it deliberately. I mean, not obviously deliberately. It was a natural lap that happened to take me along the boards near Section 108. As I approached, I felt multiple sets of eyes on me and could sense the attention from fans who’d noticed Tyler’s and Erik’s antics and were now waiting to see what the captain would do.
I kept my eyes forward.
I was a professional. I was focused. This was another warmup lap.
But as I glided past, I let my gaze drift up to the stands for just a moment. I found Jacks’s face in the crowd. I let him see me looking.
The smile that spread across his face was worth every ounce of risk.
I completed the lap and rejoined the shootingdrill, my heart hammering, knowing that this was real.
Jacks was here.
He was wearing my number.
He and his friends were watching me play the sport I loved for the first time.
And somehow, it felt like the most important game I might ever play.
Chapter 31
Jacks
“Ican’t believe he bought you a jersey,” Finn said.
I stared down at the Lightning jersey I wore. It was navy blue with SHAW and the number 91 emblazoned in crisp white across the back. Looking at the stitching, I felt that same flutter of disbelief I’d been carrying since it arrived at my apartment yesterday.
“I can’t either,” I admitted.
The package had been waiting on my doorstep when I’d gotten home from work. There’d been no return address, only my name and a Tampa Bay Lightning logo on the shipping label. Inside, folded with the kind of care reserved for wedding dresses, had been the jersey.
And a note in Skyler’s unmistakable handwriting:
Gotta look like a real fan if you’re gonna sit in my seats. Can’t wait to see you tonight. Bring me luck. -Sky
I’d read that damn note forty-seven times and stillfelt my chest tighten every time I thought about it.
“Heplannedthis, Jacks,” Mia said as we approached the arena entrance. “Like, really planned it. He ordered your size and wrote a note. He even had it couriered over here. Look at the label. It’s not UPS or FedEx. That’s a private courier service and must’ve cost a fortune in itself. I think I might swoon right here.”
