Page 227 of Risking the Pucking Defense

If she’s waiting for a response, she won't get one. The lump in my throat is too freaking huge to force a single word out.

“Can I?” she asks, holding her arms out, ready to give me a hug.

I nod, still battling my emotions, and it only gets worse when she embraces me.

I have never, ever experienced such a warm, motherly hug.

“I’m sorry,” I say when she pulls back. “I’m…feeling a little overwhelmed by this. I’ve never done it before.”

“Oh, sweetie. You have nothing to worry about; we love you already. Don’t we, Hank?”

“Sure do,” he agrees, joining us on his feet and moving around the table so he can also hug me.

“Sit down, sit down,” he says, holding my chair out for me. “You’ve had a busy night. More food will be here shortly. Trudy ordered enough to feed the entire city. What would you like to drink?”

“Uh…” I take the drinks menu when he passes it over and scan through my options.

After the events of the night, I need a drink. But only one. I may have put my cell on silent, but I know it’s lighting up like a freaking Christmas tree in my purse. I might be able to take an hour or two out to eat, but I’ll be back at it as soon as we’re home.

After ordering a dry white wine with the server, I fall into easy conversation with Hayden’s parents. They ask me about my job and what I’ve been doing tonight with everything that’s happened. They listen as if they actually care about what I do, which means so much to me, before we move on to Hayden’s performance tonight and what the team is going to do without Killer on the ice.

“He should be back by now,” Trudy says, looking around as if he’s hiding in a corner somewhere.

“Should I go check on him?” Hank asks, also looking a little concerned.

Just as he pushes his chair back to go in search of his missing son, Hayden appears around the corner with a smile on his face.

The sight makes my breath catch.

For long seconds, he’s not focused on where he’s going. He’s too lost in his thoughts.

Look up, baby, I silently command. And as if he can hear the words, his head lifts and his eyes lock on mine.

Shock renders him motionless for a few seconds, forcing the server that was behind him with an armful of plates to swerve out of the way.

One second he’s still, and the next, he’s racing toward me, and then I’m in his arms, and everything that has been wrong about tonight finally settles.

We have the briefest of whispered conversations before turning back to his parents.

“So, you’ve met Hailee then,” Hayden deadpans.

“We have,” Trudy agrees.

“What took you so long?” Hank asks. “Did you get locked in?”

A laugh spills from Hayden. “No, I bumped into a kid who recognized me. He’s going to come over to get his jersey signed, as neither of us had a pen.”

“Aw, did you get fanboyed in the restroom?” I tease.

“I did a little, yeah.”

“As you should,” Hank adds. “You were the best D-man out on that ice tonight.”

“You’re biased.”

“That may be so. But it’s true. Isn’t that right, Hailee?”

I glance at Hayden, finding his cheeks glowing with embarrassment. He really has no idea how incredible he is. And I don’t just mean on the ice. I mean in every sense. He is, hands down, the best person I have ever met.