Page 124 of Pucking Forbidden

“Sir, keep your hands where we can see them,” one officer instructs.

“This is an unlawful arrest!” Stetson shrieks. “You can't do this based on an unverified digital file! Julian, tell them! Tell them you requested the trade terms!”

I don't say a word. I just tighten my grip around Hadley’s waist, pull her flush against my side, and glare at him and Williams.

“Escort them out the back freight elevator,” Sterling orders, turning his back on his own head coach. “No press. No statements. If a single reporter gets a comment before the league office issues the official suspension, it’s your jobs, got it?”

“Sterling, you can't do this! I built this roster!” Williams yells, his voice echoing off the walls as the officers grip his elbows, forcing him toward the doors. Stetson follows right behind him, his shoes scuffing pathetically against the floor, his head low.

Sterling and his companion follow them out, slamming the door shut behind them.

“I can’t believe you guys did this,” I say, my voice thick with an emotion I don't know how to properly express. I look at each of my friends, my chest heaving. “You flew all the way out here…just for me? Thank you. Every single one of you.”

Owen lets out a laugh, stepping forward to slap his hand against my shoulder. “It’s good to have friends with private jets. Look, Wilder, you’re an idiot if you thought you could escape us that easily. Did you really think we were just going to let some assholes draft you away from us?”

“We understand why you considered it, big guy,” Carson adds, his eyes softening as he looks at me and Hadley. “We know you were trying to protect us, but you forgot one basic rule…we handle our shit together. Being on this team doesn't stop when we take off the jerseys. We’re friends for life, Julian. Family. You’re irreplaceable to us, on and off the ice. Deal with it.”

Before I can even process the weight of that, Sutton lets out a loud cheer. “Group hug! Right now, get in here, you big idiots!”

The girls force the guys forward, and within seconds, I’m buried beneath a wall of limbs. Jensen’s elbow is in my ear, Owen’s protests are muffled against my shoulder, and Hadley is squeezed against my ribs, laughing through her tears.

For a guy who spent his whole life believing he’d never be able to hold onto anything good, the suffocating warmth of this circle feels like home.

Once the hallway finally clears and the team starts drifting back toward the lobby to organize transport back to the airport, a heavy quiet settles back over the corridor.

Hadley is standing with Rylee and Grace a few feet ahead of me. When I hear the sound of a throat clearing behind me, I know it’s Liam, and I turn around, eager to thank him.

Hadley’s dad is standing just in the doorway of the hall, his briefcase back in his hand.

“Liam, I want to thank you…”

“No, I need to thank you, Julian,” he says, cutting me off.

He steps forward. He extends his hand out toward me.

I blink, confused, but slowly reach out to wrap my hand around his. “For what, sir? Pretty sure I should be thanking you.”

“For loving my daughter,” he answers. “For listening to her when I refused to. For helping her get that scholarship, and for supporting the life she actually wants instead of the one I kept trying to force on her.” He lets out a short breath, shaking his head. “I was wrong about you. After seeing what you were willing to give up to protect her reputation and this team…I know exactly what kind of man you are, Wilder. I trust you with her. You have my approval. But let me make one thing very clear…no babies and no weddings until she finishes her degree. Do we understand each other?”

A short, helpless laugh breaks out of my throat. It’s the first genuine laugh I’ve experienced in what feels like days. The relief is a physical wave washing over me.

“Understood, sir,” I nod. “You have my word. Absolutely nothing until graduation.”

Someone else clears their throat. This time, the sound is small, but it has a strange, nervous pitch to it. Liam and I turn to find Hadley staring up at us with a nervous expression.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I say with a grin. “You ready to go home?”

“Yeah, uh,” she chuckles, but the sound is choked. “So, I couldn’t help but overhear you two just now…”

Liam frowns. “And?”

Her cheeks are a deep crimson as she reaches into her purse and pulls out a small, white envelope.

My eyes narrow right away. “What is that?”

She gives a shrug, her bottom lip twitching as she hands the paper over to me.

“Well…” she mutters, clearing her throat. “It, uh, turns out we are already married.”