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Mitch walks into the locker room, taking a seat in front of his station, which is right next to mine. “Well, what happened? Did I miss it?”

We all stare at him and he shrugs. “You drug us into your mess and now I’m invested.”

“Fair enough.” I laugh. “Okay,” I whisper. “I kissed her.”

“Did you make sure it was a once in a lifetime kind of kiss?” Bruce asks.

I shove him and he almost topples over. “Those are the only kisses I’m capable of, doofus.”

The guys laugh.

“That’s great, man,” Remy says, patting me once on the shoulder. It’s a big statement coming from him, because he’s not typically a touchy person.

“And is she done with Dr. Dickhead?” West asks, smiling knowingly. I’m sure Mel already filled him in on everything.

“She is.” I grin, feeling on top of the world.

“Wow, I can’t believe she doesn’t hate you anymore. It’s the end of an era, ya know?” Bruce muses, earning another shove. West catches him before he falls to the ground in all of his padding.

Remy claps his hands together. “Alright boys, get suited up. We need to get acquainted with our newest defenseman, and Mitch,” he lowers his voice so only the four of us can hear him. “You’re gonna have your work cut out for you with this one.”

Mitch grunts. “If I can work with twelve-year-olds, I can handle Travis Evander.”

Remy raises an eyebrow as if to say, are you sure about that?

CHAPTER 30

NOEL

It’s only been two days since I saw Colby, and I miss him. It’s honestly pathetic.

So, I was thrilled when he called me last night and asked if I was free this evening. It’s one of the few nights he doesn’t have a game or any other team events. When I asked what we were doing, all he told me was that he’d pick me up after I got home from work, around four.

We pull up to the D.C. Children’s Hospital, the one the charity gala raised money for. I look down at what I’m wearing; black tights with a tiny floral print, leather slip-on shoes, and a simple brown sweaterdress. I’m not sure why we’re here, but I can only assume I’m overdressed.

Colby reaches over and holds my hand, the warmth of his olive skin instantly soothing my worries and making me realize that it makes no difference if I’m overdressed. Or underdressed. No one cares. And if they do, it doesn’t matter. I take a deep breath. “So, what are we doing here?”

He smiles. “This is one of the charities that the Eagles support. Which is why I was at the auction. Me and Bruce come visit the kids every month. We hand out toys and stickers and chat with the kids. It’s my favorite community outreach opportunity.”

I squeeze his hand. “Wow, that’s amazing. I never realized sports teams are so involved in their communities.”

“Most NHL teams are. They do a lot of good work.” He pauses. “But I have to warn you, Bruce is mad at you for taking his place tonight.”

I laugh. “Oh no, he’s a scary guy.”

Colby chuckles at that. “Best goalie in the NHL, but the least scary.” He releases my hand, getting out of the vehicle and grabbing a big, Eagles’ duffle bag before coming around to open my door for me. As soon as I’m standing, he’s holding my hand again, like now that he has permission to touch me, he can’t stop.

And I don’t want him to. My heart swells that he wants to be near me, that he’s sharing this special thing with me tonight. Taking me to help him with something that he enjoys. It feels like the beginning of a life together.

After checking into the hospital, getting our badges, and taking the elevator up, we come to the first room. There’s a young boy in the hospital bed, surrounded by stuffed animals. He has an Eagles snow hat on his head and is hooked up to an I.V. My heart breaks at the sight. This precious, innocent child having to endure so much.

Colby knocks on the doorframe, causing the boy and his parents glance up at us. Their faces light up at the sight of Colby as he strides inside the room before setting the black duffle back on the ground.

Sitting on the boy’s bed, he holds his fist out and the boy pounds it. “Hey man! I brought a friend today. This is Noel.” Colby looks over at me and says, “Noel, this is my buddy, Broderick.”

The little boy turns his big, brown eyes on me then whispers, “she’s pretty.”

Colby whispers back, “The prettiest.”