Spinning to the Goal (Desert Ice Hockey #4)

Epilogue

ZOMA

Ten Months Later

Isat in the stands for the Coyotes home opener against the Maple Leafs with my new roommate, Myles one side of me and my bestie Nova on the other. Tyler was back in town with his new boyfriend seated on the end next to him, a guy named Rowan Mackenzie. This was an extra special game, with all of the original squad members hitting the same ice tonight, except the ones watching with me. There was going to be one hell of a party at the house tonight. Ace and I were as solid as ever, and I was in the final year of my master’s. Life was about as good as it could get.

The team skated onto the ice and Ace held out a gloved hand to us. We weren’t too far from the bench, seeing as how Ace had scored us our seats. It was great because we could hear a lot of their banter.

We all jumped from our chairs and cheered, Tyler and Myles whistling and shouting.

Mason and Archer fist-bumped each other and skated to Ace, wrapping him up in quick hugs. It was easy to see how happy they were to be playing together.

“Look at your man down there.” Nova gave me a bright smile. “I need to find me a hockey man, preferably bisexual, since I got tired of Justin.” She ticked her brows at me, then drank her beer.

“We’ll see if one of the guys can hook you up.” She never changed. With a grin back at her, I bumped her shoulder with my own.

“Hey, are you having any luck with the coaches up in Colorado Springs?” She studied me. “You know I can pull some strings there too. I’d love to see you get something started down here.”

“Yeah, I have interest from quite a few of the people we trained with.” I picked up my beer from the holder in front of me and drank it. “Turns out they like the idea of coming here during the cold-ass winters.” I’d been right.

“And Ace is helping to fund it?” Her gaze flicked toward the ice.

“He is, but with his position on the Coyotes, he’s got a bunch of new backers he’s pitching the idea to.” I shifted my stance. I couldn’t wait for the game to start and see Ace in his element with his friends.

“Well, if you need help with a pitch, just say the word. I’m going to school for that shit, you know.” She hooked a brow at me.

“Oh, I will.” I squeezed her hand and released it. I had so many people around me who wanted to help.

We all held our hands over our hearts for the national anthems, O Canada playing first. As the team took up their positions on the ice, a player from the Leafs skated to Mason and side-hugged him.

I leaned in toward Myles. “Is that Jonah?”

“Yep. He’s Archer’s best friend.” His whole face smiled. “It’s so great seeing them all on the ice together, eh?”

“God, I want to hop on the ice with them.” Tyler leaned forward.

“You should have brought your shit and done it. I’m sure there’s a secret way in.” Rowan, his fluffy blond hair falling into his blue eyes, snorted and slapped Tyler’s thigh. “I’d have helped you.”

“Yeah, and I’d get kicked out of the game. No thanks.” Shaking his head, Tyler eyed Rowan. “You’re a bad influence sometimes. You know that?”

“Yeah, but that’s why we’re so good together.” Rowan gave Tyler a shit-eating grin.

Tyler wrapped an arm around Rowan’s shoulders. “Got that right. Damn near unstoppable.”

“What the hell is going on down there?” I said to Myles, pointing a thumb at Tyler. Rowan and Tyler had found each other while I’d been consumed with Ace, so I didn’t know their story.

Covering his mouth, Myles leaned in and said, “Apparently, Tyler’s such a hot commodity even straight guys fall for him.” He snickered softly.

The puck dropped, and Mason grabbed it, breaking away toward the Leafs goal.

“No fucking way, Hopkins.” Jonah swooped in, checked Mason, and threw him to the ice, cackling with the puck.

“You’re not getting away with that, Boehm.” Mason hopped to his skates and took off like a shot after him with his wingers flanking him.

Jonah passed to his center, who snuck him the puck with a backward pass.

Skating up on Jonah, Archer threw him sideways and snatched the puck. “Gotcha, buddy.”

“Come on, Boehm. Try me.” Ace barked out a laugh, splitting his legs open and working the edges of his skates, all hunkered down in front of the net. “I know all your moves.”

A Leafs player nabbed the puck from Archer and passed to Boehm, standing right in front of Ace.

Boehm angled his stick, and the puck ricocheted off to smack Ace in the helmet and then fell under his leg pad.

“Fucker. You did that on purpose!” Ace shifted his helmet and picked up the puck, then gave it to another Coyotes D-man.

With a sharp laugh, Jonah shouted, “Just like old times, buddy, just like old times.”

Ace looked into the crowd at us and waved his stick.

My heart soared with emotion. He was right where he wanted to be, and I’d found a new family with these guys. I didn’t think I’d ever felt more at home. Cupping my hands around my mouth, I shouted. “Go, Ace! Shutout!”

Tyler is paired with a new D-man from Boston, who’s catching feelings. Tyler refuses to be heartbroken by another experimenting straight guy. Can he overcome his fears? Grab your copy of Skating to Him, the fifth book in the Desert Ice Hockey Series.