Suck My Puck (Denver Bashers Series #3)

56. Braden

Chapter 56

Braden

N erves crash through me while I stand in the tunnel of the arena in Denver.

It’s my first game back since donating bone marrow to Lucas, and I’m about to hit the ice with my teammates.

I take a few deep breaths to calm myself.

It’s the middle of January, and I’ve been out for just over two weeks to recover from my surgery. I’ve also been easing back into training and practice to prepare myself to play again.

An excited, restless energy courses through me. My muscles twitch with the urge to hit the ice. But I’m also nervous.

Yeah, I’ve only been out for a few weeks, but that feels like an eternity in the hockey world. We play three or four games every week. Every game is crucial—it’s one step closer to the playoffs. And the championships.

Fans notice when you miss games, no matter the reason. Will they hold it against me for being gone?

I’ve stayed off social media and sports news since I’ve been away, so I have no idea what hockey fans even think of me right now. I didn’t want to stress myself out, reading about all the speculation in the news and social media about me.

Alanna assured me that she and the PR department handled all the sports media when news of my bone marrow donation leaked.

So I holed up in the apartment with Bella and Maizie. We watched movies, cuddled on the couch, took walks in the neighborhood, and stopped by Bella’s coffee shop. And we visited Lucas in the hospital after he had his surgery.

I gave my phone number to him and his family. His parents text me often to update me on how he’s doing. He’s responding well to the bone marrow donation. He’s getting stronger every day.

Someone smacks my shoulder. I turn and see Xander.

“Hey, man. You’re gonna kick ass tonight.”

I nod at him. “Thanks.”

“Don’t forget to lick the bottom of your stick. Every time you forget to do one of your rituals, it makes me nervous for the game,” he says.

I chuckle. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

I look past Xander and see the rest of my team gathered behind me, eager to hit the ice. Theo nods at me, his game face on.

Del shoves my shoulder. “Let’s fucking go.”

Adrenaline rockets through me. I lick the bottom of my stick, then walk out. I always lead the team out onto the ice. The second my skate hits the ice, the crowd explodes. The applause is deafening. It’s usually loud during a home game when we head out for warmups, but this is insane. My ears are ringing so loud it hurts .

I try to focus and head to the net to warm up, but then Del taps my shoulder with his stick.

“Dude, do you see this?” he says, motioning to the crowd.

That’s when I notice all the signs.

Welcome back, Blomdahl!

We missed you, #3!

We love you, Blomdahl!

Blomdahl, you’re the man!

#3 you’re a hero

Blomdahl fan for life!

Emotion chokes my throat when I realize that the crowd’s reaction is for me.

Del elbows me. “The fans missed you, man. We all did.”

Tears burn my eyes. I blink quickly but a couple manage to fall down my cheeks.

Xander skates over and smiles. “Take a second to say hi to your fans.”

Theo grins. “Yeah, man. This is fucking awesome. Enjoy it.”

I skate around the rink and wave at the fans. They cheer like crazy. The entire arena is vibrating, they’re making so much noise. I stop and sign some hockey pucks and jerseys. I take the time to chat with a group of kids who came to the game.

When I finish up, I head to my net to warm up. I spot Bella standing at the entrance of the tunnel.

I turn around and skate over to her, grinning like a madman.

My nerves ease. That’s all it takes. One smile from Bella and I’m instantly calm, instantly content.

“Hey. Are you watching the game from the tunnel tonight? ”

She chuckles and shakes her head. “I’ll be behind the net, like always. I just got this text from Lucas’s dad and thought you might like to see it before your first game back.”

She holds up her phone and I see Lucas sitting up in bed, wearing my Bashers jersey and flashing me a double thumbs up. The stick I gifted him for Christmas is propped up next to him.

Kick ass tonight, #3!

I grin. “That’s exactly what I needed. Thank you.”

I rest my gloved hand on her waist and pull her close. She’s wearing my jersey like she always does when she watches me play. I’ll never, ever get sick of seeing her wear my name and my number.

“Can I get a good luck kiss too?”

She flashes that stunning smile, flanked by those gorgeous dimples I’m obsessed with. She tip-toes up and presses her mouth against mine.

I can feel the entire arena’s eyes on us, so I keep things PG. I’d love to get a little filthy with my girl, but people are probably filming us with their phones. The sports reporters and media people are probably filming us too.

When we break apart, the fans around us whistle and holler. We both laugh.

Bella gazes at the crowd, her eyes wide and bright. She beams at me. “Look at how happy everyone is that you’re back.

I shake my head. “I can’t believe it.”

“I can. You’re a great goalie and an even better person. Of course they’re crazy about you.”

“Almost as crazy as I am for you, pretty girl.”

She bites back her smile and rolls her eyes.

“I’m serious. I wouldn’t be here without you, Bella. Before I met you, the only thing that mattered to me was hockey.” I glance around the arena. “And yeah, it’s still a big part of who I am. It always will be. But you helped me see that I’m worth more than how many pucks I can keep out of the net. And that…it means everything.”

She beams, her eyes misty. “Amazing goalie. Amazing boyfriend. Amazing dog daddy and son and friend.”

“And the luckiest bastard in the universe to have you.”

Her cheeks flush.

“I mean it. I still can’t believe you’re mine, Bella.” I kiss her again, my heart swelling in my chest. “I love you. So much.”

“I love you too,” she murmurs against my mouth.

“Thanks for breaking all your rules and giving me a chance, pretty girl.”

She leans back, quirking her eyebrow, her smile teasing. “Hooking up with you was supposed to be a one-time thing. Just once to get it out of our systems. I really screwed that up,” she jokes.

“Pretty girl, I am so happy to be your screw-up.”

She laughs. I kiss her again and one more time after that before pulling away and heading to the net.

As I run through my warmup routine, my energy spikes and my focus sharpens. My muscles are warm and loose.

The music in the stadium cuts. My teammates head to center ice for the puck drop.

I settle in front of the net, my entire body buzzing for whatever the other team is about to throw at me.

I twist around and lock eyes with Bella, who’s sitting in her usual spot: in the first row, behind the net.

She beams at me. Underneath all that adrenaline, my chest swells. She’s got my whole heart.

I smile at her, then turn back to the game, ready for anything.