Chapter 20
FLIP
I’m on edge tonight. Tally has dance rehearsal this evening, but she’s coming to the game when she’s done. I meant what I said about not hiding this, so I need to be on point tonight. I can’t afford to let my team down with the bomb I’m about to drop.
Tristan nudges my knee with his.
“What’s up?”
“You’re jittery as fuck.”
“Ya think?”
Connor pulls his jersey on over his head, covering his many tattoos, which now includes MILDRED scrawled in loopy cursive along his ribs.
Our coaches enter the locker room, and Vander Zee gives us a distracted pep talk. Then Forrest-Hammer steps in with strategy for the first period. I won’t be the least bit surprised when she becomes the first female head coach in the league.
“Let’s show Nashville who’s the better team tonight,” Coach Forrest-Hammer says as we file down the hall to the rink for warm-ups.
Grace claps me on the shoulder. “Keep your head in the game and worry about the rest later.”
“You got it.” If someone told me I’d be getting pep talks from Grace when he first joined the team, I would have laughed in their face.
Connor and I had a long history of hating each other from our Hockey Academy days, which carried into our professional careers.
When he joined the Terror, we were forced to at least sort of deal with it.
And then he married my best friend. We might needle the shit out of each other, but we care deeply about the same people, and that’s created a bond neither of us expected.
“You know it’s a big deal when your archnemesis gives you a pep talk,” Stiles observes as Grace skates off.
“I wouldn’t call him my archnemesis anymore, but yeah, clearly there’s a lot on the line when he’s giving me the keep-your-head-down speech.”
“I don’t see Tally in the box with the girls.” Stiles waves to Rix, who blows him a kiss.
“She’s coming after her dance rehearsal,” I explain.
“Ah.” Stiles pats me on the back. “Just stay focused. Everything will be fine.”
I set aside my personal shit and, like Grace advised, keep my head in the game. Nashville scores a goal in the first five minutes, making it a rocky start.
I rotate on with Stiles, Bright, Ashish Palaniappa, one of our enforcers, and Grace. We fight for possession, and Ryker deflects shots on net. Grace steals the puck from Nashville, and I rush to intercept the pass at center.
Stiles and Bright flank me as I gain control.
Grace and Palaniappa move in to distract their defense.
Nashville scrambles to steal the puck, but Bright taps it back to me.
I take the shot, but their goalie knocks it away.
Stiles grabs it on the rebound and takes another shot, but it goes wide.
Palaniappa tips it back to me, and I shoot again as Grace blocks their key defense.
This time the puck slides past the goalie’s skate, tying the game.
My teammates converge on me, and we’re a mass of back pats and way to gos. Playing well tonight is essential. I need my team and the media on my side when the news about me and Tally finally gets out.
Stiles scores a goal in the second period with Romero as the assist.
Tally arrives at the beginning of the third period.
“Stay focused,” Grace reminds me as I take the ice again, proving once again that he’s a reliable ally.
I block out the noise and score again with Bright as the assist. We maintain the two-point lead for the rest of the game.
Nashville gets chippy in the last five minutes, and one of their players tries to start a fight with Grace, but he won’t engage.
Instead, Grace scores a goal during our powerplay, which is the best FU to the guy currently fuming in the penalty box. And we win the game 4 -1.
We stop to give interviews to the waiting media, and I can’t tell if Vander Zee is being awkward, or I’m hyperaware of how things will shift once everyone finds out I’m dating his daughter. How our friends react is the first test, and I’m really fucking nervous.
The mood in the locker room is buoyant on the heels of the win. But it’s all unknowns once I step outside this room.
Coach Vander Zee seems just as off as me. “Good game, boys. You played with skill and not your balls.”
Coach Forrest-Hammer raises an eyebrow.
Coach Arnold coughs.
A few of the rookie players exchange looks.
I can feel Grace and Stiles eyes on me.
Romero’s brows pull together.
“Sorry, you know what I mean.” Coach looks at me. “You’re doing a great job showing up for each other.” He clears his throat. “Keep it up.”
I tug on my tie as Coach Forrest-Hammer adds her much more eloquent two cents about teamwork and cohesiveness.
We leave the locker room and head down the hall to where the girls are waiting.
Tally is caught in the middle of the group, and my teammates are blocking my path to her.
She looks gorgeous in a pair of jeans and a Terror hoodie.
Her hair falls in loose waves over her shoulders, and I long to thread my fingers into those soft waves and kiss her pretty, vanilla-lip-balm-flavored lips.
Her ocean-blue eyes meet mine, wide with uncertainty and anticipation, as I nudge Tristan and Dallas out of the way.
Everything is about to change.
Except Vander Zee moves in before I reach her. “Hey, kiddo! I didn’t realize you were coming out tonight.” He pulls Tally in for an enthusiastic, slightly desperate hug.
She gives me an uneasy look over his shoulder while patting his back.
We should have talked through how this would go, instead of winging it. I don’t want to overwhelm her, but I want to make it clear that I’m in this.
Vander Zee steps back, and I respectfully make my move.
“Hey.” I run my fingers gently down her arm.
“Hi.” She rolls her bottom lip between her teeth.
I lace our fingers and the smile that lights up her face makes whatever shit kicking I’ll get from my teammates later worth it. “How was rehearsal?”
“Good.” Her eyes dart to her dad and back to me. “You were great out there tonight.”
“I had a reason to play well.” I wink and her smile widens.
Vander Zee’s eyes volley between us.
“Are you coming to the Watering Hole?” I rub my thumb across her knuckles, hoping the contact eases some of her nerves the way it does mine.
“I can drop Tally off,” Vander Zee jumps in before she can respond. He’s probably itching for time with her.
Silence has fallen around us, but I stay focused on Tally.
Her cheeks flush. “I won’t be far behind you.”
“Take your time.” I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “I won’t go anywhere without you.”
“You’ll make sure she gets home safely. In the same condition she went out in,” Vander Zee barks.
Someone coughs behind me.
I turn to Vander Zee. “Absolutely, sir.”
“Okay, cool. I’ll see you all soon.” Tally threads her arm through his. “Come on, Dad.” She leads him away.
“What in the actual fuck is going on?” Dallas looks at Hemi. “And why don’t you look shocked?”
“Because I’m not.” Hemi pats him on the chest. “And you shouldn’t be either.”
“Well now.” Quinn whistles low. “This explains New Year’s Eve.”
“I knew that vibe was vibing,” Rix says.
“You know you can’t fuck this up, right?” Kellan says.
“Like we will all fuck you up if you fuck it up,” Ashish, who is the most mild-mannered of all the guys, says.
“Hemi’s already threatened me with her brothers.”
“They’ll get the leftovers,” Quinn needles.
“I wouldn’t do this if I wasn’t serious about her.” I glance around the group. “I know what’s at stake.”
“He does,” Connor steps in before anyone else takes a shot at me. “He’s been eating up my wife’s free time with his existential crisis.”
That breaks some of the tension and the girls laugh.
Quinn pats me on the shoulder. “Worst case, you get traded and spend the final years of your career freezing your ass off and never making the playoffs again.”