Chapter 74
RAIN
Iwas coming from my office when I saw Coach Hines in the hallway. He shook his head. “That was a shitshow.”
I nodded. “Yes. It was.”
He broke out in a grin. “But fuck if it wasn’t satisfying to see Griffin let loose.”
I laughed.
“Don’t tell anyone I said that.” He gestured toward the locker rooms. “Your boy’s in with Hunter, getting his hands looked at. Again. And go home. Go celebrate the win tonight. It’s still the holiday.”
“Sounds good, Coach.”
He waved and ducked into his office. I didn’t understand the “again” part of what he’d said, but I headed for the trainer’s room, where I saw him fussing over Tyler’s hands.
“You can’t keep doing this to your hands,” Hunter said. “We need your hands. You need your hands. I shouldn’t have to tell you that.”
Tyler grimaced as he tried flexing his knuckles, but they were wrapped, with ice packs layered in the folds.
“You laid out my other brother, and I didn’t know about it?” I asked.
Hunter shrieked, jumping and whirling around. “Oh! You scared me.” Tyler grinned as Hunter stepped aside. “He’s all yours.”
Hunter went out, closing the door behind him. When I didn’t move right away, Tyler made a grunting sound and widened his legs. “Get over here.”
I lingered.
He made another exasperated sound and leaned forward, hooking a finger in my pants.
He tugged me between his legs. Once I was there, he closed them behind me and pressed me against his chest. His arms went over my shoulders.
“There,” he said softly. His eyes traced my face, pausing on my lips. “Right where I will always want you.”
My body heated. “I don’t think you should say things like that when we’re in the locker room.”
“We’re not in the locker room. We’re in the trainer’s room, which Hunter just turned over to us. He closed the door. Hunter never closes the door.” Tyler tightened his legs around me and moved in to nuzzle my throat. “I missed you.”
I closed my eyes, tingles shooting through me as he kissed my throat. We couldn’t do this, but this one time I was going to give in. This one time. I melted into Tyler, brushing his neck with my lips as I murmured, “Did you hurt your hands before?”
He stiffened before raising his head.
I lifted my head to look back at him.
He cringed. “I…I might’ve lost it when you left the locker room, after you told everyone about your brothers.”
My eyes widened with alarm. “What do you mean you lost it?”
He shrugged, looking away. “I might’ve tossed a bench.”
“You tossed a bench?”
“Or two.”
“Or two?” I could only gape at him. “What were you thinking?”
He pursed his lips together. “I wasn’t. I thought they were going to let you walk out of here, away from the team, and I flipped out because I was worried I’d never see you again.”
“So you lost your shit on your team?”
“Not my team. Just a few benches.”
He didn’t regret it. I could see that. He regretted having to tell me. I sighed. “Promise me something.”
His eyes found mine. “Anything.”
“Next time you’re worried you’re not going to see me, come after me. I’ll never isolate like I did before, not from you. That’s my promise to you. You’ll always know where I am.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
He smirked. “That’s probably a better idea.”
I shook my head. “What did Coach say?”
He drew in a breath. “He gave me a lecture, similar to what you walked in on from Hunter. I had to apologize to the team and to Benny, and all the equipment staff. And of course I paid for the new ones. I got fined.”
“You threw a manchild temper tantrum.”
He scoffed but let his forehead fall to my shoulder.
His hands curled around my hips, tugging me even closer.
He’d taken a shower. His hair was still wet, and I reached up and tangled my fingers in it.
He shivered at the touch, but when I let my hand drop, he shook his head, hugging me. “No. I like that.”
I went back to running my hands through his hair.
“I freaked. I didn’t handle it the best. That’s also when I realized I loved you.”
A shiver went down my spine, a good one.
Tyler lifted his head from my shoulder, a smug grin on his face. “You like hearing that, huh?”
“Shut up.” I grinned, feeling my face heat.
How was this possible? The team knew about my relationship.
They knew about me. And I was still here.
I was standing in Tyler’s arms just after a game where the entire team had gone to bat for me.
I thought of all the things Coach Hines had said, his wife’s concern, everything that Mal had done, stepping up and saving my job.
Finding out about Mal.
Tears rolled down my face before I knew it.
Tyler touched one of the tears. “Rain?”
I blew out an unsteady breath, trying to reel in the rest of my waterworks. “Just having a moment.” My words were wobbly. “I’m realizing I’ve finally found my hockey family.” I dug my head into Tyler’s neck and shoulder as he held me.
He smoothed a hand down my back. “Get used to it, because I’m not letting you go anywhere anymore, and I highly doubt the team will either.” He continued to rub my back. “I want to marry you, remember?”
“You meant that?”
He grinned at me, wickedly. “Fuck yeah, I did. Never said it before and don’t intend to say it to anyone else.” He gripped my hips and squeezed. “You’re mine, Connors.”
This man. The love I felt for him was everything. “Are you okay?” I asked. “After the game and everything?”
“Yeah. I won’t get in trouble with the league. Your brother shoved me after the game was done. If anyone gets fined, it’ll be him.” He smiled. “I’m all good. Especially now with you here. You good?”
I nodded, resting my forehead against his. “I’m all good too.”
“The guys want to celebrate again. They felt it’s more appropriate tonight than any other night. You good with putting in an appearance?”
“Yep, I am.” As I stepped back from him, he tugged on my shirt. “Hey.”
I paused.
He wasn’t looking at me. He seemed to be contemplating something. But when his eyes found mine again, they were crystal clear and filled with something vulnerable. “Want to check out apartments with me this weekend?”
I was suddenly dizzy and reached out to steady myself against his shoulder. “For you?”
“No.” That vulnerable look doubled. “For us. I’m really sick of going to your hotel to see you, and this ain’t ever changing. I want to get a place for us.”
He’d already told me he loved me.
He’d said he wanted to marry me, twice.
I shouldn’t be tearing up because he wanted to live with me, but I was. I totally was. “Yes.” I could only whisper, but I smiled so widely it started to hurt.
“Yeah?” He grinned.
“Yeah.” I kissed him.
He sealed his mouth to mine, and it was a long time before he let me go.
I was okay with that.
The team had decided this celebration needed to be more personal, and it turned out Jesse had a house nearby. We all piled into his place, where he had a karaoke machine set up in the basement, complete with its own stage. Meester and Eric were the deejays.
Coaches Marken and Javier showed up. I didn’t feel too awkward being here, though I pulled away from Tyler as they approached.
Both waved me off. “We’re adults, Rain,” Marken said. “If my wife had a night like you had tonight, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight. I get it.” Javier nodded beside him. “We get it.”
I couldn’t help my smile. One night. I would let Tyler and me be Tyler and me in front of the team for this night. Come tomorrow, it was back to business.
Later that night, I was telling Tyler that plan as we got back to my hotel. The doors slid open for us as we stepped inside. Tyler was just in front of me, but came to a complete stop. “What the fuck do you want?”
I moved around him, looked, and felt the floor fall from underneath me.
Dane was sitting in the lobby.