Chapter 54 Ryan
The sharp sound of the whistle echoed through the rink as the play unfolded in front of me.
I leaned forward on the bench, propping my foot up on the boards, my eyes following the puck as it moved down the ice.
One of our players attempted a pass, but it was intercepted, leading to a turnover and a breakaway for the opposing team.
I clenched my fists, looking up at the ceiling, stretching my neck in frustration. I needed to calm down before my players saw it on my face. Taking a deep breath, I dropped my gaze to the ice just as the kid who had made the errant pass came gliding toward the bench, his head hung low.
“Sorry, Coach,” he mumbled, not meeting my eyes.
I crouched down, pulling out my board and a marker.
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” I said, my tone calm.
“Now you know for next time, right? Let’s look at this.
” I drew out the play, pointing out the better passing lane he’d missed.
“See that? Next time, keep your head up and watch for this guy cutting through.”
He nodded, his expression lifting slightly. “Got it, Coach.”
“Good. Now go out there and show me what you’ve got.” I patted his shoulder as he headed back onto the ice.
Standing up, I glanced at the jumbotron, which had switched from the game to the intermission dance-off.
My jaw dropped as I saw Connor front and center, absolutely crushing the competition with his ridiculous moves.
He was shimmying and spinning like his life depended on it, while Harper stood beside him in the stands, trying desperately not to laugh.
Her hand covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she watched Connor steal the show.
I couldn’t help it–a deep laugh burst out of me, and the other coaches glanced my way in confusion. I waved them off, pointing at the screen. “That’s my kid,” I said, grinning.
The game ended in a hard-fought victory, the kind that left everyone on edge until the final buzzer. As the team filed into the dressing room, still riding the adrenaline, I spotted Connor in the stands, waving at me like crazy.
I motioned for him to come down, and in seconds, he was sprinting toward me, that infectious grin plastered across his face. Harper trailed behind him, bundled up in her coat, her cheeks pink from the cold.
Connor reached me first, nearly bouncing with excitement. “Can I go in with you?”
I glanced at Harper, who gave me a little shrug and a smile. “As long as you behave yourself,” she said, tousling his hair.
“I’ll be the best Assistant Coach ever,” he promised solemnly, puffing out his chest.
Harper laughed softly, leaning in to kiss my check. “Good luck in there,” she said before stepping back.
Connor and I headed into the locker room together. The guys were all in various stages of taking off their gear, but as soon as they saw Connor, their faces lit up.
“Hey, look! Our favourite coach is here!” one of the players called out, grinning.
Connor beamed, striding into the room like he owned the place. “Good job out there, guys,” he said with the utmost seriousness, nodding as if evaluating their performance. “That last play was awesome, but next time, pass a little quicker, okay?”
The players laughed, nodding along like they were actually taking notes. One of them looked Connor straight in the eyes and asked, “Any other tips, Coach?”
Connor tapped his chin, pretending to think hard. “Yeah, don’t let them steal the puck so much. You gotta fight for it!”
“That’s solid advice,” I said, biting back a laugh.
I stood back, watching him interact with the team, my heart swelling with pride. He was completely in his element, and the players treated him like he was one of their own.
When I finally called everyone to gather around for my pep talk, Connor stood right beside me, hands clasped behind his back. He listened intently as I spoke, nodding at all the right moments.
When I wrapped it up, Connor turned to the team and added, “Okay, now everybody give Ryan a big cheer because he’s the best coach ever!”
The room erupted in applause and cheers, and I couldn’t help but laugh, pulling Connor into a side hug. “All right, buddy. You can stay and hang with the guys for a bit. I’m gonna go find Mom.”
He gave me a fist bump before running off to help the guys put their gear away as they changed.
I walked out of the dressing room and over to Harper, a grin spreading across my face as I pulled her close. “What’s a beautiful woman like you doing down here in the dressing room area? Don’t they have security in this place?”
She smirked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Apparently, they'll just let anyone in.”
I laughed, leaning down to kiss her. Her lips were warm and soft, and for a moment, I forgot about everything else.
When I pulled back, I looked into her eyes and smiled. “I still can’t believe this is my life.”
She reached up, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “Believe it, Coach.”
Her words settled deep in my chest, and for a long moment, we just stood there in the hallway, the sounds of laughter and celebration echoing from the dressing room behind us.
Kyle rolled by, a big grin plastered on his face as he wheeled up to us. “Harper! How are you enjoying Europe so far?”
Harper turned to him, her face lighting up. “It’s amazing, honestly, the perfect place to spend Christmas. I still can’t believe we’re here.”
Hearing her say that sent my mind spinning back to the day I found out about this tournament. It has been a couple months ago, but I could still remember it like it was yesterday.
Jeff had handed me the schedule with a smirk. “Europe over Christmas. Think you can swing it?”
My first thought hadn’t been about hockey strategy or logistics–it had been about Harper and Connor. There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d miss Christmas with them, so the decision to invite them along was immediate.
When I’d told Harper, her eyes had widened, and she’d tilted her head. “Really? Europe? At Christmas?”
I could still hear the disbelief in her voice. She’d never left the country before, let alone travelled internationally during the holidays.
“Really,” I’d said, grinning at her. “Pack your bags, Harper.”
Connor had been even more ecstatic. When we told him, his face lit up like the Christmas tree we’d just finished decorating. “An airplane? For real? And we get to be with the team? Over Christmas?”
“Yep,” I’d said, ruffling his hair.
He’d been a little sad about leaving Liam behind, but I reassured him, “If this becomes a thing every Christmas, we’ll bring Nina and Liam next year.” That had sealed the deal for him, and his excitement hadn’t waned since.
Coming back to the present, I watched as Harper laughed at something Kyle had said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Well, enjoy the rest of your day,” Kyle said, waving as he began to roll away.
“Kyle, hang on!” I jogged over to him, catching up before he got too far. “You’re still good to hang with Connor for the evening on Thursday, right?”
Kyle gave me a knowing look, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You mean so you can pull off whatever grand romantic plan you’ve got cooking for Harper? Yeah, I’m in. Connor is easy to entertain.”
I clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
Kyle chuckled. “You owe me more than one at this point, but I’ll let it slide.”
With that, he rolled off, and I turned back to Harper, who was looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
“What was that about?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I said with a grin, feeling a rush of excitement at the thought of what I had planned.
Harper narrowed her eyes at me, but didn’t press further. She’d find out soon enough, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when it all came together.
The next morning, Connor sat cross-legged on his bed, still in his pajamas from our lazy morning.
His hair was a wild mess, sticking up in every direction like it always did after he slept, and was absently flipping through the pages of a hockey magazine I’d bought him from the tournament gift shop.
I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling nervous. The kid had no idea what was coming, but I felt like I was the one about to face down a penalty shot in overtime.
“Hey bud,” I started, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees.
He looked up at me, his face brightening. “Yeah?”
“There’s something I want to talk to you about. Something important.”
Connor’s expression shifted, his big eyes narrowing slightly as he focused on me. “Okay. What’s up?”
I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to make this sound as simple and clear as possible. “You know I love you and your mom, right?”
He nodded without hesitation. “I know.”
“Well,” I said, swallowing hard, “I was thinking… I want to ask your mom to marry me. But before I do that, I wanted to check with you. Make sure you’re okay with it.”
For a split second, Connor’s face froze, his mouth slightly open like he was trying to process what I’d just said. Then, as if it had clicked, a grin spread across his face so wide I thought it might stay there forever.
“You’re really gonna ask her?” His voice was filled with excitement, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Yeah,” I said, my own voice catching a little. “If you’re okay with it. I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t feel right for you.”
Connor didn’t waste another second. He launched himself at me, throwing his arms around my neck in the tightest hug I’d ever received. “Of course I’m okay with it! Are you kidding? This is awesome!”
I laughed, hugging him back, but I couldn’t shake the lump in my throat. “You sure? I don’t want you to feel weird about it.”
Connor pulled back just enough to look me in the eye. His face was serious now, but there was still an unmistakable light in his expression. “Ryan… does that mean you’re gonna be my dad? Like, officially?”
I nodded, my voice thick with emotion. “Yeah, bud. If that’s what you want.”