Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
S ummer didn’t bother to contain her excitement as she and Chance entered the area surrounding American Airlines Center.
The atmosphere was charged, with fans moving about the zone.
Some watched the usual street hockey game which took place before the game inside the arena started.
Others were playing cornhole or ordering items from local food booths.
“This is incredible!” she told Chance, who just grinned at her.
“Wait until you see where our seats are,” he teased. “Let’s just say that Jace has started repping two players with the team and when he heard that I was taking you to a Stars game, he made a little magic happen.”
She hoped that didn’t mean sitting in a suite. While it would be nice to have access to terrific food and comfortable seats, Summer wanted to be down in the midst of the crowd, caught up in the action.
“That was thoughtful of Jace,” she said instead, deciding that it didn’t matter where they sat. She was with the man who held her heart.
And they were going to make love for the first time tonight.
That alone caused her heart to race. Being at this hockey game was just an added bonus to what she hoped would be a wonderful day—and night.
They wandered about the plaza for a few minutes, and she was glad that Chance had gifted her with an official Stars NHL hockey jersey when he picked her up.
Everyone seemed to be wearing Victory Green, whether it was player jerseys or T-shirts.
Of course, Chance was in his usual flannel shirt, jeans, and boots.
Today’s shirt was a deep blue in color, which seemed to make his gray eyes even darker.
“Thank you again for my jersey,” she told him. “I feel as if I really fit in with all the fans.”
“Any time, babe,” he said, pressing a kiss against her temple.
Just the slightest touch from him caused goose bumps to crop up. Summer forced her thoughts away from how he would touch her tonight because she wanted to soak up everything at this game.
“There’s Victor E. Green,” she said excitedly.
“Who?”
“The Stars mascot, silly,” she said, dragging Chance toward where Victor E. Green, the cute and cuddly green monster mascot stood, a line formed in front of him. “We’ve got to get our picture with him.”
Chance laughed. “If you insist. Better yet, you stand next to him, and I’ll take the photo.”
“Nope. You’re not getting out of it. I want both of us in the picture as a reminder of today.”
They joined the line, which moved quickly, and ten minutes later, they were at the front. Summer handed her phone to an employee for the Stars, and they quickly got on each side of Victor E. Green.
“Smile,” said the employee, and they beamed at her.
“Thank you,” she said to the mascot and the woman who handed her cell back to her.
Immediately, she brought up the picture and saw that two pictures had been taken. One showed the entire length of them, while the other zoomed in from about the waist up. Summer saw how happy Chance and she looked.
“This is my new lock screen picture,” she declared, quickly changing out the picture on her phone for the new photo. Holding it up, she asked, “What do you think?”
“I think I’m here with the most beautiful woman in Texas,” he drawled, winking at her.
“You’re laying it on pretty thick, Cowboy,” she shot back, wondering if he really thought she was pretty.
“Don’t second guess yourself, Summer,” Chance said. “I see a little doubt in your eyes. You’re beautiful. Period.”
She smiled happily. “Okay. I believe you. Should we go inside? I need to soak up everything inside the arena.”
“Sure. Let’s go.”
Once inside, they walked an entire lap around the concourse, seeing what food was offered, as well as Stars merchandise.
“We should grab something to eat,” he told her. “The last thing I ate was a couple of those kolaches Kelby brought by this morning. What sounds good?”
“I’m happy with a hot dog or nachos.”
“We’ll get both,” he decided.
Once they had food and drinks, he steered her to their section. They kept walking down, down, down the steps until they were on the row next to the ice.
“Are you kidding me?” she asked happily, following him into the row and taking a seat. “These are amazing! And here I was worried we’d be stuck in some suite.”
“Actually, Jace offered that first, but I told him that I know my girl, and she’d want to be in the middle of everything.”
A warmth filled her. “I like hearing that. You calling me your girl.”
Chance shrugged. “Well, you are. And I know you.”
As they ate, the players skated onto the ice for warmups.
More fans began pouring into the arena, and the place became electric by the time pre-game player introductions began.
The light show and pounding music had the crowd amped.
Summer was impressed by the video boards and graphics, snapping a few pictures to show Kelby.
When play began, she leaned forward in her seat, her heart racing as one side of the arena chanted Dallas , followed by the other side shouting Stars .
It amazed her how sitting so close to the action was different from watching at home on TV.
The players’ speed seemed even faster as they sped by, and everything was louder, from the body checks along the boards to the slap shots.
She was immersed with every hit and shot, admiring the skill of these professional athletes up close and how precise every move they made was.
She could feel the vibrations of the pounding music during stoppages.
Sometimes, it was rock and other times pop or electronic.
It added to the excitement as the crowd cheered loudly.
Sitting on the front row meant no one stood in front of her, obstructing her view.
That had been one thing she hadn’t liked when she went to see West play at A&M.
The student section stood the entire time during football games, and she sometimes missed a play because of that.
Leaning over to Chance, she shouted in his ear, “I could get used to seats like these.”
He merely smiled and nodded. Summer had no idea if he might be a hockey fan, but he seemed to be enjoying the game.
Then the Stars scored, and the place erupted in cheers.
People beside and behind them high-fived them, and the traditional Pantera song Puck Off came over the loudspeakers.
She was enough of a fan that she knew the song, which had been written during the Stars’ Stanley Cup run back in 1999, was always played after the home team scored a goal.
The Predators came back within two minutes and scored a goal of their own before the end of the first period. Summer could feel her face flushed with excitement.
“You’re having a good time,” Chance observed.
“The best!” she told him. “Thank you again for bringing me. It’s a really different game in person than watching on TV.
And these seats really make the whole experience even more intense.
Every time players check each other into the glass near us or the puck slaps against the boards, it’s so loud.
I can even hear the scraping of the blades on the ice when they change direction. It’s fantastic.”
Summer leaned in and kissed him lightly. “I appreciate you remembering how much I like hockey.”
“I want to remember everything about you,” he said into her ear, his tone husky.
No scoring happened during the second period, but a scrum happened right in front of them, with players shoving and jostling for position, trying to get control of the puck.
A stick battle broke out, turning into a fight.
She could see the intensity in these players’ eyes and realized just how physical a game hockey could be.
In the final period, the Stars scored, causing the crowd to erupt.
Ahead now two-to-one, she hoped her team would hold their lead.
Then her favorite player, one of the co-captains, drove commandingly down the ice, slamming the puck past the opponent’s goalie.
Again, the arena went insane, with fans jumping up and down and cheering wildly.
The game ended, and Chance turned to her. “Happy?”
“Deliriously,” she replied, her heart still pounding
Because now the real excitement would start.
They waited a few minutes, letting some of the crowd disperse before they made their way up the stairs and out onto the concourse. It took several more minutes before they reached the parking garage.
“As good as the tickets were, we really have to thank Jace for the parking pass,” Chance said.
“We need to do something nice for him and Darby,” she said.
“Well, we’re already having them over next Saturday. Remember, you’re cooking your famous pork chops for everyone.”
“I wouldn’t call them famous. They’re Tammy’s chops.”
“But you have learned how to make them. That means a lot to me. You listened to me when I said they’re my favorite meal.”
They stopped at his truck, and Chance added, “I always want us to listen to one another. Really hear one another without being distracted. I know I’m not much of a talker, but conversations were meant to be heard. Not ignored.”
Summer smiled up at him. “I agree. And you don’t seem quiet to me anymore. Not like how you were growing up. You barely said anything to anybody.”
He cupped her cheek. “Maybe I only have a lot to say to you.”
Chance kissed her, and she tasted the promise of what was to come.
He helped her into the truck, and they joined the line of vehicles snaking their way out of the garage.
“Would you like to grab a bite to eat while we’re in Dallas, or would you rather go home?” he asked.
“I’m still a little full from what we ate at the game,” she admitted. “Let’s wait.”
“Fine by me.”
He took her hand, holding it the entire drive back to Hawthorne.
When they reached town, he pulled up at a stoplight and said, “We could stop and pick something up. Take it home with us.”
“To be honest, I don’t have food on my mind right now.”
His head whipped around, and he looked her in the eyes. “Same,” he said softly.
The driver behind them honked, and Chance looked back at the road. The light had turned green, and he started up his truck.
“I seem to only be aware of you,” he said, his voice a bit raspy.
“Same,” Summer said, her heart speeding up.
They drove down Main Street and came out the other side of Hawthorne. Blackstone Ranch was only a few minutes north of town. Suddenly, she wondered if she would please him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, ever in tune with her.
“I’m a little worried,” she said, her voice small. “You have been with a lot of women, Chance. I’m not upset with that. I know that was before, but I’m feeling a little uncertain. I have experience of my own, but not a lot recently. I became a workaholic my last couple of years at Liberty House.”
He chuckled, bringing her hand up and kissing her fingers. “I already told you before. I dived into work when I came back to the ranch. Have put in even more hours since Dad passed. It’s been a while for me, too, Summer. But this is one horse I know I can climb back on and not miss a beat.”
Chance paused. “I just want everything to be good for you.”
As he turned into the front gates of Blackstone Ranch, Summer said, “It will be. I’m hoping it will be good for us. I know a lot is riding on tonight, Chance. We’re compatible now, but tossing sex into the mix might change things.”
“Have no fear, my dear,” he said teasingly. “We’re gonna fit together just fine. Like those jeans you’re poured into now. Have I told you how long your legs look in them? Or how they make me want to cup your buttocks?”
She felt herself blushing. “I’m glad you kept that to yourself. If you would have said that earlier, I never would have been able to focus on the game.”
He stopped the truck in front of the big house and cut the engine. Turning to her, Chance said, “The hockey game is over now, but we’ve got a few new games to play with one another. Are you ready?”
His words caused a chill to ripple along her spine.
“Ready,” Summer replied, hoping that she would be enough for him, trying to push away the doubts wanting to squeeze in.
She loved him—and would try to show him tonight just how much she did.