CHAPTER TWELVE
Jordan
Jordan hurried down the steps of the arena to where Talia and some of the other wives were sitting. “Sorry I’m late,” she apologized, as she juggled a mega-sized cup of pop and a bucket of popcorn. “I got hung up trying to make next week’s schedule. I didn’t miss anything, did I?”
“I’m so glad you made it!” Talia cheered, as Jordan sat down next to her. Looking at her strangely, she questioned, “Popcorn?”
“Yeah.” Jordan tossed a handful into her mouth. “Don’t you like popcorn?”
“I do—at the movies.”
“Obviously I’m snacking incorrectly at a hockey game,” she said sarcastically to her friend. “Please teach me the correct ways of hockey game snacking, oh wise Talia.”
“Well, since you asked…” Talia laughed. “My favorite go to game-time foods are the sandwiches with coleslaw on them, fries and cheese, or nachos. And the fries and cheese need to be shared, because the tray is huge.”
“Good to know. If there’s a next time, I’ll get the fries and cheese.” Jordan continued to snack on the popcorn.
She hadn’t been to a hockey game since she’d been with her ex. Her nerves were finally subsiding. These seats were much nicer than anything she’d been imagining. And the crowd of screaming puck bunnies was just one crazy thing her brain had concocted.
Talia simply stared at her. “And you are going to sit there and keep eating the popcorn?”
“Well, yes. I paid for it.” It was fun to mess with her friend, who obviously took hockey game snacking very seriously.
Jordan watched the game, doing her best to try to follow along.
Kyler rushed down the ice to retrieve the puck and was upended by an Arizona player. He appeared to embellish the fall just a little, at least she thought so. But what did she know?
The Renegades were on a power play, and the crowd cheered them on. Tyler stick handled the puck out of the corner and passed it to Kris, who shot it off the post.
At the end of the first period, the score was still 0–0.
Jordan checked her phone to make sure no one was trying to get hold of her.
“Everything okay?” Talia asked, as she returned with a tray of cheese fries.
“Yep, just checking my messages.”
“How is the renovation coming?” Talia sat down and offered her a french fry.
“Everything is right on schedule. You should stop over sometime; it looks amazing. And Chef’s appetizers are delicious.” But Jordan didn’t want to talk about her new job anymore, with the guilt still fresh in her gut. She changed the subject. “How’s Dakota doing?”
“Oh, she’s so good,” Talia gushed. “Teething. I want to try to bring her to a game sometime, but I need to plan it for when Trina is here too.”
“Yeah, I guess juggling baby D and your cheese fries is a challenge.”
“Haha.” Talia laughed.
The players filed back onto the ice for the start of the second period.
Jordan snacked on the cheese fries as the puck dropped.
Sam passed the puck to Luc, who sped down the ice, chased by an Arizona player. Luc was shoved into the corner and hit up high, and the puck squeaked out to a nearby opposing player. Sam chased the winger down the ice, hooking him with his stick and pulling him down.
Arizona’s coach was looking for a penalty, but none was called.
The crowd cheered as play continued.
Tyler took a shot from the blue line, sliding the puck right over the goalie’s glove.
GOAL!
The crowd roared, the horn sounded, and music blared. Everyone in the arena was on their feet cheering.
The Renegades led 1–0.
The player that Sam had hooked earlier in the period came after him in retaliation and cross-checked Sam in the corner. Tyler joined in the scuffle and took a punch to the head. Harrison pulled the guy off Tyler and a fight ensued.
Talia cheered for Harrison, as he punched the guy who had gone after Tyler. They grabbed one another’s jerseys and twisted round and round until Harrison tossed the Arizona player down to the ice. The linesman broke it up, sending both players to the penalty box.
Talia yipped and whistled. “Is it weird that I enjoy watching him get dirty out there?”
“No. But I still can’t get over how tough Harrison is on the ice. In person, he is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”
Despite everything going on with Tyler, Harrison, and Sam, Jordan’s eyes kept wandering to Noah, who was playing well, not causing any waves, and making no mistakes.
Arizona scored with one minute left in the second period, and the score remained tied the rest of the regulation.
“Overtime always makes me nervous,” Talia said.
Two minutes into overtime, Noah skated towards the net, dropped to one knee, and shot the puck. Anxiously, they all stood to watch.
GOAL!
The puck slipped right by the goalie’s pad.
A horn sounded and music played. The Renegades had won the game.
Jordan’s heart raced as she watched the guys all skate out on to the ice, congratulating one another. Then they filed in a single line to the goalie to praise him. She had seen it on television, but it was all so much more exciting in person.
Noah looked up in their direction before he skated off the ice. She wanted to believe he was looking at her, but it was likely he wasn’t looking at anything in particular.
“Looks like you’re good luck, Jordan. You might have to come to more games,” Talia commented.
Dumping the popcorn bin and the tray that had held the cheese fries into the trash, Talia grabbed her arm. “C’mon we need to go this way.”
“To where?”
“Noah asked me to bring you to where the families wait for the players.” She tugged at her arm. “You’ll see.”
She followed Talia, who knew the arena better than she did. With Talia at her side, she glanced around the hallway. Wives and girlfriends, children, and toddlers waited. The little ones mostly wore tiny jerseys that said DADDY on the back, with presumably their father’s number. A strange feeling hit her belly.
Did she want this? Of course she did, someday. Her future dream was always this—a family. But a hockey family? That was a dream she’d shut down the day her ex had left her.
“Earth to Jordan,” Talia said, snapping her fingers in front of Jordan’s face.
Jordan’s head snapped to look at her friend. “Huh?”
“Do you need a ride home?”
“No, I’m good. I have my car.”
“Hey, babe!” Harrison called, as he exited the locker room.
Wrapping her arms around her husband, Talia gushed, “Such a good game.”
“Tsk, tsk,” Jordan mocked. “Hey there, Mister Penalty Box.”
“You know it!” Harrison grinned proudly.
Harrison usually spent a lot of time in the penalty box, since he was one of the enforcers for the team and liked to stand up for his teammates. Hence the name of their restaurant, The Sin Bin.
“The guy deserved it.” Talia gushed over her husband.
Jordan admired the way Talia and Harrison gazed at one another. She wanted that someday.
“We’re heading home.” Talia waved. “See you later, Jordan.”
Talia and Harrison snuggled and giggled adoringly at each other as they walked away.
Jordan snapped herself out of the gooey love fest. Being young, her career was the goal. She wasn’t even going to think about a family until—
“Hey, there you are.” Noah grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Great game,” she said, her heart swelling with pride for him.
Her mind seemed to do a reset. She had planned to concentrate on her career first. That was, until Noah came along. Now suddenly all her dreams seemed tangled up in emotions. She’d have to stop and get them straightened out eventually, but for now, she would just enjoy being with him.
Noah grinned and gently pulled her to the side, away from the crowd in the hallway outside the locker rooms. He tilted her head up to his and cradled her jaw in his massive hand. “It was nice having someone to show off for tonight.”
Butterflies danced in her stomach as he closed the distance between them.
His warm lips brushed over hers. When she didn’t push him away, he kissed her again, deepening the kiss, but only for a second.
Noah pulled away, leaving her lips chilled in the cool hockey rink air.
She didn’t know what to say, and if they weren’t in the hallway with so many other people, she might pull him to her and kiss him again.
“I’m glad you were here tonight.” A sexy grin crossed his lips. “Maybe you’ll come again?”
“Depends,” she said.
“On?”
“If all your guests get kissed like that.”
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Only you.”
Her mouth went dry, and she forgot how to swallow for a second.
Pulling away, he asked, “Can I take you home?”
“I have my car, but you can walk me to it, if you’d like.” She looked up at him, liking his muscular body towering over her.
“Let’s go.” Noah took her hand, laced his fingers with hers, and they strolled to the parking lot.
Once at her car, she looked up at him, not ready to leave him yet.
Her eyes drifted shut, as he lowered his head down to hers and his lips brushed against hers. Parting her lips, she welcomed him in, and their tongues played together as their kiss deepened. Her body was alive with fire.
Placing her palm on his chest, she slowed the kiss, then pulled away. “I should really go.”
“I am really glad you came tonight, and I hope you will again. Did you have a good time?” He smiled, but it wasn’t his usual cocky grin, it was more subdued, sweeter. Hopeful.
“I had a great time. Thanks for inviting me.”
Noah cupped her cheek in his palm and kissed her one more time. “It’s really late, and I’d feel much better if I could see you home safely.”
“I’m really…” But she couldn’t help smiling.
“We could take your car so you won’t have to catch the bus in the morning. And I’ll grab an Uber back to mine.” He gazed into her eyes. “I won’t be able to sleep unless I deliver you home.”