Chapter 22
Magnus
Blair is holding on to my hand like she’s hanging off the edge of a cliff. Her nails feel a lot better digging into my skin during sex than they do now, but also, I get it.
Eli is spelling the word “ventricle,” and I know—I’m fucking certain—he’s trying to decide if the word ends in “-le” or “-al.”
The spelling bee was postponed because so many kids were out with the flu, so Eli had extra study time. He doesn’t love sports, but he’s smart. This is like a playoff game for him, and I can’t believe how invested I am in the outcome.
I’m mentally screaming the letter L at him. Blair’s holding my hand on one side and Jules’s on the other. Coach Turner is beside Jules, his daughter Chloe beside him.
Even Chloe’s doing prayer hands. I don’t think any of us are breathing. Eli pushes up his glasses and speaks into the microphone.
“Can I get a sentence, please?”
That means he’s really stuck. The pressure is on—if he spells this word correctly, he’ll win his school spelling bee. He’s been going back and forth with a girl in second grade, both of them vying to move on to the next round, which will have one student from each of thirty-five schools.
“The heart has two lower chambers called ventricles,” the woman giving the kids words to spell says into her microphone.
“V-E-N-T-R-I-C...” He clears his throat. “L-E.”
Blair finally exhales, her iron grip on my hand relaxing.
“That’s correct. Congratulations, Eli. You’re our winner.”
He smiles, applause breaking out in the auditorium. Jules stands and Blair beams with pride, joining her in standing. I take a few photos of Eli before I start clapping.
I almost didn’t make it here. Our plane couldn’t take off after our game in Tampa last night, which meant shuffled travel plans.
The rest of the team is landing in Cleveland on another team’s borrowed plane around noon, but Coach Turner and I took an early commercial flight to make it here in time for Eli’s eleven a.m. spelling bee.
Blair gets a picture of Eli with his medal, and we all give him hugs and fist bumps. He has to go back to class, so the rest of us head out.
I hardly slept last night, but Blair’s off today and I want to catch up with her before I crash for a few hours. Coach Turner and Jules are going to the arena for some work, but I’m off for the rest of the day, too.
“Want to get lunch?” I ask Blair.
“Sure.”
“Does any place sound good?”
“I’m not picky. As long as it has sombreros hanging on the walls and they bring chips and salsa out as soon as you sit down, I’m in.”
The employees at the Mexican place closest to her house are starting to recognize me.
I pick up carryout so often to take over to Blair’s that they’ve started throwing in a free container of queso every time.
The grilled chicken, rice, and veggie platter they make me is killer.
Coop always gets a cheese quesadilla and cheese enchilada, and Blair and Eli like old-school crunchy tacos.
“I took an Uber here, so my car’s still at the arena,” I say. “Can you drop me off there after?”
“Sure.”
It’s been almost a week since our night together at my hotel, and hockey’s been a nonstop grind since. Coach gave us today off, so I’m a free man until practice tomorrow at eight a.m.
When I check my phone, I have a text from Art. Once we’re out of the cold inside Blair’s car, I call him back.
“Hey, kid. If rain and moody coffee shops are your vibe, Seattle still wants you bad.”
I hold back my disappointment. This is what I wanted—to be a key player on a hungry team. Seattle has a lot of room to grow, and they need players to build off of.
“Okay.” I scrub a hand down my face, wishing we could have this conversation when I’d had more sleep. “Is it time for me to quit stalling?”
“That’s up to you. Because I got a call from Cleveland’s GM this morning, and they want you, too.”
I’m stunned silent for a few seconds. Coach Turner has been working with other players a lot lately, hardly even speaking to me. I assumed I wasn’t even on his long list, let alone his short one.
“I don’t know if we’ll be able to get them to the same numbers Seattle’s talking about, but they want a three-year contract, and they know it’ll take at least three million a year.”
“That’s ... yeah. I’ll definitely sign that.”
“We’re not accepting their first offer.”
Blair is focused on the stoplight we’re waiting at, still smiling over Eli’s spelling bee win.
I love her for many reasons, but her love for her children is the biggest one.
I didn’t realize how much was missing from my life before meeting her.
It wasn’t just a relationship but a family.
Coop and Eli have become important to me.
Eli’s introspective and thoughtful. He was slower to warm up to me, but he’s starting to realize that I do what I say I will.
As the oldest, he’s protective of Blair, and I know he likes seeing her happy with me.
Coop gravitated toward me from the start.
He thinks I’m a rock star, and I want to live up to his belief in me.
“Don’t push too hard,” I say. “This is the deal I want. It’s about more than just the money.”
“Did you meet someone there?”
“I did.”
“Does this someone like jewelry and nice cars? Because you can buy a hell of a lot of those with another half mil a year.”
His mention of jewelry makes me think of a ring. It’s too soon, but as soon as my season ends, I plan to start shopping for one. I know Blair doesn’t need expensive things, but I want her to have a very nice engagement ring.
“I know it’s a back-and-forth and you can get them up,” I say. “But I don’t need them to match Seattle. I want to get it done and signed.”
“I hear you loud and clear. Good for you, kid. When are you bringing your lady to New York so I can meet her?”
“We’ll see. You could always come here, you know.”
“When this deal gets inked, I will. You can show me around Cleveland.”
“Okay, let me know as soon as you have news.”
“You got it.”
When I end the call, I look at Blair and say, “Cleveland offered.”
“Oh my god. You’re staying here?”
“Yeah.” I still can’t believe it’s happening. “I didn’t think they wanted me, but they do.”
“Of course they want you. You’re so good at ... skating. And ...” She furrows her brow.
“Shooting,” I finish for her.
“I thought that’s what it was, but I wasn’t positive.
All of it. I don’t know the terminology and I really should have picked up on it by now from all the hockey stuff I read online.
Jackson Hodge says you’re one of the top defensive offensive players in the league.
I don’t get that, but I know it’s good, and I’m so fucking happy for you! ”
“For us. This is good for us. You, me, Eli, and Coop.”
She unexpectedly pulls into a parking lot.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“I can’t celebrate properly while I’m driving.” She pulls into the closest parking place. “Get out.”
I open my door and get out of the car. She runs around the front of the vehicle and throws herself at me, squealing with joy.
We hug for a solid ten seconds before she pulls back, looking up at me while I keep my hands on her waist.
“Thank you. I never even dreamed there was someone out there who would love me and my boys the way you do. You show up. You show them what it means to be a good man. I know an engagement and a wedding and living together is the finish line for some women, and I do want those things, but this ...” Tears pool in her eyes and her voice breaks.
“This right here that we already have, where you take a special flight home to show up for my kid’s spelling bee and you teach them how to cook and watch Star Wars with them over and over—this is my dream come true. ”
My throat tightens with emotion. She’s come to mean so much to me in a short time.
“I want to give you guys the life you deserve,” I say. “We’ll be able to travel and do so many things with them because of this contract. Elin and my mom are my why, but all of you are, too.”
She cups my cheek. “You already give us everything that matters, Magnus. Everything. Money means security, and that’s nice, but I’m so damn happy right now. You don’t need to buy us a single thing to be the greatest thing that ever happened to us. You already are.”
I kiss her again, feeling lighter than I ever have.
“Mom. Wake up, Mom.”
The whispered words make me sit up abruptly. There shouldn’t be anyone in my room with me.
I’m not in my room, though. I’m in Blair’s bedroom, and she’s curled up on her side next to me, still sleeping.
“You guys had a sleepover,” Coop says. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit. I spent yesterday with Blair, and once the boys got home from school, we all went out for dinner. We didn’t tell the boys about the contract offer, and we won’t until it’s done. Our celebration was for Eli winning the spelling bee.
We had dinner at a restaurant owned by a good friend of Suki’s. I requested a special dessert, and Eli was thrilled when the server brought out a red velvet cake with sparkler candles and the word “ventricle” written on it.
After that, we played board games at home until the boys’ bedtime. By then, I was so exhausted from so little sleep the previous night that I planned to take a short nap on the couch before calling an Uber to take me back to my car.
Blair insisted I lay down in her bed, though. I can tell I slept hard.
“Hey, Coop,” Blair says. “Good morning.”
“You let somebody sleep in your bedroom who’s not your family,” he says.
I scramble out of bed, running a hand over my face. “That’s my fault, dude.”
“No, it’s not. Magnus was very tired from the team plane breaking down the night before and messing up his travel plans. I wanted him to get a good night of sleep.”
“What time is it?” I ask, looking around for my phone.
Being late to practice the morning after my team said they want to sign me to a three-year-contract is nightmare fuel.
“It’s six eleven,” Blair says, looking at her phone. “Coop, why are you up so early?”
“I had a dream that a dinosaur ate Dong and I couldn’t go back to sleep.”
She ruffles his hair. “Dong’s tough. He’d never let that happen. Want me to make bacon and banana pancakes?”
“Yes, please. Magnus, do you want to watch Star Wars?”
“I wish I could, bud, but I have to go back to my hotel to shower and get to practice.”
“Are you coming back over tonight?”
“We’re all invited to fondue night tonight at Carter and Suki’s,” Blair says.
“What’s fondue?” Coop asks.
“It’s like a cheese fountain.”
His eyes widen and his lips part. “Whoa.”
“Okay if I pick you guys up and we all go together?” I ask.
“Of course.”
“Okay, perfect. I need to find my phone so I can call an Uber.”
“It’s on the coffee table,” Blair says.
I hurry in there to grab it, because even though I have plenty of time, I need to be early to practice today. I want the team to know they’re making a good investment.