Cayden
FORTY
Tuning out the noise from the locker room, I get in my zone as I adjust the last of my pads. It’s a big game tonight against the Vipers, who are leading the Pacific Division. Their goalie is damn good and is right behind me for the Vezina Trophy this year.
The playoffs are right around the corner, and even though we are leading the Atlantic Division in points and are practically guaranteed a spot, I want this win.
“How are you feeling, Blade?”
I look up and see Stone standing there. His face is game-ready without an ounce of emotion across his features. He’s locked in and focused just like I am.
“I’m ready,” I reply, throwing my #40 jersey over my head with a smirk. “The Vipers’ goalie isn’t going to make it easy for you guys tonight on scoring.”
“We’ll get past him,” he snorts. “Besides, they don’t have what we’ve got.”
“Which is?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“You,” he grins, throwing on his gloves. “Ready to send their goalie home with a loss?”
A smile plays on my lips as I pick up my mask. “Been looking forward to it for weeks.”
“I bet you have,” he chuckles before walking over to talk to McCormick.
I look at my black mask in my hand, the artwork this year polished and gleaming under the overhead lights. Black, gray, and white designs cover the outside, showcasing my number and the word Bolts in bold capital letters running down both sides.
Palm trees bend and sway as storm waves rise for destruction, with lightning striking in the distance.
I find the small pink star that I had drawn for Scarlett amidst the chaos and run my finger over it for good luck, like I do for every game, before pulling it on top of my head.
Grabbing my gloves and stick, I line up with the rest of the team as we hit the tunnel for our warmup.
The arena is slowly filling up as my blades hit the smooth, cold surface. My eyes go directly to the seat I bought for Luna to see if she’s arrived yet, but I find it empty.
Reaching my net, I focus on some hip stretches and butterflies before I begin some crease movement as I move from post to post, getting my lower body sharp and responsive.
I spot the Vipers’ goalie on the other side of the arena doing the same as the other team begins to do laps and stretches.
Once I’m done with my warm-up routine, the guys start firing pucks my way as I warm up my hands and rebound control.
Glove save.
Blocker.
Kick save.
I go through every motion like I’ve done a thousand times before, letting muscle memory take control.
When Hayes circles the net, my eyes follow him, and I let my gaze wander to the seat again, still finding it empty.
Shaking my head, I skate back into position.
Get it together, Blade.
I’ve played in multiple playoff games. Stood in front of the net with an entire season on my shoulders while twenty thousand fans chanted my name in the background.
But apparently, the one thing that throws me off my game is a five-foot-seven dance teacher who hasn’t shown up yet.
Focusing back on the puck, I dig my blades into the ice and get ready for the rapid-fire one-timers as Kane sends one directly toward my net, followed by Foxx and the rest of the lineup.
When I finally get a breather, I flip my mask up and squirt some water in my mouth.
It’s then that I see her and everything stops.
She came.
And she’s wearing my jersey.
The number forty stretches across both arms, and when she turns slightly to talk to Sophia, I see Blade, written across her back.
My name.
I thought seeing someone wear it again would hurt.
I thought it would feel like losing another piece of my past I’ve been desperately trying to hold onto.
But it doesn’t.
Seeing Luna look over at me and smile with my name on her back doesn’t feel like I’m losing anything.
It feels like I’m gaining everything.
Not caring who’s watching or how many rumors this will start tomorrow, I skate over to the glass and stop right in front of her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see fans do a double-take before they get excited and try to get my attention, but all my focus is on her.
Her green eyes widen in surprise when she realizes I’m there for her.
I motion with my glove for her to come down to the glass.
She looks around at all the people watching us, and a deep flush stains her cheeks when she realizes we’re drawing a crowd.
Walking down, she stops in front of me and shakes her head.
“You’re crazy,” she mouths, breaking into a wide grin that has my heart beating faster at the sight.
“Love your jersey,” I mouth back with a grin.
“That’s what you stopped your practice to tell me?” She laughs, causing her dimple that I love to peek out.
“My name looks good on you.”
“I like wearing it,” she smiles.
“Good, because I may never let you take it off,” I grin, starting to skate backwards toward the net before I turn around.
“Hey Blade,” she calls out as I look back over my shoulder. “Kick some Vipers’ ass tonight,” she grins cheekily as her green eyes sparkle with excitement.
“I plan to,” I wink before sliding my mask back down.
I ignore the shocked look from my teammates as we finish up the remaining few minutes before I skate to the tunnel.
Once I enter the locker room, I know I’m screwed as all pairs of eyes land on me.
“Let’s get this fucking over with,” I growl. “I have a game I need to prepare for.”
“I’m not saying shit,” Stone laughs. “I ended up marrying the only girl I gave my jersey to. Love makes you do things that you never thought in a million years you would do.”
“Like leaving your sacred net during practice?” Hayes grins.
“Or smiling on the ice?” Foxx adds with amusement.
“How about putting your girl right behind you, so you can look at her?” Kane snorts, running a towel through his damp hair.
“I did that too,” Stone chuckles. “Needed Savi close, and…,” he says with a brooding look, “I don’t have to worry about anyone messing with her. Not a chance in hell will anyone touch her with her brothers nearby.”
“Why do you think I also bought the seats on either side of Luna?” I grunt. “I wasn’t about to have some asshole stranger sit next to her.”
“Nice move,” Stone chuckles. “I would have done the same thing.”
At least someone in here understands where I’m coming from.
“Your girls can sit on the fucking bench with us for all I care as long as we get a win tonight,” Kane mutters.
“If Cayden plays half as good as he did last time Luna sat in those seats,” Hayes grins, “those Vipers don’t stand a chance.”
The guys start getting pumped up with game talk, and I breathe a sigh of relief that my personal life is no longer the main topic anymore.
“It looks good,” McCormick says quietly, looking my way.
He’s been silent this whole time, which isn’t unusual. I just assumed he was in his head about the game tonight and didn’t have anything to add.
“What does?” I ask, glancing up at him as I sit down on the bench and reach for my headphones.
“Seeing your name on someone again.”
My chest tightens because he’s the only one who says what everyone else is avoiding.
“Yeah,” I admit quietly. “It does.”
He runs a hand through his dark hair, and you can tell by the blank stare in his grey eyes as he looks straight ahead that he’s no longer in this room with me, but someplace else in his mind.
He finally snaps out of it as he shakes his head slightly before giving me a slight smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“It’s good to see you smiling again. Most people don’t get a second chance at love. I’m glad you’re not wasting it.”
The way he says it makes me think he’s no longer talking about me.
He squeezes my shoulder before walking over to his locker to do his final game prep routine.
Pulling on my headphones, I lean against the wall and close my eyes.
McCormick is right. A second chance at love is rare.
Before I met Luna, I didn’t believe it was possible to feel love again toward another woman. Not only did I not believe it…I didn’t want it.
My heart had other plans, though, and now that she owns a piece of me…the last thing I’m going to do is waste this fucking gift that I’ve been given.
My eyes are locked on the other side of the arena. We are exactly one hundred and seventy-eight feet apart, but we might as well be face to face.
I can’t see every detail behind the mask, but I feel his eyes on me as I narrow mine at him.
Sweat drips down my neck, and I tighten my grip on my stick as I crouch down to protect my space that I’ve been doing a damn good job of protecting since the first drop of the puck.
The only problem is…he’s been doing the exact fucking thing.
With the score of 0-0 and only a minute left in the second period, it’s all going to come down to the third, and I refuse to walk away second best goalie tonight.
The ref’s whistle blows, getting everyone in place for the last faceoff of the period, and I force my gaze away from the other net and to Luna in the stands right behind him.
It’s crazy to me that out of thousands of fans crammed into this arena, she’s the only one I see.
Even this far away, when the fans are so loud it’s deafening, I feel only her.
A calm washes over me as our eyes meet, resetting my focus as I shift to the puck about to drop.
Stone is ready, taking control and passing it to McCormick, who takes another shot that’s blocked. I watch it play out on the other end of the rink, ready at a moment’s notice for any movement headed my way.
The clock dwindles down, and when the buzzer goes off, I skate in first to the locker rooms, getting stick taps from my team as I pass by them.
I’ve kept this game at a zero tie, but we all know none of that matters now. The third period is all we are focused on as we file into the tunnel and head to the locker room.
Coach starts going over plays with McCormick and Hayes while other players look over the game footage and strategize.
Stone is going over a play with Kane when Bobby, one of our equipment managers, walks over looking nervous.
“I just got a text from Savi,” he says, his southern drawl coming out more with his nerves.
Knox gets on high alert as he walks up to him. I know with Savi due any day now, he’s had Bobby carry an emergency phone in case he was on the ice, and she couldn’t get a hold of him. She refused to miss any games, so this was their compromise.
“Is she okay? What did she say?” He asks suddenly.
“Her water just broke. She’s…she’s in labor.”
His face goes white before he quickly rushes to his locker and grabs his phone, propping it on his shoulders as he sits to yank his laces off his skates.
“Savi, are you okay? How far apart are the contractions?” He says, pulling his shoes from his locker.
He listens on the other end before grabbing his bag and swiping his keys from the shelf.
“I’m on my way to you. I’ll be there in five. Stay with your brothers and don’t move.”
His brows furrow at what Savi says next.
“Dammit, Savi, I don’t care if it can take hours. I’m leaving now. Put Miles on the phone,” he growls, clutching the phone in his hand tightly.
“Miles,” he says a few seconds later, “I’m on my way to you, keep her fucking there.”
He nods his head and breathes a sigh of relief.
“Good. See you in five.”
Hanging up, he runs a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Can you believe she told me to meet her at the hospital after we bring home a fucking win tonight? She didn’t want me leaving you guys in a bind,” he scoffs.
“That’s our Savi,” Hayes chuckles. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Stone looks at me, and I can tell he’s got that scared shitless about to become a dad for the first time look in his eyes.
“Savi is going to be fine and so is the baby,” I say, reading his thoughts and reassuring him. “Go meet your son,” I grin.
He nods his head before a smile breaks out on his face.
“I’m going to be a dad.”
“You’re going to be a dad,” I smile.
“Tell Coach…”
“I heard everything,” Coach says, coming up behind Stone. “Go be with your wife. Your team can handle the third period without you.”
“You going to change?” Kane chuckles, eyeing Stone in his full gear minus the skates.
“And give my wife five extra minutes to talk her brothers into letting her stay for the rest of the game? No thanks,” he calls out over his shoulder as he heads for the door. “I’ll change later when I have her secure in a birthing room.”
The laughter rings out around us before Coach calls out.
“Okay, boys, let’s get our heads back in the game,” he barks out. “We’ve got some Vipers’ ass to kick. Cross, you’re taking Stone’s spot. Get your ass ready.”
Cross’s dark eyes flash briefly with surprise before he nods his head.
“You sure about that, Coach?” Hayes says quietly, watching Cross wrap his stick like he’s sharpening his weapon for a battle.
“Wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t,” Coach says, eyeing Cross as he flexes his tattooed hands into fists before releasing them. “I want to see what he’s got.”
“Anger…he’s got a lot of anger,” Foxx chuckles, grabbing his stick.
“Then I guess it’s time he learns how to channel it for good,” Coach smirks, walking away.
Hayes and Foxx look at me for backup, and I shrug.
“Unless he’s trying to score on me, he’s not my problem,” I say, putting on my headphones and closing my eyes as I get in my zone.
When we hit the ice, there’s an uneasiness in the air as fans start to notice our captain is gone and Cross is in his place.
It’s one of the biggest games so far this season, and everyone in the stands is salivating for a win so much so that they can almost taste it.
I skate along the glass and see Savi’s spot empty as I pass by, along with the rest of her family. A ghost of a smile appears as I picture Stone bursting out into the stands in full uniform to force his pregnant wife to go to the hospital.
There’ll be video footage all over the internet by tomorrow, from fans whipping out their phones to try and get a viral moment of Knox Stone.
Poor bastard will be everywhere.
Skating to my net, I spot Luna and see her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. I’m sure she’s worried about Savi, and I give her a reassuring wink before I take my place in front of the net, causing a smile to appear on her beautiful face.
I soak her in as much as I can, feeling more in control by the minute, before I flip my mask down. Adrenaline starts to fuel my body, and I use it to center myself as the noise in the arena becomes a distant hum.
I’m back in my zone as my blades scrape against the ice with every controlled movement from post to post, roughing up the ice and letting my muscles loosen up. I go through my mental checklist, and by the time I’m done, I’m more than ready to send the Vipers back to the desert where they belong.
I tap my stick to both posts before looking down the rink one last time.
One puck.
One net to guard.
One period left to prove why this crease belongs to me.