Page 64 of The Pucking Grump

I push past my teammates a second later, already done with the celebration. Coach is bearing down on the ice, but I look around for Faye. She’s no longer in the box. Instead, she’s down in the stands, surrounded by her bodyguards and just out of reach of the yelling fans. She hurries over to the boards, still being guarded by her human boulders. I skate the distance between us.

“You were amazing!” she screeches, pushing past one of her bodyguards and launching herself into my arms without warning. I catch her, her weight causing me to move back a few inches.

Pulling off my helmet, she brings her lips to mine. I automatically kiss her, my annoyance leaving me in droves. A cheer goes around the stadium, and I’m aware that a dozen cameras are pointing at us. My teammates are probably looking at us and laughing their asses off.

But once more, I can’t bring myself to care. Not when she’s in my arms. I can’t even bring myself to be pissed about Weak Chin being anywhere around us. Doesn’t even matter if I get jeered to death back in the changing rooms.

Doesn’t even matter if she’s just doing this for the cameras.

“Faye.”

Even through the clamoring fans and the cheers, I hear his voice. A chill grows in my soul as I pull my lips away from hers and look around.

Of course, it’s him. He’s even more pathetic than I remember, straw-colored hair stuck up oddly in places, and his face a touch green.

“Faye,” he repeats. He’s standing just out of reach of her bodyguards, staring at her with a pallid expression. “We have a few things to talk about still.”

Faye turns around too. She has an almost irritated look as she nudges me to put her down. I set her gently on the ice, and she walks across to the boards, as close to him as she can get.

“Ben, I told you, we have nothing more to say to each other.”

A modicum of relief bursts through the chill I’m feeling. For a second there, I convinced myself that Faye invited him. But it couldn’t be clearer that she wants him as far away from her as he can get.

“I just needed to?—”

I step between them, gripping Faye’s arm and pulling her back to me.

“Leave. Now.” My ears are ringing, blocking off the noise the crowd is making.

Ben looks at me. There’s a glint of fear in his eyes, but there’s an even greater pool of defiance there.

“You’re not going to stop me from talking to my fiancé.”

“Ex-fiancé,” Faye corrects quickly. “And Ben, please. People are staring.”

She’s right. Half the people in the stadium have their eyes trained on us, and the noise has reduced substantially. Most of them have also pulled their phones out.

After today, there’s going to be a million posts on X talking about this. But I’ll worry about that later.

“Leave,” I growl. He looks even worse as I move closer. “Before I’m forced to throw you across this ice and get banned from playing this season. Something tells me your face wouldn’t look good with a broken nose.”

Ben gulps. He looks around, almost like he’s hoping someone will intervene and tell me to back off. My teammates are already approaching the scene, but none of them say a word.

Finally, he turns and leaves, his shoulders slumped.

The crowd erupts in a mix of cheers, with some boos thrown in for Ben. Satisfaction spreads through my veins as I look at Faye. She’s grinning at me, but there’s a hint of confusion in her eyes.

I kind of get it. I’m confused, too.

“If you were our lucky charm today, we’ll definitely need you for the next game,” Ken declares. Before Faye has a chance to react with more than a radiant smile, Ken lifts her, balancing her on his shoulders. Faye’s joyous laughter fills the air as the team congregates around in a triumphant, shared celebration. I skate up to them, my feelings a mix of amusement and a slight pang of jealousy, watching the scene unfold.

I’m always going to be suspicious of any man who gets to touch her. I’m just going to have to deal with that.

But Faye seems to be having the time of her life.

Good, I think. Hearing from her father a week ago stressed her badly. If my ridiculous teammates can make up for that, I’ll allow it.

A few minutes later, they set her back down as they start to stream toward the changing rooms. I plant another kiss on her lips.

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