Page 81 of Home Ice

I bury my fingers to the middle knuckle and move my gaze to her. "No, you don't." Without taking my eyes from hers, I rip the paper. A grin sweeps over her face as I tear away the last piece of wrapping and look down.

"Lily, what is this?" Like I have to ask. I instantly recognize the gold maple leaf on the top of the mask. I pull it out of the box like I'm handling a premature baby. It's the same red and black stripes. The same maple leaves on the sides. "This isn't the real one, right?" And right there—my breath catches—a signature, obviously in gold.

"It's not the mask she wore in the gold medal game. She wanted to keep that one. But yeah, Shannon Szabados's mask from the Vancouver Olympics."

"How?" The same mask I saw on my television all those years ago is right here in my hands now.

"You know Tom, right?"

"Tom?"

"He works in player development? Really nice guy? Anyway, I found out he was an intern for Hockey Canada back in 2010, and he's still friends with Shannon Szabados. You told me she was your role model, so I thought maybe you'd?—"

"She wasn't just my role model. I worshipped her. She dominated that Olympics. Point three three goals against average. Saved ninety-eight percent of the shots against her. And she shut out the U.S. in the gold medal game."

"So you really like it?" She's nervously working her lower lip again. As if the smile that burst across my face didn't tell her exactly how I feel about this.

I pull her hand from her lap and weave my fingers between hers. "I can't believe you got this. And had her sign it. I can't believe you even remembered me mentioning. Lily, this is… I want to wear this all day. Hell, I'd wear it for the next game if it were legal. This is, seriously, the third best thing I've ever gotten in my life."

"Only the third?"

I tease a finger along her knuckles. "Nothing will ever beat the first two. Speaking of that, can I show you what I got for you?"

"Yes!" She bounces again as she crosses her legs under her, and it makes my stomach twist.

"It's not like that. In fact, it's kind of embarrassing after seeing what you got me."

"I'm going to love it. I know I will. Do you need to get it?" She looks around the room. "Do you want me to close my eyes too?"

I shake my head. My heart feels like it's trying to punch its way out of me. "Remember how I hurt my knee?"

"No, Brant. I completely forgot the terror I felt watching you lay on the ice a whole eleven days ago. Please refresh my memory."

"Right. Of course. Well, remember after the doctor cleared me for everything, I still wouldn't let you get too close to me?

She nods. "Because it was sore from the physical therapy, and you were scared to push things too far. I don't blame you for that, Brant. Honest."

"It wasn't that. The therapy sessions were fine. I just knew that if I let you get too close, I wouldn't be able to resist myself. And that would lead to me taking my shirt off."

"And you're suddenly afraid to take your shirt off in front of me?" She chuckles.

I don't answer. I just pull my shirt over my head. Lily's eyes are on my face. I look down to force her to do the same.

"Brant?"

I have to pull the air in and out of my lungs. "You think it's silly. It is silly compared to a Szabados mask. I should have done something else."

She leans forward and stops me with a kiss. "Can I?"

I dip my head, and she traces the newly inked lines on my chest. I once swore that I would never get a tattoo. I never thought there would be anything I wanted on my body forever.

"You got a rattlesnake."

"Just like yours."

"On your heart."

"Just like you."

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