Page 155 of The Waiting Game

Jonah wanted to believe that Felix was really in this relationship for good but he’d seen Felix in the flush of dating someone new too many times to entirely trust that he was on the same page as Jonah right now.

And the worse the team played, the lower their chances of moving on to the next series were. Once the season was over, once Grandma’s heart procedure was over, would he and Felix be over too?

The team arrived for game four with their backup goaltender Jesse Webber in net, low expectations, and a desperate desire to not let Buffalo destroy them.

Coach Casey’s pregame speech was short and to the point. “Every one of you knows how to play good hockey. But tonight you’ll need to play more than good hockey. You’ll need to be extraordinary. Buffalo has been playing well. They’re healthier than we are. But that doesn’t mean they’re smarter. What I need you to do tonight is play smart hockey. Keep it simple, keep it clean. I know you’re all more than capable of this, so prove it to me!”

Dustin made a short heartfelt speech too, then Nico cranked up the tunes, but despite their best efforts, they were down 2-1 at the end of the second period.

Everyone looked exhausted.

Matty had gotten in a dustup with Leo Hawkins that left him with a cut lip and the beginnings of a black eye. Coach Casey was livid about the number of stupid penalties they’d been taking.

They lost 4-1.

Dispirited, the team trudged off the ice.

And Jonah was a mess of nerves the following morning.

“Are you sure you’re all set for tomorrow?” he asked his grandmother as they ate a late breakfast.

“You worry too much, Jo-nah,” she said softly. “The doctor said the procedure is very safe.”

Felix reached out and rubbed Jonah’s back soothingly. He pressed into the touch, but didn’t look away from his grandma.

“I know it is. I read all of the paperwork. I just … I hate that I can’t be there.”

“Nancy and the SAPs will look out for me,” she reassured him.

“I know that. I just hate that Felix and I can’t be there for you too.”

Felix nodded his agreement, although privately he thought Jonah was worrying a little too much. Of course they wanted to be there. But it wasn’t like she was going in for open-heart surgery.

She’d passed all the presurgery tests with flying colors, and other than the heart arrhythmia, she was in great health for a seventy-seven-year-old woman. There was no reason to believe anything would go wrong. But she was the only close living relative Jonah had in the world. It was understandable he was a little overprotective of her.

She reached out and took both their hands. “I will be fine. You just focus on your hockey and each other. Get to the next round and I’ll be happy.”

Jonah’s mouth twisted in an unhappy frown. “I’ll do my best.”

She cupped his cheek. “Of course you will. You always do.”

And Jonah sighed, slumping back. Felix gathered him close, and kissed his hair. As he did, he caught a small smile of approval from Grandma Ji-min.

Felix desperately wanted to win. He wanted to win for the fans, for himself, for Jonah, for his team, but especially for Grandma Ji-min.

But even if they lost, at least he was beginning to feel more confident that he and Jonah would wind up together.

After the playoffs, once Felix was sure that he could handle the stratospheric highs of a win or the crushing lows of a defeat without turning to alcohol, they would start planning their future.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Jonah and Felix were tense and exhausted as they got on a plane to Buffalo for game five.

They were down 3-1 in the series and if they lost tonight, they’d be knocked out.

The team had flown in last night but Jonah and Felix had been given permission to fly to Buffalo on a chartered flight of their own this morning.

It had given them time to see Grandma before she headed to the hospital for her procedure. When they’d boarded the plane, Jonah had been so appreciative of Felix arranging it all.

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