Page 108 of Caught from Behind

The goalie makes the first save, kicking it out to the corner, but Lake is there already.

He corrals it, whips back to the net.

The goalie slides hard in that direction, making a herculean fucking save in my opinion.

It pops off his pads…

And drops right out to my feet.

I kick it up to my stick, get a slash to my legs for my trouble, a shove to my back, but I fight through the pain radiating up my arms, along my spine, and hold my ground.

I’m close to the goalie.

I don’t have a ton of space and he’s good—he’s going to be covering the ice, and he’s able to maneuver, to move his pads to guard against the eighteen inches above that.

And he’s fucking good with his stick.

I just…need to be better with mine.

Hockey players and their sticks.

Ella’s voice rushes through my brain in a flash and I’m smiling when I flick my wrists, sending the puck up in the air.

Above those pads.

Above his glove.

Straight into the top of the net.

I’m still smiling when the red light goes and the buzzer sounds and…

The crowd roars.

I’m still smiling when my eyes flick to the side, when I see my dad in his seat, face expressionless.

But most importantly, I’m still smiling when I shift my gaze to see Ella on her feet, cheering like a fiend.

Because…

It’s Ella who’s become the most important person in my life.

And I’m not going to stop until she knows it.

Hell, even then I’m going to keep going.

Because she is mine.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Ella

“Fuck, Riggs,” I moan into the pillow I grabbed, trying to not scream so loud that Todd will hear me.

It’s five in the morning, my hot hockey player has the day off, and I’ve been woken up without my eight alarms.

It’s fucking glorious.

He nips at my thigh and I jump. “Pay attention, chérie.”

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