Page 212 of The Blame Game

Shea whipped his head around and watched Nico slip a wraparound goal into the net, going to one knee in a showy, dramatic celly as the horn sounded again.

Eyes wet, Shea hugged August and Charlie, grabbing at anyone around him he could get his hands on.

With seconds to go, the players lined up for another faceoff, Dom bent low, ready to win it.

He did, shooting it to one of the Fisher Cats’ defensemen but there were only a few seconds left on the clock …

The game horn sounded and the building shook with the crowd’s reactions.

“We fucking did it,” Charlie screamed in his ear but Shea’s eyes had gone watery again when he watched Dom throw himself into Matty’s arms, Matty lifting him up off the ice and shaking him.

Nico and Dustin and all of the rest of the guys collided into them, hugging them tightly.

Gloves landed on the ice as Felix and Jonah smashed into each other, holding each other tightly and then more guys streamed over, tearing off their helmets, throwing their sticks, roaring with happiness as they celebrated.

Shea wiped his face, watching Dom break away from the crowd and crash into Colton, nearly knocking him down.

He could see the sheer, raw emotion on Dom’s face as Colton hugged him back, looking stunned as he shouted something.

A moment later, Dom glanced up, touching his forehead and Shea pressed a hand to his chest because that was their signal.

Shea wouldn’t have cared if Dom had forgotten about him. Not in this moment. This moment was for Dom and his team and there would be plenty of time later for Shea and Dom to celebrate together.

But Dom had remembered. He’d remembered and he’d thought of Shea and goddam, Shea had never loved him more.

Not because Dom was a three-time Stanley Cup winner.

But because—

“C’mon,” Charlie shouted, grabbing his hand. “We need to get down there and kiss our men.”

Shea smiled, letting himself be tugged along.

There were so many reasons he loved Dom and he had a whole lifetime to tell him that.

Tonight, he wanted to celebrate the win.

A huge smile broke over Dustin’s face as Dom skated up to him. “I want you to go second.”

“Yeah?” Dom asked. “I mean, Matty’s an alternate too, and—”

Dustin gripped his shoulder. “We know what you did for Colton, for the team.”

Dom shrugged. “I didn’t do that much.”

But Dustin looked him in the eye. “You deserve it,” he said firmly.

So Dom nodded, skating over to Matty and putting an arm around him.

Looking back, Dom would only remember bits and pieces of what came after that.

He remembered hoisting the Cup. He remembered the rush that went through him when he held it aloft, skating around the rink for his victory lap.

Collapsing onto the ice, Dustin behind him, Matty on his right, the Cup pressed against his thigh with Jordan on the other side as they posed for team photos.

The back-slapping hug from Gilly, and the murmured, “we’re going to miss you on the ice next season.”

Shaking hands and hugging people and the sight of Shea standing with the SAPs, beaming proudly.

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