Page 73 of Power Play

“Okay, Dad.” Ethan rolls his eyes. “Some of us are young and have a faster metabolism than you.”

“I’m going to shove you into the boards if we have to skate more laps because of you.” Riley glares at Ethan across the table. “Do you ever shut up?”

“Settle down, children.” Maverick taps his wineglass with a knife and stands. He ditched the inflatable turkey costume halfway through the meal, and he looks downrightpissedto be in normal clothes. “I’d like to say a few words.”

“Uh oh. It’s never good when Cap wants to say a few words,” Grant whispers, and everyone bursts out laughing. “We’re going to be here for an hour.”

“You get to do ten extra laps before the game tomorrow for that comment, Everett. You all know I’m not one to be serious, but I want to be for a few minutes. First, thank you for being here. When I think about the word thankful, a couple things come to mind. At the top of that list is my Emmy girl. The life we share and the careers we get to do side by side. There’s no one else I’d rather have kick my ass in a game, baby.” He glances down at her, a wide beam on his face. “Then I think about you all. I couldn’t pick a better group of players to go through the grind of practice and games with. Day in and day out, you all are there cheering me on. Calling me out on my bullshit. Making me a better leader and a better player. I know we haven’t won the Cup yet, but we’re close. I can feel it, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”

“Shit, man.” Grant grabs his napkin and blows his nose. “You didn’t tell us we were getting into the deep stuff tonight.”

“We were supposed to eat turkey and play video games, not cut our hearts open. Fucker.” Ethan wipes his eyes. “Not cool, Miller.”

“You’ll get over it.” Maverick looks down at Emmy again. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone so happy. “I know we fuck around and have a good time, but for a second, I want us to be serious. I want us to share something we’re thankful for. It doesn’t have to be anything big, but I swear to god, Ethan, if you say someone’s boobs, I’m going to strangle you.”

“You’re putting us on the spot here, Cap. That means you have to go first,” Riley says, and everyone murmurs in agreement.

“That’s easy. I’m thankful for the love of my life. The family we’re going to start trying to have soon and the chance to be adad. I never had that growing up, and getting to be a parent with my favorite person in the world makes me a real lucky bastard.”

Everyone tells us what they’re thankful for.

Hudson goes the deep route with self-reflection.

Ethan doesn’t mention anyone’s chest, but he does mention his three motorcycles.

Grant surprises me when he talks about the nonprofit he’s working with to give young women a foot in the door to the world of sports.

When it gets to be my turn, I hesitate.

“I have a lot to be thankful for over the last few years, but if I had to narrow it down to a few things, it would be new opportunities, growth and confidence. I have a long way to go, but as someone who wasn’t sure what was waiting for her on the other side of a broken relationship and my whole life getting uprooted, I’m proud of how far I’m come.” I laugh and wipe my hands on my skirt. “Okay, wow. That got very personal, very fast, and I’m sorry for over sharing. Ethan, please talk about someone’s chest and save me.”

“Oh, Little P. Now you’re speaking my?—”

“Knock it off.” Maverick rolls his eyes. “I’m going to tell you the same thing we told Emmy. You’re part of us, Piper. If someone hurts you, they have to deal with us. And I like our odds.”

“You’re the last one, Goalie Daddy,” Riley says. “Are you gonna tell us what you’re thankful for?”

“Patience,” Liam says.

“Wow. That wassoinsightful.” Ethan smirks. “Probably the wisest thing I’ve ever heard. Care to elaborate there, Sullivan?”

“Nope.”

“C’mon. You know GK is a man of almost zero words.”

Conversation picks up around me about the game tomorrow, but I’m not listening.

I’m too busy watching Liam and trying to understand what, exactly, he’s being patient for.

TWENTY

PIPER

“I can’t believeit’s already December.” Lexi sits next to me on her living room couch and groans. “This year is going by way too fast.”

“I miss the days when I was a photographer for the NFL, not the NHL. It was so nice to be done with the season in February.” Maven sighs and sips her water. “We’re only two months into the season withweeksto go. I’m exhausted.”

“I’m bruised in places I didn’t know I could bruise.” Emmy rubs her forearm, a purple mark sitting above her wrist. “Damn pads are doing little to keep me from being injured.”

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