Page 76 of Pucking Only

I move up behind him and smack his butt. “Shush, you.”

Suddenly, the apartment door swings open, and Grace bursts in, followed by Jensen.

“We’re here!” she exclaims. “And we brought wine!”

I laugh. “Oh, good. I was afraid three bottles wouldn’t be enough.”

“No one can ever accuse me of not being prepared,” she says with a wink.

Stacey arrives shortly after Grace and Jensen. She seems a little shy and uncertain as she walks through the door.

“Hey, everyone,” she greets with a small wave. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Of course!” I exclaim, rushing to her side to throw an arm around her shoulders. “We need to initiate the newest member of the Night Hawks family!”

“Congratulations on landing the residency,” Jensen says.

“Yeah, congrats!” Carson agrees.

“Thanks …it’s kind of wild,” she says, her eyes gleaming. “A physical therapist resident for a pro hockey team. This is literally the dream.”

“And it’s going to be insane next season,” Grace chimes in from the kitchen where she’s uncorking our first bottle of the night. “Especially with someone new coming in to fill Cruz’s spot.”

We all pause for a moment, the mention of Cruz bringing our giddiness down a bit. It’s bittersweet, knowing he’s leaving to take care of his dad. The whole team is going to miss him, but we all know he’s making the right decision.

“Yeah, it’s going to feel different without Cruz,” Carsonsays, his voice thoughtful as he moves to settle on the couch after Grace hands him a glass of wine. He pats the spot next to him, wanting me to join him. When I do, he drapes his arm over my shoulders. “But we’ll get someone good to take his place. The Night Hawks are already looking at a few guys from up north, right?”

Jensen nods as he plops down on the loveseat kitty-corner from the couch. “Yep. Coach was talking about it the other day. Whoever it is will have big shoes to fill, though.”

“Still, it’s going to be weird without Cruz,” I say, remembering how welcoming he was when I first started coming around. “But he’s doing what he needs to do.”

Grace comes in with a glass of wine in one hand for Jensen and another in the other hand and snuggles in beside him . “Well, whoever the new guy is, Stacey, you’ll get to work with him. Think about that — your first season as a resident, and you’re already part of the onboarding process for a new player. That’s huge!”

Stacey laughs from where she’s perched in a recliner by the window. “No pressure, right? Just have to make sure I don’t mess it all up.”

“You won’t,” Carson says, his voice steady. “You’ll crush it. The team already loves you.”

She blushes slightly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thanks. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all. It’s kind of surreal.”

“And next season is going to be even crazier,” Jensen pipes in, grinning as he leans back against the loveseat’s cushions, his long legs stretched out in front of him. “New blood, fresh energy — it’s going to be intense.”

The conversation flows easily, the wine adding a relaxed buzz to the evening. We talk about the season that’s coming to an end, the ups and downs, the injuries and recoveries, andthe playoff race that had us all on the edge of our seats. Sadly, we just fell short of the cup this year.

I glance around, taking in the moment. It feels good to be here, surrounded by the people who have become my second family. There’s something comforting about knowing that while things are changing, there’s also this steady rhythm that keeps us all connected. I feel a warm surge of contentment as I lean into Carson’s side, his arm tightening around me instinctively.

“Next season’s going to be wild,” I say, grinning. “But it’s going to be even better now that Stacey’s officially part of the crew.”

“Hell yeah,” Grace cheers, raising her glass. “To Stacey and the Night Hawks!”

We all raise our glasses, clinking them together.

Grace takes another drink and adds, “And now that we’re getting into the off-season, we’re going to have so much time to hang out and have fun. Game nights, movie marathons… the works!”

Carson grins. “You’re planning our entire social calendar already?” he teases.

“Of course!” Grace shoots back with a wink. “Someone has to keep things exciting around here.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Carson replies, waggling his eyebrows at me. “I’ve got my own plans for Skyler and me. Our calendar is going to be quite… full. We’ll really be stretching ourselves to accommodate it all.”

---