Page 118 of The Christmas You Crash

Her big, green eyes gaze up at me with the utmost faith. “I trust you. Say whatever you feel you need to.”

Kissing her nose, I nod. “You got it.”

“Good.” Coach Fry claps his hands. “Everyone, go get showered and dressed. It’s going to be a long night of answering questions.”

As our assistant coach heads out of the locker room, and as guys begin tugging off their jerseys, Griffin kneels in front of Lexi, the same way Sebastian did. Meeting her gaze, his voice is soft and comforting. It’s a different side of Griffin, and I can see the man he often hides behind his goofy facade.

“The girls are in the family room. How about we form a wall and take you there? We’ll make sure no one sees you or bothers you. You ladies can hang out and have a drink while we talk to the press, then we’ll come and get you and head to Madds and Isla’s place, like we’d planned. How does that sound?”

“That sounds good,” Lexi says. She attempts a smile, but it doesn’t even come close to reaching her emerald eyes. She shifts like she’s about to get to her feet, but I hold on tighter and pick her up bridal style again.

“Not ready to let you go just yet,” I tell her.

She sighs and sags against me.

The guys form a wall in front of us, and a few of our other teammates cover our backs. Lexi buries her face in my neck again, and we make our way out of the locker room and toward the family room, where wives, girlfriends, and other familymembers can wait for their loved ones as they get showered and speak with the press.

A few people call out Lexi’s name and mine, but they’re quickly told to move aside by a wall of sweaty muscle. We make it into the family room without anyone really bothering us.

As soon as the door is closed and I set Lexi down, Isla and Mira are there. They wrap her up in a hug and check in with her. She looks back at me every few seconds, but it’s clear she feels safe and comfortable with them, which loosens some of the tightness in my chest.

“You good, love?”

“Yeah,” Lexi says, closing the space between us and pulling my head down for a kiss. “I’m okay. Hurry up and shower so you can talk to the vultures, then we can get out of here. I need an entire bottle of wine after tonight.”

“We can definitely provide that,” Isla says. “And food. Oh, and ice cream. I have plenty of ice cream. Mira and I will help you drown your sorrows in rocky road. Or cookie dough. Or mint chocolate chip.”

A watery laugh bubbles out of Lexi. “That sounds perfect.”

“Go on,” Mira says to me, making a little shooing motion with her hands. “We’ll take care of Lexi.”

I trust that they will, but I’m finding it difficult to walk away. It feels wrong to leave her side after everything that happened tonight. “You sure you’re okay?” I ask her again.

The smile she offers me is real. A little sad, but genuine. “I’m sure. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“We love you both,” Griffin says. “Now, let’s go get showered and get this circus over with.”

“Ryder,can you tell us how long you’ve been dating Coach Cross’s daughter?”

It’s the third time one of these reporters has asked this question, and I’m getting irritated. I don’t want to share the details of my relationship with them. What makes these people think they’re entitled to personal information like this?

Pasting a smile on my face, I give her the same answer I gave the last two. “I’m not going to divulge information about my relationship, except to say that Alexis doesn’t deserve to be dragged through the mess her father created. Please respect her privacy, and ours. We’re real people in a real relationship. This isn’t some publicity stunt or a Hollywood movie plot. This is our life.”

That same reporter smiles. “So, you love her, then?”

ThatI will answer. I return the reporter’s smile. “I sure as hell do.”

People shout over one another, trying to be heard, jockeying for the right to ask the next question. So many cameras flash, I’m getting a headache.

“Do you have any comment on Cross’s threat to trade you?” a new reporter asks.

“Listen, that threat was made in the heat of the moment, but I will say this. I don’t want to play for anyone else. Minnesota is my home. I’ve cheered for the Rogues since I was a boy. My dad and I used to dream about me playing here before he died. This is my community, and these guys are my family.” I motion to my teammates. “I won’t be going anywhere, as long as I have any say in the matter.”

I’m aware I may not have a say in this. It’s one of the major pitfalls of playing professional sports. You don’t always get to choose where you live and play. It’s why I haven’t bothered buying a house, and why I won’t, unless I get a nice long contract extension and hopefully a pay hike. I can’t deny I’ve been thinking about a house a lot more since things with Lexi became serious.

I want to put down roots with her.

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