Page 88 of Going All In

Chapter 17

“I’m surprised Jakedidn’t get you a special jersey,” Penny said as she took her seat next to Darcy at one of the tables at Crash and Byrne that night.

“What?”

Penny shifted to show Darcy her back. Harty’s Heart was across her shoulders where Ethan’s last name should’ve been. “Isn’t he the cutest?”

“I mean, no, because I saw him through those awkward middle school years,” Darcy said.

“I’m sure he was still adorable, but if you have any scandalous stories about him when he was a kid, I’m all ears.”

“I’ll have to think of a few.” Darcy took a sip of her porter. She set the glass back down on the table and leaned in. “Don’t tell anyone, but he did get me a special jersey. It says My Pookie on it.”

“Oh my god, no.”

Darcy shrugged. “He’s kind of ridiculous, and please don’t share that with anyone.”

Penny held her fingers to her lips. “Your secret is safe, my pookie.”

“Dammit. I should’ve kept that to myself,” she grumbled and popped a nacho in her mouth.

The bar was filled with Strikers fans, like it was any time they were on the road. Adam had multiple TVs spread throughout the bar, and a bunch of the WAGs—and a few bunnies—had shown up to watch the game and cheer on their guys. Darcy had quickly learned that most of the WAGs were a unit, a family, like Jake and his teammates. Sometimes one of the wives would host a viewing party at her house for a game, or a small group would get together. It was nice.

She stared down at her glass. She was going to miss it when this was over.

Yet with every day and every text from Jake, or hot kiss that rocked her to her toes, she didn’t want to think about it ending.

But that was always how it was going to go. Logically, they weren’t right for each other.

“Hey. You okay?” Penny asked, breaking through Darcy’s pity party.

She shook herself out of it. “Yeah. Just thinking about school stuff. So the game should be starting soon.”

Penny gave her a questioning look but didn’t pry.

Thank god for that, because Darcy didn’t want to think about how close she might be to crumbling if pushed hard enough.

“Let’s go, boys,” Amanda yelled as she pulled out the chair next to Penny and sat down. “Ooh, nachos. Why are they so good here?”

“Because everything’s delicious here,” Sara said, coming out from the kitchen. “You ladies need anything?”

“Can you take a break and have a drink with us before the game starts?” Amanda asked.

“Maybe later. The order tickets are piling up.”

“Maybe you should make crappier food, then people would just come for the beer and you could hang out with us more,” Amanda said.

“You hush,” Sara said before she headed back into the kitchen.

Adam had the sound up so they could actually watch and listen to the game. Tonight’s game was a national broadcast, so the local guys weren’t calling the game. Darcy had learned that the local guys were better. They knew the players better because it was their hometown team. And they knew their shit about all the other teams as well. The main commentator did his homework, and the color commentator always had insightful things to add.

The starting line for each team skated out on the ice, the anthem was sung, and the puck was dropped.

Then it was a whirlwind. Darcy didn’t know that much about the Chicago team, if they were good or terrible, but the Strikers had been on a winning streak that she hoped would continue tonight.

“There’s your boy,” Amanda said as Jake skated down the ice, dekeing around one of Chicago’s forwards.

See. She was learning all about hockey. She hadn’t even needed Penny’s book of terms.

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