Page 129 of Defensive Zone

Chapter 23

The next three weeks passed in a blur. They’d managed to beat Vegas in six games, but it’d been a tough series with more than a few overtime periods. He’d tweaked his shoulder after a bad run-in with the boards in game five, and he had various bruises on his body, but that was the nature of the game. Especially during the playoffs. Luckily, no one on the team was seriously injured, and they looked strong and cohesive.

They were currently in the middle of the West Coast final series against St. Louis. They’d squeaked out a win in second overtime the night before last, and hopefully, tonight’s home game would go their way and put them up three to one in the series before they had to fly out to St. Louis tomorrow. It was a crazy schedule, but that was playoff hockey.

He was ecstatic to have Gabi in the arena, cheering him every step of the way. After the pictures and posts on the Bunny Hop came out, he was nervous that she was going to run. He was still pissed about the pictures from their first date, but it wasn’t something he could control, and she told him she understood that. Yet there were moments where he was still unsure about where her head was.

Add in her mother’s feelings about the subject, and it had him on edge.

But he couldn’t focus on that right now. They were about to go out on the ice for warmups and that was where his attention needed to be.

As soon as he checked on Connor.

He stepped out of the locker room and grabbed his phone.

Max: How’s my little buddy doing?

Ava: Okay. Fever has gone down. He’s sleeping now.

Connor hadn’t been feeling well this morning and it’d gotten worse throughout the day. Max had felt bad leaving earlier in the afternoon to get to the arena, but Ava had reminded him that kids get colds all the time and that Max had a game to play.

Max: Keep me posted. Does he want anything?

Ava: Just a goal. He made sure to mention that right before he went to sleep.

Max laughed. The kids were relentless with their goal requests. It was adorable, but also a lot of pressure to deliver.

Max: I’ll do my best.

Ava: Gabi is up in the box. I practically pushed her into the car.

Max: I know. She came down for a quick kiss when she got here.

Ava: Aren’t you two the cutest?

[eyeroll emoji]

Max: Please. You love this.

Ava: I do. Now go at least get an assist. For the kids. Amelia is bummed that I kept her home.

Max: Gabi said you wouldn’t let her take Lia tonight.

Ava: I wanted Gabi to go and have fun with the other WAGs since she’s officially one now.

Max: Damn right.

Ava: Now stop worrying and go win.

Max: Let me know if anything else comes up, okay?

Ava: Of course.

Max put his phone back in his cubby and headed back to the locker room. It sucked that Connor wasn’t feeling well, but hopefully, it was a twenty-four-hour thing at most.

He’d known that Gabi had been on the fence about coming. She had kept saying that, as the nanny, she should be home with Connor. Max had been surprised when she’d texted to say that she was at the arena.

“Daydreaming about Gabi?” Nessie asked as Max finished taping his last stick.

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