Page 23 of Defensive Zone

“Shut up, man. You’re not destitute. We all know what your current contract is, so you can buy the rookies a meal.”

“Fine,” he fake grumbled. “Let’s go, rookies.” He paused. “Yeah, maybe shower first. That slime is everywhere, Soupy.” He laughed. “Get cleaned up. Mrs. Lanzi doesn’t need to see how you’ve let yourselves go.”

The two rolled their eyes at Max or maybe they glared before they headed back to the showers. The rest of the guys followed behind. They’d just finished their cardio and on-ice practice so none of them were smelling like roses.

He chuckled again thinking about that water bottle blowing up. A glitter bomb was tempting, but maybe glitter slime instead of actual glitter.

“Get whatever put that gleam in your eyes out of your damn head, Baz,” Cheesy said.

“That’s the last one of the season, Captain. Promise. I’ve gotten everyone already.”

“One day someone is going to get you back.”

“You speculating or warning me?” he asked.

“Just putting it out there. But that last one was pretty fucking funny. Doesn’t make you less of a dick for doing it.”

“I’m just here for the laughs.”

“Of course you are,” Cheesy said before he walked into the shower room.

Max’s first thought was how pissed Gabi would’ve been to bear the brunt of his pranks. He knew she was on edge waiting for him to do something, but he’d held back. He’d even pulled back the fake spider he’d put in her glass when she’d asked him to grab her some water the other day.

Her antsiness while waiting for him to strike amused the hell out of him.

Okay, maybe he was a dick.

“Okay, finish your bath, Connor, and then we can read a book before bed,” Ava said later that night. Gabi had cooked dinner for Ava and the kids and Max had a home game tonight, so it’d been a relaxing evening without him driving her crazy. They’d watched the first period before putting the kids in the tub.

“Almost done,” the little boy said.

Within ten minutes, they were all settled in one of the beds in the kids’ room.

“Mommy, I miss daddy,” Connor said as he snuggled into Ava.

Gabi held in a breath and watched her friend.

“Me too,” Amelia said softly.

“I know, baby. It’s hard. We all miss him,” Ava said, but there was something in her tone. It wasn’t just grief.

Gabi watched her friend take in a deep breath.

“But we have Auntie Gabi here with us, and Uncle Max, and we love you all so much. It’s going to be okay,” Ava said.

She read the kids a story, and then Elise started to cry.

“Go. Go. I’ll tell them another story,” Gabi said when Ava stood up from the bed.

“Love you, baby,” she said, kissing Amelia good night. “Love you too, bug,” she said, giving Connor the same kiss on the head.

“Night, Mommy,” the twins chorused.

Ava gave Gabi a weak smile before she walked out of the room to get Elise.

Gabi settled the kids on either side of her and read them another story before tucking them in and wishing them a good night.

She heard murmurings coming from the room Ava shared with Elise, but the baby wasn’t crying anymore. Gabi headed into the kitchen to make sure everything was cleaned up.

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