Page 85 of Defensive Zone

“Go, Uncle Max. Go, Uncle Max,” Amelia shouted, her foam finger waving, as Max skated down the ice, his head down, but Gabi knew he was aware of everything.

He hadn’t managed to get a goal for them yet, and he wasn’t a big goal scorer, but he always tried for the kids. It was endearing.

And yes, maybe she’d looked up his stats, but she was living in his house. She should learn about the sport that he played. The sport paid her salary.

How many times was she going to beat herself up about that fact?

Then he took a shot and she held her breath. The clang of the goal post echoed through her ears, but he caught the puck when it bounced back, or rebounded, as people kept saying, and he put it in the net. She jumped to her feet, yelling his name and clapping. Thankfully, Connor, Amelia, and the rest of the arena did the same thing.

“That’s my uncle,” he yelled.

“Your uncle is amazing, kid,” someone yelled from behind them.

“Thank you,” Connor yelled back before Gabi helped him settle back down in his seat.

“Isn’t he great, Auntie G?” Connor asked, beaming up at her. He had the Striker logo face painted on his cheek and a wide smile on his face.

“So great,” she said.

“We’re happy you could be here with Ava and the kids,” Gail said when the kids were focused on the game again.

“Oh, of course. You know I’d do anything for Ava. Best friends forever,” she said.

Gail smiled. “She needs her family around her, and you’ve always been a member of our family. Ever since you moved in next door and Ava brought you home for dinner one night when your mom was working late.”

That had happened a lot when Gabi was growing up. When they’d moved to Montreal, Gabi’s mom had gotten sole custody. She’d also worked long hours as a corporate attorney, so dinners together were few and far between. It’d been a lot of babysitter time and Gabi was grateful for the Bastians for inviting her over for dinner any night she wanted.

“Thank you. Your family means everything to me and I’m happy that I’m able to help out and be here for Ava. I can’t imagine going through what she’s had to deal with, and with three little kids, too.”

“Part of me wished that she’d come home to Montreal, but we couldn’t have given her all the support she needed since we’re still working. Having Max out here with this big house and you as nanny was perfect. I’m glad she was able to get away from Chicago for a while. She’s doing okay, right? I’m not asking you to break confidences, but we’re so worried. She’s so young. They’re so young,” she said, gesturing toward the kids.

Gabi squeezed Gail’s hand. “She has her ups and downs, but the ups are longer and happening more often. I’m doing everything I can to take some of the load off of her shoulders. Three kids under five is a lot to handle on a good day,” Gabi said.

Gail smiled. “Are you saying my angels aren’t angels?”

“I mean, they are related to Max,” she teased.

“Oh, honey, you are exactly what my kids needed now and then. I think you ground Max a little. Always putting him in his place almost since the day you met,” Gail said.

Gabi had no clue how to respond to that, and her guilt ramped up another notch. There was so much up in the air with her and Max and being here in San Francisco.

“He drives me crazy, but he’s not that bad.” She paused, trying to play it off like they were just friends. “Don’t tell him that.”

Gail laughed. “I won’t.”

Gabi turned her attention back to the game. There were only a few minutes left in the first period, and Max had the only goal. He looked so damn hot in his jersey on the ice. He had such a commanding presence, and he carried it into everything he did. Especially last night, even if he had let her lead.

She tamped down a shudder. It was cold in the arena.

After the first period ended, Gabi made her way to the family suite to check on Ava and Elise. Ava’s parents and the twins said they’d be up shortly. Connor wanted to go look at the pro shop to give Max ideas about what he needed.

Gabi chuckled. Those kids had him wrapped around their fingers so tight.

She walked into the suite and spotted Ava talking to a few of the WAGs with Elise tucked against her body in her baby wrap. That little girl could sleep through anything at six months. It was amazing. The headphones helped, but Ava didn’t keep them on her when they were in the suite. The noise wasn’t deafening like it was in the bowels of the arena.

“Hey, wasn’t Max’s goal amazing?” Ava said when Gabi took one of the empty seats in front of her.

Gabi greeted the women around Ava. She wasn’t surprised to see Sophia, Finn’s girlfriend, sitting next to Ava. Sophia had taken to Ava immediately. She was a Lanzi and had a huge family, so she loved doting on the kids. She’d never told Sophia what Mrs. Lanzi had said about wanting grandkids when Gabi had been at Lanzi’s. Gabi figured Sophia already heard that enough from her mother.

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