Page 127 of On Thin Ice

“Oh, please. It’s not like I still had my skates on.” Then he turned back to me. “Glad everything is working out.”

“Thanks, man.” I appreciated the support they’d all given me from day one.

“All right. I’ll make this short and salty.” Millsy’s voice carried across the room, and we all turned our attention to our coach.

“Yeah. Decent play but not the result we wanted. I don’t care if the Strikers are the top team in the league right now, we can beat them when we play the right way. That last period was sloppy. Slow skating, shitty puck bounces. Go home, rest up, and we have late morning skate tomorrow. Winnipeg’s been strong this season, but we can get those two points if we focus harder. Tally, Flower, and uh, yeah, Dom. Media tonight. You know the drill.”

We voiced our agreement, and I headed back to take a quick shower before I had to face any reporters. But first, I made a beeline for the dressing room to grab my phone.

Ally: Sorry about that loss, but it was nice to see Ethan not being a dick to you.

Ally: We love watching you play.

I smiled and scanned through the selfies of her and Livi from tonight, including the one she’d sent after my goal. Someone else had taken the picture because Ally was holding Livi’s arms up like she was cheering. It was fucking adorable.

Ally: I’m going to swing by the visiting locker room once Ethan tells me everyone is showered and dressed so the guys can meet Livi. Let me know where to meet you.

That last message was just sent.

Dom: I got tapped for media because of my goal, so I’ll text as soon as I’m done and just head down to their locker room.

Ally: Perfect. She slept through the last period.

Dom: That’s why we lost.

Ally: Oh, stop it. It’s not Livi’s fault.

Dom: I’m kidding. I’ll find you as soon as I’m done.

I rushed through my shower, answered a handful of questions, and said good night to my teammates, who were still hanging around the locker room before I headed to the visitor’s room. Normally, I wouldn’t be anywhere near the other team, especially after losing, but the Strikers were an exception for obvious reasons.

I nodded to a few different people as I walked down the hallway.

“Dom,” my old coach called out when I turned the last corner.

I gripped Bugsy’s outstretched hand. “Hi, Coach.”

“You looked good out there. Denver is agreeing with you. And I hear congratulations are in order for you and Ally. ’Bout time you two stopped dancing around each other.” He chuckled and patted me on the back with his other hand. “She’s in there with Olivia. Cute as hell baby, Dom.”

“Thanks.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. Millsy was an excellent coach, but Bugsy had been my first in the NHL, and he was an exceptional coach and mentor. A father figure that I’d needed when my own father was lacking in every way possible.

I pulled open the door to the room and instantly spotted Ally sitting on the bench seat with Penny and Darcy as she carefully watched a few of the guys in the middle of the room.

“Be careful. She’s very tiny,” Harty admonished Baz, who was holding my daughter.

Baz glared at Harty over Livi’s head. “Dude, relax. I have three kids at home.” A few years ago, his sister and her three small children moved in with him, so he definitely had practice. As annoying as the man was, I would trust him to keep my daughter safe and happy.

“You tell Uncle Harty to relax. Livi says relax.” Baz leaned over her, and she stared up at him with her big, beautiful eyes. “She’s mesmerized by me.”

Jake scoffed. “She’s just wondering why her mom let some burly, hairy beast with only a few more teeth than she has hold her.”

Baz glared at Jake. “Don’t be jealous of my looks, pretty boy.” Then he spotted me. “Baby Daddy, get over here. Sorry we kicked your ass tonight. It’s what we do.”

“Fuck off,” I muttered. I walked further into the room, greeting old teammates as I made eye contact. There were a bunch of new guys on the team, but aside from Flower, Timmy, and me, the core group was still around.

“Congratulations on the new baby, Dom. She’s very sweet. Must get that from Ally,” Cheesy said.

“Thanks, man. And yes, all of her good qualities are all Ally.” I made a quick stop in front of Ally and leaned down to kiss her. I didn’t care that so many of the guys in this room had watched our off-on thing for so long. We were definitely on now, and I intended to keep it that way for as long as she’d let me.

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