Page 70 of On Thin Ice

I stepped into the family suite the following night and glanced around for some familiar faces.

“There she is!” Brooke called, a huge smile on her face. “Get over here.”

I sighed with relief. Of the Strikers currently on the Stampede, she was the only spouse I really knew. Timmy had just gotten together with his girlfriend—his best friend since childhood—during last season, and Fishy was perpetually single.

“Hi,” I said, walking toward her.

She pulled me into as much of a hug as was possible with my belly.

Which made me remember Dom pressed up against me yesterday when he’d come home, looking stupidly hot in one of his favorite game day suits. The deep green three-piece perfection brought out his eyes and molded to his body so perfectly. Dammit. I wanted him.

“You cold?” Brooke asked, mistaking my shudder for the temperature in the arena and not the hot flash rocking through me.

“Um, yeah. I’m good,” I said, pulling back.

“You’re glowing. And I see you’ve got Dom’s jersey on. Oh girl, I have so many questions for you, so feel free to tell me to mind my business,” she said, her eyes twinkling.

I laughed. “Lots of changes. Yeah, it just happened.”

She chuckled. “You two had chemistry the first time you met. And maybe now is the right time. Just be happy.”

I put my hand on my belly. “I’m happy about her, but Dom and I aren’t together.”

She quirked a brow. “We’ll see about that. Never thought I’d see that man so excited to be a father. He spent years being a total player.” She paused. “Sorry.”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing I didn’t know. We were just having fun back then. I definitely wasn’t looking for long-term either. And now, we’re navigating this, and it’s totally weird, but he’s been great, so I’m just going day by day.”

“That’s all you can do. But you’re here now, and I can’t wait to introduce you to the Stampede family. You know I love all my Strikers, but there’s something about this team. Hey, Violet, come here,” she called out.

“Oh my god, she’s getting so big,” I said as Violet walked over to us.

“No kidding. She’s five going on twenty-five, and her sass is going to break me,” Brooke said, shaking her head.

I hadn’t seen Violet in almost two years, not since the Strikers won the Cup. Flower had been traded to the Stampede a month later.

“Honey, remember Ally? Harty’s sister?” Brooke asked, swooping her daughter up into her arms. The little girl tilted her head back and forth as if trying to remember me.

“Maybe,” she said.

“It’s been a while, but I remember you. You love chocolate chocolate chip cookies, right?” I asked.

“Yes, she does,” another woman said, coming to stand next to Brooke.

“And you’re always sneaking them to her,” Brooke said to the woman. “Ally, this is Cora. She’s dating Nate, the team captain, and her brother is one of the team’s co-owners.”

“Oh wow. How’d he take it?” I asked without thinking.

The woman grinned. “You must be Ally. Welcome to the team. And yeah, brothers are so annoying.”

“So annoying,” Violet said dramatically. “I’m happy I don’t have one. But a sister would be nice.”

Brooke rolled her eyes. “That’s Violet’s current fixation. Maybe one day, honey. Remember? We talked about it. But Ally’s having a little girl, so you’ll have another playmate.”

“A girl!” Violet gasped. “Good. ’Cause we’re the best.”

I laughed.

“Yes, we are,” Cora said, grinning. “You totally deserve a cookie for being so smart.”

---