Page 115 of On Thin Ice

“And we’re glad to have you here.” Cora held out her arms. “Want me to hold her?”

“Man, you have baby fever, don’t you?” Anna said. “Tally freaking out about that yet?”

Cora laughed. “Maybe a little. More so because I keep offering to babysit and told him he has to change diapers. But it’s not like I’m jumping to get pregnant or anything. I just love babies.”

Livi started rooting around against my chest. “Guess she’s hungry. I’ll be right back.” Stampede jerseys weren’t exactly nursing-accessible tops, and I wasn’t about to put my boobs on display when fans could look up at the suite and see me. I movedfarther into the space to one of the oversized chairs set up in one corner and took off my jersey and Livi’s headphones. The owners had really spared no expense to make both this suite and the family room closer to the ice as comfortable and decked out with amenities as possible. The Strikers had a similar setup, and I loved that league-wide, everyone really drove home the idea that the team was family.

Livi latched on, curling her fingers into my chest, and a sense of bliss washed over me. I had honestly never been this happy, this content, in my life. Even with the total upheaval of all my plans and schedules that I loved so much and that a newborn couldn’t care less about, I was still beyond happy. I knew that there would be more adjustments when my maternity leave ended, but I would worry about that later.

“Love you, Livi baby,” I murmured as her little fist curled and unfurled against my skin, her beautiful brown eyes staring up at me as she fed.

After she was done and drifting back off to sleep, I pulled my jersey back on and rocked her against me.

“Yes! Go, go, go. Come on,” different voices yelled. Harper’s was the loudest, and I glanced up at the TV on the wall in front of me.

Haldy had the puck, and he was skating up the ice with Dom on his right. There was only one of New York’s defensemen skating backward in front of them as they closed in on the goalie. The defenseman shifted toward Haldy, and Haldy knocked the puck to Dom.

“Go, Dom. Shoot,” I whispered over Livi’s sleeping head just as one of New York’s forwards caught up to Dom and tried to knock the puck away.

Dom curved the puck into his body, deked around the winger, and took his shot. The puck slipped under the goalie’s left pad, and the goal horn blared as the crowd roared.

“See, Olivia? Dom just needed you to wake up so he could score,” Harper yelled as she looked over her shoulder at us.

I chuckled, walking over to the front of the box. “She’s asleep again.”

Harper shrugged. “Her waking up was the catalyst. She has to come to every game.”

“You’re almost as superstitious as they are,” I teased.

She grinned. “Hockey for life.”

I cradled Livi against me and looked down on the ice as the guys crowded Dom with a hug and helmet slaps. Then he glanced up at the box and gave us his salute. My heart squeezed.

“I swear that gesture is adorable,” Cora said with a sigh.

“Okay, okay. Now it’s tied up, so no more lazy passes, and let’s win this,” Harper yelled.

It cracked me up how opposite Harper and Timmy were. He’d always been such a quiet guy. How they had been best friends since childhood and were now a couple was both perfect and baffling.

“Did he just say I love you to the camera?’ Cora asked.

“What?” I turned and watched the replay as Dom mouthed those words.

This freaking man melted me at every turn.

***

“You get comfortable, and I’m going to put this princess to bed,” Dom said a few hours later when we walked into the condo.

“Are you sure you don’t want to meet the guys for a drink or something to celebrate?” They’d ended up winning five to four, with Tally getting the game-winning goal in the last thirty seconds of the third period. It’d been thrilling to watch, and they’d fought so damn hard for the win that I was surprisedwhen Dom wanted to just head home after he was done with media.

“Nope. I hang out with those guys enough. I want to be here with you.”

“The guys aren’t giving you shit for always coming home early?”

“Tally gave me a pass because we just had Livi.” He linked his fingers with mine after I set the car seat carrier holding a sleeping Livi on the floor.

“How nice of him,” I deadpanned.

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