Page 14 of Icebound Hearts

We all head out onto the ice a few minutes later to warm up, and as I skate toward center ice, I spot Violet and Jake in the crowd. They’ve got rink-side seats, and when Jake sees me, he stands in his chair and cups his hands around his mouth to call out something that I can’t quite hear over the rest of the noise in the arena.

Regardless, I skate up to the glass and bump my fist against it several times in greeting. Violet grins at me, and Jake throws his head back in laughter. He loves coming to see me play, but he doesn’t get to do it very often because the games usually run past his bedtime, and it’s hard to find someone I trust to bring him to the arena.

That’s another unexpected perk of Violet’s relation to the team.

“We brought something for good luck,” she calls through the glass, holding something small up in her free hand. It’s a four-leaf clover. “We found it outside when we were hanging out before the game!”

I give her a thumbs up. Jake is wearing one of the jerseys I got him earlier this season with my name and number on it, although he’s already outgrowing it a bit. And when I realize she’s also wearing an Aces jersey, my heart skips a beat—until I realize it’s Reese’s number emblazoned on it, not mine.

It’s silly, and I know it is, but a desire to see her wearingmynumber flashes through my mind momentarily before I shake it off.

Once our warm-ups are finished, we return to the locker room where Coach Dunaway gives us a quick speech, and then it’s back onto the ice. As we form up across from the Diamondbacks for the first puck drop, I take a few deep breaths, getting myself into the right headspace for the game.

The Diamondbacks are the second-best team in our conference after us, so this won’t be an easy win. But I feel confident going into the game with Jake in the stands, and who knows? Maybe the clover Violet brought will actually bring us some luck.

The ref blows his whistle, sharp and piercing, and the puck slaps against the ice as the rink turns into a chaotic blur of bodies all vying for it. I stick to the defensive line, the only thing standing between the Diamondbacks and Grant. But I don’t have much to worry about right now thanks to Theo, who’s already streaking across the ice with the puck firmly in his possession.

The Diamondbacks’ goalie is no match for Theo, who sinks the shot like it’s the easiest thing in the world. And embarrassingly enough for the other team, that’s how the whole rest of the game goes. Noah and Theo take turns scoring on them, and although the Diamondbacks manage to sneak one goal past me and Grant, we still finish the game 4-1.

The Aces fans in the stands show their support, even if it wasn’t a particularly exciting game, as we leave the ice. I hurry to change out of my gear and shower, eager to get to Jake in the family lounge. He’s going to be so excited, and I can’t wait to celebrate with him.

I don’t see him when I first enter the lounge, but that’s mostly because everyone in the room is taller than him. But he spots me and comes tearing through the small crowd of people.

“Daddy!” He jumps into my arms.

I catch him and spin him around in a circle, laughing at his excited expression, then plant a kiss on his forehead. He climbs onto my shoulders, where he sits with his legs dangling down my chest. Violet walks over to us, smiling and laughing.

“Great game. You all dominated out there tonight.”

I grin, unable to keep the slightly cocky expression off my face. “Well, they can’t all be nailbiters, right?”

She chuckles, her hazel eyes dancing. “Right. Jake and I had a blast.”

“I’m glad. And I think your good luck had a lot to do with our win. Was that your idea, bud?” I ask, craning my neck up to look at him. He nods eagerly.

“I found the clover in the front yard, and Ms. Violet said we should pick it and bring it to you.”

She beams. “It was adorable, honestly, but don’t let him give me any credit. It was all his idea.”

“If we have you to thank for that blowout, then I think celebratory burgers are in order,” Noah says as he comes up behind us and tickles Jake, making him squirm on my shoulders. “Assuming that’s okay with you?” he adds, glancing at me.

“Sure.” I hoist Jake off my shoulders before his excited squirming can make him topple off. “The Hideout?”

That’s our usual spot for post-game food and drinks, and since it’s technically a restaurant and not just a bar, I’m allowed to bring Jake—although it’s rare that I do, since he’s usually at home and I’m usually eager to get back to see him.

“Sounds good. Meet you all there?” Noah asks.

“You got it.”

We split up, since Violet drove her own car to the arena when she came with Jake. He sticks with me, although I can tell he’s genuinely torn about it, which speaks volumes about how much he’s bonded with Violet already.

When he and I pull up outside The Hideout, I wait in the car for a minute to make sure she arrived safely, and when I see her parking a few spots ahead of us, I open my door and get out, then help Jake out.

Noah and Theo are already there, with Margo and Becca by their sides, and they all greet Jake enthusiastically as soon as we enter. Noah scoops him up, settling my son on his shoulders the same way I did earlier as we make our way over to an empty table.

The guys all love Jake, and they’ve always been sweet to him, even though they don’t get to see him as much now that he’s in school. Noah and Theo re-enact their various goals and plays for Jake, giving him a first-person play-by-play, rocking him from side to side on Noah’s shoulders like some sort of roller coaster ride as Jake laughs.

The rest of our team filters in to join us as we settle in—or most of the team, anyway. I think Reese has some event for Callie’s school tonight, so he’s not here. And Grant is absent as usual, probably back at his place reviewing game footage or something. I swear, that man never fucking stops. It pays off in his game play, since he’s one of the best goalies out there, but sometimes I worry that he workstoohard. Maybe it would be good for him to lighten up a little.

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