Page 104 of Not A Chance

MAY

The hum inside the Billings Centre was electric. It was game six for the Tempests against Boston, and Toronto was down three games to two. They had to win tonight, or they wouldn’t move forward into the second round of the playoffs.

My seatmate’s focus, however, was not on the nail-biting pressure facing the Tempests tonight.

Abbie’s jaw had dropped with one glance at the ice when we’d arrived early to make sure we had everything ready for when Theo’s family got here.

I leaned toward her, putting a finger underneath her chin to gently close her mouth as she watched the teams’ warm-ups.

“Careful. Aiden’s going to come back with your drink and find you ogling the hockey players,” I teased.

Her gaze flipped to mine for a second before being drawn back to the ice.

“Indie.” Her voice was a strained whisper. Abbie pressed her shoulderinto mine as she spoke out of one corner of her mouth. “You never told me anything about the warm-ups.” She choked on the last word.

I laughed at her reaction to the more—ahem—enthralling nature of some of the players’ pre-game stretches. Currently, a couple of Boston’s players were working through some vigorous hip rolls and lower-body stretches.

“Jesus. It’s worth the price of admission alone just to see them warm up.” The words slipped from Abbie’s lips before she quickly slapped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment.

“What’s worth the price of admission?” a deep voice came from behind us.

The pink blush that decorated her cheeks as she watched the players thrust their hips toward the ice spread like wildfire over her cheeks and neck at the sound of her boyfriend Aiden’s words.

“Oh! Nothing.” She cleared her throat before offering Aiden a sweet smile.

Aiden, having forgone his usual bespoke suit for the occasion, still looked ready to take on a boardroom in a cashmere sweater and perfectly pressed black slacks.

A glance at the ice had a hum emanating from his mouth, “I have an idea of what you two were just talking about.” He reached our row, moving to stand beside Abbie and handing her the soda he’d gone to the concession stands for. He leaned into her space. “As long as you remember you’re mine, sweetheart,” he spoke into her ear.

Standing so close to Abbie’s other side meant I felt the shiver that ran through her with his words. Those professional hockey players on the ice were a momentary blip in Abbie’s thoughts, judging by the adoring gaze she gave Aiden.

Before I could tease either of them, a commotion came from the other side of the row. The Yao-Miller family had arrived.

“Excuse me, pardon me. Just going to sit and watch my brother play a very important game. It’s a surprise, you see. He doesn’t know we’re coming.” Chase spoke animatedly to the couple that he was about to climb over to get to our seats.

“Chase! They don’t need your whole life story. We’re never going to get to our seats if you keep talking. We’re already running late as it is.” Emery’s voice rose from behind her brother. “Sorry about him.”

After successfully making it into our row, Chase offered me a side hug before Emery pushed him out of the way so she could take the seat beside me.

Their dad, Joe, mouthed, “Thank you for this,” over his bickering children’s heads, giving me a warm smile. I grinned back at him. I was overjoyed to have them here on Theo’s behalf.

“Sorry we’re late. You have no idea what it takes to wrangle the twins to get somewhere on time. Even from a hotel steps away from the arena.” Emery rolled her eyes as she jerked a thumb in Chase and Liam’s direction.

“Hey! I resent that completely correct accusation.” Liam leaned around Chase to offer Emery an unconvincing glare.

“Yeah. We had to get our signs ready,” argued Chase. He unfolded the posterboard from under his arm. It read, “Wash your socks, Yao! I can smell you from here!” complete with blue and gold glitter that flaked off every time he moved the sign.

“You are not holding that up.” I narrowed my eyes at him. Nothing was going to mess up this game for Theo. It was the only game I could make everyone’s schedules work out, and the hockey gods had blessed my plan to make sure Theo’s whole family was together.

“I thought you might say that.” Chase winked and nudged Liam to open his sign. “So we made another boring, sentimental one.”

Liam revealed a similarly glitter-tastic poster, except this one hadthe words “We’re proud of you, bruh! Yao’s our hero!”

“Good.” I nodded. “You can hold up that one.”

Emery jumped in to change the subject, elbowing me gently in the arm. “Do you think Theo’s going to be surprised? Are you sure he doesn’t know we’re coming?” She bounced a bit on her toes. The excitement in the arena was contagious, and besides, there was nothing Theo’s siblings loved more than taking each other by surprise.

“Definitely. Aiden bought these tickets. He’s expecting me and you to be sitting over on that side.” I pointed across the ice to another section of glass-side seats nearest to the goal. “And he has no idea that your dad, Chase, and Liam were able to get the time off.”

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