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Nolan was louder and more animated than I’d ever seen. “That’s bullshit!” he roared. “It’s onside! Good goal!”

All around us, people started chanting, “Good goal, good goal,” and Nolan joined in.

It was… kind of cute, actually. And maybe a little sexy. I wasn’t used to him being this boisterous about anything.

One of the referees skated away from the penalty box to center ice, and the arena went so silent so suddenly, it made my ears ring.

“After review for coach’s challenge,” he said, “it was determined that the play was offside. We have no goal.”

As suddenly as the place had gone silent, it erupted in angry boos that seemed to make the whole building shake.

“That’s fucking bullshit!” Nolan roared along with everyone around us. I couldn’t help staring at him. It was rare that I saw him angry, never mind raising his voice, and in a situation like this, it was…

Hell, it was kind of hot.

Unaware of me ogling him, he dropped back into his seat, shaking his head. “Fucking refs.”

“No kidding,” Carol grumbled. “Ugh.” She didn’t seem to mind his language in this setting.

As the game continued, there were more calls that had the crowd—including Nolan—enraged. At one point, someone in our section started up a chant of, “Refs, you suck! Refs, you suck!” Nolan was the first to join in. Then a couple of other people around us did. I got into it too, and before long, the whole arena thundered with the angry chant. “Refs, you suck! Refs, you suck!”

The chant abruptly shifted to screaming and cheering when a Seattle player suddenly had the puck and was flying toward our end. Everyone shouted “Go! Go!” The opposing players were on his heels, but they couldn’t catch him. The goalie shifted right,then left, holding up his stick and glove as if he were trying to anticipate the player’s next move.

The guy with the puck wound his stick back, and the goalie dropped down in anticipation.

A second too late, he must’ve realized the puck was going up, and though he tried, he couldn’t stop it.

Before the puck had even hit the back of the net, everyone—including me—roared to our feet. The elation was contagious. I wasn’t even invested in the team and I barely understood the game, but I couldn’t help getting into it, especially when Seattle took the lead.

And watching Nolan get this exuberant and enthusiastic? That was amazing.

I didn’t quite get hockey. I wasn’t sure I really cared about it.

But anything that made Nolan this happy? Fuck yeah.

Count me in.

Chapter 18

Nolan

I felt amazing after the game. My parents had unknowingly prodded at some old wounds early on, but then everyone had been focused on hockey, and the past had fallen away. I’d forgotten how much I loved going to games—it was way more fun than watching it on TV.

It turned out Riley enjoyed it too. He didn’t know the sport, and he’d never been particularly interested in watching it, but he’d gotten more into it than I’d expected. He’d booed the bullshit calls. He’d stood up and cheered for goals like a lifelong fan. When a couple of guys dropped gloves, he’d screamed bloodthirsty encouragement along with the rest of us until his voice was as raw as mine. At the end, he’d celebrated Seattle’s win as enthusiastically as the rest of us, shouting and high-fiving with us and strangers as we’d all filtered out of the stadium.

By the time we dropped off my parents and headed for our hotel, I was flying higher than I had been in ages.

And oh my God, I couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel.

As I waited for a light to turn green, I slid my hand over Riley’s thigh. “You’re not tired, are you?”

The muscle beneath my hand tightened as he fidgeted. “Depends. What do you have in mind?”

I glanced at him, and even in the low light, the heat in his eyes was unmistakable. Facing the road again, I squeezed his leg. “Pretty sure we’re on the same page.”

I seriously loved how restless he could get when he was turned on and had to wait to do something about it.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “We’re on the same page.”

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