Page 43 of Netting the Goalie

Heaven.Absolute heaven.

Eleven

Shane

“Rememberwhat we’ve been working on, Shane.Cut down on those corners.Lock up that five hole.Get out of your head and don’t overthink.Eyes on the puck and keep your crease clear.”

I nodded at each of my goalie coach’s points, making sure Paul Collins knew I was listening even as I went through my pre-ice routine.

To my surprise, I was the starting goalie for tonight’s game.Coach was giving me this shot to prove to myself and my team that I deserved it and I wasn’t going to screw it up.

I’d already checked my stick and made sure my catcher and blocker were in good shape.Same with my helmet.

I had a system and god forbid anyone fucked with my system before a game.

Standing at the front of the line, where I’d been most of the season, I allowed myself five seconds to think about Bliss in the crowd.To let myself remember the scorching sex we’d had Christmas Eve.

Then I shoved it all back into that box where I kept everything that wasn’t hockey.

I’d deliberately not asked where her seats were located when I’d requested them to be left at Will Call.I didn’t want to know.

“And Shane?”

I turned my full attention back to the coach, blocking out everything else.It was almost time to head down the hall to the ice.

“Don’t be so focused on the outcome.Handle each moment as it happens.Don’t try to think too far ahead.”

Yeah.I could do that.

Deep breath.

The music hit my cue and I started walking, vaguely hearing the other guys behind me.

But I knew they were there.Knew they had faith in me to see us through the night.And knew we had a damn good team.

My skates hit the ice to the cheers of the fans.I heard the cowbells from the crew directly behind me, heard the chant from the group to the right of my net.

As always, I took a lap around, tapped my blade on the blue line as I passed by then skated straight to my net.

Here.This was my home.My ice.My net.

My game.

Bliss

“That was a great game,Lissy.Thanks for bringing me.Are we going to meet Shane now?”

Mike hadn’t stopped talking all night, at least not since we’d taken their seats in the section just off center ice.

I’d been a little worried the other people sitting around us would get frustrated with the constant chatter.But I’d realized after about five minutes that our seats were in the middle of a large group of season ticket holders—who’d been just as talkative as my brother.And as friendly.

They’d set me at ease immediately and that had allowed me to enjoy the game.

And it had been a great game.The Redtails had scored four goals against the other team, which had only scored once.

And Shane had played a great game.

For the past two months, I’d been at every home game.Sometimes I brought my nephew, Dillon.Sometimes I brought a girlfriend.Shane never asked but he made sure I had two tickets.

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