Page 54 of Heartfelt Goals

Now, here he was, sitting in the locker room, his mind stuck in that moment, wondering how the heck he was supposed to focus on a game when all he could think about was his wife. His wife. Not just a name on a piece of paper. Not just a convenient arrangement. But a woman he wanted to build a life with. Awoman he wanted to share everything with—his dreams, his future, all the ridiculous, mundane things that shouldn’t matter but somehow did.

He wanted it all. The house with the yard. Teaching Kendall to drive in a safe, quiet neighborhood, not the chaos of downtown. Halloween costumes and Christmas mornings spent assembling bikes in the middle of the night—the kind of love he had never dared to dream about before.

“Dude, that’s not a Wolverine,” Larsson’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up to see the goalie smirking, pointing at the sticker on his helmet.

“It’s a message to my wife.”

Larsson raised a brow. “You okay with me starting?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Well, no…” Larsson chuckled, dropping onto the bench beside him. “I’m just not sure how I feel about making sure we’re ahead and then having you come in and lose the game.”

“That’s not how it’s going to happen,” Dustin said, narrowing his eyes.

Larsson grinned. “Just checking.”

“Yup,” Dustin muttered before sliding a look back at him. “As long as you don’t let them win in the first half, I’ll be able to keep the net nice and tidy, boy.”

“So the old man’s gonna teach me something, huh?”

“Only if you’re smart enough to learn—and thirty-four isn’t old.”

“It is in hockey years, Pops.”

Dustin scowled. “I’ll remember you said that.”

Larsson gave him a mock salute before heading toward the hallway, leaving Dustin alone with his thoughts again.

It sucked being benched. But worse than that, it sucked feeling like he was stuck in limbo—not just on the ice, but with Laurel.

He needed to tell her. He needed to find the words. Because if he didn’t, he couldn’t keep pretending that he was content with just friendship and camaraderie between them. Just kisses would not work anymore, and if she wasn’t ready, was he going to lose the best thing that had ever happened to him?

And Kendall?

Kendall would never let him live it down if he screwed this up and hurt her sister’s feelings.

Dustin signed, shaking his head as he ran a hand over his face. He used the ridiculous toilet coffee mug Kendall had made him two weeks ago. Every morning, without fail… and the last thing he wanted was to inspire the child to make him something evenworse. He was afraid to even fathom what that would be.

Getting to his feet, Dustin grabbed his newly decorated helmet, the weight of it oddly comforting in his grip. The sharp scent of fresh gear mixed with the faint chill of the ice waiting beyond the tunnel. His heart pounded a steady rhythm against his ribs, matching the bass thumping through the arena’s speakers.

This was it.

The first game of the season.

The first game for their brand-new team. Every single person in that building—fans, critics, teammates—was waiting to see if the Quebec Wolverines were the real deal or a joke.

Stepping into the tunnel, he caught sight of the dimming lights as the announcer’s voice boomed through the stadium, the opposing team’s roster being introduced one by one. He exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. They weren’t facing just any team. They were up against one of the toughest powerhouses in the league. A team with a brutal defense and an offense that could make even the best goaltenders look like amateurs. This wasn’t just a game—it was a statement. Win, and they’d set the hockeyworld on fire. Lose and morale would take a hit they couldn’t afford.

The crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and boos as the final name of the opposing team was called. Then silence, a beat of anticipation before the announcer’s voice returned, richer, deeper, filled with the weight of history being made.

“And now, the NHL is proud to present the newest team on the ice—the Quebec Wolverines!”

A deafening roar shook the tunnel walls as the first name was called.

“Introducing number thirty—Jett Acton!”

Dustin’s eyes widened as a wave of loud boos crashed through the arena. Jett skated out onto the ice, chin lifted, shoulders squared, acting as if he didn’t hear the hostile reception.

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