Page 48 of Taking The Shot

“Sorry,” Keith whispered, his breath warm against her shoulder, and she could hear the sincerity laced in his voice as if he truly believed there was something to apologize for. Constance turned her head toward him, a slow, lazy smile tugging at her lips.

“It’s okay,” she murmured, her fingers finding his in the dark and lacing them together. “And we’ve got all night.”

The silence stretched for a moment, then Keith shifted beside her, his body propped up slightly as if he needed to see her face to make sure he’d heard her right.

“Wait…we can do that again?”His voice was filled with a mix of surprise and boyish wonder as if he hadn’t quite grasped the full extent of what their new reality as husband and wife meant. Constance bit her lip, trying not to laugh at the pure excitement in his voice.

“Uh, yeah?” she answered, amusement dancing in her tone. For a second, there was only silence. Then, the sound ofhis delighted chuckle filled the space between them, rich and unrestrained.

“Dang…” Keith exhaled, his grin audible in his voice as he pulled her close to him. “Ilovebeing married to you.”

12

BOUCHER

It was ‘Go’time.

The first game of the season was here, and Keith was starting. The coach and Savage had given them a pep talk, promising everyone a chance on the ice – and as he looked around at those twenty faces, he knew it was going to be intense.

They had an ax to grind for the media, for their families, for the billionaire who’d bought the team, giving them these opportunities despite the weird requirements, and for Coach Starnes, who was quickly becoming an amazing role model for all of them. Every single person in that building—fans, critics, teammates—was waiting to see if the Quebec Wolverines were the real deal or a joke.

Please don’t let it be the latter,Keith thought silently, swallowing back the lump in his throat as the lights dimmed on the ice and the music rose. The announcer’s voice was vibrating through the arena, and he met his teammates’ eyes – one by one – as the the opposing teams’ roster was being introduced.

The crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and boos as the final name of the opposing team was called. Then silence and his stomach rolled in awareness reminding him of the very first timeso many years ago that he started with the NHL. He’d been through so many games, so many fights on the ice, that he’d been removed, and spent way too much time in the penalty box until he got his act together, and tonight, they were playing one of the toughest teams.

As he looked at the other players' faces, he nodded grimly. They were all excited, all nervous, and all of them preparing to clean up the ice while scoring so many goals.

That thought seized in his head as a loud voice incited the crowd into a frenzy, and he couldn’t help but suck in his breath, feeling the pressure and sense of pride knowing that Constance and the kids were out there, watching.

And now, the NHL is proud to present the newest team on the ice—the Quebec Wolverines! Introducing number thirty—Jett Acton!

A wave of loud boos washed over them as Jett skated out onto the ice, chin lifted, shoulders squared, putting on a brave face as Keith, Coeur, Lafreniére, Larsson, and others exchanged a shocked glance. The crowd was booing the home team? What in the world was happening out there?

Keith knew he couldn’t say a thing because of the microphone tucked in his helmet for the sports reels, and he let out a silent prayer.

Please don’t make the blooper reels.

“Holy cow, they freakin’ booed him?” Coeur muttered loudly, turning white as a sheet as Lafreniére smacked him on the arm causing the man to grunt – saying what they all were thinking.

“Shut up, man. You’ve got a hot mic.”

Now, introducing number thirty-one, Kenneth Salas!

And thankfully, Salas was being cheered. That boded well for the rest of them. Jett Acton had a reputation on the ice, and hearing him get booed didn’t sit well, but it wouldn’t be the first time Keith had been booed nor would it be the last.

And number twelve, the heart of the team—Barrett Coeur!

The arena exploded in response, the crowd seizing onto the wordplay of the other hockey player’s French name. The rhythmic stomping began, shaking the very boards beneath their skates – and Coeur was working the crowd excitedly. Lafreniére was whispering something to Larsson, who looked like he was ready to have a panic attack.

“I got booed last year,” Larsson said quietly, his eyes full of fear.

“You might again. But this is a new team. A fresh start. Ignore the noise andown that ice, brother,” Lafreniére urged patiently, almost like a father talking to his son – and Keith swallowed, realizing that they were all feeling the pressure and hadn’t even made it out onto the ice yet. Larsson swallowed hard, nodded, and disappeared down the tunnel as his name was called… a mix of applause and boos.

Great.

The new kid got booed?

I’m so screwed… and the kids are watching,he thought painfully, feeling all that humiliation and shame once more. He felt like he would never fully be rid of those feelings because they were so ingrained within him now – and he wanted nothing to affect how Constance looked at him. He was crazy about her, and last night meant everything to him.

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