Page 67 of The Sin Bin

Jax felt his ears warm at the praise, but he appreciated the way his teammates had naturally included Lauren in their celebration. Under the table, he found her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. She returned the pressure, her thumb brushing over his knuckles.

"That block in the final seconds," Marcus said, turning back to hockey. "Textbook positioning. Didn't even have eyes on Sanderson when he got the pass, but you read the play developing. That's what clinched it."

Jax shrugged, the praise making him uncomfortable as always. "Right place, right time."

"Bullshit," Kane countered, taking a pull from his beer. "That was pure hockey IQ. The kind of play makes the highlight reel and gets you into the playoffs. Coach is finally getting through that thick skull of yours."

"Had to happen eventually," Jax said dryly.

Lauren turned to him, her green eyes bright with pride. "It was impressive even to my untrained eye."

"See? Even the doc recognizes defensive brilliance when she sees it," Kane declared triumphantly. "Maybe now Jax'll actually believe us when we tell him he's more than just a fucking goon."

"Been telling him that since juniors," Dmitri chimed in, raising his glass again. "Big man finally listening."

Another crash from the main bar made Lauren flinch, and Jax caught her glancing at a nearby table where fans were loudly reenacting Wilson's hit on Kane, complete with exaggerated violence and colorful commentary about what should have happened to Wilson afterward.

Jax's arm instinctively moved to the back of the booth behind Lauren, creating a shield around her. Kane, ever observant, caught the gesture and checked his watch.

"Don't you have early recovery tomorrow? Coach was talking about ice baths for anyone who took contact."

Jax nodded gratefully at the captain's assist. "We should head out," he said during a lull, squeezing Lauren's hand lightly. "Early recovery session tomorrow. Ice baths and all that fun shit. Coach wants us rested for the playoff prep."

Kane looked disappointed but nodded. "Man's got priorities, boys. Got to heal up for round one."

"You take care of our boy, Doc," Dmitri said, reaching across to pat Jax's shoulder. "He play like brick wall tonight. Tomorrow he feel like hit by truck."

"I'll make sure he ices properly," Lauren promised, her medical instincts visibly kicking in as she glanced at Jax's shoulder where he'd taken the hardest hit.

"See? This why team need veterinarian," Dmitri declared with a broad grin. "Know how to handle animals."

"You calling me an animal, Volkov?" Jax challenged, though his tone held no heat.

"If shoe fits, big man," Dmitri replied cheerfully. "Is compliment! Best animals on ice."

Oliver laughed, his eyes bright with admiration as he looked between Jax and Lauren. "The shelter is really grateful for the program. Charlie's already doing better with crowds."

"Speaking of," Kane said, "we need to set up that team visit. PR wants photos of the whole squad with the service dogs."

"For calendar," Dmitri added. "Dmitri call dibs on puppy for December photo."

"Is that a real thing?" Lauren asked, looking surprised.

"Not yet, but we're pitching it," Marcus explained. "Team calendar with service dogs. Fundraiser for the shelter. We figure public response would be good after tonight's announcement."

Jax watched Lauren's expression soften at his teammates' genuine enthusiasm for the shelter program. If his teammates suspected the real reason for their departure, they were tactful enough not to chirp him with Lauren there. No doubt, he'd get it double tomorrow.

Goodbyes were exchanged, with Kane insisting Lauren join them for the first playoff home game, Dmitri declaring her "honorary team veterinarian for playoff run," and Oliver extracting a promise about bringing Charlie to their pre-playoff practice. Even shy Ethan gave her a fist bump.

"Welcome to the family, Doc," Kane said as they stood to leave. "Anyone important to Jax is important to us."

The simple statement, delivered without fanfare, hit Jax harder than any check he'd taken that night. This was his family—the teammates who'd seen him at his best and worst, who ribbed him relentlessly but had his back without question. And they were welcoming Lauren as if she already belonged.

As they stepped into the cool night air, Lauren exhaled slowly.

"Sorry about that," Jax said quietly, keeping her close to his side as they walked toward his truck. "It's usually rowdy, but playoff celebrations are next level."

"I'm fine," she assured him, though something in her tone suggested otherwise. "They're nice guys. I just..." She trailed off, looking up at the night sky instead of at him.

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