Page 79 of Glitz & Goals

The three of us linger for a little while longer, letting the worst of the crowd clear the main concourse while we swap stories about Grady—his childhood antics, his stubborn streak, the way he always took charge even when he had no business doing so. I find myself smiling, comforted by the easy rapport I already have with his sisters.

Eventually, as the arena empties around us, Laura checks her phone and nudges Erin. “We should get down to the tunnel so we don’t have any chance of missing him. He doesn’t know we’re here yet.”

I lead the way, weaving through the lingering fans and down the familiar corridors of the arena until we reach the players’ exit. The tunnel buzzes with activity as players begin to emerge. I spot Dad first, chatting with Ranger, followed by my brother and the rest of the guys. Then, finally, Grady appears. His hair is damp from the shower, and a Venom satchel is slung over his shoulder. He looks exhausted but proud, the weight of the game still etched in the tight set of his jaw.

When his eyes land on us—me standing with Erin and Laura—he freezes mid-step, his brows lifting in surprise. “What the hell?” A slow grin spreads across his face, chasing away some of the exhaustion. “What are you two doing here?”

Erin bounces on her toes, throwing her arms wide. “Surprise!”

Grady shakes his head, laughing as he strides toward them. “You’re supposed to tell me when you’re coming to town.”

Laura steps forward and pulls him into a tight hug. “And ruin the surprise? Where’s the fun in that?”

“Fun for you, maybe,” he mutters, though he hugs her back just as fiercely before turning to Erin and pulling her into his arms. “I can’t believe you guys came all the way down here for this.”

Erin squeezes him and then pulls back to give him a mock-stern look. “Like we were going to miss your first trip to the conference championships as a head coach. Please.”

Grady looks between them, his expression softening in a way that makes my chest ache. “But we didn’t make it.”

Laura squeezes his forearm. “But you damn near did. And what you’ve done with this team, little brother? You should be so proud of yourself.”

“I don’t know about that. But you both being here? It means the world to me,” he says, his voice quieter now, almost reverent.

Then, his gaze shifts to me, and the air between us crackles. For a second, it’s like the world narrows, the noise of the arena fading into nothing.

“You’re wearing my jersey,” he says, his voice low, almost disbelieving.

I shrug, trying to be nonchalant even though my heart is pounding. “Seemed appropriate.”

Erin elbows him playfully. “Look at her, Grady. Viv’s a fan. Now you have at least three dedicated just to you.”

He shoots her a glare but doesn’t respond. Instead, his eyes stay locked on mine, something unspoken passing between us.

Laura clears her throat, breaking the moment. “So, are we going to stand here all night, or are we celebrating?”

Grady’s lips twitch into a half-smile. “Celebrating what?”

“You made it past the first round for the first time in over ten years, and you damn near made it to the conference championship,” Erin counters.

Laura nods. “Dante’s right. You’re bringing the magic back. Our baby bro is totally magical.”

There’s a pinch behind my ribs when I think about all the ways their brother is magical. None of which I’ll be sharing with my future sisters-in-law.

Grady lets out a breath, some of the tension in his shoulders easing. “Yeah, well… I couldn’t have done it without this team.”

His words are humble, but the pride in his voice is unmistakable. And as I watch him, surrounded by the people who love him, I realize something: Grady isn’t just rebuilding the Venom. He’s building something for himself, too—something solid, something lasting.

“For your information.” Laura clasps her hands under her chin. “We didn’t share any baby photos of you… yet.”

Erin shakes her head and tries to keep a straight face. “Nope. Not a one.”

Grady groans. “Viv, something tells me that my sisters went through our family photo albums and loaded their camera libraries with all my most incriminating photos.”

“Maybe. For what it’s worth, I’m sure every photo of you ever taken is really cute.” I take his other arm. “I’m convinced you’re perfect because you grew up with two older sisters.”

Erin cackles like a wicked witch. “She thinks he’s perfect! That’s adorable.”

“Hey.” I fake glare at her. “Don’t ruin this for me.”

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