Page 33 of Your Pucking Mom

Alex took a seat next to me as I finished lacing my skates. “I hear Coach made the child bring his mother to family day.”

I sighed. “Don’t tell me about it.”

Alex let out a small chuckle. “I bet the child was irate.”

I’d be pissed as fuck too if my coach mandated that I bring my mother to practice. “No kidding.”

A few more of our teammates joined everyone on the ice. Those of us without spouses or children typically lent a hand to the families, so I teamed up with Alex to skate alongside Damien.

As I started to get onto the ice, the pang in my knee reminded me this would be my last family day. I never saw myself getting married, especially when I was so focused on hockey, but I never imagined I’d go through ten years of hockey family days without ever spending it with someone to call my own either.

I couldn’t imagine not spending this day with a certain curly-haired blonde, as I’d wrap her little self up in my arms and smell the faint scent of freshly brewed coffee wafting from her clothes.

“Uncle Ledge.” Damien interrupted my thoughts. “Are you coming?”

I chuckled, realizing I’d been awkwardly standing at the entrance of the rink, then blinked away the thoughts and willed the pain in my knee away. It was just a pang, but with my luck, it would grow from the strain of skating on it tonight.

“You got it, buddy,” I called out and joined my friends, who’d become family, out on the rink.

17

auburn

I was not a skater. The few times I’d been on ice skates could be counted on one hand. I was definitely more the mom who preferred to sit on the sidelines than to actually be on the ice.

I laced up my black rental skates as Austin spoke to one of the members on the team.

“Hi”—I reached across Austin—“my name is Auburn.”

The guy looked at Austin, then narrowed his eyes at me before slowly taking my hand. “Wow, Hart. I didn’t realize you liked cougars.”

Austin gagged and stuck his fingers in his mouth. “No. Ew. Disgusting.”

I was used to this. Austin looked older than eighteen, and people often said I looked younger. I’d tried to dress in a way that made me seem older, wearing black leggings, an oversized mauve sweater, and a white scarf with a matching beanie, though the hat made my hair extra poofy.

“I’m Austin’s mom,” I said before letting go of his hand and continuing to lace up.

“Oh shit, that’s right. You’re the one joining us on the road.”

I smiled. “That’s me.”

The teammate rose, casting a smirk at Austin.

“At least she’ll be something pretty to look at,” the guy said. Though I mustered a polite smile, inwardly I was as annoyed as Austin about the objectification. It was frustrating to be constantly judged by my appearance.

“I swear to God.” Austin got to his feet, ready to confront the guy, but I pulled him back.

“It’s okay, Austin.”

He glanced at me, his blue eyes burning with anger. “They’ll always talk, but that attitude is exactly the issue Coach and I discussed yesterday. That’s what we need to keep in check.”

He nodded. I couldn’t blame Austin. I’d defied my parent’s orders at seventeen, sneaking off to my first high school party, then discovered I was pregnant weeks later. He was a teenager thrust into a grown-up job and a public role. If I needed to guide him through it, then I would.

“I have it,” Austin said as he pulled away from me, rising to his feet. With a gentle hand, he helped me up. “You ready, Mom?”

I embraced him tightly, feeling a surge of pride. He was the youngest player to be drafted into the National Hockey League. We’d been to a few family days over the years, but this one was different.

“I love you. I’m so proud of you, and I want to be here to show everyone just how proud I am.”

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