Page 119 of Shift Change

“The fuck does that mean?” Chuck asked. “The only thing I do that anyone needs to keep up with is play hockey. Something I do very well, if I say so myself.”

“Modesty, Chuck,” Nana said. “Just because you won that best player trophy doesn’t mean you get to lord it over everybody.”

I laughed. “That’s right, babe. Winning the Calder was amazing, but you’re not a rookie anymore.”

Chuck flipped me off. “You could’ve brought the tea out here. I was busy at the grill.”

“And you did a terrific job.” I flicked his earlobe. “But let’s be honest. Nana askedyouto bring it.”

“Fuck off. Nobody wants it anyway. Even Nana’s drinking beer.”

As if on cue, Abby got up and handed her another bottle, then got one for himself. “I am here for burgers. And to see if Chuck and Nate kiss in front of everyone so Logan chokes on beer.”

Logan scowled. “Once. That happenedone time.”

“Very dramatic,” Abby said. “You flailed.”

“Did not.”

Riley, sitting beside Logan, snickered. “I hate to say it, blond boy, but you did. It was like watching a tall goose panic in slow motion.”

Laughter exploded, and after we quieted, Chuck looked around. “It’s damn good to have everyone here. Between weddings, vacations, and half the team pretending they know how to golf, we’ve barely seen each other all summer.”

“I’ve missed you guys,” Gabe said. “But next week, it’s back to the grind.” He lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “And back to seeing Holky’s ugly mug every day.”

I put a hand to my chest, pretending to be scandalized. “Excuse me? Go straight to hell. Everyone knows that except for Chuck, I’m the best-looking man on the roster.”

That earned a round of groans and boos.

I shot Chuck an accusing glare. “You’re not defending me? You’re the one who’s always telling me how gorgeous I am.”

He looked into my eyes, and all the noise dropped away. “You said ‘except for Chuck,’ but that’s not true. You’re breathtaking.”

My heart stuttered, and I was about two seconds from melting into a puddle when Abby wrecked the moment with a loud, “So sweet. Now kiss for us, lovebirds.”

Still riding high on Chuck’s words, I reached for him. The moment started soft and went hot enough to have people clearing their throats. Who the hell cared? These guys had all witnessed our first kiss on that trip to Minnesota.

Surprisingly, no one heckled us, and we slid back into chirping like the moment had never happened. Brody caught heat for his new haircut that made him look like he was trying to be a teen idol. Riley got torched for his outrageous Hawaiian shirt that could’ve doubled as a traffic signal. And Logan took a few jabs for going off the grid for a full month before reappearing with a suspicious tan and no explanations.

Chuck leaned into me and brushed a kiss to my temple. “You doing okay, sweets?”

I looked around at our friends—ourfamily—and let it wash over me. The string lights overhead cast a soft, golden glow as laughter rose and fell like a tide. Chuck’s hand found mine and squeezed, and there was nothing else in the world more perfect.

“Yeah,” I said, my voice husky. “Never better.”

Two years earlier, I would have second-guessed every smile and laugh around me. I’d spent most of my life expecting people to leave once they saw the real me—too intense, too messy, too broken—and I almost lost Chuck because of it.

Fortunately, I’d had the sense to double down on my therapy with Dr. Goodman, and she helped me peel back the bullshit and see things for what they were. It had been painful facing my demons, and it still was, but I was nowhere near done putting in the hard work. I was worth it, and so was Chuck.

He wasn’t simply my boyfriend; he was the love of my life, and he wasn’t going anywhere. And these crazy guys around us weren’t merely teammates; they were our family. They’d accepted me long before I learned how to accept myself.

Now, as I watched them razz each other and sneak extra dessert when they thought Nana wasn’t looking, I didn’t feel like an outsider trying to earn his place. I belonged, and that feeling was pure magic.

Monday, the Next Day

Chuck and I had taken the boat out that morning, letting the late-summer sun soak into our skin as we drifted on Lake Erie. When we got home, sunburned and ready to crash, we stripped and crawled into bed for a nap. We enjoyed the sweet, heavy kind of sleep that only comes after a perfect day on the water. There was no fooling around, but I hoped for some action later.

Growling stomachs woke us after a couple of hours, and since Nana had driven to Ithaca to spend the day with friends, we ordered dinner from Scionti’s and wandered into the garden to wait for delivery. The sun was going down, and we turned on the twinkle lights overhead. They wrapped us in a glow as magical as our lives.

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