Page 194 of Hat Trick

“You know I can behave,” Lexi whispers, and her eyes flutter closed. “But if we’re talking about fantasies, you in your gear is extremely hot. Maybe later tonight you can fuck me while you wear your helmet.”

“I’ll do you one better and wear the goalie mask I stole from Liam last year.”

“You have my attention, Mitchell.” Lexi kisses my neck and wiggles off my lap. “But you have a game to play first.”

Nerves sit in the pit of my stomach. I close my eyes and run through Dr. Ledlow’s meditation exercises, but I’m still jittery. Full of adrenaline and fear like I’ve never experienced before.

“What if they treat me differently because of my leg? What if they go easy on me because they’re afraid they’re going to hurt me? What if I’m fucking terrible and fall flat on my face?” I ask.

“Hey.” Lexi tugs on my arm and helps me stand on my skates. My legs feel like Jell-O, but when she rests her head on my chest, I’m steady and settled. At ease, like I’m landing on solid ground. It’s always like this with her. “If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to, baby. I’ll sneak you through the hallway in the back, and no one will know. But I want you to know it’s okay to be afraid. This is a big step and something new. No one is going to fault you for being nervous.”

I stroke her hair while my heart races. “That helps to hear. I just don’t want to let anyone down. Especially the team after all the money they’ve invested in me and you for all the work you’ve done with me. You’ve put so much time and energy into my rehab, Lex, and I want to make you proud.”

She frowns, and I pull down on her bottom lip with my thumb. “I am always proud of you,” she says.

“I guess it’s good our AHL team’s attendance is shitty. No one can see me fail.” I kiss the top of her head and grab my stick. “And I’m glad the boys aren’t getting back from their road trip until tomorrow. They won’t be able to chirp me for being slow.”

“Mitchell,” Coach Thompson calls out from the office attached to the locker room. “Let’s go.”

“Good luck.” Lexi stands on her toes and kisses my cheek, right above my chin strap. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Lexi baby.” I bend down and check my socks, smiling when my fingers brush against the folded paper shoved down near my skate. “I’ll see you out there.”

She disappears with a wave, and I join the team out in the hallway. A couple players bump my knuckles, and a few knock their helmets against mine. It’s not easy being the new guy on a squad that has a lot of camaraderie and friendships, but I’m starting to click with them.

I stare down the tunnel at the ice, and that fear turns to excitement. I spin my stick in my glove and nod at Dusty Pembroke, our goalie.

“Ready?” he asks me.

“As I’ll ever be.”

“Protect my net, and we won’t have any problems.”

I laugh and tap his pads with the blade of my stick. He and Liam would get along just fine. “You got it, man.”

He leads the team down the hall and I bring up the rear. When I skate onto the ice and check out my surroundings, I freeze.

The arena is packed. Full to the brim with spectators from the front row all the way up to the nosebleeds, and I see dozens and dozens of fans lining the glass with signs.

WELCOME BACK, MITCHY.

WE MISSED YOU.

LIFE’S A BITCH, BUT WE HAVE MITCH!!!

“What the fuck?” I look around. “What are all these people doing here?”

“They’re here for you.” Brock Sidell, the Comets’ defenseman, grins. “You thought people would miss your comeback? Please. This is going to go down like Jordan’s flu game in sports history.”

My eyes prickle with tears. I squeeze them shut, and when I open them, I see twenty-six familiar faces right behind the Comets’ bench, all wearing my jersey.

There’s Grant and Ethan. Liam with Piper on his shoulders and Maverick with his arm around Emmy and their little girl resting against her chest. Hudson and Madeline and Coach. My parents, Marcus, and Lamar with his son. They’re all banging on the glass, and I can’t help it.

I let out a sob and skate over to them. A team official gestures for them to fill in the box, and they do, squeezing shoulder to shoulder until the entire team is there, with Lexi right in the middle.

“There’s our boy!” Grant screams, jumping up and down.

“What the hell are you all doing here? You’re supposed to be in California.”

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