Page 35 of Pucking Fate

“You are so full of yourself,” Maya says with a widening grin.

Leaning closer, I whisper in her ear, “When are you going to finally let yourself be full of me?”

Shaking her head, she presses her palm to my chest and takes a step back, putting distance between us. “We can’t. We shouldn’t. Not yet.”

“I’m fine with going slow, but there’s no reason for us to let your visitors keep us apart. They don’t have to know. And I bet you would miss my tongue between your legs…”

“Fine. I’ll think about it,” Maya mutters with a smile and roll of her eyes, which I accept as a win.

15

Christian

The birthday party the next day turned out even better than I had hoped.

Thanks to Preston’s connections with the Warhawks, he was able to get the bird mascot to attend, along with five current players. Only one is a starter, but none of the kids or their parents seem to care. They’re all from a championship winning team.

Seeing Finley having fun laughing with his friends, soaking up being the center of attention and showing off his skills to the other kids, I’m filled with more pride than scoring any goals or winning any games.

Maya and I may not have ever planned to get pregnant, but there’s no doubt we created an amazing little guy together. I’m so glad that I finally get to be a part of his life, even if all the time I missed out with him still stings when I look at the photos and videos. Seeing clips of the special moments in Finley’s life and him celebrating holidays isn’t the same as being there with him.

God, I wanted to tell Finley this morning I was his dad when I gave him his present. He went nuts over the tabletop game with rods like foosball, but with plastic hockey players instead.

My son deserves to know the truth about who I am, and I’m not sure how much longer I can wait, despite Maya’s lingering concerns.

“Christian freaking Riley?” Spencer Williams, the Warhawks’ backup goalie drawls when he skates up to the goal I’m tending without any pads on. I’ve only been blocking about a quarter of the kids’ shots, letting everyone get a puck in at least once since that shit is good for their confidence at this age. “What the hell are you doing up here at a kid’s party in the middle of the summer? Did you lose a bet to Preston or something?”

“No, I didn’t lose a bet,” I tell him with a grin. I should tell them that I’m just here as a favor, but for some reason, I find myself blurting out, “Actually, I’m the birthday boy’s father.”

Spencer’s jaw falls open comically. “No shit? Hell, now it makes sense why Preston gave you all those beatdowns. I said hello to his sister, and he almost decked me one time.”

His outburst makes me wince, worried someone will overhear. I sort of regret my impulsive decision now. Maya will kill me if the truth gets out before she’s ready. “I had no idea until recently,” I explain to him. “And, um, Finley doesn’t know yet. Neither does the media. So, if you could keep it quiet…”

“I won’t say a word,” he promises. “Trust me, I don’t want to give Preston any reason to kickmyass.”

“Good,” I tell him, letting out a relieved sigh that his fear of Preston, his former teammate, will hopefully keep his mouth shut.

“You and Preston’s sister aren’t together now, are you?”

“No, we’re not together,” I admit honestly with a heavy sigh. Maya sadly didn’t change her mind about no visiting whilePreston and Elle are there. Which means she has no intention of telling Preston, which tells me that fooling around with me is just a little fun for her during the summer.

I let another puck sail past me and into the goal, causing the kids to scream in celebration of their friend’s score. To Spencer, I say, “Thanks for coming out today. This is a party none of the kids will ever forget, especially Finley.”

“Honestly, Preston wouldn’t really take no for an answer, but I don’t mind. The off-season gets boring as shit.”

“True enough,” I agree, since the off-season is usually the loneliest time of the year for me. There are no fans screaming my name, no microphones or cameras being shoved in my face, and no daily practices to keep up with the guys.

“I’ll take over goalie duty for you now if you want?” Spencer offers.

“Thanks, man. I know it goes against your goalie instincts, but could you try to let a few pucks slip past you today?”

“Will do, even if I’ll have nightmares about those damn goals tonight,” he replies with a shudder that makes me chuckle.

Maya

I’ve just finished getting all the kids photos taken with the mascot near the end of the party when a tall, lean man skates over to me in massive pads, a goalie. He towers over me even though I put on skates for the party too.

“Hey, you’re Maya, right? Preston’s sister?” he asks. Removing his helmet, his short, brown hair is a little sweaty, and his intelligent eyes seem to lock onto mine with a surprisingintensity. I blink, momentarily caught off guard by the random man’s sudden attention.

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