Page 64 of Ice Cold, Red Hot
“Yeah, he will!” Griff cried out, making everyone laugh as I stood up, nerves suddenly pounding through me.
I headed for the stage, and took a spot next to Coach, who was looking at me with an expression I’d never seen from him before. Were those… tears in his eyes?
“Shepherd,” he said, still holding my eyes. “I don’t have a son. But I have a lot of family with boys, and I know that the effort of bringing those guys to manhood is no small feat. I know that boys are tough—they test limits and push boundaries. And the boys who are talented, who have a fire under their skin—those guys are extra hard.”
I stared at him, unsure where he was going with this.
“I love every kid on this team,” he said. “And in some ways, I feel like I raise you all just a bit — taking nothing from the hard work of your parents, of course.”
The room chuckled, and I took a deep breath.
“But you, Renshaw,” he said, smiling at me fondly. “I feel a little like I might if you were my son. Maybe it’s because I know your family, maybe because I scouted you so young—” he turned to the crowd. “I’d picked this kid out for Coldwater before he hit eighth grade,” he laughed. “Anyway, you were a tough nut to crack. But there was no favoritism at play in our relationship, I can assure you. You earned your spot as captain, just as surely as you earned your spot on that bench this season.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groaned.
“I’m reminding everyone,” Coach said, looking around. “Because what you displayed this season—through your whole career so far, really—was grit, determination, heart… and finally, humility. By the end of our time together, you’d grown more than any player I’ve coached before. And I take very little credit for that, but it still makes me proud. Coming off that bench for finals, I watched you pour yourself into the game, but better than that—I watched you step back and pour your energy into the team. You went from a solo-glory guy to a team player. A true captain.” He nodded at his own words, and I struggled to keep my emotions contained.
“Your spot on the Chicago Storm is no surprise to anyone in this room,” he said. “And let there be no doubt—not in your mind or in anyone else’s—the fact that you’re going pro has nothing to do with the Renshaw name, andeverything to do with the way you played your final game at Coldwater. Congratulations, Renshaw.”
I was still processing his words when Coach pulled me into a hug, shocking the hell out of me. I stood still for a moment, and finally, found myself hugging him back, tears running down my cheeks.
Quietly, Coach whispered, “I’m proud of you, son.”
He let go of me, handing me a glass trophy on a black stand. “This award was voted on by the whole team. MVP.”
I stared at the symbol of this season, grateful to everyone around me, unable to think of a single thing to say. I lifted the award and said, “Thank you. I love you guys.” And then I hurried back to my seat before I broke down like a kid.
Celeste hugged me and Griff gave me a fist bump across the table as the other guys handed around the trophy.
More trophies were given out, and finally, the speeches were over and the DJ fired up the music. Celeste stayed by my side, smiling at me in a way that made my heart heat and my body thrum. I couldn’t wait to be alone with her—but I didn’t want this night to end.
CHAPTER 31
CELESTE
It was strange, watching Shepherd accept the award his coach and teammates gave him. He was the same man I’d met this summer… except, he was almost like an elevated version. Every part of what had made me fall for that guy at the lake—the swagger, the looks, the humor—it was all there, but now there was something else. I wasn’t sure whether to dub it humility or humanity, but it felt like all the too sharp edges of Shepherd’s extreme confidence had been rounded a bit with something more relatable. And it made him that much more attractive.
I spent the whole evening with my hand in his or my eyes on him when he wasn’t at my side. I couldn’t look away. And when the night was over, and Shepherd pulled me into his arms, I was more than ready to lose myself completely in him. I couldn’t get enough.
When he kissed me, I melted into him, my body becoming pliable in his grasp immediately. Every cell within me responded to him, and when he unzipped my dress, sending it pooling to the floor in his moonlit room inthe apartment, not a single question flickered through my mind.
Shepherd’s hands and mouth scored my skin, marked me as his externally just as surely as his actions these last months had made me his in other ways. When he pushed inside me, breathing hard as our bodies fused, it felt like coming home.
But then, as we lay there afterward, our arms and legs entangled, breaths matched, I began to think about how hard things were going to be for us.
“Shepherd,” I whispered, causing him to grip me more tightly. “What happens next year?”
He snuggled me deeper against his side. “More of this,” he said softly.
“You’re going to be hundreds of miles away.”
“Celeste, I don’t think anything can really keep us apart.”
“I’m just a little worried about finding out,” I said, the fear of losing him reigniting in my gut.
“You could come to Chicago.” His dark eyes found mine, and I let myself sink into them, almost considering it before reality returned.
“I’m building a career here. I can’t give up now.”
