Page 111 of Finding the Forward: Part Two
“Kiss the bunny. It’s my birthday.” I went around and got everyone to kiss my stuffed bunny, like always. The one Grif had won me years go.
Carlos had everyone pet Lucky as people finished their pre-game routines.
“You okay, Gumdrop?” I put my arm around Grif, who seemed a little off.
“I shouldn’t have had two slices of cake earlier,” he confessed, leaning into me.
“It was a delicious cake.” I gave him a squeeze, understanding completely.
Coach got us revved up, and we returned to the ice for our intro and the national anthem. Finally, the puck dropped.
Winston smacked the puck around down at the Royals’ end. Jonas and Elias were on defense. From my place in the net, I looked over at the family section.
Verity, in Grif’s Jersey, sat with AJ, who also wore Grif’s jersey. She blew me a kiss. I did a dance and made a heart with my hands. Grif’s jersey. Yeah, I’d fix that shortly.
Grif threw someone against the boards after they clocked Clark a little too hard. Gloves dropped and Grif pummeled the guy like always. He didn’t seem as enthusiastic as he usually did.
The linesman dragged Grif away. Grif shook his leg like he had a cramp. As he passed the family section, he banged on the glass in front of AJ and Verity and made kissy faces.
The cameras projected them up on the large monitors above the arena. You could clearly see that she wore Grif’s twenty-six.
That’s my cue.
Throwing down my stick, I took off my mask and skated over in mock-fury.
“It’s my birthday. You wear my number,” I told her, trying to sound moreangry-alphaand lessdiva-omega.
I stripped off my shirt, so I was only in my pads. I’d left off the undershirt.
Grif resisted the linesman and eyed the shirt in my hands. “Really?”
“You said I could on my birthday.” I leaned in and tapped my head to his helmet.
“Oh, I did, didn’t I?” He grinned at me.
Verity laughed as she held out her hands. “Give it to me, Hot Stuff.”
The Royce kids were sitting in front of AJ and Verity and waved at me frantically. I waved back.
The crowd cheered and laughed as the screens displayed it for the entire arena. I tossed my jersey over the glass. AJ caught it and handed it to her.
Chuckling, she put my jersey on over Grif’s. Oh she looked beautiful wearing number one.
“SHE LOVES ME!” I shouted, putting my hands up in victory.
“I do love you, you goofball,” she shouted back.
“Gumdrop, I love you, too.” I hugged Grif, mostly to rub my sweaty chest all over his jersey.
Grif laughed. “I love you, Jellybean.”
“Grif Graf, go to the box! Donovan, get in the net. I’m only being lenient because it’s your birthday. Don’t try me,” the linesman shouted, making a face like she didn’t get paid enough to put up with us.
Waving, I did a bare chested victory lap back to the net after swiping a new jersey from the bench. I’d let Silas know I’d be doing this, so he’d have one ready.
I put my jersey and goalie mask back on. It was silver like a knight’s helmet and had a knight charging into battle on it. Both our pack crest–a Celtic knot made of sticks and pucks, and the infinity knot heart Grif and I had as tattoos was worked into the design.
Picking up my stick, I held it up like a sword. The crowd roared. Verity, in my jersey, appeared again on the jumbo screens as she blew kisses at me.
