“I always love your commentary,” she tells me. “Just try to keep the cussing to a minimum since I brought Aiden.”
I frown in concern. “I’ll try, but you know I get riled up, Holls.”
She sighs. “I know, crazy. I brought some noise-canceling headphones for him in case it’s too loud. But maybe they can also serve as a curse blocking device since his Auntie Juliette has a potty mouth when it comes to hockey,” she teases.
With a dismissive sniff, I roll my eyes. “I’ll do my best to control myself. For Aiden.”
“Are you excited to see your daddy play hockey for the first time in person?” Pops asks the little one. He’s sitting on the other side of Holly. Dad, Xander, and Jordie are in the row behind us.
At the mention of his daddy, Aiden swivels his head from side to side and calls, “Dada!”
Pops tickles his grandson beneath his chubby chin. “You’ll see Dada really soon.”
“Tooooon,” my nephew tries to parrot, making us laugh.
When the crowd amps up, we all stand, our attention pulled to the ice. The players are coming out for pre-game warm-ups, and I watch Aiden to make sure the noise isn’t bothering him. He seems fine, so I find Bubba with the practiced eye of a sister who has been to a million games since we were kids.
“There’s Dada,” I coo at Aiden, pointing at number twenty-seven. My brother finds us immediately and skates our way before placing his hand on the glass. Holly leans forward and lets Aiden put his tiny hand over his dad’s big one, and I tear up, yanking my phone from my pocket to snap a quick pic of the special moment.
Then Bubba’s eyes go to Holly and they lock into an intimate stare, despite the crowd of fifteen-thousand crazy fans around them. “Love you,” he mouths through the glass, and his wife returns the words. These two are seriously fucking cute, and I take a picture of their exchange as well before Bubba skates off to join his team.
After sending both photos to Holly’s number, I put my phone away and reach for my adorable nephew. “Let me hold him and give your back a break.”
She kisses his forehead, calls him herlittlechunky butt, and hands him over. “Thanks, Jules. I’m going to run to the bathroomagainbefore the game starts.”
Once Aiden’s in my arms, I whisper in his ear, “We need to come to an agreement, buddy. Don’t repeat any of the bad words Auntie Juli says tonight, ’kay?”
“Chewy!” he yells, and I squeeze him against me, hoping that one day I’ll have a son or daughter of my own.
I’d called my OB/GYN a few days ago to make an appointment to get my birth control implant removed and discuss my options. The receptionist informed me that Dr. Fergus is visiting her family in Scotland for a couple weeks,so she can’t see me until early October. They offered to get me in with one of her associates, but I told them I’d rather wait for Dr. Fergus since I already have a good rapport with her.
“I’m excited about the defense this year,” Pops says, snapping me out of my baby daydream. That’s weird because defense was our main weakness last year. He adds, “With the new guy and all.”
New guy? Who did we acquire in the off-season?
My eyes catalog the defensemen: Hornick, Lundquist, Isakov, Swain... Hold up. Wait just a damn minute.
With my heart racing and my gaze super-glued to the newcomer’s back, I nudge Pops. “Uhh, who’s the guy doing the handshake with Gibby? Number ninety-six.”
I don’t know why I ask that. It’s completely ridiculous because I can clearly read the name right there on the back of his jersey.SWAIN.
Pops chuckles. “I’m aware you don’t watch hockey news, honey, but I know you’ve seen enough games to know Reno Swain.”
Hearing his name is a lightning bolt to my system, but the jolt of electricity intensifies when Reno turns around and his green eyes fall directly on me. They darken in confusion before rounding in realization. He seems to be as shocked as I am.
And then his mouth forms the words I’ve wanted to hear for two months.
My dream girl.
Chapter 36
Total shit show
Eventhoughthisisjust an exhibition game, the Brewers locker room is in complete hyped-up mode.
“You ready for this?” Baylor Ward asks me, tossing an arm across my shoulders.
“I was born ready,” I tell him with a cocky smirk.
