Page 29 of My Virgin Puck

“You’re done, Miller. There isn’t a place on the team for you anymore.”

I haven’t had time to deal with it myself, but now that Madi is here, I feel stronger.

She’s holding my hand and staring up at me like I’m some kind of God. Whenever she’s around, I feel like everything will be ok. No matter what it is.

I could take on the world - as long as she was by my side. The courage I felt as I sat in the locker room and received a spraying from the coach, I’ve never had that before. I would never have spoken out and had my feelings heard.

And now, I’ve taken the biggest step of my life. In a matter of hours, I’ve made the scariest, most unlike-Mason decision ever and it’s all because of the belief Madi instils in me.

“This…” I step in behind Madi and grip her shoulders. My chest presses into her back and I rest my chin on top of her head. “This is my restaurant.”

Madi spins, her mouth slightly agape. “Your restaurant? But that’s your retirement plan for when you give up hockey…”

I nod and a tiny smile tells Madi everything she needs to know.

“Coach called it this morning. The rookies are ready and I’m slowing down. I’m done.”

Madi launches forward and pulls me in a warm embrace. “You can’t move to a different team?”

“I don’t want to. My life is here.” I grab Madi’s hands, hold them to my lips and take a deep breath. “You’re here.”

It feels good to get it off my chest. The day has been coming for a while, I just wish it didn’t end the way it did. My outburst in the locker room was the final straw for Coach Best, his faith in me was cut short.

It all works out in the end.

Madi floats around the dining room, pokes her head in the kitchen and takes it all in. For the next half an hour, she fills my head with ideas and designs that she thinks will work for the space. I run menu plans by her and we talk like it’s our own brick-and-mortar baby.

I guess it is.

I’m not going anywhere. Even though we’ve barely started dating, I’ve given myself to this woman. She’s given herself to me. In the most personal and spiritual way, we belong to each other.

Is there anything better than that?

We’re a team. My new team.

And I couldn’t be happier.

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