Page 41 of Meet Me in the Penalty Box

Harper’s hand was back in mine and I led her to the bench by the dock. Out here, there weren’t many lights and we had a perfect view of the stars scattered in the sky above us. Had I thought about this more in depth, I would have brought a blanket or something to make us more comfortable. Instead, this was all on the fly.

Harper held both of the glass flutes in her hands and I popped open the champagne. The sound of her laughter slid across my eardrums like silk as I poured some of the bubbly liquid into each glass. I set the bottle down onto the ground and held my drink into the air.

“To you, my love,” I said with a smile as I stared into her bright blue eyes. “The sky is the limit for you and your dreams. I can’t wait to see where this will take you and I’m so proud of you for trying something you’ve always wanted to do.”

She stared at me for a moment as emotion welled in her eyes. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and she tapped her glass to mine. We both took a sip and I slid my arm around the tops of her shoulders, pulling her flush against my side. Harper leaned her head back and rested it on my bicep as she looked up at the night sky.

“How do you always know the right things to do and say?”

My eyes trailed over the side of her face, memorizing her facial features. She looked angelic with the way the moon cast its light across her cheek. Everything about her was perfect and no one could ever tell me otherwise. It was like an angel had reached down from the heavens and handcrafted her.

“I don’t,” I told her quietly. “I just say whatever I’m feeling when it comes to you. The things that I say to you—they’re words that were made just for you and no one else.”

She slowly sat up and turned to look at me. “Why me, though? You could literally have anyone else on this stupid planet, yet you chose me.”

“And I’ll always choose you,” I told her as I slid my hand to the base of her neck. “I don’t want anyone else, Harper. I know things are complicated but I don’t give a shit.”

Harper’s eyes shimmered under the light of the moon. She fell silent and I pulled her back against my side. She shifted her body and tucked her legs up on the bench underneath her. Her arm snaked its away around my torso and she rested her head on my chest.

“My mom would have loved you,” I said as I gently stroked her long silky hair. “I wish she could have been around to meet you.”

“Tell me about her.”

A smile began to bloom as I allowed my mind to drift into those happier thoughts. Not the ones about her being gone, but the memories of when she was here. When things were simpler in life. When she was still around, acting as the glue that held our family together. Before our father became a shell of a person and Giana and I were the only ones who really had each other anymore.

“She was so caring and loving. She was always cracking jokes and thought that she was the funniest. There wasn’t a single thing she missed. Between my sister and I, she had spread herself so thin, but you could never tell. She was always on the sidelines cheering both of us on in life.” I paused for a moment as my heart ached. “She never had a mean thing to say about anyone, but if someone said anything about either of us, she went into momma bear mode.”

“She would be really proud of you, Nico.”

My smile fell a bit. “I would like to think she would. She was around to see me get drafted, but she never got to see me play professionally. She was the one who was waking up before the sun when I was a kid, making sure I was getting to practice and tournaments on time. She was the definition of a hockey mom and she never complained about it—well, not to me at least.”

“I’m sorry she didn’t get to see you play. I’m sure her getting to see you get drafted was an amazing experience for her,” Harper offered, her voice soft and gentle as she held me a little tighter. “She’s always with you, Nico.”

I swallowed back the emotion that built in my throat and nodded. “I know she is. I just wish she were physically here too, you know? I wish she could have met you,” I repeated my earlier sentiment.

“I wish I could have had the chance to meet her.”

I held Harper for a little longer as we watched the stars shine above us. She shivered in my arms and I knew it was time for us to get out of here. “Let’s get you somewhere warm, love.”

Harper rose from the bench and I followed along with her after grabbing the empty glasses and the half-empty bottle of champagne. She smiled at me as she slid her hand into mine and I led her back to my car. She fell asleep as I drove back to her place and when I parked in front of her building, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her.

She was exactly where she belonged—right beside me with her hand in mine.

And I was going to do whatever I had to, to make sure that was exactly where she stayed.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

HARPER

“Thank you so much, Phillip!” I said into the speaker of the phone as I paced up and down the hallway in Nico’s apartment. He had jumped into the shower when my phone rang and when I saw who was calling, I knew I had to pick it up.

“I will have everything arranged and you’ll fly out with the team on Friday morning,” Phillip told me.

I smiled, feeling the excitement building within me. I was so thrilled to get invited to go along and shoot their away game. It wasn’t an opportunity that everyone was given and here I was, getting the invitation from my boss. “What city are they playing in?”

“Vegas,” Phillip answered and my stomach instantly sank. “I gotta go, Harper. But I will see you at the game.”

He abruptly ended the call and I slowly lowered my phone away from my face. I didn’t want to go to Vegas. The last time I was there was when Connor broke up with me. Being in the city wasn’t what actually bothered me, though. What bothered me was going to the same arena he played in. Nico’s team was going to be playing his and we were going to be in their territory.

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