“I was going to ask if you wanted to meet her after the game,” I said to fill the heavy silence.

  “You could have told your closest friends,” Cruz sniffed. He turned back to his locker, hurt radiating from him. Nik followed suit.

  My stomach rolled again. Arguing with the guys about my romantic life was…weird. Their investment freaked me out.

  I turned and puked in the helmet in front of the locker next to mine.

  “Gross.” Maxim scrambled back.

  I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “That’s what you get for tattling and getting me in trouble.”

  The rest of the guys went back to their pregame routines, but Cruz shot me a small smile and Nik a wink. My stomach calmed, and I rose, heading to the bathroom to wash out my mouth.

  We skated out through the smokescreen and onto our side of the ice, the speakers blaring our names and the crowd roaring for their favorites. I skated forward, arms lifted, as the announcer called my name. I zeroed in on my seats. Keelie was clapping, her mouth open in a yell. My stomach settled, and the tension ebbed from my neck.

  I shot her a wink and a smile. Then I shook out my arms and turned my focus to the game.

  “You good?” Maxim asked as we stood in line for the national anthem. He’d gotten a different helmet from our equipment manager.

  “I’m good.”

  “Your girl should wear your number.”

  I glanced at Keelie. Hell, yeah, she should. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “And her. Take care of her.” Maxim lifted his face to the flag, effectively ending our conversation.

  We skated to our bench, and Coach Whittaker frowned at me. “Heard you were sick. Do I need to pull you?”

  I shook my head. “All’s good now.”

  He raised an eyebrow but let it go, calling in the rest of the first line and going over his initial plan of attack.

  The line hit the ice, taking their positions. Nik slammed his stick down at center ice, his face fierce with concentration. The puck dropped. I skated forward, using every bit of muscle in my legs to propel me ahead of my opponent. The puck sailed across the ice to the other side of the rink, skimming against the boards before Maxim isolated it and shot it across the ice. He took a hard hit. Setting my jaw, I planned to get even with New York’s defender, but first I needed to accept the puck. Some quick legwork and chopping motions with my stick kept my defender off the puck until I caught sight of Nik open. I passed the puck to him, and he maneuvered the rest of the way up the ice, passing it off to Cruz, who lobbed it back. Nik popped the shot around the edge of the net, just squeaking it past their goalie’s glove.

  Blue light bloomed, and the horn sounded. Less than five minutes into the first period, and we had ourselves a goal.

  I glanced over at Keelie, who stood and cheered.

  I’d forgotten how good it felt to have someone in the stands.

  Chapter 17

  Keelie

  I settled back in my seat, flushed with excitement, chest heaving from yelling. I took a long gulp of the beer Marian had brought back, wincing at its yeastiness but thankful for the cooling sensation as it slid down my burning throat. I hadn’t yelled this much in ages—maybe ever.

  “Hockey’s exciting,” I said.

  Marian shot me a rueful look. “More so when you’re emotionally invested in one player.”

  “I’m not sure where this is going.” I knew where I wanted my relationship with Cormac to go—if I could learn to trust him.

  She shrugged. “You don’t have to be sure. You just have to enjoy.”

  Tonight, she’d smiled when she arrived and seemed happy to see me. Maybe she was just having a rough time lately. I understood people taking out their negativity on others; my mother did that, often, and I refused to talk to her when she treated me like her punching bag.

  I mulled over Marian’s words as I watched the opposing team make a run toward the Wildcatters’ goalie. I gasped as the player hauled back and slapped a shot. Adam sprawled out in the split, the puck slamming into his padded thigh before he grabbed it in his mitted hands. I pressed my palm to my racing heart. This game might be too exciting.

  The period ended with the Wildcatters up one-nil, and the crowd heaved as one to stand and march back up the aisles to the restrooms or to purchase more concessions from the wide array of overpriced options. The Zamboni slid out of its gate and began a leisurely re-glazing of the ice.

  I tugged my cardigan tighter around my torso as I leaned forward and touched Andy’s shoulder. “Having fun?”

  He nodded as he beamed, his gap-toothed smile wider than I’d ever seen it.

  “Ms. Hayes?” I turned, surprised to find a young woman in khakis and a Wildcatter polo standing nearby. “Cormac wanted to make sure you brought Andy back to the locker room after the game.” She glanced at Andy’s father. “As long as you’re okay with that, sir.”

  I waited for Andy’s father to communicate with his son. He gave me a nod, his smile matching Andy’s, before I agreed.

  “Great! I’ll come back to collect you all afterward,” the woman said. “Enjoy the rest of the game.”

  Marian smiled, seeming gleeful at the prospect. People around us pulled out their phones, snapping pictures…of me. One older gentleman sitting a row behind and to the left reached forward and tapped my shoulder.

  I glanced back, unsure about the sudden attention and whispering. “Yes?”

  “You know Cormac Bouchard?”

  I cleared my dry throat. “I do.” My palms sweat. What if this guy asked about my relationship with him? What if he… I frowned. Why was I worried about what others thought of me? Didn’t I teach my kids to be strong and confident in their choices?

  “Tell him he’s a second too slow. We won’t get to the championships if he doesn’t pick up his game.”

  “I’ll tell him,” I said, my tone as dry as my mouth.

  Chapter 18

  Cormac

  “Great game,” I said, clapping Nik, then Cruz on the shoulder. Maxim was too far ahead to congratulate. “I invited Keelie down here. I’m not sure if she can come to the restaurant. She has to teach school tomorrow.”

  “You’re dating a teacher?” Adam cracked up and slid off the bench.

  I scowled, but before I could say anything, Maxim nudged Adam with the edge of his skate. “She’s awesome, dude. Now shut up and sign this sweater. We’re giving it to one of her students. Kid’s cute but has some kind of motor issue, and I think he’s bullied.”

  That shut Adam up—his younger sister had been bullied in school to the point she’d hurt herself. He grabbed the marker and signed. “What else are we doing for this kid?” he asked, all business.

  “Keelie looks out for him, and we invited him here. The sweater’s another level of security—”

  “I’ll visit him at lunch,” Adam said. “Sit with him. Make sure the other students know he’s my bud.”

  Maxim scratched his beard. “That’s a good idea. Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Because you don’t think,” Nik said. He whipped off his sweater and unlaced his skates. He lifted his head and glared at me. “You introduce me to your girl.”

  I smiled. “Will do.”

  “Well, if I think she’s cool, I expect you to lock her down.”

  I rolled my eyes. We didn’t always agree on how to talk about—or to—women, but the guys had good hearts.

  “What happens if I don’t get your seal of approval?” I peeled off my sweater, pads, and undershirt, throwing them all in the bin that would go to the center’s laundry facility.

  “Lucky for you, you have mine,” Maxim called over his shoulder. “That’s the only one that matters.”

  “I’ll let you know my thoughts,” Cruz rumbled from his bench.

  I shook my head as I finished stripping. The shower area had filled with steam by the time I entered. I went to my usual spot and turned the handle, groaning as the hot water speared into my battered muscles. Now that I was in my thirties, nothing healed as quickly as it had when I was an eighteen-year-old rookie. That’s why I had to play smarter than the new kids. I typically did.

  I winced, cupping a deep bruise on my right ribs. The hit by the opposing D-man late in the third period smarted—in part because it had allowed New York to score a goal, but also because he’d hammered me with his shoulder, and then his stick. The ref hadn’t seen that, just as he’d intended.

  I washed my hair and body, then toweled off, not wanting to keep Keelie or Andy waiting. Once I stepped into my street clothes—nice slacks, argyle socks (because everyone needed some style), dress shoes, and a button-down shirt—I ran a comb through my damp hair and grabbed my bag, phone, wallet, and keys from their spots in my locker.

  Cruz was already gone, and so was Maxim. I picked up the pace, wincing as my bruised ribs protested. I burst through the doors into the concrete hallway to find six of the guys lining up to take a photo with Andy.

  “Cormac! Yay! Now we can take it.” Andy beamed at me.

  I hustled over, planning to give him a high-five, but he rammed into my legs, wrapping his arms as far around my thighs as he could. I stroked his back as Keelie stepped up next to me.

  “Want me to hold your bag?” she asked.

  I handed her the bag and used that arm to clasp the back of her neck under the heavy weight of her hair. I pulled her closer and kissed her temple, inhaling her sweet fragrance. The woman Keelie had been sitting with glared at me, then at Keelie. Naked jealousy blared from her expression.

  I refocused on Keelie. She wore Wildcatters red and silver, a pretty red shirt with a little frill at the collar and a silver cardigan to keep her warm. That was Keelie—sensible but soft. I admired her trim legs in her jeans and enjoyed the moment, soaking in her warmth, even as I rubbed Andy’s back. He talked a mile a minute, clearly keyed up to meet the team.

  “You look good like that, Mac,” Maxim said. “You ought to get yourself a family.”

  I pulled back enough to look into Keelie’s wide blue eyes. Her pink cheeks were as adorable as her shocked expression. She was gorgeous. I already had a ridiculous obsession with the faint freckles that sprinkled her forehead—right where I liked to kiss her. Her lips beckoned me—slick and pink with just the right plumpness to press into…or bite.

  I smiled at her before I bent down and collected Andy. I walked to the center of the group of guys and smiled for the picture as my mind stuck on how much I’d love to be holding my kid right now—mine and Keelie’s.

  Chapter 19

  Keelie

  Cormac slid his hand against mine, fingers squeezing gently as he walked me down the now-quiet hallway toward his exit. Nik, the defenseman we’d been talking to, hurried on ahead.

  “Did you drive?” Cormac asked.

  I shook my head. “Marian drove. My car’s at my house.”

  “Good. That means I get to give you a ride.” He lifted our joined hands and kissed my knuckle.

  Last I’d seen her, Marian was talking to Cormac’s friend Maxim, but they’d since disappeared. I would have sent Marian a text, but she didn’t like me to “hover.” In fact, as soon as we’d come down here, she’d gone back to making biting comments toward and about me.

  Unsure what to do about her behavior, I’d chosen not to press the issue. But that had butterflies tumbling through my mid-section. I hated confrontation. Hated. It.

  Still, I couldn’t let Marian walk all over my feelings. Something would have to change.

  “Do you know what happened to Marian?” I asked.

  Cormac pursed his lips. “Yeah.”

  I raised my eyebrows in question. He sighed. “She propositioned Max. He declined. She…didn’t take that well.”

  My brows pinched. “Oh, no.”

  “Are you two close?” Cormac asked.

  Another wave of discontent rolled through me. “We met in college. She never had many friends. I know she can be sharp…” I turned to face him. “I’m sorry she embarrassed Maxim.”

  “Your friend stomped off, but she didn’t seem overly upset. I planned to tell you.”

  “Okay. Thanks. What about Maxim?”

  “Max doesn’t get embarrassed. At least I’ve never seen it. And don’t worry. We’ve all had practice turning down women.” He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “Some of us way more than others.”

  “Hmmm…”

  “For the record, you’re the only woman I want to spend time with.” He raised our clasped hands and kissed mine again.

  Desire ignited there and spread outward. “Okay.”

  We walked along in silence. My concern weighing on the moment. “You sure you don’t want to go to the bar with your teammates?” I asked.

  “I’m sure. I’m right where I want to be.”

  This man charmed me so effortlessly.

  “Thank you for coming tonight,” he said. “Having you in the stands, cheering for me…that meant a lot.”

  I practically bounced along next to him as I relived the goal he’d scored, my excitement shoving aside my concerns about Marian. “Are you kidding? That was so exciting! Man, the adrenaline rush.”

  He smiled, his face partially in shadows. “Did you play sports as a kid?”

  My good mood fizzled a bit. “I mean, the ones at school. I was very good at dodgeball.”

  “You seem like you have a favorite sport. Let’s hear it.”

  I released a long breath. “I always wanted to play golf.”

  “Golf? Huh. I would have pictured you as a runner or a swimmer.”

  With a shrug, I said, “I tried both—casually in elementary school before you had to pay all the money for select teams. I ran some in college because they gave me a scholarship, but we didn’t have enough extra money for swimming fees for me to be on a private team, so it wasn’t ever really an option.”

  “I knew you were a runner.”

  I frowned. “How?”

  “Those sexy legs.” He leered at my lower half.

  I laughed.

  “And I saw your trophies,” Cormac said.

  That made more sense.

  “Isn’t golf pricey?” He squeezed my hand gently, as if to soften the blow.

  “It is. I’ve only played a few times, but I love it. I love being outside, the strategy, the different clubs, whacking the ball—all of it.”

  He smiled. “I bet you’re cute in a golf shirt and those weird knicker thingies they wear.”

  I laughed. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t have a golf wardrobe.”

  He spun me around, wrapping his arms around my waist. His nose nuzzled my neck. “Go with me.”

  “What?”

  He walked us backward until my back pressed against the wall of the tunnel, mere feet from the double-door exit.

  “Let me take you to play golf. We’ll go on your next day off.”

  “Don’t you have games on the weekends?”

  “Yes, we’re traveling this coming weekend.” He grimaced. “And a good chunk of next week. But we’re back Thursday. Let me take you to play golf.”

  Licking my lips as I raised my hands, I settled my palms on his warm, thick biceps. I resisted the urge to squeeze the firm muscle. “I have next Friday off. Teacher in-service.”

  He trailed his lips up my neck and across my cheek toward my lips. “Perfect. We’ll hit the links, and I’ll take you to lunch after. Then we can go back to my place for some time in the pool and hot tub. Sound okay?”

  It sounded amazing. “Y-yes.”

  He kissed me. Cormac, I’d found, liked to seduce me with his lips, but also with his large hands and even his thick thighs. He lifted me, and my legs wound around his waist. He pressed me against the concrete wall of the tunnel, his hips settled into the V of my spread thighs. His lips glided over mine as he nibbled, licked, and nuzzled. I slid my fingers into the hair at the back of his neck and held on, tilting my head to give him better access to my mouth. He moaned and pressed himself more firmly against my core.

  “Oh, Keelie,” he murmured, expression darkening with heat and promise. “What I want to do with you…” He pulled back, letting me ease my legs to the ground. He took my hand once more and kissed the back again. “But I’ll start with another date and kicking your ass at golf.”

  Chapter 20

  Cormac

  I missed Keelie that night after I’d dropped her at home, so I texted her before I fell asleep.

  Her response was waiting for me in the morning: I like holding you, Cormac. But I like kissing you more.

  I grinned as I sauntered into my bathroom to get ready for our morning skate. Then the team would fly out for a four-day road trip.

  On the way to the arena, Keelie texted me again. After I parked, I checked my phone. A pleased smile flashed across my face as I saw the photo of her crouched down, her cheek pressed to Andy’s as he held up the sweater we’d signed.

  Maxim tapped on my window, so I opened the door, snagging my keys and bag. “Looks like we did some good work last night.”

  “We fucking owned New York—awwwww...” Maxim’s face melted into soft goo as he took in the picture.

  “That face better be for the cute kid and not my girl.”

  “She’s sexy, but he’s awesome.”

  As I chuckled, I relaxed. I needed to get a grip. Jealousy was a new feeling for me—maybe because I was the catch in high school when Shannon and I started dating. I scowled as I fell into step next to Cruz. Shannon had remained faithful until we’d separated, and I believed her when she’d told me she still loved me. Granted, we’d been finalizing our divorce, but she hadn’t pushed for any of my money or investments. I’d given her the condo, and she still lived there, but she’d left our marriage with only what she’d brought to it. I respected her for that.

  But not for fucking Dukovsky. I’d never forgive her for that. Nor him.