Chapter 54

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Lola

Surrounded by thousands of fans, Jordy takes my hand, leading me onto the red carpet they rolled out on the ice for tonight’s reveal.

“Don’t be nervous.” Squeezing my fingers, he waves at the crowd as he skates beside me along the edge of the carpet. We walk to the end, where there is a single hockey puck waiting.

Three days ago, we found out the gender of our baby. Well, we asked the sonographer to place the gender inside an envelope which we gave to Wade, who organized tonight’s gender reveal before the game.

Jordy removes his helmet and lays it on the carpet, then presses his lips to mine for much longer than he should, making the crowd wolf-whistle and cheer. “Stay here, okay?” If you could capture an image of happiness, Jordy’s face would be it, because I’ve never known anyone as happy about becoming a father as he is. Well, aside from Wade, that is.

“Ready to find out what we’re having?” He beams down at me.

“Yeah.” Excitement is buzzing around the arena, the energy electric with anticipation.

I’ve never been one to seek the spotlight, but now I don’t care. I want the world to know who I belong to and all about the beautiful life we’re building together.

The fanfare before every game is always fun, but tonight feels different because we are the reason for the rising volume. The fans begin to follow the countdown on the overhead Jumbotron as Jordy moves the puck with his stick to an open space.

He looks back at me and gives me a sexy wink before getting into position to hit the gender reveal puck, and his team begin banging their sticks against the ice from where they stand in a semi-circle behind him.

Fiddling with my single solitaire engagement ring that cost more than my ex stole from me, my palms become clammy, the suspense almost too much to bear.

The crowd grows louder as they reach the final countdown…

3…

2…

1…

Jordy bolts toward the puck and smacks it with his stick with an almighty whack making it explode into a cloud of pink smoke as the crowd goes crazy while “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice plays through the sound system making me burst into a fit of giggles.

Jordy punches the air with his stick and skates over to me wearing a grin wider than the sun. “We’re having a girl.” Tossing his stick away, he throws down his gloves, then wraps his arms around my waist and spins me around on the ice.

Lowering me to the ground, he kisses me for what feels like forever, the two of us too lost in each other to care about where we are. He finally breaks our connection when his team members huddle around us.

“Have you thought about a name?” Wade asks from my side, my focus locked on Jordy the entire time.

“Blossom.” It’s a name I stumbled across the other day in a magazine, and it stuck. Had it been a boy, it would have been Ritchie, after my father.

Jordy’s eyes soften around the edges, glazing over as if he’s about to cry. “Blossom,” he repeats.

“Yeah. Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

I grin back at my big handsome man. “I love you, Wingman.”

“I’m the best Wingman you ever had.”

Yes, he is.

And the best rebound a girl could wish for.