Chapter 13

I 've been to a few hockey games, sure, but I never had a clue what was going on, and to be honest … I was bored. Sitting with Amelia in the special seats Logan reserved for us for a preseason game, I still don't know what's happening on the ice. But with my eyes on a certain jersey with the number nine and Sterns across the back, I'm anything but bored tonight.

It's the final period, and I am not going to lie and say being at this game has been completely easy. Amelia has been a little tricky to have here because she's three and sitting still for this long is a challenge. Luckily, with the help of Maddie and Logan's binder, I knew how to pack a lot of good stuff in her bag. Although seeing as he packed most of it before he left this morning, I really didn't need to.

I can't fight the stupid-ass grin that spreads across my lips when I think about this morning. Amelia slept in late, so when I was in the kitchen, fixing my coffee, he passed through and came behind me, cornering me against the counter. I craned my neck to peek up at him, and he kissed my cheek before muttering something about how he wished he had time to bend me over the countertop and make me cry out his name—which was completely filthy and unfiltered, just like him most of the time.

I wish he'd had time because between him traveling this past weekend with some of his teammates for work, practices, and reviewing game tape to prepare for tonight's opening preseason game, every second he's at home has been the three of us. Which I love—so much. But there hasn't been any sexy time, and I'm craving him something wicked.

During a time-out, I swear that I've dived headfirst into a hockey romance story when he skates toward us and puts his glove against the plexiglass. When Amelia puts her tiny palm against it, I think my ovaries might just burst inside of my body, and I have to fight looking like a complete weirdo as I stare in awe.

He smiles at his daughter, looking at her with the utmost pride. Then, his eyes shift to mine, and his grin widens.

"Looking good, Boston," he says, tipping his chin down. "The two of you might just be my good-luck charms."

Giving me one more extremely flirtatious smirk, he skates away, and my heart feels like it's being squeezed so tightly that it might burst into a thousand pieces.

And that's not good because this arrangement was only supposed to help inspire my spicy scenes so that I could give my readers something new and fresh.

It was only meant to be sex. I wasn't supposed to turn into the lovestruck girl in my book. And yet, as I sit here, wearing his jersey … that's exactly how I feel.

"Hey, Kolt?" I call out, skating behind him. "If two vegetarians get into an argument, is it still called beef?"

He huffs out a breath, shaking his head at me. "You get dumber every day, Sterns."

"What a dick you are, Kolburne," Tripp says but laughs. "Poor Sterny was just trying to tell you a hilarious joke, and you go and call him stupid." He pats my shoulder. "It was fucking terrible, Logie. But we love you anyway."

"Fuck you, assholes," I mutter, but still, I keep on grinning.

Our first preseason game ends with a win, but I don't think that's the only reason why I'm smiling like a complete moron. Something about having Amelia and Maci sitting in the stands together, both wearing my jersey … made my head feel funny, in a good way. Maddie brought Amelia to tons of games, but I never felt this sort of pride. And my heart certainly never felt like it was fucking swelling inside my chest—that's for sure.

Maci's brown hair is curled tonight, hanging in loose waves just past her shoulders. Her ivory skin had a hint of red along her cheeks when I went over to where they were sitting. Coach gave me a warning for that, but it was worth it, seeing both of them. Amelia's whole face lit up, and her smile made me feel better about her missing out on doing something more fun than watching her old man play hockey. I think I was showing off a bit tonight because I played better than I had in a long time.

Before my team heads off the ice, one of my opponents from the other team skates over.

"Man, why'd you have to go start my season off that way?" Cam Hardy grins, slapping my shoulder.

Cam is one of Link's best friends. They played at Brooks University together and have remained close to this day, despite Link living on the other side of the country. Cam is one of the greatest centermen ever to play professional hockey, but so is our center, Walker James.

I yank him in for a half hug and smirk, pulling my helmet off. "Had to do it, man. My kid was here watching. Couldn't go home a loser in front of her."

"So was mine, asshole," he deadpans but eventually grins. "I'm just playing, man. We'll get y'all next time. Count on it."

"All right, Hardy. I'll be waiting." I chuckle as he starts to skate backward, tipping his chin up.

Turning around, I look in the stands again and find Maci packing everything up before she lifts a sleeping Amelia into her arms. She doesn't know I'm watching, but as I take in the sight of her brushing my baby girl's hair away from her face and kissing the top of her head, I realize just how much we need this woman in our lives.

Maci might think there's nothing really going on between us, but she's wrong. And soon enough, I'll let her know it too.

And I hope to hell it doesn't scare her away.