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The seconds on the clock tick down.
The goalie slides, raising a gloved hand. The puck grazes the tip before sailing past and hitting the net.
Ford claps me on the back. “Fuck yeah, baby. I could kiss you right now!”
Relief crashes over me as I laugh. My gaze slides over the cheering spectators before locking on Britt. With a smile, I point to her and the crowd roars its approval.
With a shake of his head, Hayes singsongs what he’d said earlier. “Tell me you’ve fallen for a girl without telling me you’ve fallen for a girl.”
I do the only thing I can and flash him a smile because I’m tired of denying it.
I’ve fallen for a girl.
I’ve fallen for my wife.
29
BRITT
A rousing cheer goes up as the Wildcats hockey team saunters through the door and into Slap Shotz. Hands reach out, stroking over their arms as people attempt to claim their attention.
Their adoration doesn’t bother me.
I’ve grown used to it over the years.
The strange part is that I’m not the one they’re clamoring for.
It’s Colby.
And his teammates.
My fingers are safely ensconced in Colby’s larger hand as we make our way through the bar. It’s been that way since he walked out of the locker room after the game and cut a direct path to me where I was waiting with Juliette, Carina, Viola, Stella, and Fallyn. Even Ava showed up to help cheer on the Wildcats.
This relationship is moving faster than the speed of light.
It’s both scary and exhilarating at the same time.
Part of me wonders if I’m ready for it.
Then again, I’m not sure how much of a choice I have in the matter.
I keep telling myself that we can take our time and figure it all out.
But Colby needs to hear the truth. I can’t keep hiding it from him. That knowledge sits at the bottom of my gut like a heavy stone. One that continues to grow with the passing of each day.
We settle at a couple of tables that have been shoved together in the back. When I drop down next to Colby, he pulls the chair closer until I’m practically seated on his lap.
Since Fallyn isn’t working tonight, Erin, the other waitress, takes our order.
Colby turns toward me and whispers, “Guess it’s all out in the open now, huh?”
I glance at him and find our mouths scant inches apart. My breath hitches with the need to close the distance between us and taste him. “Seems that way.”
It hadn’t occurred to me when I showed up at the game earlier this evening that everyone would assume there was something going on between us. People wear his name and number all the time and it doesn’t mean a thing. As soon as I took off my jacket and the girls saw it, I was bombarded with questions until I came clean and told them everything.
All right…maybe not everything.
Colby searches my eyes. “And you’re good with it?”
I allow the question to circle through my brain for a few seconds before nodding. “Yeah, I am.”
A slow smile spreads across his lips. “Good. So am I.”
He bridges the gap between us until his lips can sweep over mine. “I can’t wait to get you home tonight. Are you going to let me fuck you in that jersey and nothing else?”
The idea sends a thrill shooting through me. “Maybe.”
Heat blooms in my cheeks. It would be impossible not to think about all the ways he lays his hands on me and just how much I love it.
He nips at my lower lip before growling, “I think we can do better than that, don’t you?”
It’s only when my uncle climbs onto the makeshift stage on the other side of the bar that we turn our attention toward him.
“Our boys brought home another win tonight!” he booms into the microphone.
A deafening cheer goes up that nearly shakes the walls.
Sully raises his hands to be heard over the roar of the crowd. “And you know what that means!”
“Karaoke,” everyone in the joint screams in response.
A smile lights up his face as he nods. “You got it!”
His gaze coasts over the bar before connecting with mine. If he’s surprised to see me with Colby, his expression never falters. I probably should have mentioned it to him and Aunt Mary. They’ve been so good to me since I moved here. Kind of like de facto parents. It’s obvious that he loves both the Western Wildcats hockey program and the players. That being said, I’m not sure how he’ll feel about his niece not only dating a player but being married to one.
It only drives home the knowledge that I’ve been lying to the people in my life.
I glance at the man next to me.
Especially him.
A couple of Colby’s teammates lumber onto the stage and sing ‘You Got It’ by New Kids on the Block. It’s an oldie but a goodie. Ford jumps up and belts out Justin Timberlake’s ‘I’m Bringing Sexy Back.’ Carina just shakes her head, but it’s obvious that she’s loving every minute of it since he’s pretty much serenading her. Ryder drags Juliette up there and together they belt out Evanescence’s ‘Bring Me to Life.’ They’re surprisingly good. It’s obvious from the way they stare at each other that they’re in love.
