SWNOVELS Pucking Sweet: Chapter 56
Tucking my popcorn bucket under my arm, I grab my Diet Coke, waving my thanks to the sweet redhead with glasses working the concession stand. As I turn, I see Rachel standing over by section 107 waiting for me. She’s looking double cute in tall, skinny boots and an oversized Rays jersey.
“Hey, honey,” I call out, weaving through this busy crowd.
I was so glad when she said she’d come to the game with me. I feel like I have a hive of bees buzzing inside my chest. I’m pregnant, and Mark Talbot is the only one who knows. There’ll be no telling my guys until after the game. Even then, part of me wants to sit on the news a little longer. There’s something sacred about it. Right now, this life-altering secret is just for me and my little chaos monster…and Mark.
Oh god.
I brush it off, smiling as I come to stand by Rachel. “Oh, girl, you look amazing! Kinnunen is just gonna die that you’re wearing his jersey tonight.”
It’s his first night back on the ice after his injury, and everyone’s watching to see what he’ll do. The Finnish hockey scouts are in town, eyeing him for a starting position on their Olympic team. News like that is the perfect thing to help overshadow Bryson and his sand dune escapades.
“This is so exciting,” I go on. “You know, this is my first game I’ve gotten to watch as a spectator? I’ve been running myself ragged this season.”
“Same,” she replies, taking a handful of popcorn from the top of my bucket.
We chat for another minute before Caleb Sanford comes weaving through the crowd carrying a big soda and a heaping tray of nachos. The thought of those salty chips has me salivating. “Hey, Caleb,” I call out to him. “Ooh, nachos! Why didn’t I think of that?”
Like Rachel, he’s wearing a Rays jersey. Suddenly, I’m feeling left out. I’m just in a Rays polar fleece zip-up and yoga pants with my little white Adidas tennies. How do you pick a jersey to wear if you’re dating two of the players? I think they make those cute “house divided” jerseys. Do those come in the love triangle variety?
The three of us chat as we make our way down to our section. Leo in ticketing got us great seats one row back from the glass. I glance around, taking in the charged atmosphere. It’s so strange to see it all from this angle. I’m usually up in the boxes, schmoozing all the VIP guests. From these seats, you can actually smell the ice, the buttery popcorn, the frothy beer. It’s enchanting. I can’t stop smiling.
We’ve missed warmups, so I settle in next to two bear-sized men with big beards and painted faces. Apparently, they’re brothers who run a construction business. And they’re season ticket holders. We exchange some laughs until the lights go out.
My heart does a backflip as the pregame music starts. This is my favorite part of the night. Jumping up and down, I grab Rachel’s hand, both of us cheering. Suddenly, the lights come up, and it’s like the ice has been transformed into a coral reef. I’m grinning ear to ear as the lights and music work together, creating a spectacle like we’re stingrays racing through the reef.
By the time the smoke machine starts, and the lights in the eyes of the mechanical stingray start to glow, I’m hoarse from screaming. The Rays are announced, and the starting six come shooting out. Our forwards, Ryan, Henrik, and Josh, race onto the ice first. My smile widens as they call Lukas next, followed by Jake. Ilmari is the last to take the ice. He doesn’t rush. He steps calmly onto the ice, and the crowd surges with excitement, thrilled to have him back in the net.
The main lights come back up, and the support team works quick to clear the ice for game start. The Rays are at our end of the rink, finishing their warmup. I can’t take my eyes off Lukas as he skates past once, twice. Can he see me? Does he know I’m here?
“Hey, 42,” Caleb shouts, his hands cupping his mouth. “You suck!”
I jump, eyes wide, as Jake slides to a stop, glancing over his shoulder at Caleb. Then he’s barreling over toward us, and Rachel is chanting “make it stop.” He slams both his gloved fists on the glass. “What the fuck, Seattle?” he shouts, glaring at Rachel.
“Compton, what are you doing?” I cry.
Are they seriously having a lover’s tiff now in the middle of a freaking game? Oh god, I knew this would happen. What a disaster. All around us, people are flashing pictures. Is anyone recording? Please say no—
“Take it off,” Jake shouts at Rachel.
“Maybe if you play really well tonight, she’ll wear your jersey on Saturday,” Caleb jeers.
Jake leans away, dropping his hands from the glass as those around us start to laugh. His eyes narrow. If looks could kill, Caleb would be dead. Frankly, I’m not convinced I wouldn’t help hold him down.
“I’m sorry,” Rachel calls, daring to look contrite.
“She’s totally not,” Caleb jabs, flinging his arm around her. “Go skate, douche canoe! Try not to embarrass her!”
Oh god. More camera flashes, more laughter. There’s no way people aren’t recording.
Lukas has caught on that something’s wrong too. He skates up to Jake and mutters something. Following Jake’s gaze up into the stands, he locks eyes with me. Heavens, how can one man look so beautiful and so angry all at the same time? Is my loving him really so hard for him to accept? Despite the chaos of how we started, we’re so good together.
I brace my hand over my stomach. For the first time today, doubt creeps in. If he’s this resistant to the idea of me loving him, what will he do when I tell him I’m pregnant and there’s a 50/50 chance the baby is his? Will he fight for us? Will he love us as we love him? Or will he cut and run, too broken and too scared to make a home with us?
Holding my gaze, he skates away, pulling Jake back with him. I’m distracted by Caleb jostling me. He throws his arm around Rachel again, pretending to give her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek as the guys in the front row laugh and point. I follow this new chaos to where Ilmari is standing at the net, mask up, glaring at them.
“Oh, my goodness, what is happening right now?” I shout. “We don’t want our boys upset before a big game!”
Caleb just laughs, dropping his hand away from Rachel. “Don’t worry, Pop. It’s just a little team-building exercise.”
I shake my head, a million fresh questions running through my mind. The last thing I knew, Rachel was still hooking up with Jake in closets. Caleb is Jake’s best friend. He has to know, right? And Rachel sits with Ilmari on the plane, but that’s just about his lucky charm thing, right? A lot of these players have weird superstitions. Lukas plays with two different kinds of gloves. Colton only has one brand of undershirt he’ll wear under his uniform.
I have to assume this is some kind of game. Caleb wants Jake upset. He wanted Mars to see Rachel in his jersey. Does he think they’ll play better or something?
My last question is answered as soon as the puck is dropped. In seconds, Jake makes his first hard hit, sending his mark sprawling down to the ice to the rabid cheers of the fans.
I look to Rachel. More importantly, I look to the sea of people around us, still eagerly snapping pictures and pointing. I’ve been working in PR long enough to sense some serious trouble brewing.
Oh girl, what have you done?