The Romance Line (Love and Hockey Book 2)

Max

The thing about hockey players is we’re known for fast reflexes on the ice.

But sometimes people underestimate us when it comes to how we react out of the rink. Reflexes matter, too, even if you’re not wearing a mask or holding a stick. The second Everly tells me what went down this morning, I think fast. My brain whirls with ideas as I drive us over to The Sports Network.

Along the way, she’s telling me her plans for her meeting with her boss this afternoon. And damn, they’re so brilliant, they’re beyond brilliant. They’re scorching hot.

But I can’t let her do all the work. We’re a team of two right now, and I know how to help a teammate out. Sometimes you need to block, sometimes you need to shoot, and sometimes you deflect. But a good hockey player also knows how to do something else—how to set up a shot .

When we reach The Sports Network offices in downtown San Francisco, Everly shifts into work mode. I get that. She doesn’t want to miss a step when it comes to her job. Erin is interviewing me for a piece in the pre-game show, so Everly’s reminding me of my talking points as we walk down the hallway to the studio.

“And now that your episode on The Ice Men has been given the go-ahead, Erin will ask about that. I told her this morning about it, so she’ll include a mention in her segment. What I want is for you to say something like— this documentary is a great chance to show the daily routines of a goalie, what it takes to get into the mindset to defend the net every game . All of those things are exactly what The Ice Men will want you to say.”

“Got it,” I say, and fact is—Everly’s right. Those are great points.

I’m not going to say any of those things though.

When we reach the greenroom for the studio, she looks me up and down, and with a smile, she says, “By the way you clean up nice.”

“A shower and fresh clothes help,” I say, glancing down at my slacks and royal blue dress shirt.

An assistant calls us into the greenroom and mics me for the interview. When I head onto set, Everly follows, standing backstage, watching in the wings in case anything goes wrong.

I join Erin, sitting across from her in a chair with the bright lights beating down on us. She asks me easy questions about the game tonight, our opponents, and how the season looks. Then she says, “You’re going to be featured in The Ice Men documentary. Can you give us a little preview of what to expect from that? ”

I could use Everly’s lines right now, but I don’t. Instead, I say something else that’s true about goalies.

“It’s all about the ins and outs of being a goaltender, and the biggest thing we do is watch the game like a hawk. See plays before they even happen. And sometimes when you do, you have to set up the shot. Like this,” I say, then I barely pause before I say the next thing. “For a long time I never wanted to share my true self with the press, like you, frankly, or anyone else.” Erin’s eyes register surprise, but she nods quickly. That’s good, but I was barreling on anyway. This guy knows how to crash an event, after all. “I’m not a charming guy. I can be kind of unapproachable, but I think it comes with being a goalie. I don’t think people want to have a friendly goalie on the ice. I’ve been trying to change how I am off the ice though. I’ve been trying to be a little more accessible. A little friendlier. And there are a couple of reasons why I’m doing that. One is for my family. But mostly, it’s because of a woman. And that’s why I want to tell you a little bit more about who I am.”

Erin’s a pro so she rolls with the change. “Tell us about the real Max Lambert then.”

Here goes nothing. I don’t steal a glance at Everly, since I want to keep my focus on Erin as I share the truth of who I am. “Fun fact: I foster rescue kittens. Actually, I adopted one recently. She’s a tiny spitfire. She’s the sixth rescue kitten I’ve fostered in the last year but my first foster fail.”

“That’s adorable,” Erin says.

“She’s a hellion, and she has me wrapped around her little paw. Other things about me—my parents are teachers. I like to hang out with them. I like to spend time with my little nephew. My favorite place to eat is at a restaurant that my parents’ best friends own. I take online classes to keep my mind sharp, and I can and do destroy all my friends in poker on the team jet. And one of my favorite things to do is to watch movies and eat popcorn and spend time with…” I pause because I was going to say the love of my life . But my reflexes are really sharp, so I make a game-day decision and change it up. Might as well tell the whole truth. “My future wife.”

Erin’s eyes widen to saucers. “You’re…engaged?”

“Not yet. But soon. I will be,” I say, believing it completely. “There’s a woman I’m madly in love with. It’s the kind of love that makes you get on TV and tell everyone. The kind that makes you want to do whatever it takes for her. The kind that changes you.”

I don’t name Everly. I don’t drop a hint as to who she is. I don’t say she works for the team. But when Everly walks into that meeting with her boss today, I want her boss to know that I’m behind her completely.

And I suppose in an hour when this airs, the world will know too.