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“Good. We’re having a get-together with a few friends, so be sure to bring something nice with you.”

I roll my eyes. “A get-together,” in my parent’s book, is basically a black-tie cocktail party.

“Okay.”

“And nothing too short, Kate.”

“Nothing too short,” I repeat, already considering the tiniest dresses I have in my closet.

CHAPTER TWO

KATE

“The Blades are still high up on my shit list,” I say, pointing to the game on the huge TV screen mounted on Zach and Luna’s lounge wall.

“They should’ve made an example out of him,” my friend, Luna Johnson, nods in agreement. Her now fiancé, Zach Evans, is the key defenseman and the Scorpions' assistant captain. Eighteen months ago, and thanks to his manipulative ex-girlfriend, Amie, he took a dirty hit on the ice courtesy of the former New York Blades’ defenseman, Alex Schneider, and it left him hospitalized. Thankfully, Zach has been able to continue playing, but that hit could’ve killed him, and with the way Zach was unsteady coming into this season, he knew it, too.

“At least Schneider will never play again since no team wants to go within ten feet of a contract.” Luna sits back on the couch and crosses her legs, sipping her tea. “I hope we absolutely trash them tonight.”

“It would be poetic justice,” Felicity adds from my other side as our close trio sits on the couch armed with all the snacksand drinks we could find in the store. Felicity is the Scorpions’ captain, Jon Morgan’s fiancée, but he already refers to her as his wife. She’s also my best friend and colleague at Preston & Preston Law, although she’s a human rights lawyer. We spend far too much of our time drinking coffee in the kitchenette and putting the world to rights.

My mind momentarily travels to my parents and how they would disapprove of me having any time to relax, especially at work.

“Fuck. Yes!” Felicity squeals, almost toppling the bowl of sweet and salty popcorn over as she leaps up and pumps the air.

The Scorpions go one-zero ahead thanks to a crashing slapshot from forward Jessie Callaghan.

“Woah!” Luna gasps. “Look, this is a big game and all, but please, go easy on my popcorn.”

I chuckle as she leans down, grabs the bowl from the coffee table, and rests it safely in her lap.

She has an addiction, that girl.

But she’s right about the game, not the popcorn.

If the Scorpions win tonight, when they play the Blades at home, they are one step closer to the Stanley Cup for the third time in their history.

I’ve been a die-hard Scorpions fan my entire life since Easton has always been crazy about them. But my work schedule and constant studying have left me with no time to attend games. Only since I met Felicity several years ago and when she made a move out here with her then-husband, who we don’t mention since he’s the biggest dickhead there is, have I watched more games. Having two best friends dating and now engaged to the Scorpions captain and assistant captain definitely has its benefits.

Luna became part of our trio last year, and honestly, she completes us.

“Do you know what else will be poetic?” Felicity asks us both as she sits back in her seat, tucking her thick, wavy chocolate hair behind her ears. She glances at us both with her gorgeous emerald eyes.

“What’s that, babe?” I say, leaning across to grab a cheesy nacho from her plate.

“The final act of Jon’s career ending with him lifting the cup.” Her sweet voice trembles slightly as she says out loud what we’ve all been avoiding since Jon officially announced his retirement will be at the end of this season.

“Zach won’t talk about it. I think he’s still in denial,” Luna says, her eyes down and on the bowl of popcorn in front of her.

“It’s time,” I say on an exhale. “He finally found the girl, and now he’s ready for his next chapter.” I squeeze Felicity’s thigh softly.

She turns to look at me, her eyes a little glassy.

Emotions. I’m not good at them.

I roll mine in response. “Don’t get all sappy on me now, woman.”

Leaning forward, I swipe my wine from the table and take a sip.