Page 62 of Breakaway Goals

Eighteen months later

It made a weird, twisted sort of sense that when Hayes won his second Cup and Finn won his first, the only person Morgan got to hug and scream incoherently about it with was Jacob Braun.

He never really regretted retiring when he did.

Except this one time. Not because he wanted to be the one lifting the Cup—he’d won his own, and he’d never been prouder that Finn and Hayes had just won their first together—but because he was stuck up in here in this stupid suite instead of down on the ice.

Couldn’t press his mouth to Hayes’ sweaty neck and taste the salt water of the tears that streaked down his cheeks.

Had only Jacob to hang on to. Jacob, who was still on the floor, where he’d fallen to his knees, five minutes earlier as Hayes had scored the winning overtime goal.

“Get up,” Morgan said, dragging him to his feet, laughing. “Come on, we’re gonna have to go down there.”

He and Hayes had talked about this—Hayes squirming the whole time, because he hadn’t wanted to jinx the Sentinels by assuming they’d win—but he’d needed to know what Hayes wanted.

Not just what the general expectations were.

Neither he nor Jacob were traditional WAGs.

They were both ex-players, and them being down there on the ice, after the trophy presentation, might not be what the team wanted. Might not be what Hayes or Finn wanted.

The last thing Morgan was looking to be was a distraction when the focus should be on the Sentinels.

But Hayes had looked at him like he was crazy for asking. “Of course I want you there,” he’d said. “And I can’t imagine Finn not wanting Jacob there, either.”

“What?” Jacob looked at him. His eyes were red, but he was smiling. Maybe even bigger and wider than he had when he’d won his own championships. Morgan understood that because he was pretty sure he was happier now than when he’d last lifted the Cup, seven years ago.

“We gotta go, man,” Morgan said, pushing him out of the suite. “Finn’s gonna want you down there.”

“What?” Jacob repeated.

Morgan laughed. “Are you alright?”

“I think. . .I think my brain is broken,” Jacob admitted with a wry laugh, scrubbing a hand across his face. “God, they did it, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, they sure fucking did.” And Morgan had been there for every moment of it. The good and the bad.

Morgan nodded at the security guy at the elevator. “Oh, Mr. Reynolds, I was just about to radio Dom to find you,” he said. “You and Mr. Braun both.”

“Nicky, you know I told you to call me Morgan, and I don’t even know who Mr. Braun is,” he teased.

“He really doesn’t,” Jacob said, apparently snapping out of his fugue state. They stepped into the elevator.

“Monty told me to make sure you were both there,” Nicky said as the elevator went down towards the ice level. “He stopped me specially the other day. Told me it was my job to make sure you were both there, even if you protested.”

Morgan laughed wetly. Put a hand on his face and realized he was crying now. Of course Hayes had. They’d talked about it, but Hayes had wanted to be sure .

“See?” Jacob said, his own laugh not very steady. “I think I aged ten years, watching this playoff run.”

Morgan looked over at him. “You look it, with that raggedy-ass beard.”

“Like yours is any better,” Jacob retorted but he sounded fond.

“Can’t wait to shave it off,” Morgan admitted.

Jacob patted him on the cheek. “Now you can. God, they did it. I’ve never been so proud.” He glanced at Morgan. “How do you stand it? Finn and Hayes?”

The truth was, he didn’t. He couldn’t. The pride and happiness was too big to be contained inside him, even when he’d learned to carry everything for so long. He’d never imagined he’d face something that would be too big for him.

But this felt like it.

“Not sure I can,” Morgan admitted, wiping away another tear. “I’m probably gonna embarrass everyone once we get out there. My son and my boyfriend, for sure.”

The elevator dinged. Nicky looked over at them as the doors opened. “You couldn’t, Mr. Reynolds. Hayes is so proud of you. Finn, too.” Nicky’s chin lifted, like he was worried Morgan might argue with him.

Morgan wasn’t going to.

He couldn’t really.

“This way,” Nicky continued, gesturing into the hall. Morgan could already hear the yelling of a celebration going on in the locker room.

But Hayes would probably be the last one out on the ice. And if Morgan knew his son, he’d be with him.

“God, I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Jacob muttered. “We shouldn’t—”

Morgan elbowed Jacob in the ribs. “Hayes told me he wanted me there and that Finn wanted you there, too. Did you guys not talk about this?”

Jacob winced. “We didn’t want to anger the hockey gods!”

“Jesus, logistics are important too,” Morgan complained.

They passed by the locker room, doors thrown open, raucous sounds spilling out.

There were still a lot of players out on the ice. Morgan could see them as they walked out of the tunnel.

“There you go,” Nicky said, giving them both a nod.

“Thank you, Nicky,” Morgan said, nodding his approval. “We’ll see you next season?”

“You better count on it.” Nicky grinned. “Have a good night.”

“Gonna be better than good. It’s gonna be great,” Jacob muttered.

Morgan elbowed him again. “Don’t wanna hear about that .”

One of the arena staff was by the entrance. “They’re waiting for you,” she said, gesturing towards the ice. And when Morgan looked up, there Hayes was, holding the Cup, smile on his face wide.

Just waiting for him.

Morgan had never moved faster. They’d put down a carpet to make the presentation easier on anyone not wearing skates, but he would have made it even without that.

They collided. One of them was laughing. One of them was crying. Maybe they were doing both.

“God, angel, you did it,” Morgan said, pressing himself firmly into his boyfriend’s side. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”

Hayes set the Cup down, like he, Morgan Reynolds, was the real prize. Gripped him hard, face wet with sweat and tears, and pressed their mouths together.

They hadn’t really been bothering with plausible deniability. The first time Morgan had been caught by a fan wearing his Montgomery jersey had pretty much destroyed that entirely. But this was a different level. This was a declaration, and Morgan’s heart throbbed with happiness.

He’d never thought he’d have this, and now he had everything .

“I love you,” he murmured into Hayes’ mouth. “No matter what happened. If you’d won. If you lost.”

Hayes grinned. “Yeah, but winning is a hell of a lot more fun, isn’t it?”

Morgan couldn’t deny that. “I’m gonna remind you of this in a year, in two years, in ten years.”

“Yeah, you’d better. Remind me that I can pick it up and I can put it down again, okay?”

“Always.”

Hayes nudged him. “Go congratulate your Stanley Cup-winning son, okay? He deserves it.”

“First full year as a starting goalie and he wins the Cup? I’m never gonna stop crowing about that ,” Morgan said, and Hayes laughed. “I will. I just . . .I want one more minute with you, first.”

“You can have as long as you want,” Hayes said. “I told the boys I wouldn’t be coming in, not until we were done out here.”

Morgan cleared his throat, emotion clogging it. “How about forever?”

Hayes put a hand on his cheek. “Sounds perfect to me.”

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My next hockey series is about the three Barnes bros – the Hockey Bros! – and will be out in summer 2026. Preorder Ethan here .