Page 151 of Breaking the Ice

Gavin just hoped it was the scoring kind of retribution.

“Ivan,” Gavin said, giving the first line center a nod. “Get your guys out there.”

“We got this, Coach,” Ivan promised, exchanging a knowing look with Ramsey.

“Don’t lose your temper,” Zach reminded them. “You’ve got them exactly where you want them.”

Ramsey grinned evilly and smacked Brody’s back. “Believe me, I know it.”

Gavin couldn’t ever doubt Ramsey’s defensive bonafides. He was a smooth, effortless skater, quick and lethal out there, but when he decided he wanted to go on an offensive push, he was almost as effective. And he wanted it today, Ivan passing him the puck like they’d already agreed on this.

“Did you draw this one up?” Gavin asked Zach, who just shrugged.

“Well, I’d say by this point they know what they’re doing,” Gavin murmured. Also they were up 3-0, and they were clearlyhaving fun, so there wasn’t much harm if they wanted to work out something new.

Maybe some coaches were into that micromanagement shit, but not Gavin. He’d never been big into it, but this year had taught him to mellow in even more new and unique ways. It was why Zach had known he was perfect for this team—and they were perfect for him, too.

Zach grinned as Ramsey wove his way through defenders like they didn’t even exist, breaking ankles like he had been holding back before now. He passed the puck to Elliott, who shot it right back. “I’d say.”

Ramsey found an opening a second later, and the goal horn blared, making it 4-0.

The players surrounded him, pushing him into the boards as he laughed and pointed right at the bench at where Brody was grinning right back.

“Well, that went well,” Zach said, and that was the fucking understatement of the century.

Gavin couldn’t say he held his breath for the next ten minutes, because while they weren’t in the habit of blowing a big lead, weirder things happened.

Finn did give up a goal nearly at the end of the game, but it was a fluke, him shrugging a little helplessly as he pushed his helmet up after.

Mal shot another beauty in, right after that, going on a breakaway, keeping their four-goal buffer.

“That was damn impressive,” Zach said to him, leaning over him when he settled back down on the bench.

“No shit,” Elliott retorted fondly, his gloved hand patting Mal on the upper thigh and just resting there after he was done.

Normally Gavin might clear his throat, force Elliott to actuallynotbe groping his teammate during a game, but there was only a minute left, and maybe it made him a pushover, but he was too happy to say a word.

Besides, wasn’t his shoulder pressing right up against Zach’s in a way he’d normally never allow?

Gavin decided there wasn’t anything wrong with making a few exceptions.

Especially tonight.

And when the final buzzer sounded, he turned to Zach and the smile on his face lit up a space inside Gavin that he wasn’t sure anything had ever touched.

Pure joy cascaded through him, and he didn’t lean in to kiss Zach, but it was a near thing. Cupping his face and staring in his eyes, trying to tell him everything he felt, everything new and strange and perfect blooming inside him, while the bench dissolved into chaos and celebration, was enough.

“Love you,” Zach said roughly, leaning into his hand.

But it wasn’t just enough, it waseverything.

Epilogue

TheyhandedGavinthetrophy first.

He knew there was a protocol to these things—he’d literally sat through the meeting where they’d described to him and the opposing coach how the end of the final championship game would work, so everyone would know what to do, win or lose. But Gavin didn’t give a shit about protocols. He wanted to share this win with his team. WithZach.

Not in five minutes. Not when it was deigned “permissible” to pass the trophy around.Now, damn it.