Page 6

SIX

KEVIN

The sleeve of my light blue button-down felt suddenly too tight as I fidgeted with the cuff. Tyler parked his SUV in the street. Henderson’s sprawling suburban property buzzed, with cars filling the driveway, and some on his lawn.

“You okay?” Tyler’s voice was low, his gaze searching mine. His hand found mine across the center console, warm and steady.

“Yeah.” I forced a breath past the tightness in my chest. A nervous energy pulsed under my skin. “This is a big step. It’s like we’re meeting dozens of parents all at once.”

It’d seemed like both an eternity and no time at all since Detroit. Now, we were about to introduce ourselves as a couple to the team. This wasn’t just nerves. It was the weight of something real, something I didn’t want to screw up.

“Now you’ve got me nervous.” Tyler winked at me and squeezed my hand. “We can still go in separately.”

“No.” My head snapped up, meeting his eyes. “I want to do this. With you.”

His smile bloomed, slow and genuine, sending a familiar flip through my stomach. He leaned across the console, and I met him in the middle. His lips pressed against mine for a quick kiss.

“Then let’s go.”

We climbed out. The spring sun was warm on my skin. Tyler came around to my side, his fingers lacing through mine again. The simple, public gesture sent a jolt through me, grounding me as we walked toward the party.

Rounding the corner of the house, Petrov spotted us first. “There they are!” His eyes dropped to our linked hands, then back up, a wide grin splitting his face. “About damn time, boys!”

Heads turned. This was it.

There were calls of hello, head nods, and smiles all around.

“Bennett! Kogan!” Henderson materialized, a cold beer in each hand, navigating the crowd with ease. “Grabbed these for you when I saw your car pull up.”

Tyler accepted the beers. “Thanks, Cap.” He passed one to me, the glass cool against my palm.

Henderson’s gaze moved between us, his expression warm, direct. “Glad you guys could make it.” He paused for a beat. “Together.”

The emphasis landed, clear and intentional. A wave of relief washed over me that it was that simple. One of the team’s parents just gave their blessing.

I took a swig of the beer, the slightly bitter taste sharp on my tongue. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

He clapped a hand on my shoulder, then Tyler’s. “Food’s laid out over there.” He gestured across the yard to a buffet set up next to the grill. “My wife made her famous potato salad—better get some before Petrov eats it all.”

As Henderson moved toward the throng of guests, Tyler leaned close, his breath warm against my ear. “If only every family introduction went that well.”

“Right?”

Tyler’s hand found the small of my back, a light pressure guiding me as we navigated through knots of people. We filled plates—burgers, grilled vegies, a generous scoop of the legendary potato salad—and took seats at a picnic table occupied by Petrov and his wife, Mara.

“So,” Mara said, gesturing between Tyler and me with her plastic fork, “how long has this been going on?”

Tyler glanced at me, a small, private smile playing at his lips. “Since the Detroit trip.”

Petrov nearly choked on his beer, sputtering. “Bullshit. You guys have been circling each other for months.”

My fork paused halfway to my mouth. “We have?”

“Dude.” Petrov rolled his eyes. “The way you two are around each other. The stares you think no one else notices. Then there are the accidental shoulder bumps during practice? We had a bet going on about how long it would take you to figure it out.”

Heat climbed my neck, burning under my collar. “You did not.” I took a large gulp of beer.

“Oh, they absolutely did.” Mara patted my arm, her eyes kind. “Don’t worry, I think it’s sweet. And for what it’s worth, this one said you’d get together after the season ended, so he lost the bet.”

Tyler burst out laughing beside me, a rich, easy sound that warmed me all the way through. “And who won?”

“Lawson,” Petrov grumbled, shaking his head but grinning. “Bastard said it would happen by the Detroit trip. So he’s the closest one. You just confirmed his win.”

I caught Tyler’s eye, the shared memory flashing between us—the hotel room, the falling snow, the first kiss, the blow jobs. I couldn’t contain the smile that spread across my face.

Petrov stabbed a piece of potato salad. “Well, I’m happy for you guys. And not just because you’ve been playing like you share a brain lately.”

As we finished eating, more teammates and friends drifted by. Every interaction felt… normal. Supportive. Entirely unsurprising to anyone but us, apparently. I’d thought we’d done a better job of acting like nothing had changed.

“Want to grab another beer?” Tyler’s fingers brushed mine as he stood.

I nodded, pushing my empty plate aside. We headed toward the coolers near the main grill. Coach Ryan stood there, deep in conversation with one of our goalies. He spotted us, raising his bottle in a casual salute.

“Bennett, Kogan. Good to see you.”

“Coach.” Tyler nodded, reaching into the icy water for two more beers.

Coach Ryan watched us as we stood close, then to the casual way Tyler passed me a bottle, our hands brushing again. That brief contact sent a familiar spark straight through me. A knowing smile touched Coach’s lips.

“Like I said the other day—chemistry. On and off the ice, apparently.” He raised his bottle again, a silent toast. “Keep it up.”

He turned back to his conversation. Tyler bumped his shoulder against mine as we walked away. “That’s Coach-speak for congratulations.”

Laughter bubbled up. “Yeah, I’m getting pretty good at speaking coach.”

We wandered through the backyard, the sounds of kids shrieking with delight mixing with classic rock from unseen speakers.

“Hey guys, thanks for helping me win the pool.” Lawson approached us, all smiles.

We all fist bumped.

“I don’t think you should’ve been allowed to participate,” Tyler said, and I couldn’t imagine why he’d feel that way. “You’ve got an unfair advantage since your boyfriend writes romance novels.”

Lawson laughed. “I do recognize couple energy pretty easily these days.”

“Wait. What?” I was confused.

“Come on, Shawn’s over there.” Lawson pointed to a small gathering across the yard.

“Oh wow, he’s here. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen him.”

“Yeah, he’s not on deadline right now. Plus, it’s the middle of the afternoon, so it turned out to be a perfect day for him to come with me.” Lawson turned to me as we headed over. “Shawn’s not much of a go out person anyway, and he’s gotten in the habit of writing at night. Put those two things together and he doesn’t come to a lot of team events.”

It was also cool to know that someone else on the team had a boyfriend. I guessed I would’ve known that if I had started making friends sooner.

“Tyler,” Shawn said, breaking away from the people he was talking to. He wrapped Tyler in a back slapping hug. “Good to see you.”

“You too. I’m so glad you came.” They released each other. “Shawn, this is Kevin Kogan, our newest player and my...” Tyler gave me a questioning look and I nodded, suspecting what he wanted to say. “My boyfriend.”

“Good to meet you.” He held his arms out and waited for me. I stepped into the embrace. It wasn’t as enthusiastic as the one Tyler got, but it was a good one for our first meeting. “Nick’s told me about you, and I’ve seen you play. You and Tyler make a great pairing. And congrats on your coupledom too.” He turned to Lawson. “Does this mean you won?”

“Yup. They confirmed it earlier with Petrov.”

“I’ve trained him well,” Shawn said. “That, and the fact he reads a lot of romances anyway.”

“My sister told me that our story could be a rom-com when I told her about us the other day.” I looked forward to telling Meg about this conversation. She’d love it.

“You should check out Shawn’s books. They’re fantastic.” Tyler leaned in and lowered his voice. “Plus, Lawson here is the inspiration behind one of the characters.”

“Oh, come on, the new guy doesn’t need to know that.” Lawson covered his face with his hand. “Anyway.” He stretched the word out, clearly looking to change the subject. “I was thinking we should go out for drinks and dinner sometime.” Lawson slipped his arm around Shawn’s waist. “Seems only fair to spend some of my winnings on you guys.”

“That’s a great idea,” Shawn said.

“Sounds fun,” I said as Tyler nodded.

We hung out talking with Lawson and Shawn and learned about how they met, also because of a snowstorm. It seemed an odd coincidence and made me wonder if other Blizzard couples also got together in part because of snow. Was there something magical about the team’s name? I made a mental note to talk to Shawn about that over dinner.

Eventually, we retreated to a quiet spot beneath the sprawling branches of an old oak tree, the late afternoon sunlight filtering through the leaves. The noise of the party was muted a bit here, even though we could still see the crowd. Tyler leaned against the rough bark, pulling me close until my back rested against his chest, his arms circling my waist.

“How are you doing?” he asked softly, his head resting against mine.

I nodded, leaning into him. Overwhelmed, yes, but in the best possible way. “More than okay. I can’t imagine announcing that we were a couple could’ve gone any better. I thought at least someone might bring up the fact that we’re on the same team. That we’re co-workers. What about you?”

He wrapped his arms around me. “I’m good. Though I’m a little offended that our mutual pining was obvious to everyone except us.”

I laughed, tilting my head back to catch a glimpse of his face. “Were we really that transparent?”

“It seems so.” Tyler’s smile softened, his hold tightening slightly. “I wish I’d known sooner. That you were interested, I mean. We could’ve had this weeks ago.”

“Maybe we needed Detroit,” I mused. “Maybe we needed to be stuck together to figure it out.”

“Or maybe we would’ve found our way here eventually.” He paused, his gaze holding mine. “Some things just feel inevitable, you know?”

Sitting against this tree, wrapped in his arms, the certainty resonated deep within me.

“I’ve been thinking.” My pulse hammered against my ribs. “These days we’ve been together have been some of the best ever for me.”

Tyler’s eyes softened, mirroring the emotion swelling inside me. “For me too.”

“And I know it’s fast. Ridiculously fast. But...” I took a deliberate breath, and adjusted so I could face him.

His hand found mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.

The truth, sharp and clear, broke through. “I love you, Tyler.”

His eyes widened, surprise flashing before melting into something warm. His smile was the widest I’d ever seen it.

“I’m in love with you.” I said it again. “And I know it’s probably too soon to say it, but?—”

“I love you, too,” he interrupted, his voice thick with emotion. His hands came up, framing my face, thumbs stroking my cheekbones.

He leaned in, his mouth finding mine. The kiss was soft at first, tender, then deepened, his lips moving against mine with a certainty.

A wolf whistle pierced the air. We broke apart, laughing, breath catching in our throats. Petrov was near the dessert table and raised his beer bottle in our direction.

Tyler’s eyes sparkled. “We should probably rejoin the party and save the rest for when we’re alone.”

I nodded, stood, and offered him a hand up. I didn’t know this barbecue would do so much to help cement our future.