Page 35 of Cross Check Daddies (Miami Icemen #3)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Ace

I stand in the middle of the locker room, arms crossed, sweat still cooling on my skin as I wait for the noise to settle.

The guys are hyped, buzzing, throwing tape balls at each other, and chest-bumping like they’ve already won.

I let it roll for a second. Then I nod at Leo, and he whistles sharply through two fingers.

“All right,” I say, stepping up. “Lock it in.”

Silence stretches out like a thread pulled tight.

“This isn’t just another regular-season game. You already know who we’re playing. You already know what’s at stake. But I’m going to say it anyway.”

I look around at every single one of them. Leo on my left. Tanner leaning forward with both elbows on his knees. Beau. Mason. Kieran. Deke. The full crew is locked in.

“They’re coming out mean tonight. They’re not just playing to win—they’re playing to remind us who they think we are. But they don’t know what we’ve built here. This team is more than speed and muscle. It’s family.”

I pause.

“You give them nothing. You play clean. You play smart. But you don’t back down for a second. Understood?”

A wall of voices answers at once. “Yes, Coach.”

I clap Leo on the back. He adds the stats, the plays, the numbers, and I feel the heat building in the room again. This team’s ready. My team is ready.

The game is brutal. Fast. The first period, we trade goals back and forth. Tanner and Aaron nearly go at it by the second, but Ryder holds. Barely. I see the tightness in his jaw every time Aaron lines up beside him. But he doesn’t swing. He plays.

Tanner scores the tying goal halfway through the third, and that sets the tone. The crowd is losing it. The energy’s sharp, electric, climbing with every second. I glance toward the suite, and there she is.

Brooke.

Wearing that dress. Holding Jackson on her lap. Ivy beside her.

Her eyes are on us, locked in. And when we score again with sixty seconds on the clock, she jumps to her feet and cheers like she’s all in. I’ve never seen anyone look prouder.

Final buzzer. We win.

I don’t celebrate long. I head straight off the ice because I know what comes next.

The post-game event is flawless at first. Massive banners drop from the rafters— ICEMEN: FROSTBITE glowing against icy lighting, the crowd already pulling out phones to capture the moment. Media everywhere. Big screens rolling promo footage. The applause is deafening.

Brooke is supposed to take the mic.

She smiles, steps forward. She looks nervous as she pushes her hair back. She only manages to say three words, “Congratulations, Miami Icemen…”

I see her sway. See the glassiness hit her eyes. I’m moving before she even hits the floor.

I catch her.

People rush to help. Ivy is shouting her name, already dialing 911. Cam and Tanner push through the crowd, shouldering people back like a shield. Jackson screams. Ivy scoops him up, holding him tight, whispering reassurances.

Brooke is barely conscious in my arms, head limp against my chest, her hand clutching at my shirt like her body won’t let go even if her mind is fading.

“It’s okay,” I whisper. “I’ve got you. You’re okay.”

At the hospital, everything is sterile. The chairs are stiff, the coffee is cold, and the clock never moves. I sit beside her bed while monitors beep steadily and the IV drips slowly.

She’s pale. Exhausted. Still wearing that dress, now rumpled and too thin for how cold she must be.

Cam paces. Tanner hasn’t spoken since we got here. Ivy took Jackson to grab something to eat a while ago. He didn’t want to leave, but she promised she’d explain.

The doctor finally comes in.

“Severe dehydration,” she says. “Stress. Low iron. You’ve been burning yourself out.”

Brooke nods like she already knew this was coming.

“But you did the right thing coming in when you did,” the doctor continues. “You’re stable now. You just need rest.”

Brooke nods again, but her eyes are glassy.

“The good news is, the baby is fine.”

Her whole body shudders with relief. Cam closes his eyes. Tanner lets out a breath. I think we all do.

But then the doctor glances at the chart again.

“Babies, actually.”

Silence.

Brooke stares.

Tanner stiffens.

Cam turns to face the doctor fully.

I blink, sure I misheard.

“Twins,” she confirms.

Brooke’s hand flies to her stomach just as Cam slides into the chair beside her. His face is unreadable.

“Is that... safe?” he asks.

The doctor softens her tone. “It will be. But we’ll need to monitor things more closely. I read in your file that you had a high-risk pregnancy before. Placental issues?”

Brooke nods, lips pressed tight. “With Jackson. I had early contractions, and there was… a lot of bleeding. It was rough.”

“You’re stronger now,” the doctor says. “And we’ll take every precaution. But you have to take care of yourself. Starting now.”

Brooke nods again, but I can see the panic setting in. She’s swallowing hard. She blinks too fast.

Tanner stands and walks to the side of her bed, gently brushing his hand along her arm. “You’re not doing this alone.”

Cam leans in. “Whatever you need. Whatever it takes.”

I move closer and take her hand. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

Brooke’s voice is small. “I need a minute.”

We all step back.

“I need to talk to Jackson,” she adds, barely louder than the IV drip. “Alone.”

Cam squeezes her foot as he passes. Tanner kisses her forehead and murmurs something I don’t catch. I pause at the door. Her hand is still on her stomach, still curled around the unknown.

“You scared the hell out of me,” I whisper.

She gives me a faint, watery smile. “Yeah. I scared myself too.”

I press my lips to her fingers, then to the inside of her wrist. She doesn’t pull away.

Leo texts me just as I step into the hallway: Game’s already trending. Frostbite’s flying. You did it.

But all I think about is how pale she looked before she fell. How cold her hand was in mine. How tightly she held on.

She’s carrying twins.

She nearly collapsed under the pressure of it all.

And we let her.

Not again.

She’s not just carrying babies.

She’s carrying our future.

And none of us is leaving her side.