Page 36

Chapter 36

Declan

I dig into the ice, my muscles burning as I race to cut off the opposing center before he can make a clean play. Noah is right on him, shadowing his every move, pressing him hard against the boards, and I can tell from the way the rest of our team shifts into position that we’re locked in, closing down his options before he even realizes he’s in trouble.

Theo strikes first, his stick slicing in with a sharp, calculated poke check, sending the puck skidding loose. But before I can react, their left wing swoops in, snatching it up and pivoting toward the slot, already winding up for a shot.

I recognize the play before it even happens and push forward, dropping low just as he lets the puck fly. It rockets toward me, the force behind it enough to send it screaming into the net—if I weren’t in the way. The impact slams into my shin guard, rattling through my bones, but I don’t flinch.

Instead, I absorb the hit, angling my leg just right to deflect the puck away from danger.

Theo is on it in an instant, sweeping it up and bolting down the ice, turning the game on its head in a matter of seconds.

Now that the heat is off me for a second, my eyes drift up toward the stands, and almost immediately, my gaze locks with Hannah’s. For half a breath, the rest of the world disappears. She’s beaming, and just knowing that she’s here, seeing me do this, sends a rush of something fierce through my chest.

But then the crowd gasps, and my focus snaps back to the ice just in time to see Noah and Theo tearing down the rink in perfect unison, a flawless two-on-one breakaway unfolding in front of me. The lone defenseman for the Glaciers hesitates, seeming unsure whether to challenge Theo or protect against a pass, and that split second of indecision is all it takes.

Theo fakes a shot, then threads a lightning-fast pass across the ice, straight to Noah’s tape. Noah doesn’t even hesitate. He rips a wicked wrist shot, high and fast, sending the puck clanging off the crossbar before it sinks into the back of the net.

The red light blazes, the horn blasts, and the arena erupts.

The Glaciers try to get it back together, fighting hard for the last few seconds of the game, but it’s too late.

We’ve already won, and it seems like everyone knows it.

As soon as the game ends, my teammates rush to Noah, slamming him into the glass, pounding his helmet, a sea of bodies colliding in celebration. I skate toward them, the adrenaline still pulsing hot through my veins, my heart pounding against my ribs. Through the sea of bodies in the stands, I spot Hannah jumping up and down like a lunatic, clapping like she just won the damn lottery.

I fucking love having her here.

Even though thousands of fans are losing their minds for us right now, hers is the only voice I care about.

The only thing that would make this victory sweeter is if she was wearing my jersey. My number.

It takes what feels like forever for everyone to calm down, but once all the celebrations are over, we all head off the ice.

The guys shout and sing all the way to the locker room, and I join in with the celebrations, reveling in the moment. It might not have been me who scored the game-winning goal, but I know I was an integral part of making it happen—and keeping the Glaciers from scoring on us first. That’s what I love about being a defenseman.

The warm water feels amazing on my aching muscles as I step into the shower, but I barely feel it. Mentally, I’m still on the ice, reliving every second of the game—and the incredibly proud look I saw plastered on Hannah’s face. It’s all I can think about until I’m out and toweling off with the rest of the guys.

“Whoa, looks like someone’s getting a little too friendly with the puck bunnies,” Theo says from behind me, amusement in his voice.

I don’t know what he’s talking about at first, but when I glance over my shoulder, he jerks his chin toward my upper back. I tense, realizing he’s looking at the still-raw marks Hannah left on my back the last time we had sex.

“It… uh, it wasn’t a woman,” I say, my heart pounding because I’m having a hard time coming up with a believable alternative on the spot.

“Then what happened? Did you get mugged by a raccoon or something?”

“No. I… scraped my shoulder moving some furniture around in my apartment,” I lie.

It’s not very convincing, and I don’t think they buy it, but none of them press the issue.

Still, it’s frustrating having to hide my relationship with Hannah like this. I know she said she isn’t ready for a relationship yet, and I’m doing my best to respect that, but I hate having to keep it a secret. I wish we could just rip the bandage off and let the news out, but I’m not sure doing that would actually make life better for either of us.

I finish getting dressed and head out to the family and friends lounge with the rest of the guys. I’m not expecting anyone to be there to see me—I don’t have any friends or family in the area yet—but when I spot Hannah watching me from across the room when I walk in, my heart kicks against my ribs. I want nothing more than to cross the room and wrap her in my arms, but we both know we’ve got to keep our distance here where anyone could see us. Especially with coaches and her dad potentially around.

She gives me a warm smile that hits me right in the chest. I make my way over, careful to keep things looking casual even though every part of me is screaming to touch her.

“Good game,” she says, her mismatched eyes shining.

“Thanks,” I tell her, fighting every instinct to pull her against me. Standing this close without being able to touch her is fucking torture, but I get it. We both agreed to keep things quiet, especially around the team. That doesn’t mean I can’t hate every second of it, though.

I stare into her eyes a moment longer, hoping she can see how much I want her, before she excuses herself to chat with some of the wives and girlfriends nearby. We both know it’s safer this way. Smarter. But that doesn’t make it any easier to watch her walk away.

Frustrated, I slump down into a chair to watch Hannah chatting with the other women. It’s stupid to think like this since we aren’t even dating, but part of me can’t help wondering if she and I are ever going to be able to have what some of the other guys have with their women or if we’re always going to have to keep sneaking around. I’m not giving up on the possibility, but the more time we spend together, and the more I fall for her, the more I realize how hard it is to keep what we have a secret.

After a few minutes, I slip out of the arena and head for my bike. It’s not too late on the West Coast, so I decide to give my mom a call before I head home. She answers after just a couple of rings as I lean casually against my bike, the phone pressed to my ear.

“ Bonjour, mon c?ur! ” The smile in her voice is clear even over the phone, and it automatically brings a smile to my face too.

“Hi, Mom. How are you doing?”

“I’m a little tired, but I’m hanging in there. I was watching your game. That was an incredible goal Noah scored at the end. You did great work setting him and Theo up.”

“Thanks! I was wondering if you’d tune in.”

“Of course. I’ve watched all of your games so far. I’m so proud of you, Declan. I always knew you were going to do amazing things, but seeing you on TV playing in the NHL like this is almost a dream come true.”

I chuckle. “That makes two of us. But hey, while we’re on that subject—I’ve been thinking, and I want to fly you out here to Denver to see me play.”

“Really?” Her voice perks up.

“Yes, really. There’s a charity event coming up in a while that you could tag along for too. You’ll love Denver, I know you will. Sure, it can get kind of cold, and the elevation takes some getting used to, but it’s beautiful here. I can’t get enough of the mountains, and I think the clean mountain air here would be great for you.”

My mother clicks her tongue against her teeth, fond amusement clear in her voice. “I know what you’re up to. You’re angling to get me to move out there, aren’t you?”

I hesitate, debating whether I should be honest. But I know she’s going to see right through any excuse I make up anyway, so there’s no point. “Fine, I am. But it’s only because it would make me feel so much better to have you closer to me. You know, just in case anything happens.”

The loaded words hang between us for several moments before my mother sighs. “That’s sweet of you, and I appreciate it, but I don’t know. I’m settled here in San Diego. My life is here. I’m not sure I want to leave.”

“I understand. Maybe now isn’t a good time,” I say, deciding to drop it for now. If there’s one thing I know about my mom, it’s that she doesn’t take well to the hard sell. But now that the seed has been planted, I’m sure she’ll at least think about it, and maybe that will be enough to change her mind.

“So what else is new? Have you made any friends yet?” my mother asks, changing the subject.

“I’ve gone out for drinks a few times with the guys on the team, but that’s about it.”

I’d love to tell her about Hannah, but now probably isn’t the best time for that either because I know she’ll have a million questions that I won’t be able to give her answers for.

“Well, it takes time. But I’m sure you’ll find your people eventually. You always do.”

“Where do you think I get it from?” I ask, straightening and reaching for my helmet. “Anyway, I’d better head home. Is everything okay out there?”

“Everything is fine. You don’t need to worry.”

“That’s what I like to hear. I’m gonna let you go, but think about what I said, okay?”

“I will.”

“Promise?”

My mother sighs, laughing softly. “Yes, I promise.”

“Good. Goodnight, Mom. Je t’aime .”

“ Je t’aime plus . Goodnight.”

I hang up the phone, shove my cell into my pocket, and tug on my helmet. My bike’s engine roars to life as I turn the key, and I peel out of the player parking lot, heading back toward my condo.

The ride goes by fast, and I grab my bag from the compartment on my bike after parking in the designated spot outside my place. As I shove my keys into my back pocket, my phone vibrates, and I pull it out and swipe the screen to see that I missed an email while I was riding home. I tap to open it while I fumble with my keys to unlock the front door and flip the lights on inside.

It’s a message from Bear River High School, asking me to confirm whether I’m interested in giving a speech to their students.

I toss my stuff on the couch, staring down at the phone as I hesitate for a second. But a beat later, I tap to reply and agree to give the speech. As soon as I’ve sent it, my fingers move on their own, switching over to my text thread with Hannah and starting to type out a new message.

ME: Just confirmed with the school to give that speech.

The message flips over to “read” almost immediately, and I see her typing a response.

HANNAH: That’s great! I think the kids will love it, and it’ll be good for you too. I’m glad you decided to give in.

ME: That’s not the only big news. My mom might be coming to town soon too.

HANNAH: Oh wow, that IS big news! I’d still like to meet her if she comes.

ME: Definitely, I want her to meet you too.

The conversation stalls for a few minutes, so I take the time to put my things away and change into a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt for bed. When I come back to my phone, there’s a new text from Hannah waiting.

HANNAH: You were amazing tonight. I wanted to kiss you so badly after the game. I owe you a proper celebration for that win… and I promise it’ll be worth the wait. *winking emoji*

My body instantly responds to her words, and I’m grinning like an idiot as I type back.

ME: I like the sound of that. And thanks. Turns out, it’s pretty easy to play my best when there’s someone in the crowd who I really wanted to impress. *heart emoji*

HANNAH: Mission accomplished. Sweet dreams, hotshot.

ME: Even sweeter now. Good night, hummingbird.