Page 30 of Ice Cold, Red Hot (Coldwater Firehawks Hockey #1)

SHEPHERD

Two weeks later

The annual end of season banquet hit differently this year. As I dressed, paying special attention to getting the knot on the tie I’d just bought exactly right, my mind floated through the past couple weeks.

My agent had come through—negotiating an offer with Chicago that most rookies would kill for, though of course my dad wasn’t impressed.

It didn’t matter though. The days of living my life for my dad’s ego or in some ill-fated attempt to preserve the family legacy were over. No one could carry that kind of load. My life was my own, and I was determined to live it that way.

I gave myself a cocky grin as I stared into the mirror, thinking of the other thing that had made the last two weeks absolute perfection: Celeste.

“Quit crushing on yourself, Renshaw. We need to go.” Griff appeared in the mirror behind me, looking remarkably nice in his suit. We cleaned up well.

He paused, catching his own eye and giving himself an exaggerated wink over my shoulder.

“Fuck, I’m hot.” He grinned at me as I turned.

“After this, wanna go use these suits to catch some tail? We could hit the strip downtown, pick up some older ladies…” He trailed off as he read my expression. “Oh that’s right. You’re married.”

“I’m not married.” I pushed past him, dropping onto the couch in the living room to tie my dress shoes.

“Might as well be. The days of fun and frivolity are over.” He sighed heavily as he sank down beside me.

“Hey,” I said, bumping him with my shoulder. “I was always leaving now anyway. Senior year, man. I can’t stay here forever.”

“You know I expect premium tix next season.”

“Same,” I laughed. I had every intention of coming back to watch the Firehawks play next year when I wasn’t on the road. Plus, Celeste would be here.

Griff’s smile dropped a bit as he met my eye, his face turning earnest. “Gonna miss you, man. But I’m glad… you know. For everything.”

I was about to respond, but he shot up off the couch. “Let’s go. We’re gonna be late.”

We didn’t have far to go. Our first stop was right across the hall.

I knocked on the door, and a second later, Nat pulled it open.

Her dark-rimmed eyes caught mine and she smiled, but then she saw Griff and her expression shifted.

Her eyes widened and shone, and then her lids dropped like she was trying to hide it.

Interesting .

“Nat, you look nice.” Griff practically stuttered the words and I slapped him on the chest with the back of my hand.

“Try again, dude. Did you see that dress?” I turned to the woman in front of me. “You look incredible, Nat. Really beautiful.”

She beamed at me and then smirked at Griff. “That is how you compliment a woman who spent hours getting ready for you. Thanks, Renshaw. You look pretty good yourself.”

As Nat stepped past me, I barely heard the last words because something else had snared my attention. Someone else.

Celeste stood in the doorway, her figure draped in a dark silver silk sheath that hugged every curve and yet still looked far too elegant for a college sports banquet.

Her hair was curled around her shoulders, framing her perfect heart-shaped face in a halo of softness.

And her lips were a deep, dark burgundy that caught my attention and sent images of what I’d like to see them on shooting through my brain.

She looked incredible—I couldn’t find words to express it.

“He’s speechless,” Griff laughed.

“I… I’m sorry, I am,” I said, finally finding my voice. “You look stunning,” I managed.

Pink tinged Celeste’s cheeks as she handed me her wrap and gave me her back to help her into it. “Thanks,” she whispered over her shoulder.

She turned back to face me and stepped in close, her hands sliding up my lapels. “You look amazing in this suit,” she said.

“Told you we looked hot,” Griff said, slapping my back .

“And you’re so humble,” Nat muttered.

“We better go,” Griff said, setting off down the hallway, leaving the three of us behind.

Nat rolled her eyes, and we laughed. After Celeste locked the apartment door, I offered each woman an arm, and the three of us found Griff downstairs, waiting out front.

“Is this how it’s gonna be all night?” Nat asked. “You, abandoning me?”

“I think Renshaw’s setting the bar too high,” Griff said. “Besides, we’re not dating. We’re just friends.” He turned toward the long dark car waiting at the curb as he dropped this line, so he didn’t see the way Nat’s expression faltered.

Again. Interesting…

“A limousine?” Celeste asked.

“Only the best for you,” I said, kissing her cheek. “And you too, Nat.”

“Thanks,” Nat said, sighing as she followed Griff into the back of the car.

The banquet was being held at a hotel in town, where the ballroom was set up with round tables covered in Coldwater’s colors — blue and silver. We took our seats and I let my gaze float around the room.

These guys were my friends and my brothers, but tonight they looked like strangers. Hair combed and dressed up, with family and significant others at their sides, everyone was on their best behavior. It was a far cry from the locker room .

We sat at a table with Stork and Hashimoto.

Stork had brought his mom, who I’d met at previous team events.

She lived in town and had raised him herself, and the pride in her eyes as she gazed at him caused a lump to form in my throat.

I swallowed it down, thinking how lucky he was to have a parent so proud of him.

Hashimoto sat with his boyfriend, Davis, and the smiles they wore told me things were going well there.

Everyone looked happy—despite a lost shot at the championships, we’d had a great season. These guys deserved praise and celebration. I was proud to be among them.

As we finished eating and our plates were cleared, Coach stepped up the low stage in front and took the microphone.

“Firehawks, families, friends,” he said, his voice ringing out deep and clear through the hushed ballroom. “Thanks for joining us here to night to celebrate the conclusion of a fantastic hockey season for Coldwater University!”

Cheers lifted into the air and Coach waited for the room to quiet again.

“This season had its challenges,” he said, his gaze finding me in the crowd and holding.

“But we persevered. As a team, and as individuals, and I’m very proud of every single one of you.

” His eyes moved away after he said this, but Celeste squeezed my hand.

That was meant for me, and I felt the words settle in my heart.

Praise from Coach was hard won, and I wouldn’t forget it.

He went on, noting the highs and lows of our season without specifically mentioning my own struggles.

He captured the bittersweet nature of the evening, the way every season felt like the closing of a chapter, or even the end of a book.

Some of these players wouldn’t come back.

Some would quit, some would get injured in the off season, some would graduate and consider hockey as just that thing they did while they were in school.

And there were a couple like me—guys who would go on to play pro.

“I’d like to acknowledge our seniors now,” Coach said as the speech wound down. “Let’s have a round of applause for Hacker and Spitalnik, who are both going to med school next year.”

When the hoots and hollers dissipated, Coach continued. “It’s no small feat to play at this level while focusing on pre-med and getting through the pre-reqs to even apply to med school, let alone get in. These guys are superstars, no question.”

“Wow,” Celeste, murmured at my side. I knew she didn’t know a lot of the guys on the team, and she was probably surprised to learn that some of them were as academically minded as they were athletic.

There were a few more guys going on to grad school, and a couple who had gotten job offers for the summer.

“We’ve also got a few players moving into the NHL,” Coach said proudly. “Keith Jones and Freddy Johnson, can you guys come up here?”

I watched my teammates rise and head for the stage, doubt suddenly swirling inside me. Coach knew my plans—had he forgotten about me? Or was this my punishment for all I’d put him through this season?

“What about you?” Celeste whispered.

Anger threatened to flood my veins, but I took a deep breath and held it in check. It didn’t matter. Soon, this place would be my past. Whether Coach decided to acknowledge it or not, I had a future waiting for me.

“These guys have made Coldwater proud and will carry that legacy into their future careers in the NHL with San Diego and Portland. Let’s hear it for them.” Coach paused, and the room exploded. I joined everyone as they stood, clapping hard for the guys on the stage. They’d earned it.

Griff was shooting me questioning looks, and I was doing my best to avoid his gaze. So what if the coach decided I wasn’t worthy of a mention? It didn’t matter.

In the long run, it just didn’t matter.

But it did hurt.

We all sat down, Jones and Johnson back in their seats as the room quieted. A few people were whispering, glancing at me. No doubt they had the same questions those at my table had.

“Shepherd Renshaw, will you join me on the stage?” Coach asked, turning his attention to me.

Celeste gasped and squeezed my bicep as she smiled at me.

“Yeah, he will!” Griff cried out, making everyone laugh as I stood up, nerves suddenly pounding through me.

I headed for the stage, and took a spot next to Coach, who was looking at me with an expression I’d never seen from him before. Were those… tears in his eyes?

“Shepherd,” he said, still holding my eyes.

“I don’t have a son. But I have a lot of family with boys, and I know that the effort of bringing those guys to manhood is no small feat.

I know that boys are tough—they test limits and push boundaries.

And the boys who are talented, who have a fire under their skin—those guys are extra hard. ”

I stared at him, unsure where he was going with this.

“I love every kid on this team,” he said. “And in some ways, I feel like I raise you all just a bit — taking nothing from the hard work of your parents, of course.”

The room chuckled, and I took a deep breath.

“But you, Renshaw,” he said, smiling at me fondly.

“I feel a little like I might if you were my son. Maybe it’s because I know your family, maybe because I scouted you so young—” he turned to the crowd.

“I’d picked this kid out for Coldwater before he hit eighth grade,” he laughed.

“Anyway, you were a tough nut to crack. But there was no favoritism at play in our relationship, I can assure you. You earned your spot as captain, just as surely as you earned your spot on that bench this season.”

“Don’t remind me,” I groaned.

“I’m reminding everyone,” Coach said, looking around.

“Because what you displayed this season—through your whole career so far, really—was grit, determination, heart… and finally, humility. By the end of our time together, you’d grown more than any player I’ve coached before.

And I take very little credit for that, but it still makes me proud.

Coming off that bench for finals, I watched you pour yourself into the game, but better than that—I watched you step back and pour your energy into the team.

You went from a solo-glory guy to a team player.

A true captain.” He nodded at his own words, and I struggled to keep my emotions contained.

“Your spot on the Chicago Storm is no surprise to anyone in this room,” he said.

“And let there be no doubt—not in your mind or in anyone else’s—the fact that you’re going pro has nothing to do with the Renshaw name, and everything to do with the way you played your final game at Coldwater. Congratulations, Renshaw.”

I was still processing his words when Coach pulled me into a hug, shocking the hell out of me. I stood still for a moment, and finally, found myself hugging him back, tears running down my cheeks.

Quietly, Coach whispered, “I’m proud of you, son.”

He let go of me, handing me a glass trophy on a black stand. “This award was voted on by the whole team. MVP.”

I stared at the symbol of this season, grateful to everyone around me, unable to think of a single thing to say. I lifted the award and said, “Thank you. I love you guys.” And then I hurried back to my seat before I broke down like a kid.

Celeste hugged me and Griff gave me a fist bump across the table as the other guys handed around the trophy.

More trophies were given out, and finally, the speeches were over and the DJ fired up the music. Celeste stayed by my side, smiling at me in a way that made my heart heat and my body thrum. I couldn’t wait to be alone with her—but I didn’t want this night to end.