Page 7 of Love in the Net (Blue Ridge Buffaloes #2)
Liam turns around, and I go with him. “Ah, they’re here.”
His teammates come in the same door I did, and they’re all wearing their uniforms, sans helmets and skates, same as him. They start down the steps and join Liam and I and the dogs on the ice, and then Liam whistles.
“Let ‘em in,” he calls, and people start streaming in three doors on the side where he and the dogs had entered.
The rink fills faster than I expect, the sound of laughter and barking echoing off the high ceilings.
People stream in with their dogs in tow, and Jack Winters— the Jack Winters, the captain and center of the Buffaloes—leans over and says, “Every single person here paid twenty bucks to come for a canine and Buffalo meet-and-greet.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“Liam set it all up,” Jack says as Liam reaches the other side of the ice, where three lines have formed. He turns back to us and yells, “Jack, I need you over here,” over all the barking.
“My goalkeeper has found himself a love outside the net.” Jack grins at me and walks away, so sturdy on the slippery ice.
I watch as the Buffaloes start signing autographs, with Liam right in the middle. “This is a full-blown community event,” I muse as I migrate through the canine chaos on the ice. Chase stands down by the end where the net would be, and I see him handing out some very familiar bagged treats.
“Hey,” I say to him. “Those are my Cheddar Chompers.”
He smiles at me and hands another dog owner the treat, and a flyer. “Sure are.” He nods to me. “This here’s Claire, the owner of Pawsitively Delicious.”
The woman turns toward me, and she says, “I can’t wait to try it.” She takes her schnauzer and starts to leave.
“Liam bought out my bakery, didn’t he?” I ask Chase as he gives a man a Dog-nut Delight and a flyer.
“Yep.”
He thought of everything. My heart warms and warms and warms, and I know that my impromptu declaration of love is absolutely real.
I stay beside Chase, handing out dog treats and flyers and chatting with what I hope will be customers. People come and go, some staying longer than others, as the lines continue to build up in front of the hockey players.
“Everyone!” Liam’s voice booms through the arena, amplified by the microphone he’s somehow acquired. The chatter quiets, and all eyes turn to him. Even the dogs seem to understand they need to settle down.
He stands tall in his goalie gear, looking every bit the commanding presence he is on the ice, but there’s something softer in his expression as he looks at me.
“I just wanted to thank you all for coming out tonight. This event means a lot to me, and I know it means even more to Claire.” His eyes lock onto mine, and a blush rises to my cheeks as the crowd turns to look at me.
“She’s the heart behind Pawsitively Delicious, and she puts so much love and care into everything she does—not just for her bakery, but for this community. ”
My throat tightens, and I press a hand to my chest, overwhelmed by the sincerity in his voice.
Liam takes a deep breath, his gaze unwavering.
“Claire, you’ve reminded me that there’s more to life than hockey, more to life than the walls I’ve built around myself, more than trying to keep every puck out of the net and everyone out of my heart.
You’ve shown me what it means to care, to hope, and to love again. ”
The rink erupts into applause, but all I can focus on is Liam—the raw vulnerability in his eyes, the way his words wrap around my heart and squeeze tight.
“You’re everything I didn’t know I was missing,” he says, and he hands the mic to Jack.
I step toward him as he does me. “I feel the same,” I choke out when I reach him, and then I kiss him, right there in front of everyone. It’s deep and certain and leaves no room for doubt. The cheers fade into the background as he pulls me closer, his lips soft but insistent against mine.
Because it’s amazing kissing the man you love.