Page 44 of Lucky Shot (Moonshot Hockey #1)

NICK

“Nick said you’re going to some sort of book convention after this,” Shep says to Ruby.

“That’s right.” Her smile widens. She’s been nothing but big, happy smiles all night long as the guys pepper her with questions about what comes next for her.

The poker game was abandoned long ago, and we moved outside to the back patio. Ruby’s on my lap and the rest of the group is sitting around us in a circle.

“Sucks that we have camp.” D-Low tips his beer up and takes a drink before adding, “I’d love to go to that.”

“I’ll get you tickets to another one,” she says. “If you want.”

“Definitely,” D-Low and Trav say at the same time.

She rests her back against my chest and I soak it all in. It’s been the perfect night, but it’s coming to an end and I’m not ready.

“Did you figure out what you’re going to write next?” D-Low asks.

She lets her head fall to the side and stares up at me. We share a smile before she glances back at him. “I did.”

“What’s that look? I don’t like these secret looks,” Travis says, waggling a finger between us.

I flip him off behind her back and pull her farther onto my lap.

“I took your advice,” she says to D-Low.

He thinks for a second and then his face lights up. “You’re writing a sequel to Love Bites ?”

“Yep.”

“Badass.” He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, giving Ruby all his attention. “Tell me everything.”

“Well…” she starts, grinning back at him. “I kept thinking about what you said. It’s so obvious. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it.”

D-Low waves it off but he’s smiling. “You’d have come up with it eventually. Xander’s alive then?”

“I’m going to grab you another drink,” I say softly, pressing my lips to her temple.

“Okay.” She turns to kiss me proper before moving off my lap. I stand with her empty glass. She settles back in my spot, and I head inside and fill her flute with champagne.

On the way back out, I pause in the doorway and take in the scene.

My closest friends are all here tonight: Trav, Shep, D-Low, and Penn. All of them wanted to say goodbye to Ruby and they’ve given her a hell of a send-off. They went in together and bought her a pair of skates, complete with sparkly laces.

Travis also brought her a jersey—his, of course. D-Low brought his copy of Love Bites for her to sign, Penn showed up with Dom Perignon in a blinged-out, diamond encrusted bottle that made Ruby smile bigger than I’ve ever seen, and Shep pulled her into a bear hug that had them both blushing.

Earlier, Aidan sat outside with us and played guitar for us. He was even taking requests, although my friends were nice enough to ask him to play songs they knew he could do. He’s come a long way this summer. Dad has even stopped wearing his headphones while he practices.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been happier. Or sadder.

Travis stands from the rest of the group and walks over to me. “You good?”

“Yeah,” I say, unconvincing even to my own ears. My body is wound tight with too many warring emotions. I’m so glad for the time we had, and I wouldn’t change a thing, but it sucks that she’s going. Every minute, every conversation is leading toward it, and I can’t stop it.

“She’s really leaving, huh?”

“Of course she is.” As much as I hate it.

“I really thought…”

“What?”

He hesitates a beat, head bobbing to either side. “Look, I know. It’s crazy. You barely know each other, blah, blah, blah. But I really thought you two were endgame.”

“I thought you were determined to be her endgame.”

“I decided to let you have this one.”

I bark out a laugh and a smirk appears on his face.

“How nice of you,” I say with a shake of my head, but despite the joking nature of our conversation, I’m filled with a sinking sensation of dread throughout my body.

“It is. Very nice. So don’t make me regret it.” He backhands me square in the chest and then leaves me standing by myself. He makes a beeline to Ruby, draping an arm around her shoulders.

I think my friends are as in love with her as I am.

Fuck. I’m in love with her. Of course, I am. How could I not have fallen for her? I drag two fingers over my chest to loosen the tightness that’s worked its way there.

Is there really a chance she might stay if I asked? It feels like too much to ask someone to give up. Especially her. She deserves it all. I can’t leave my family and career so how could I think she’d do that for me?

Laughter fills the air as they all guffaw at something Ruby said. She looks up and scans the deck until she finds me.

I move toward her. She shifts to let me sit behind her and I hand her the champagne flute before taking my seat and gathering her back into my lap.

She stares at me for a beat like she’s analyzing my expression. I can’t guess what she sees.

“Thank you for this,” she says quietly then presses her lips to mine.

“You’re welcome.” I glide one hand around the side of her neck, fingers combing through a section of her hair. My gaze drops to her chest and up.

Her lips lift and twist with amusement. “Your eye twitches every time you look at Travis’s jersey.”

“You just had to put it on, didn’t you?”

“It would have been rude not to,” she insists, but she has a devilish glint in her eyes.

I close the distance between our faces until my lips cover hers. “I think you’re full of shit, Red. I think you like pushing my buttons.”

“Is that what I’m doing?”

I nip at her bottom lip, then, because I can’t fucking resist her, even in Trav’s jersey, slant my mouth over hers and kiss her hard.

She leans into me, resting a hand on my chest, as she kisses me back with the same fierceness.

All week it’s been like this. Every kiss feels more frantic than the last.

“I think I’m going to head out,” Penn says. He stands slowly, aiming a smile at Ruby. “Good luck with everything.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re coming back next summer, right?” Trav asks, voice almost a whine.

She laughs. “I just might.”

“I hope so,” he says.

“Me too,” Penn adds.

She gets up to hug the big goalie and that sets off a chain reaction. Shep and D-Low say their goodbyes next, then Trav.

“I’m going to text you the next time I’m in Arizona,” he says, rocking side to side as he hugs her way longer than necessary.

“You better,” she replies.

When he pulls back, my best friend looks almost as heartbroken as I feel.

He looks over to where Aidan has wandered back outside and is trying to catch lightning bugs between his hands.

“A-bomb. You want to stay at my place tonight? I got a new video game and I need someone to teach me how to play it.”

“Really?” Aidan’s eyes widen and he looks hopefully toward me before flinging himself across the deck to stand in front of me.

“Yeah, it’s okay with me. Behave yourself.”

“I will,” he says.

“I was talking to Trav.” I rustle his hair. “Say bye to Ruby. She’s leaving in the morning.”

Aidan’s smile drops and he moves over in front of Ruby.

She squats down to his level. “Thanks for being my writing soundtrack all summer. I couldn’t have finished the book without you.”

His smile lifts back in place. “Thanks for teaching me how to make cookies and being so funny on the ice.”

I fight a laugh, but one slips free from Ruby’s lips. “You’re welcome.”

He steps forward until his body is nuzzled against hers, and she hugs him around the waist. My throat closes up and I swallow thickly.

As Aidan and Trav head out, Ruby turns to me. “Did he just burn me or was that just honesty?”

“The latter, I think. You brought us all a lot of joy this summer.”

“By falling on my ass?”

“Among other things.”

She drapes her arms over my shoulders, and I bend down to swipe my lips across hers.

“How do you want to spend your last night?”

“Just like this.” She rests her head on my chest.

“Do you still need to pack?”

She groans. I guess that’s my answer.

“You pack and I’ll clean up over here,” I suggest.

“Okay.”

Neither of us moves.

“Meet you in ten?”

She nods and with a reluctant sigh, steps back from my embrace.

“Better take off that jersey too, Red.”

“Why? I think I look cute.”

“Fine. Don’t, but be prepared to crawl on your hands and knees later when you’re begging me to fuck you.”

“Ooh. I pick option two.”

Fucking hell.

She tosses a sassy smirk at me as she swivels around, practically prancing toward the cabin.

I head back inside, cleaning up quickly and finally feeling like I can see a path forward. I want more of this, whatever she wants that to look like and for as long as she wants. We’ll figure it out.

I doubt it’s even been five minutes when I’m jogging down the back steps and cutting across the yard to the cabin. I haven’t worked out how I’m going to ask her, but I know what I want. I hope she feels the same.

She’s still packing when I get there. Her suitcase is overflowing and she’s shoving more inside. “How did I end up with more stuff than when I came?”

“Maybe you should leave the jersey here then.”

“Oh no. I’m wearing this home.” She pulls on the hem of it.

I go to her, stopping a foot away and tugging her the rest of the way to me. “Maybe don’t go at all. Problem solved.”

“I wish.”

“Me too.”

The smile she aims at me makes me think maybe this could work.

My pulse quickens and my heart hammers in my chest as I lace my fingers through hers. Can I really ask her to stay? Does she even want that? Living this life during the summer is one thing but once the season starts, I’ll be gone more than I’m home and Aidan’s schedule will pick up too.

“I was thinking…” I stop and clear my throat.

Her phone pings before I can finish the thought.

“Go ahead,” I say because I need another minute to figure out what to say.

She pulls it out of her front pocket and then pauses. “It’s from Molly. Probably just confirming my travel.”

Her gaze roams over the screen and her thumb scrolls. A tiny divot forms between her brows.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she says, unconvincingly.

“What is it?”