Page 45 of On Thin Ice (Calgary Mounties #1)
Lincoln
When I first dreamed of playing in the NHL as a kid, I never once allowed myself to believe that I’d be playing in the Stanley Cup final.
But tonight, I’m halfway through the third period of the seventh game, in what is now the third Stanley Cup final of my career.
Even if this was my last game with the Mounties, I wouldn’t regret a single minute of my time with them.
Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about this being the last time I skate alongside my best friend, because Mikayla successfully negotiated a seven-year contract with the Mounties just before the end of the regular season, and I couldn’t be happier.
Before the ink on my contract had even dried, Adele and I bought a house just down the road from Seth and Kylie, and we moved in a week ago.
Well, Adele handled most of it, because I was in Florida for the fourth game of the cup.
Thank God she already knew what she was getting into when she agreed to take me back, because we’ve barely gotten to see each other over the last few weeks.
And not just because of my busy schedule.
The tours that she put together for younger travellers have proven to be the most successful ones her family’s business has ever had, and she’s been run off her feet organizing everything, as well as training the new staff they’ve brought on board.
It’s been amazing watching her find her passion for the job again, and she falls into bed beside me every night with a smile on her exhausted face.
Tonight, she’s sitting in the family box alongside Milo, Kylie, my mother, and Seth’s parents. I’ve caught her eye through the glass several times, her bright smile making me feel like the luckiest guy in the world.
Which I am. Because even if we lose tonight, I still get to go home with her.
But we’re not going to lose. We’re up by two goals, and if we can just keep Florida away from Dean for the next few minutes, we’ll be holding that cup high once the final buzzer sounds.
Seth flicks the puck towards me as I streak down the ice, and I send it flying over to Riley just as the Florida captain, Deacon, slams into me.
I manage to stay upright, ignoring the pain in my ribs from being smacked into the boards earlier, and take off after Riley.
The three of us pass the puck back and forth in the offensive zone, searching for a way past their defence as the seconds tick by.
As Seth sends it to me again near the boards, I see an opening towards the crease and drive the net with a quick shot.
Their goalie stretches his blocker but just misses, and my arms go up to celebrate as the puck hits the twine.
Seth and Riley streak towards me from both sides, hugging me, before Pieter and Michael join us.
With only three minutes left, it’s almost impossible for them to catch up now, even with their goalie pulled for an extra attacker.
Ollie uses the opportunity to shoot for the empty net from centre ice, and the crowd erupts for one more goal.
When that final buzzer goes off, my teammates and I take to the ice, waving the Mounties flag high above our heads.
We’re soon joined by our families, and I pull Adele into my arms, lifting her off the ground to kiss her.
“That was the best game I’ve ever seen,” she yells, clinging to me tightly as everyone around us celebrates.
“I can’t wait to take you home and show you just how much I appreciate everything you’ve put up with over the last few weeks,” I reply, and she tips her head back as she laughs.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Seth lift Kylie in a similar way and laugh when she shrieks. She’s still not particularly comfortable on the ice, with or without skates, but there’s no way he’ll let her fall.
Milo slides around on the ice, followed closely by Pieter’s twin toddlers, who seemed to have developed an obsession with my four-legged fur child.
I’m happy to let him get in the play time with them, because it’s the closest he’ll be getting to kids - unless Seth and Kylie start popping out tiny humans soon.
Adele and I have already decided that, although maybe marriage might one day be on the cards, we are more than content with our family as it is, neither one of us feeling even remotely clucky.
We’ve perfected the roles of cool uncle and aunt to my baby niece whenever my sister comes to town, and that’s enough for us.
“Thank you,” I say, kissing Adele on the cheek before putting her back down.
“What for?” she asks, peering up at me.
“For giving me everything I never knew I wanted, and being everything I needed.”
She grins, biting her lip in the way she knows drives me wild, a promise of what the rest of the night has in store twinkling in her eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
We share another kiss, before she waves me off to join the rest of my teammates as Seth hoists the cup over his head, and I know this moment is going to be hard to top.
But I’m looking forward to every minute, with this team and with the woman who brought me to life.