Page 324 of Playing the Pucking Game

There’s another cheer from the crowd.

“Go, Coach,” Sutton demands. “You can’t win a game from in here.”

Coach nods before rushing from the room.

“Well,” Casey muses. “I feel like I might have missed something.”

Another laugh erupts from me. “I’ll tell you everything later,” I say, shooting a look at Sutton.

“Ugh, adult talk.” She groans. “We can still watch the game, right?”

“Of course. Let me get some painkillers and we’ll head right out.”

“Out?” Sutton asks excitedly. “As in, down the tunnel?”

“Uh…” I hesitate, because I don’t know if I can really take them down with me.

“Yeah, of course,” Casey says for me. “Just this once, though.”

“Oh my god,” she squeals. “We’ll be right in the action. Hurry, Parker, we need to get out there. We can’t miss anything.”

With a laugh, I slip off the table and walk into the office. The sight of Mitchell’s messy desk exactly as he left it gives me pause. I shouldn’t feel guilty that he’s lost his job. That’s on him though, not me.

After swallowing some tablets, I give myself a little talking to and head out.

As much as I don’t need the noise of the crowd right now. I need to be out there. I need Linc to see me and know that I’m okay, so he can play without worrying.

But more than that, I need to be out there for me.

This is my job. My career. And despite what one pathetic little man might think, I’m damn good at it.

With my head held high and my shoulders back, I walk out of the room and toward the ice with my girls at my side.

We’re barely there five seconds before Linc looks up and finds me. Relief instantly floods his face. He shakes his head, silently chastising me for coming out here, but before he takes off for the next puck drop, he blows me a kiss and mouths that he loves me.

And just like that, it’s business as usual.

80

LINCOLN

By the time we get in the car after dealing with everything, Parker can barely keep her eyes open.

I want to demand she fight it. I saw her go down. I saw her hit her head. She could have a concussion. I know it’s unlikely. The hit wasn’t that hard, but still, concern for her floods through me as I drive.

The moment I stepped around the corner and heard what that cunt said to her will live with me forever. I’m pretty sure I can speak for the others when I say it’ll be the same for them.

Handsy, Killer and I ran into the room so fucking fast, and fuck, am I glad I did.

Rage shoots through me, my grip on the wheel tightening enough to have my knuckles splitting open again.

I want to say that he was the only man I threw a punch at tonight, but that would be a lie.

Granted, he may have been the only asshole to deserve my wrath, but that’s beside the point. My adrenaline was pumping, and getting in one of my opponent’s faces was the only way I was going to expel some of it.

Fuck, it felt good as well.

“Almost home, pretty girl,” I say, despite the fact she can’t hear me.