Page 19 of Power Play Daddies (Miami Icemen #1)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Kieran

The energy in the rink is electric.

The crowd’s roar echoes in my chest as we step onto the ice. Miami Icemen versus the Outlaws—it’s not just a game. It’s a battle.

These bastards are cocky.

Beau skates ahead, slapping his stick on the ice. “Let’s light it up tonight, boys!”

“Damn straight,” Mason calls back from the goal. He’s already tapping his posts, laser-focused.

I skate past Tanner and give him a nudge. “Keep your elbows clean this time, T.”

Tanner smirks. “Can’t make promises.”

We huddle at center ice. Coach’s voice cuts through the noise, steady and sure. “Play smart. No stupid penalties. Defense, lock it down. Forwards, keep the pressure. Let’s fucking go.”

The puck drops, and the game explodes. Beau’s like a damn bulldozer, charging into their zone.

He snaps the puck to Asher, who sends it screaming at the net. Their goalie deflects it, but it’s too fast, too furious.

Rhett catches the rebound and buries it.

The horn blares. The crowd goes insane.

By the second period, it’s neck and neck. The Outlaws aren’t letting up, and we’re down a player thanks to some bullshit penalty.

Coach throws a glance at the bench. “Donovan, you’re up.”

I’ve been itching for this. My legs are bouncing, and the second my skates hit the ice, I’m in the zone.

Ryder feeds me a perfect pass as I break into their zone. One of their defensemen tries to block me, but I fake right, cutting left.

It’s just me and their goalie now. I wind up, release, and watch the puck sail clean into the top corner.

“Fuck yeah!” I shout, throwing my arms up.

The guys swarm me. Tanner punches my helmet. “That’s what I’m talking about, rookie!”

By the time the final buzzer sounds, we’ve crushed them. The locker room’s buzzing with energy—guys laughing, slamming lockers, tossing gear.

Coach walks in, arms crossed, but there’s a rare grin on his face. “Hell of a game, boys. You’re getting noticed. Management’s talking endorsements. Keep this shit up, and we’re golden.”

Mason chimes in, “Does that mean free beer?”

“Yeah, if you earn it,” Coach says with a smirk before walking out.

As the guys start planning drinks at Finnegan’s, my head’s not in it.

I grab my phone and scroll through my contacts until I find her name—Daisy. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen her—too busy with the other interviews—but she’s still there in my head, like a song I can’t shake.

I shoot her a text: Hey, were you at the game?

The response comes quickly: Yeah, I was there. Congrats, you were great.

A grin pulls at my lips. Thanks. I know exactly how I wanna celebrate. I add a winking emoji, followed by: Cherry lube, round two?

I hit send just as the Coach calls for attention. Something about schedules and practice times. I half-listen, itching to leave. The second we’re dismissed, I’m out of there.

Her reply pings: Not tonight.

My heart sinks a little, but then I spot her in the hallway, leaning against the wall. She’s in this simple black dress, fitted just right, with these strappy heels that make her legs look a mile long.

My sweatpants suddenly feel a lot tighter.

“Hey, baby,” I call out, already moving toward her.

She looks up, and I notice her eyes. They’re rimmed with red, like she’s been crying.

Fuck.

My chest tightens. “What’s wrong?”

Her hands come up, like she’s trying to brush it off. “I’m fine.”

“The hell you are.” I grab her hand and pull her into an empty room nearby—a storage closet or something.

I flick the light on and shut the door behind us. “Talk to me, sweet girl. What’s going on?”

She lets out a shaky breath, and before I know it, tears are streaking down her cheeks. “I… fuck,” she whispers, her voice cracking.

“Hey.” I cup her cheek, my thumb brushing away a tear. “You can tell me. Whatever it is, you can tell me anything, baby.”

Her eyes drop, and for a moment, it’s like she’s gathering the courage to speak. Finally, in a voice so broken it nearly wrecks me, she says, “I’m pregnant.”

The second I hear it, I can’t mask my reaction. My jaw tightens, my eyes snap to hers, and I swear my stomach knots like I just took a puck to the gut.

She looks away, chewing on her lip. Her voice is small. “I haven’t told anyone else yet.”

“When?” My voice is rough. I clear my throat. “When did you find out?”

She wraps her arms around herself like she’s trying to hold it all together. “This afternoon.”

“Fuck.” It slips out, sharp and unfiltered, but I can’t pull it back. “Daisy?—”

“I know,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “This… this isn’t the right time.” Her eyes glisten, and just like that, she’s unraveling in front of me. “I don’t know what to do, Kieran.”

“Hey.” I close the space between us, pulling her into my arms. She fits against me, trembling.

I can feel her breathing, shallow and quick. “It’s okay. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

She doesn’t hold back the tears this time. They soak into my shirt as she cries, her words muffled against my chest.

“I’m so scared. I didn’t plan this. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

I run a hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her. My mind’s racing, but I don’t say a word. Not yet.

I just let her cry until she starts to settle. When her sobs turn to quiet sniffles, I kiss the top of her head.

“How about we get out of here?” I murmur.

She nods, wiping her face with the back of her hand. “Yeah.”

“Can I… be there for you tonight?” I ask.

My voice softens, like I’m asking for something fragile. Something that could shatter.

Another nod. “Yeah.”

“Good.” I tuck a strand of her copper hair behind her ear. “You hungry? How about tacos? We can hit that spot from last time.”

She hesitates, then shakes her head. “I can hardly keep anything down.”

“All right.” I shift, keeping one arm around her. “What do you want to eat? Name it. We’ll scour the whole damn city if we have to.”

A faint smile tugs at her lips. It’s small, but it’s there. “We can try the tacos.”

“Deal.” Relief washes over me seeing that hint of a smile. “And hey, you know what the best part of the day after a game is?”

“What?”

“No practice. Which means we’ve got all night to find what you’re craving.”

She laughs, just a little, and whispers, “Thank you.”

“For what?” I tilt my head, genuinely curious.

“For not freaking out.” Her voice is steady, though her gaze is hesitant.

I grin, leaning in. “Can I kiss you?”

Her breath hitches. “If you want to.”

“Of course I want to.” I don’t waste a second. My lips find hers, gentle at first, then deeper.

She tastes sweet, warm. I part her lips, dipping my tongue in to taste more. She smiles into the kiss, and damn, it does something to me.

It makes me feel like I’d do just about anything to keep that smile there.

I take her hand. “Let’s go.”

The locker room’s still buzzing, but I block it all out. The roar of voices fades as we make our way to the parking lot.

No one stops us; they’re all too hyped about the game.

When we reach the cars, she glances at my bike, then at her car. “Can we take mine?”

I chuckle. “Of course. You wanna drive, or should I?”

“You can drive.”

I take the keys and slide into the driver’s seat. Her car smells like vanilla. Like her.

I glance at her as I start the engine. She’s staring out the window, quiet. I reach over and take her hand. Her fingers are soft and warm against mine.

When we pull up to the taco truck, I park and turn to her. “What’s your order, baby?”

She rattles it off, and I nod. Pulling off my hoodie, I drape it over her shoulders. “I’ll be right back.”

The line’s short. Just one person ahead of me, and they ask for an autograph. I scribble my name on their napkin, but my mind’s somewhere else.

Pregnant. Daisy’s pregnant.

How the hell did this happen? My brain replays every moment, every kiss, every touch.

There’s no way I’m walking away from this. From her.

I grab our food and head back to the car. The sight of her sitting there, wrapped in my hoodie, hits me like a slap. She looks so… tired. Vulnerable. But strong, too.

I slide into the driver’s seat and hand her the food. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” She opens the container and takes a tentative bite.

“Good?” I ask, watching her.

She nods, her lips curving into another faint smile. “Yeah. It’s good.”

And just like that, I know. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she’s okay.