Page 56 of Unmasking Love (D.C. Renegades #1)
Harper
"That goal just got me pregnant."
"Does this get any easier?" I ask as I pick at my nail. I cracked the corner of it in the first period when Dallas was firing shot after shot at the net. Then I ripped it completely across the top in the second when Aiden was down in our end. I could feel the nerves rolling off of him from here.
The family suite is quiet. Like the rest of the arena. The boys are down three goals with half a period left in the second game of the third round.
It's not impossible they come back but they look gassed.
The other team only had to play five games last series while we had to play all seven and came back from being down three games early. Aiden thought the momentum of winning the last four games in round two was going to carry them forward but they just look tired.
"No, it doesn't." Danielle says as she spins her wedding ring around her finger. "I was a nervous wreck even when Mike was coaching juniors. You know how hard they've worked for it, how bad they want it, how much they deserve it, and to see them lose, hurts."
"I think I feel it as much as Johnny does." Caroline says as she chews her popcorn quickly. "They at least get to physically exercise some of their adrenaline out."
"Mike is switching up the lines," Danielle says as she leans forward in her seat. "That could be good."
"Oh wow, they put Johnny up a line." Caroline takes a deep breath. "GO JOHNNY! GO! SHOOT IT!"
The puck flies, as if on Caroline's command, and time stops as everyone watches it sail up and over the goalie's shoulder.
"HOLY SHIT!" Caroline jumps and throws her popcorn everywhere. "Yeah baby!" She yells towards the ice.
"Okay, okay," Danielle says with a deep breath, "That's one."
There are eight minutes left and across the ice Aiden is relaxed. He's leaning against the crossbar and standing tall in his net. The boys circle up in the center for the faceoff and Aiden takes an extra beat before dropping into position.
It is different being up in the family suite instead of behind his net. We agreed it made the most sense because we get access to security and can move around the arena more easily from the family suite but I miss being so close to him.
I can't see the look in his eyes.
I can't read his expression.
"The fuck?" Danielle yells and I snap back to the puck and Felix who is sliding on his stomach in the offensive zone. "Call that!"
"It's delayed, look" Caroline says as she points to the ref with his arm up.
Aiden skates to the bench and Ivan flies over the boards to join the play.
Six on five, the boys pass the puck around the perimeter, get it down low and a scrum occurs right in front of us. The battle for the puck draws two of their players in and that's when Bryson flicks the puck to Felix who is crashing the net and it slides in under the goalie's pads.
The arena erupts and I can feel it shaking under my feet.
"Yes!!" Caroline yells.
"Oh My God!" I add as Danielle wraps me in a hug.
"Okay, okay," Daneille takes a deep breath. "That's good. Really good. But we have to get one more to tie it, two to win."
"There's six minutes left, plenty of time." Caroline says. "Oh, Ivanna texted."
We all pull out our p hones and read her message.
IVANNA:
I'm going to go into labor from the excitement!
"Is it bad I don't want her to go into labor so we can keep Vlad in the line up?" Danielle asks.
"No, but don't tell Ivanna," Caroline says as she types a reply.
CAROLINE:
I think Johnny's goal got me pregnant. See you in 9 months!
I laugh and she shrugs.
A whistle blows and we turn our attention to the ice again.
Dallas wins the faceoff and skate into the zone in front of Aiden.
He settles low and comes to the front of his crease, cutting off the angles with his broad frame.
He nabs the puck out of the air with his mit and slides it across the ice to Bryson who speeds ahead.
"Damn, that was sexy." Caroline says.
She's not wrong, it was.
The family suite is tense as we check the clock and watch the play at the same time. This game isn't a must win but this surge is motivating and I think if the guys left the ice with a W after being down three goals late in the game they'd carry that energy forward.
I also don't know what I'd say to Aiden if they lost.
Just be there. I remind myself. That's all he's asked for, he just wants me to be there.
I glance his way and watch him as he watches the play. Getting to know Aiden has been insightful in countless ways but understanding the way his mind works during a game is the most useful.
Right now he is wholly focused on the puck. He's watching for intercepted passes up high that lead to odd man rushes. He's checking for line changes. He's listening for his coach to call him off the ice for the extra skater.
I'm startled out of my concentration on Aiden when the horn sounds and Renegades starts playing.
"Really?!" I yell as Caroline and Danielle pull me into hugs. I have no idea who scored but it doesn’t matter. A goal is a goal. I’ll catch the replay if I can tear my eyes from the ice.
"Oh my god! Okay, okay, settle down, three minutes left." Danielle says as she rubs her hands together.
"I'm gonna pee my pants." Caroline says as she takes a seat.
"I'm gonna barf," I admit as my stomach rolls with nerves.
"I'm gonna streak through the arena if they win," Caroline says and we both look at her. "What? Boys pop their tops all the time, if they score and win the game before overtime I'm going to rip my shirt off in celebration."
"You're making a bet with yourself," Daneille laughs.
"Fine, if they again score before the end of regulation you have to take your shirt off too." Caroline's grin is evil as she stares me and Danielle down.
"Deal," Danielle shakes her hand. "Harper?"
"Nope, not me," I try to laugh it off. What if a client is here? What if they show us on the jumbotron? What if someone takes a picture and it gets shared on social media?
Caroline looks ready to tease me but the whistle sounds and it's time for a faceoff.
I don't think I breathe for the next three minutes.
We keep pressure on t heir goalie. We're chasing down rebounds and throwing everything at the net. Aiden has skated to the top of the circle and is ready to head to the bench.
At 1:20 I hear "Go!" from Coach Bradford and Aiden skates as fast as his goalie gear will let him to the bench. Johnny flies over the boards to take his place as the sixth skater.
He drives the net, screens the goalie with Bryson, and there is so much pushing and shoving I can't keep track of the puck.
Emmett shoots and we hear it ping off the goal post and the entire arena groans in disappointment.
Danielle gasps next to me and I look to see if she's okay and when she leans forward I turn back to the ice.
Felix winds up and shoots a one-timer from Crosby and after a deflection from Bryson's stick it tumbles into the back of the net.
The Kofee Center erupts again and when I turn to Caroline to give her a hug she's whipping her Sawyer jersey over her head and screaming at the top of her lungs.
I get slapped in the face by fabric from my other side and see Danielle has pulled off her team jacket and is slapping it against the railing in front of her.
"Hell yeah! That's it boys!" Daneille yells.
"Girls, we better all get pregnant tonight, that was so hot." Caroline says as she slowly mellows.
There's one more faceoff. Dallas has pulled their goalie but Aiden is back in net. The final seconds tick down and the arena continues to pulse with energy. When the horn sounds you can barely hear it over the cheers.
"God, that was wild." Danielle says as she slides her jacket on.
"Amazing," Caroline says as she fans herself. "I’m too hot to put this back on."
We giggle as we clear out of our seats and move into the suite. Other wives, girlfriends, and family members are hugging; everyone is smiling wide.
"Did you drive Aiden tonight?" Daneille asks.
"Uh, no, he rode to the game. I'll probably drive him home."
"Okay then come with me," She leads the way to the elevators, giving fist bumps to the security guards and staff members she sees along the way.
We wait outside the locker room and can hear the team cheering and when Coach's voice booms over the rest Danielle blushes. "They're going to be insatiable tonight."
"Yeah, I know." I bite my lip because I might be insatiable tonight too. The winning feeling is contagious. My body is buzzing and I can barely remember a time before I watched every game and let the outcome determine my mood.
The players who were healthy scratches file out of the room and say hello to Danielle, myself and other family members waiting by the locker room.
Coach steps out next, flanked by two assistant coaches, he barely looks up to see Danielle but when he does his face cracks into a grin.
She gives my arm a little squeeze before running over to him.
They exchange a quick kiss and he whispers in her ear.
I get hugs from the boys as they leave the locker room and everyone is in a happy mood. When Aiden walks out it's like he's moving in slow motion. Seeing him up close after staring at him from across a sheet of ice and several rows of stands is thrilling.
"Hey Harp," He pulls me against him for a hug and a deep kiss that has my knees quivering.
"Great game babe," I tell him. His eyes dart to the side, "Nope. Don't." I say as I grab his face to look at me.
"Don't what?"
"Tell me you had a ba d game, or say they wouldn't have had to score four goals in twelve minutes if you hadn't let three by you in the first."
"Well," he starts.
"Nope. Not going to let you go there. The first goal was an odd man rush because your defensemen got caught in a bad change.
They were slow getting back out on the ice and it left you outnumbered.
They pulled you to the glove side, knowing stick side is weaker for you in that scenario and then they passed at the last moment and tipped it in.
"The second one was an own goal by Crosby. He isn't a defensemen and was out of position and it cost the team a goal.
"The third one was simply a good goal. But it followed two nasty ones which made it sting."
Aiden studies my face. He doesn't say anything.
"Then, you didn't let another goal get past you for the rest of the game. That was 43 minutes. Your team also stepped up and started playing offense. They did their job which allowed you to do yours."
"When did you become a sports psychologist?" He asks as his thumb traces my cheek.
"My boyfriend can get in his own head sometimes," I shrug and we share a chuckle.
"And now, your boyfriend wants to spend the night in you."