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auburn

I woke up from a nap and realized there was another piece of paper with the same scribbly handwriting next to me.

Auburn—

One ticket to a glass seat so I can “bump” into you during the game.

Love, your favorite captain

Holy shit. Front row, rink side tickets? I grabbed the ticket, and my mouth dropped in disbelief.

This was the second time Ledger signed his note with love, and weirdly enough, it didn’t freak me out as much as I thought it would. It also slightly weirded me out that he was here writing me notes and giving me the best ticket to the game while I snoozed away.

I stretched, clasping the note in my right hand as I closed my eyes.

Nothing could be better than how I felt. For the first time in my life, I was at peace in my own skin. All the turmoil I’d endured had led to this moment.

My eyes drifted back to the nightstand, where the soft glow of the clock reminded me I had less than an hour before I needed to be at the stadium. With a hesitant touch, my fingers traced the edges of the ticket. I lifted it to my nose, a faint hope whispering in the back of my mind that I might catch a trace of his scent lingering on the paper.

Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes, allowing myself to indulge in the fantasy. To my surprise, a subtle hint of his detergent greeted my senses, igniting a rush of longing within me. It was a foolish gesture, yet it felt like a connection, a tangible link to the man who had somehow captured my heart.

For the first time in as long as I could remember, a spark of excitement ignited at the prospect of companionship. The idea of sharing my burdens, of having someone to lean on, filled me with a sense of warmth and hope. Despite the whirlwind nature of our connection, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the universe had orchestrated our encounters, guiding us back to each other time and time again.

We’d had plenty of opportunities to run away, defying the odds of our encounters, yet something kept bringing us together. I wasn’t a big believer in karma, but it seemed as though the world conspired to bring us together and understanding why became my goal.

* * *

It was too late to meet Austin as he arrived in the van at the stadium, so as I went around the back where the players entered, I tried to see if I could spot a familiar face.

I walked quickly down the dimly lit hall and suddenly I ran into…

“Nova?” I asked, relishing the familiar face.

“Oh, hi, Ms. Hart.” I smiled, appreciating that she didn’t assume I was a missus.

“I almost didn’t recognize you with your new haircut. It looks stunning.” Her longer brown hair was cropped short in an angular bob around her cheekbones.

“Oh, thank you so much.” Her cheeks flushed to the same color of her outfit. “Are you lost? Can I help you find something?”

I laughed. “No. I wanted to say good luck to Austin before I headed to my seat. I figured I could sneak in, but they’re not in the locker rooms?”

She shook her head before gesturing with her small fingers. “No, but follow me.”

I nodded, unsure of where she was taking us, and followed along in a practical sprint down one of the dark concrete tunnels into a back hallway.

“Squat here,” she demanded.

Furrowing my brows, I wondered if she’d lost her ever-loving mind. “What?”

She giggled. “This is Mary. She’s the team photographer.”

I looked down, realizing someone was already squatting below us. “Oh, shit.”

A blonde with her hair in a high ponytail waved at me.

“We work together a lot, and this is the one video that makes everyone go crazy on social media.”

She gestured for me to get down, but my body didn’t move like it did when I was in my early twenties, so instead of a squat, I opted to get down on my knees.

“What’s happening?” I whispered as we looked down the tunnel.

Nova looked at me with her dark blue eyes, and a smile stretched from cheek to cheek. “Look ahead,” she whispered, then got out her phone which had a little microphone attached to the top.

One of the guys came down the tunnel in his suit, carrying his bag as he walked toward the locker room.

I narrowed my eyes, then looked at Nova who promptly stood, shoving her phone in their direction.

“Looking good, Dirks,” Nova said in her social media voice, and he gave a little wave before turning into the locker room.

“What’s this?” I whispered.

“Ah, it’s all for show. My boss started it, and it went viral on socials, so we continued… Plus, they’re fucking hot in their suits, so it’s good to look at.”

I gave her a knowing smirk before a couple of other guys came down the same tunnel and gave a little smile or nod before heading into the locker room.

“Isn’t it silly since they were already here prepping?” I asked.

Mary looked up at me and said, “Yeah, it makes no logical sense.” I laughed again, noticing my son’s curly blond hair styled atop his head and his bright blue eyes piercing through as he looked at us. The moment he spotted me, a large smile stretched his face.

He was dressed in an all-black suit that must’ve been new because I’d not seen it before. He had black cowboy boots on and a baby blue tie to accentuate his eyes. I wondered who’d helped him, and when his eyes went from mine to Nova’s, I couldn’t help but notice the way the pink crept into his cheeks.

“A-anything you want to say?” Nova’s otherwise confident voice cracked.

“Just wanted to tell my momma I love her,” he said before throwing me a quick wink and heading into the locker room.

I huffed a silent laugh before turning my head toward the next person walking down the hall. My heart quickened as I caught sight of him—tall, over six-foot-five, with broad shoulders that seemed to fill the corridor. Clad in a sleek gray suit, he exuded a magnetic aura impossible to ignore.

His long black hair was neatly styled, framing a strong jawline that hinted at hidden desires. A freshly trimmed beard added to his rugged charm, and his whiskey-colored eyes held a glint of mischief as they met mine.

As he prowled toward me, each step seemed deliberate. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him, captivated by the way his suit hugged his muscular frame, accentuating every contour of his body.

He halted his stride, his towering figure commanding attention. Nova’s camera focused in on him, capturing every nuance of his expression as she asked about his aspirations for the forthcoming season.

His eyes, however, didn’t linger on the lens; they sought me out.

When prompted about his anticipation for the game tonight, his response was cryptic yet laden with significance. “Someone special is watching today’s game,” he revealed, his voice carrying a note of excitement. “I’m excited to find them.”

My heart quickened its pace, a rush of exhilaration flooding my senses at knowing I would be sitting next to the glass waiting for him.

“A girlfriend?” Nova asked. “Can you tell us more?”

He laughed and shook his head as he resumed his walk and took a right into the locker room. The echo of his words lingered in the air, stirring a whirlwind of emotions within me. It would always be the two of us and this secret we held together.

I almost didn’t hear Nova as she finished talking with the rest of the team, and I completely missed the hand behind me that tapped my shoulder.

“Auburn Elizabeth.”