Los Angeles gets by us in the second and scores a goal, tying the game.
It’s back and forth, but when Tweetie, Cory, and Train get in with a minute to go in the second period, they do the same play the first line did to score the first goal except this time Cory’s the one who scores. The crowd goes crazy. LA tries to get a point before the period ends, but they’re unsuccessful.
Between the second and third periods, Imogen’s assistant keeps the crowd entertained. Imogen’s more a hype planner now, while someone else sees it through.
In the locker room, we go over some plays and over their defense and what we’ve seen so far this game. When we return to the ice, my gaze goes to the suite again. This time, Jana waves to me, but quickly gets distracted by something at her side. She scoops up Annabelle and they both wave to me. I’ve never seen her with the kids this much, but maybe I’m seeing things because of how upset she was after the doctor’s news.
The third period starts and LA scores within the first thirty seconds.
Fuck. Not a good way to start the last period.
A few minutes later, we make a comeback. Warner skates all the way down the ice, rushing past their defense and passing to Aiden at the last minute. He scores from an ungodly angle only Aiden would be capable of. Which makes us up by a goal. The Fury fans are going nuts, but one goal is way too close to assume we’re going to win.
Maksim and our defensemen do an excellent job at keeping Los Angeles at bay, but at the end of the third period, LA gets a breakaway. I hold my breath, watching Matt in the net. Being a goalie myself, I know the amount of pressure there is on him in this scenario. You don’t have any backup. It’s just you and the guy with the puck and you have to read where he’s going with it.
“Oh shit,” Cory says next to me.
LA’s center brings his stick back, and it’s like it all happens in slow motion. One of those nail-biters that ESPN will analyze over and over about how it might have gone.
It’s going to the bottom right, I can see it, and I can only hope that with all the work I’ve done with Matt since the start of the season, he sees it too.
Sure enough, the center shoots the puck, and everyone watches as the puck flies toward the goal. I could kiss Matt, because he falls to his knees, blocking the puck with his left shin guard. The puck flies off in the other direction as the third-period buzzer sounds and our bench clears, everyone skating over to Matt to congratulate him.
I remain behind the bench, watching it all unfold, and study the look on Matt’s face. For the first time, I really fall in love with coaching. A rookie who just got drafted has made the game-defining play. It just doesn’t get better than that.
We all head to the locker room after, and Jana gets off the elevator just as I’m about to make my way inside. She runs to me, and I pick her up and swing her around.
“I knew you could do it,” she says. “And Matt, seriously? What a play!”
“You always have a thing for goalies?” I lower her to the floor.
“I only have a thing for one goalie who is now the best coach in the league.”
“We still have one more game,” I tell her, then kiss her.
“And you’ll win that one too.”
We do the press conference, and while everyone else goes to celebrate, I take my girl home because she’s the only person I want to celebrate with.
I walk into Kane’s bedroom with the tray of breakfast items I made. Not to be too full of myself, but I think I did a pretty great job. The eggs look fluffy, the toast is lightly browned, the fruit’s been cut up and placed in a bowl.
After we returned from the game last night, we made love. Kane’s movements were slow and loving, and the words he said were sweet and endearing. I wonder if we lost, if I would’ve had a different Kane in bed with me.
But I feel us moving into a new stage of our relationship. Neither of us ever wants to be away from the other. He’s my first call out of work, and it’s usually to decide about dinner. We spend all our time together, and though it’s not official, I’ve practically moved in with him I’m at his place so much. I’m not even scared to admit that I love him anymore. I mean, he’s the best man I’ve ever known.
There’s just one problem that I’ve yet to bring up to him. Since my diagnosis and babysitting Jalen and Annabelle, I can’t get rid of this feeling in my gut that maybe I’ve been wrong all these years. Maybe I really do want to be a mother. It didn’t help that I went with Paisley to her doctor’s appointment when Maksim was out of town and could only be on FaceTime. When they heard the heartbeat, the way they looked at each other… I think I want that with Kane. But I’m waiting until after the Cup to broach this subject.
He was good with the kids when we babysat, even if he said he didn’t want to be there. Maybe he’d change his mind? I don’t think either of us ever thought our relationship would turn into love. It’s just a simple change of circumstance, right?
Rocky’s ears perk up when he smells that I have food.
“You get enough scraps,” I whisper and place the tray on the side table. “Kane baby.” I kiss his cheek and my hand runs up his back. “Breakfast for the number one coach.”
He stirs in the bed, then grabs me, pulling me into bed with him.
“Ugh, you!” I playfully smack him. “You were up the whole time.”
He gets me on my back and kisses my cheek. “You in the kitchen isn’t exactly as quiet as a library,” he says, kissing my other cheek.
“Remind me never to do anything nice for you again.”
He slides between my legs and his hard length grinds against my core, making me forget about the eggs getting cold.
“I only want one thing for breakfast and that’s you.” He kisses my neck and down to my collarbone.
Just like last night, he explores my body from my neck down to between my legs in a slow, meticulous manner. When he finally pushes inside me, that feeling I know to be love nestles deep within me.
He pushes in and out, circling his hips, saying words of praise about my body and how the two of us together are magic. I grip his shoulder blades, not wanting an inch between us, not wanting the warmth of him to go away, never wanting this intimacy to end.
“Kane, I… oh god.” I clench hard and try not to come.
He sees the signs, as he always does, and picks up his pace slightly. His hand travels down my side and between my legs, where his finger deftly circles my clit. All the sensation concentrates in my core, and I explode into a million glittering pieces, my back surging off the bed, and the words I’ve tried so hard to keep inside while we make love slip from my mouth.
“I love you,” I whisper. “I want to be with you forever.”
Kane stops midthrust. My eyes pop open and he’s staring at me. “What did you just say?”
I adamantly shake my head. “Nothing. Just keep going.” I move my hands to his ass, pushing him inside me. “Forget it.”
“Did you just say you want to be with me forever?” He doesn’t pay any attention to me trying to continue the sex. “Did you say it because of the orgasm?”
Okay, Jana, just be honest. That’s all you can do. Don’t play games. Be an adult about this. I bite my lip and shake my head.