This week has been insanely busy. I feel like I’ve barely spent time with Sydney and definitely not a lot of time with Savannah. There was a home game Tuesday. We flew out Wednesday for a game Thursday. Turned around and came home early this morning. I’m at home resting before I get to head back to the rink because we have a game tonight.
Tomorrow will probably be busy too because Sydney’s mom, Janet, and stepdad, Chris, are coming into town today and we’re spending the day with them then. Sunday I have another game. I don’t know why this week seems so much more exhausting than usual, but damn. I’m tired. Sounds like a good reason to take a longer than usual pregame nap.
My mistake is that I fall asleep on the couch.
“Daddy!” The shout wakes me up a split second before she jumps on me, kneeing me in the stomach.
“Savannah! I told you to be quiet and not to bother him if he was sleeping,” Sydney chides. “Sorry, Ian.”
“It’s okay. Did you miss me, little Miss?” I ask her.
“Yep!” She plants a kiss on my cheek, giggling as my beard tickles her skin.
“Good. I missed you, too.” I hold her while sitting up, so Sydney can take a seat next to us. Savannah starts playing with my beard, which is pretty much her favorite thing to do whenever she sits with me. “Did you miss me, babe?”
She tries not to smile. “Only a little.”
“No kiss for you then. When are your parents coming in?”
“They’re already here and over at Logan’s. We’re actually supposed to be on our way over there. I somehow left my wallet here, so I was stopping by to get it.”
Hearing that they aren’t here to see me makes me frown. “What are the plans for the night?”
“Dinner. And, well, Mom and Chris want to see you play, so if you still want us to, then I guess we’re all going to the game.”
“Don’t sound so thrilled, Sydney.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want to go, I do, but I’m not thrilled about the idea of my family being around those nosy women.”
Ah, right. Her first experience wasn’t so great. “I’ll be sure to get the word around that they act like normal people for once if it’ll make you feel better. They really are cool, but they can be a bit much, especially Sylvia. And if you ask her to explain the game to you, then that’ll give her something to talk about and you’ll be golden.”
Sydney nods and I focus on Savannah. I’ve been waiting for the moment when they decided to go to another game. It’s finally here.
“I have a present for you.”
“What is it?” she asks.
I stand. “Let’s find out.” I only have a few minutes before I need to change and head to the rink anyway. In my room, I sit Savannah on the bed, grab a bag from the top of the closet, and return to her. I pull out a mini jersey. “You get to wear this when you come watch me play. It’s just like mine.”
“Ooh! Put it on!”
Grinning like a fool, I help her put the jersey on.
“Do I get one?”
I glance over at Sydney. Shit. I don’t have one for her. She’s not a sports fan; why would I get her a jersey she probably wouldn’t want? “I didn’t think you’d want one since you don’t like it,” I answer honestly.
“Oh. Right.” Yet, she seems disappointed. “Come on, Savannah. We’re late and Daddy needs to get dressed before he’s late.”
Savannah jumps off the bed, giving me a mini heart attack since the bed sits high up off the floor, and runs out of the room.
“Babe,” I start before Sydney can leave, too. “Come here.”
She walks over to me with her arms crossed over her chest. Damn. She’s actually ticked about not getting a jersey. “I don’t like sports because I don’t understand them. I don’t know how they work aside from chasing some object around. None of that means I wouldn’t want your jersey.”
“Okay. I’ll get you one. Give me a kiss.”
Just like that, her arms fall to grab my hands as she leans up to offer her mouth to me. That’s not an offer I can resist. The tension and exhaustion I’ve felt all week disappear the moment her lips touch mine. I quickly deepen the kiss because we don’t have much time. Sydney’s moan makes me pull away.
“You’re mine later.”
She nods with a smile. “Done. Good luck tonight.” She gives me an all-too-brief kiss before leaving.
I change into a suit and soon, I’m at the arena. I’m earlier than I have to be, actually, but only because I planned to grab something to eat here. A bunch of the guys seem to be here early, gathered in the players’ lounge.
“Hey, Bruiser,” Zane calls. “We’re going bowling tomorrow just to have some fun. You coming?”
“Can’t, Z. Sydney’s family is in town.”
“Damn.”
“You coming, Marco?” Rams asks.
“I can’t either. Elizabeth and I have plans.”
“What are you guys doing?”
“Um.” He hesitates, which only makes everyone pay attention to him. “Shagging.”
“We don’t need to know you’re fucking her,” Aaron Peters says as he laughs.
“It’s a dance, Mountain Man,” Marc corrects. “We’re going dancing. She likes to drag me to lessons, so that’s what we’re doing.”
“Lizzy likes to dance?” Scotty questions.
I tune out and head to the kitchen area to fix something to eat. Zane comes over to claim the seat next to me. “How’s it going?” I ask.
“Good. So, you’re meeting the family? Are you nervous?”
“Not nervous. Not sure I’m looking forward to it, but not nervous. Last time I saw her mom was when I drove down to surprise Sydney and take her to prom. Her mom didn’t even know I existed up until then.”
“So, you don’t know if she likes you.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t really matter. I’m going to be around one way or another, so she should get used to me at least.” I hope she’ll like me. That will make things easier. It’s not what I need to think about right now, however. There’s a game to be played in a few hours.
In the meantime, I stretch, play a little soccer with the guys, stretch some more, and briefly wonder what Sydney’s reaction will be. When they enter the box tonight, there’s a bag with her name on it. Inside is a jersey. I was able to do that earlier.
Soon, we’re taking the ice for warmups. This is usually when my head truly clears. I don’t pay any attention to the crowd that has gathered at the glass for an up-close look before they have to return to their seats. Any signs that are held up are a blur. The noise they make doesn’t seem to exist. Nothing outside of the ice exists. It’s one reason why it threw me off when I actually noticed Sydney that night. I happened to glance up and caught sight of her.
By the time the puck drops for the game, I may not be on the ice for the first shift, but I’m pumped and ready to go. We’re playing the Sharks tonight. They’re a physical team, but our speed has been increasing. Here’s to hoping we skate circles around them and get as few bruises as possible.
That’s a fun thought.
I’m on the ice all of ten seconds for my first shift when some guy hip-checks me. It’s like there’s a damn target on my back because I’m hit every chance they get, and even a few times when they shouldn’t. What the fuck have I done to them?
“You’ve pissed the whole fucking team off, Bruiser,” Z comments between shifts.
“No shit,” I reply.
They seem to be playing extra hard with everyone, but I’m getting the brunt of it when I’m on the ice. It’s pissing me the fuck off. It pisses me off even more that they’re getting under my skin and in my head. I’m on the ice in the second period right before a face-off. The guy next to me is talking shit, wanting to drop the gloves the moment the puck hits the ice.
“They only call you Bruiser because you get them?” he asks. I ignore him. “You going to drop ‘em and let us have some fun or you gonna let me have all the fun.”
The puck drops. He looks at me. Why not? The moment I drop my stick, he lets go of his and the gloves are off. We grab the neck of our jerseys at the same time and I throw the first two punches, connecting with his jaw. His first one hits my helmet and then my jaw. I yank him closer and we’re nothing but a tangle of fists that sometimes connect, and sometimes don’t. My energy is drained out of me with each one. Fighting on skates while you’ve been playing a game is tiring, even if it does give you a good burst of adrenaline.
When one of us loses our footing and we fall to the ice, the refs pull us apart. Thank fuck. I’m going to need the next five minutes in the penalty box to recover. My chest is heaving. My jaw aches. My hand hurts and the skin is broken over my knuckles. I’m tired. Coach is glaring at me from across the ice.
Right.
There’s the answer to my why-not question. He didn’t want me getting into a scuffle and he said so during the first intermission, but damn. Some penalties you just take. He can bitch at me later. I’m handed ice for my hand, and I hold it there until thirty seconds before I am about to be unleashed back onto the ice.
The good news is Rebels score while I’m parking my ass on the bench, which brings the score to two-one.
The better news is during the third, I’m on the ice with Z, Donny, Hells, and Tommy Boy. A Shark turns over the puck in the neutral zone and Tommy Boy is the one to get it. He passes it to Hells as we advance toward the goalie, who is watching us as he gets into position. Hells gives it to Donny, but he doesn’t have a clear shot, so he slaps it to me and I quickly shoot it.
Three to one.
Hell yeah.
That’s the final score, too. As soon as I can, I head up to meet Sydney and everyone else. I grin when I see Sydney, Logan, Janet, and Chris, talking to Sylvia, Lizzy, Meredith, Noah, Marc, and Scott. Logan is next to Sydney, holding Savannah who appears to be conked out. Both of them are wearing a jersey with my name and number on the back. This is a much better view to walk in on than last time. Although, Logan shouldn’t be holding her considering he can’t walk without the use of crutches.
“Hey, gorgeous,” I say to get Sydney’s attention. She absolutely slays me with the smile she gives me.
“Hey.” Sydney surprises me by kissing me, tongue and all. My body demands I back her up against a wall or the bar or hike her up on the counter and either way, have her legs wrapped around my waist so I can be pressed closed to her. That’s what her kiss does to me.
“What was that for?” I whisper when she ends it.
“No reason.”
A throat is cleared and I see everyone gawking at us.
“It’s nice to see you again, Ian,” Janet says. “You’ve grown up nicely.”
“Yeah, you too. Thanks. Are you guys ready to go? How long did she last?”
“She missed your fight, thank goodness,” Janet answers. “Logan wore her out earlier and kept her occupied during the game.” Something about the way she says it rubs me the wrong way. Why the fuck is it a good thing that she missed my fight? Hockey is physical without it, but...what the hell is she talking about? I flick my eyes to the guys and see a similar confusion.
Sydney takes my hand and squeezes it.
“Right, well, let’s go.” I move over to Logan and take my daughter. He can’t walk and carry her.
“Lo-Lo,” she mumbles.
“Not Lo-Lo,” I correct her quietly as we begin to leave the box.
“Hey, Daddy.” She sounds like she’s starting to wake up, so I rub her back.
“Hey, little Miss. Go back to sleep. Daddy’s taking you home.”
She nuzzles closer to my neck and reaches up to play with my beard. Janet, Chris, and Logan are hanging back behind us, talking about something. Sydney is walking closely next to me.
“Do you have to take them home?” I ask.
“No, but you’re taking us home. They drove us all here, and I figured we could ride with you home.”
Good. I put a sleeping Savannah in her car seat while Sydney says goodbye to her family. She’s quiet on the ride home, which wouldn’t be so unusual if she didn’t keep glancing at me and then looking away when I look at her. I’m too fucking tired for something to be up tonight.
Sydney carries Savannah inside and gets her settled in bed while I go to my room and get ready for bed myself. Twenty minutes later, we’re lying together. That’s a good sign. Maybe nothing is wrong after all. I pull her closer, take a deep breath, and hope we don’t have to be up early in the morning.
“Ian.”
“Sydney.”
“Do you want the bad news tonight or in the morning?”
“Fuck, babe,” I groan. “I don’t want any bad news. I just want to hold you and sleep for at least ten hours. Is that an option?”
“I don’t think so,” she whispers. That tone puts me on high alert. Something is wrong, and exhaustion be damned.
“What’s the bad news, Sydney?” I quietly ask.
She sits up, so I do the same, leaning against the headboard. “First, you need to know that I believe what I’m about to say is absolute bullshit. I don’t want to tell you, but I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow either. It’s really ridiculous, and I’m sure it’ll blow over. I think you—”
I grab her hand and squeeze it. “Babe, spit it out.”
“My mom wonders if you’re abusive.”
“What the fuck?” Where in the hell did that come from? Why would her mom think that?
“Okay, so let me explain,” Sydney hurries to say.
“Yeah, you might want to do that,” I interrupt.
“Everyone knows that I’ve never been able to walk away from you—”
“Because you love me, not because I’m fucking forcing you to stay. What kind of bullshit is this, Sydney? Where the hell would she get that kind of idea from?”
“Ian!” She yanks hard on my beard. “Shut up and listen to me. I told you it was bullshit. Let me explain and keep your voice down.” She waits until she’s sure I’m going to be quiet before she continues. “No one understood why I couldn’t walk away, especially if we weren’t actually going to be together. The only reason I did that one time is...” She lets her voice trail off and moves on, so she doesn’t have to say it. “Mom has never watched a hockey game. She saw you get into that fight and you were pissed, Ian.
“Somehow, that connected the dots for her. She thinks you either say or do something to keep me here and now, she’s worried about me and Savannah, even though I’ve told her that you aren’t. Me saying so only makes me sound like I’m defending you. She tried to get me to go home with them, but I told them no because she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
“You do realize how fucking crazy that is? Did Logan back you up?”
“She didn’t talk loud enough for everyone to hear her, and yes, I know it’s crazy. So, tomorrow, act like normal and she’ll eventually see exactly why I didn’t walk away.”
I shake my head in disbelief. I still have to spend my day off with these people? “Why don’t you just strip in front of her, so she can see you don’t have bruises?”
“Because we were apart more than we were together. She thinks there’s a psychological part to it.” She glances down at her hands. “I tried that already,” she confesses.
“You know that if she really believes this, she’s just going to think I’m putting on a show tomorrow.”
Sydney sighs, her body falling forward until her forehead rests on my stomach. “I wish they hadn’t come.”
That makes two of us, but I don’t say that. Not when she’s bent over me like she’s defeated already. “Come make out with me. That’ll make us feel better.”
“Aren’t you tired?” she asks as she sits upright again.
“Yep.” I grab her hips and make her straddle my lap. “Kiss me, gorgeous. Just not too good.” This whole no-sex thing is starting to get to me. Tonight is not the night where I want to fight the urge to give in.
Sydney laughs. “Not too good? I don’t know if I can do that.”
“I know you can’t, but it’s worth a try.” I slide a hand to the back of her neck and pull her down to me. Enough talking. The time to kiss is upon us.
Sydney holds me by the beard while she kisses me slowly. Sometimes, the no-rush kisses are worse than the fast-paced, I-need-you-right-fucking-now ones. This is one of those instances. It’s as if this is a first kiss and we need to take our time, explore every inch of our mouths, and get to know one another solely through how many times we can make each other moan.
“How was that?” she asks, pulling away.
“Terrible,” I lie. She’s sitting in my lap; she knows I’m hard.
“Can I sleep right here?”
“Wherever the fuck you want, babe.”
And I’ll be damned if she doesn’t shift so her legs are stretched out and she settles on top of me once I’ve scooted down, so I’m no longer sitting up.
“Ian?”
“Sydney.”
“We’ll make her see that she’s crazy.”
I laugh. “Not even worried about it. Get some sleep and please don’t wake me up in the morning.”
“Done.” She kisses my chest as I clasp my hands behind her back. This is the life.