Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
I lean over the bench to kiss Fee’s cheek, then pull my helmet on and join the guys, who have set up ice drills. We spend the next two hours practicing. Lexi and Roman confer with each other regularly and switch out a few times so Lexi can give me pointers, too. It’s cool to see them work together, and the way they talk through things with Quinn and Connor makes me aware of the importance of team cohesion. They work through my problem areas, give me pointers on stick handling, and how to angle my body differently when I’m skating in the crease and passing.
Roman is incredible in net and rarely lets anything by. But I sneak a goal in the last fifteen minutes on the ice, and Quinn and Connor converge on me with back pats and praise.
“That was a kick-ass goal!” Quinn says.
“Forrest-Hammer will be pissed at himself for days for that one.” Connor winks.
“Beautiful shot, Meyers. You keep it up and you’ll be signing with a team once you graduate,” Roman calls out.
I’m in freaking heaven by the time we leave the ice. I try not to fanboy when we strip out of our gear in the locker room, but this is a bucket list dream. It’s a glimpse of what my future could look like if I keep my stats up this season.
Lexi and Fee are waiting for us in the lobby when we emerge. Ariel squirms out of Lexi’s arms and runs straight to Roman, who snatches her up and showers her with kisses.
“You guys up for dinner?” Roman asks.
“I can always eat,” Quinn says.
“Same,” Connor agrees.
“Me, three.”
Roman consults his phone. “Pancake House? Hollis, Peggy, and Callie can join us.”
“I love the Pancake House.” Fee hugs my arm. “They have the best all-day breakfasts.”
With the venue settled, we hop into our respective vehicles.
“Did you have fun out there?” Fee asks once we’re alone in the car.
“That was incredible, and I seriously want to kiss you, but I don’t want to end up in a body bag if Roman sees me trying to suck your soul out through your mouth.”
“You can suck my soul out through my clit when we get home,” she offers cheekily.
I groan and grip the steering wheel. “You can’t say shit like that, my dick can hear you and my mouth is already watering.”
Her smile grows impish and she whispers, “So’s my pussy.”
“You’re the devil.” I curve my hand around the back of her neck and pull her mouth to mine. After a few strokes of tongue, I pull back. “Best surprise ever, Ophelia.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Big huge thank you coming your way later.” I pull out of my spot and head for the diner.
“Roman thinks you have a great shot at being called up,” Fee says. “And he wouldn’t say that if he didn’t believe it.”
“I definitely feel a lot better about my on-ice performance over the past few weeks, and I have you to thank for that,” I reply. I want to talk to her about us, but not while I’m driving. That’s a conversation for when we’re alone, and my focus is completely on her.
“You put in the work, Mac, and it shows.”
“I’m lucky to have you.” I squeeze her hand.
“I feel the same way.”
A few minutes later we arrive at a hole-in-the-wall diner. It looks like something straight out of the fifties with a server named Rainbow.
Hollis Hendrix, another former Terror player, Roman’s daughter Peggy, and Fee’s sister Callie join us, as well as Connor’s wife, Dred.
“You look like you’re feeling a million times better than when I last saw you,” I say to Callie.
Callie blushes. “That was definitely a two thumbs-down day. I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you on the ice today, but I was at practice.”
“Kicking ass and taking names,” Dred adds with a wink.
“Did you have another shutout practice?” Roman asks as Ariel tries to climb out of her chair and into his lap.
“Yup!”
Roman fist-bumps her across the table. “That’s my girl.”
Fee is tucked into my side, wearing a soft smile, and I hope that whatever happens after graduation, she'll still be mine.
Because I feel myself falling for her.
CHAPTER 29
FEE
“How would you feel about getting the blueberry brie sandwich, and I’ll get the coronation chicken wrap or the multigrain BLT so we can go halfsies?” Mac asks as we approach the campus café.
I hug his arm. “It’s like we share a brain.”
He leans down to kiss me. “What else are we thinking?”
“That we should also get a slice of their German chocolate cake for dessert.”
“But if they’ve already run out—”
“—because it happens often—”
“—we can get the death by chocolate mousse cake,” we say at the same time.
I make half a heart with my fingers and Mac mirrors the movement and we touch them to each other while laughing.