Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
I skate to the bench and go through the door before sitting down beside Evangelina. He squirts water into his mouth before spitting it out on the ice. He holds out his glove toward me, and I hand him my bottle that is full of amino acids. He squirts it into his mouth and swallows before handing it back. He does this every time we come back to the bench, and it’s funny how quickly I’ve fallen into this rhythm with him. I take my own swig and then lean on the bench before he taps my elbow.
“Great pass,” he says, and I nod.
“Thanks.”
I watch as the next line fights for the puck. Once the other team gains access, I glance up at the jumbotron to check the time. We have only three minutes left in the second. With Andrews’s goal, we’ve tied the game, and I’d like to get another goal to take the lead before we head into the locker room. A line change happens and shots pepper our goalie, but Cruz bats them away with ease. He’s in the zone, and I’m in awe of his quickness.
But then our line is called, and I jump over the bench along with my teammates. Once more, Walther sends the puck to me, and I carry it up the ice. As soon as I gain the zone, I pass it over to Andrews, who throws it back to Walther while we get in position. Again, I’m in front of the goal, fighting to block the goalie and hopefully to get a piece of a shot to redirect past him. I’m getting whacked in the back and in the side, but I don’t move. Once the puck lands on Evangelina’s blade, he sends it flying, but it’s blocked by the other team’s defenseman I’m fighting. I pass the puck back to the line before the defenseman I’m battling can have access. I push off him and head around the goal. I somehow gained a lead on the defenseman, and I’m open. I slam my stick to the ice, calling out that I’m open.
Andrews looks at me and passes it to Evangelina.
It was a shit pass, and the defenseman I got away from steals the puck mid-pass. He sends it up to his waiting forward, and he goes five-hole to score.
Blood rushes to my head, my jaw clenches, and I see red.
That’s fucking it.
I skate toward Andrews, but he isn’t paying me any attention. “Hey, asshole,” I call out, throwing my shoulder into his. I send him off-balance, but he steadies himself, glaring at me. “I was fucking open.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You do,” I accuse, and I slam into him again.
“Fuck off, Katz.”
“No, you can’t—”
“Cut it out,” Coach calls over to us, and then he gives me a look. Not Andrews. Me. What the fuck. I go in through the door and slam down on the bench as the coward moves past me to the end of the bench.
“Motherfucker,” I mutter as I lean on my knees, shaking mad. When a hand slams on my shoulder, I look back to see Coach glaring at me with his dark-brown eyes.
My butthole goes tight as he seethes. “Aye. Ya wanna be a dick? Line three.”
I gawk at him. “What?”
“I don’t give a shit what he does. You don’t get physical with your teammate.”
“He started it!” I say, and I realize how childish I sound once the words leave my mouth.
“And I’m finishing it,” he snaps, ending the conversation.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my anger. And damn it, it’s hard.
I have goals.
I admit I was wrong and I shouldn’t have thrown my shoulder into that asshat’s shoulder, but fuck me, I’m so frustrated. Why is it the woman I am married to can look past my past but the fucker I’m playing with can’t? Damn it. This only proves that I need to work harder and I need to get to the NHL.
Away from Andrews’s bitch ass.
Nothing can keep me from doing that. And I need to keep my wife at arm’s length before I do something stupid.
Like forget that this is a fake marriage.
CHAPTER 24
Eliza
I swear this is the loudest game I’ve been to.
I sit in my peepaw’s box with my feet up on the ledge, a cup of cheese on one knee and a half-eaten pretzel on the other. Clara sits on one side of me, and Peepaw is on the other side. Though, at the moment, he’s in the back, schmoozing it up with some important people. I stuff a piece of pretzel into my mouth and watch the Bears dominate on the ice. We’re down, but they’re playing damn good hockey.
It’s kind of funny how much I enjoy the sport. I never thought I would, but even before I started dating—well, got married to—my hockey husband, I enjoyed everything that hockey is about. The atmosphere, the smell of the ice, the food, and especially, the hot-ass guys on the rink. There is something about a hockey player that makes my heart race. Or maybe it’s all Coleson Katz that has my heart doing flips. One thing is for sure; I didn’t get all gooey inside watching Louisa’s fiancé play.