I take a long swig of my beer. “WAGS?”
“Wives and girlfriends,” she explains. “Not all of them are my kind of people. Some are cool, but some of them are clearly dating for money or status or whatever else they’re getting out of it, so I’m excited to have you join. I need someone to hang out with at team functions.”
I give her a half-smile, not elaborating.
“When you can, I mean. Once you guys are out in the open and aren’t keeping it a secret anymore.”
I genuinely don’t know when that will be or what the future of Zanders’ and my relationship will look like, so instead, I’m not going to stress about it while I try to enjoy the moments. And in this moment, I get to watch the sexiest man I know do what he does best.
“I’m stoked you’re here, Stevie,” Logan quietly says. “And I’m so happy that you’re happy and that Zee’s happy. He’s one of the best people I know, and I’m glad that you’re able to see him for who he is. That’s hard sometimes when there’s so much of his media personality on display for the world to see.”
I keep my eyes on the giant defenseman, watching him warm up. Regardless of his size, he’s smooth as he glides along the ice.
“Well, it’s hard to ignore how great he is the more I’m around him. He’s kind of annoying like that. He just had to worm his way in, huh?”
Zanders’ attention finds my admiring gaze as he skates closer to the plexiglass encasing the ice. We aren’t down near the rink, but we’re still close enough that I can see the soft smile slide across his lips as he looks at me.
“I’ve never seen him like this,” Logan softly notes with pride, almost under her breath.
Zanders pulls his jersey away from his chest, shaking the fabric, and referring to the matching one I’m wearing. I mirror his action with the number eleven uniform I have on as his megawatt smile comes into view, holding my stare.
That is until Maddison comes up behind him and smacks his helmet, probably giving Zanders shit for acting as soft as he does around his own wife.
“No Ella today?” I shift my attention back to Logan.
“She’s here, running around somewhere. Eli’s parents are in town, so she’s with them. You’ll meet them tonight. They’re the best.”
“You didn’t have to change your birthday plans just for us, you know.”
Logan brushes me off. “I’m happy to. I love having you as part of the group.”
Pressing my lips together, I fight back my all-too giddy smile. For the first time in my life, I have friends who want my company for me, and not for the shared last name of my sibling.
It feels good.
36
ZANDERS
Having Stevie at my game, wearing my jersey does a whole lot of things to my possessive side. Outside of my sister, I’ve never had someone at the arena for just me. I have no idea how Maddison has done this, game in and game out since college. Having my girl here steals all my focus. My eyes keep wanting to wander up to the seats to see how pretty she looks with her curly hair and the Raptors’ jersey across her chest, regardless that I’ve had the same view for weeks now.
I almost can’t believe I get to have her here, and it’s as if I need to keep checking to make sure it’s actually true.
“Last shift, Rio, let’s go!” I yell out as my blue-line partner and I take the ice for the final shift of our afternoon game.
The boys have been playing great, earning the most points in the NHL for February, which has translated into the month of March. But more than earning another two points for today’s win, once the final buzzer goes off, we’ll have secured a number one seed in our division for playoffs, something that hasn’t been done in the Raptors organization for years.
Buffalo’s goalie has already left the ice, giving them a six-on-five advantage. But regardless, we’re already up two goals with the final seconds on the clock winding down. And once Rio causes a turnover, shooting the puck down the ice and scoring in the empty net, the celebration begins.
As the buzzer sounds, the guys pile on our goalie for his shutout win. The United Center fills with shouts, cheers, and music blaring for our team.
We were the first organization in the league to secure our playoff spot, and now we’re guaranteed home-ice advantage as long as we’re in it.
The giant mob of my teammates makes their way to the bench, hugs and glove bumps exchanged with the coaching staff before heading down the tunnel to the locker room. But before I make it off the ice, Maddison jumps on me.