Down the hallway, a flight of steps, and more than a few twists later, I found myself entering the arena from the ice level. The temperature drop brought me home to the smell of the ice, the feel of the stick in my hands, the quiet roar of adrenaline through my body. As much as I loved flying, the ice would always be my first love.
The glass came into view, and the familiar noise of a practice filled my ears. Holy shit. The Louisville Bobcats were on the ice, practicing. “They don’t usually practice here,” I said to Ember as the guard opened the door in the glass behind the net.
“No, but today isn’t usual,” she said with a hundred mega-watt smile.
My brain shut down, unable to handle even the possibility that I was about to get anywhere near that ice, those players. “I don’t understand.”
“Luke, my friend from school?”
My eyes narrowed. “The guy you grab coffee with?” The excessively smart one pushing you toward the dig, which makes me like and hate him all in the same breath.
“Yeah. His dad owns the Bobcats.”
I blinked. Seriously?
“Ooh, they’re calling us.” She tugged my hand, and I left my gear outside the glass as I stepped onto the ice.
“Hey,” Chase Miles, the Bobcats’ captain, skated over to us, taking off his glove. “You must be Lieutenant Walker.”
“Just Josh,” I answered as I shook his hand. Don’t say anything stupid.
“Well, Josh, we hear you’re shipping out in a few days and thought you might want to jump in on a little pick-up game we have going.”
No. Fucking. Way. I found myself speechless for the first time since…ever, and gawked up at him.
“Is that a yes?” he asked.
I nodded, almost afraid to blink. Hell yes, it was a yes. Playing in the NHL had been my dream since the first time Mom laced my skates. All those early morning practices, long weekend tournaments, bills that piled up because she wanted me to have the newest helmet.
“Great. Singer will take you back to the locker room. We have a little something for you. See you in a few.” He nodded and skated back to the other players who had all gathered here to play…with me.
“You did this?” I asked Ember as Singer closed the boards.
“Luke helped,” she answered, that smile still bright enough to compete with the ice.
“And they all agreed?” My eyes darted back to where at least a dozen players waited, goalies included.
“I only asked for a few, but when the rest heard it was for a soldier, they jumped at the chance to come play,” she finished. “Do you like it?”
My heart was ready to burst. She’d done this, pulled some magical string to hand me a chance to live out my dream. My throat closed, and words, if I’d had any, were impossible. Instead, I took her in my arms, one hand weaving through her hair and the other lifting her against me. My eyes skimmed her perfect features, from the porcelain texture of her skin to the deep blue of her eyes. “I love you,” I whispered just before I kissed the hell out of her.
She broke away after a minute, her breath uneven, and put two fingers against my aching lips. “Go get dressed. I can’t wait to watch you out there.”
My gaze swung to where they skated, and I couldn’t ever remember being happier. “Okay.” One more swift kiss, and I met Singer where he waited at the door.
“Quite a girl you have there,” he said with a grin as he led me to the locker room.
“She’s everything.”
He took me to a locker on the end that had been labeled “Walker.” Inside was a Bobcat jersey with my name. I was torn between lingering in this moment, taking my time with every piece of gear, and ripping the pads from my bag so I could get out there quickly. The second impulse won out, but I snapped a few pictures of the locker.
I’d unzipped the pocket of my bag and reached in to take out my tape when my fingers brushed against the soft texture of the small box I’d hidden there a month ago, knowing it was the one place Ember wouldn’t accidentally stumble onto it. Giving in to my number one dream, I hid it with a smile and took off for the ice, so excited I barely remembered to remove my skate covers.
The hallway opened to the players’ bench, and the lights from the arena shone down, making me feel small and godlike all in one breath.
“Please welcome to the ice, from the University of Colorado, number thirteen, Josh Walker!” The announcement through the PA system rocked me in a way I wasn’t prepared for, emotions hitting me as hard as the players slapping my back as I skated onto the ice.
Just before the puck dropped, I looked over to where I knew Ember would be cheering me on from behind the glass. One glimpse of that smile and I was fueled for the entire game. We’d come full circle—me on the ice, showing off for the red-headed girl in the stands, knowing that for just this amount of time, I had her attention, her focus.
The game was fast-paced, even though I knew they’d slowed it down for me. Hell, I wasn’t in any shape to be playing against my college team, let alone NHL players, but damn if I wasn’t going to give it everything I had. I skated until my legs felt like rubber and my breath came in harsh pants.
We played for over an hour, culminating in the one shot I managed to slip past the goalie. Ember cheered from the stands, and right then everything I’d dreamed about for my life came together in a moment of absolute perfection.
The players smacked my back as they left the ice. I thanked them one by one, and they all acted like I had done them a favor by showing up. Chase shook my hand last.