Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 112884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“I’ll take your word on it.” We laugh as we talk about what we did after leaving each other not too long ago. We’ve been spending more and more time together and, I have to say, she’s quickly becoming one of my favorite people.
“Where are you going?” I ask her as she drives up to a garage door.
“It’s for the players and family members.” She looks over, taking out her parking pass and scanning it. We drive down the ramp, and when we stop, it’s near a valet booth, one guy in a red jacket is instructing the four guys who are running around. One of them comes to my car door while another goes to Kylie’s side. He hands her the white ticket and I wait for her to see where to go.
“That door”—she points to the door in the corner—“is for the players.” I look over and see there is a camera crew set up. “The family goes over there.” She points to the other door as we walk toward it. I step in and then we go up an escalator toward a floor that looks like there are office doors across it. A man sits on a stool and looks at us. Kylie takes out her badge and he scans it. “It’s for the both of us,” she tells him and he just nods as she walks over to one of the doors. “This is Kirby’s suite,” she announces, pushing open the door and stepping in. “Jaxon’s is next door.” She points to the wall where I see some action shots of Kirby. A round table sits in the middle of the room with four leather chairs around it. There is a long table by the wall with trays of food on it. “Usually, it’s full of people from the hospital,” she tells me, and I look over to see Ariella walking up the steps where the seats are.
“There you guys are,” she huffs. “He was looking for you,” she says of Jagger, who is on her hip wearing a team jersey and black headphones over his ears. “He’s not a fan of the headphones,” she shares and I smile at him.
“Hello, my boy,” I say, holding out my arms and he flings himself into them. “Hi,” I say to him and he gives me the biggest smile as I kiss his neck.
“We should head down there,” Ariella directs. “Jaxon will be looking for him.”
“I’ll carry him,” I offer her and she nods as I follow them out the door. “This feels like déjà vu,” I tell them. “My most memorable nights were the ones where we would all get together for the game.” I look over at Ariella, who just nods in agreement. “And then going down to the glass, watching them skate around and waiting to catch one of the pucks.” I smile big at the memories. “My favorite part would be catching them and then giving them to one of the fans and they would go nuts.” I laugh as we go down the escalator and then through one of the doors and head down the steps toward the glass. People are already lined up, waiting for the team, some with boards in their hands with messages.
I stand in the corner, in the middle of Ariella and Kylie, waiting. “Look at that one.”
I turn to the side to see two women dressed in jeans and leather jackets, one of them holding up a sign that says: Materson, Rock, Paper, Scissors for Your Number.
I can’t help but snort out a laugh. “She’s not getting a puck if I get one.” The girls just laugh and then I spot something out of the corner of my eyes. It looks like the players are coming onto the ice. Jagger jumps when someone bangs on the window and he reaches back out for Ariella.
The lights go on and then the players take the ice, my eyes watch to see if I spot him, and the minute I do, my smile must get even bigger. He is walking out with Jaxon, his helmet not on, the two of them talking about something, and then they both burst out laughing. Jaxon gets on the ice first and then waits for Kirby. The girls with the sign bang on the window for Kirby’s attention, but he just looks over when Jaxon points our way. His eyes find mine and the smile fills his face even more.
Jaxon comes over and Ariella holds Jagger in front of her at the glass as Jagger smacks it, trying to get to Jaxon. “Hey,” I hear before the glass is knocked with a hockey stick and I look over at Kirby, “you aren’t even wearing anything to support the team.”
“I’m wearing black,” I tell him and he shakes his head.