“Besties, no fighting.” Ezra squeezed in between Maverick and Zach. He was small enough that no one really had to move.
I snorted, then clamped my palm over my mouth. “Sorry.”
I loved how good this made me feel. Being part of a group like this. One that supported one another, one another’s significant others, and enjoyed spending time together. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, and the ones I’d had left North Carolina once we graduated. I was a couple years older than Leo and Andy, so I didn’t hang with them, but now I was getting to see a side of them no one else did. The tender touches, inside jokes, and soft smiles. Zach was the best friend I had ever had and meeting him in New York had been one of the best things to ever happen to me. Meeting Cole was the first.
“It’s fine,” Saint assured me. “These two are like twin terrors when they want to be. Don’t let Maverick fool you. He’s all bark and no bite. And Ezra? He tried to hate me, but now he loves me.”
Maverick’s nostrils flared. “I’m not always nice.”
“I’m debating whether I love you for real or not.” Ezra crossed his legs, the shine of his pants catching the reflection from the television.
Seth shook his head. “You love all of us, Ezra. You’re a gooey piece of chocolate. If I came over there right now and tried to hug you—”
“Yes!” Ezra jumped to his feet. “You know hugs are my love language.” He opened his arms for Seth, and they both giggled like kids when they embraced. “CC, stop that right now.”
Carson sighed. “My husband is always just loving up on other men. It’s something I have to deal with. I mean, I can’t blame them for wanting to touch him. He’s hot.”
“Honestly, you’d think that I didn’t love you.” Ezra went to sit in Carson’s lap. “I mean, don’t you get sick of me?”
Carson shook his head. “Princess, I could never get sick of you.”
I smiled. They were cute. I had been scared of Ezra when I was younger because he was fierce, a protector, but the more I got to know him, the more I realized he was just looking out of the people he loved. And I hoped it would include me someday.
“Game’s back on!” Blake hollered, then slapped at Killian, whose hand had tried to cover his mouth. “Stop it. I will beat you up!”
Killian smirked. “Blakey, the way you flirt.” He barked out a laugh when Blake tried to get him in a headlock. But he was no match for the lead singer. Killian had been working out a lot, sometimes with Jackson, and it showed. His biceps were testing the limits of the Panthers shirt he wore. Not that I was looking or anything.
“Oh, my lord, my husband is so sexy!” Maverick squealed when the camera caught Jackson on screen for a second. Dressed in a tailored black suit that clung to his broad shoulders, he looked more than scary as he stared across the ice.
The whole mess of us watched as the Panthers won the game six to three. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Memorized that Tom could snatch the puck out of thin air likethat or the way that Wyatt knew exactly where Cole was. And the hat-trick. I was nearly sobbing with happiness when the lamp lit up and the team gathered Cole into a massive hug to congratulate him.
“That’s my man,” I whispered to myself.
I didn’t care if anyone heard, but by the look of it, everyone was too excited to notice. They were celebrating on their own. Cheering and hugging one another while my huge smile felt like it might split my face in half.
Later that night, at home in my childhood bedroom, I woke to the sound of my cell phone ringing. I had a hard time falling asleep when I crawled into the old bed, hopped up on sugar and adrenaline from the party at the Olsons’. My body took a while to catch up with my brain, and then it was lights out.
“Hey, baby,” Cole slurred into the phone. “Were you sleeping?”
I yawned. “Are you drunk?” I giggled at the thought. I knew Cole didn’t drink a lot, but he deserved to celebrate. He had earned it.
“Maybe,” Cole admitted. “I miss you.”
I hummed happily. “I miss you, too. Congratulations on the win. And your hatty.”
That moment would be replaying in my head for a while. The excitement written all over Cole’s face. The sound of the entire pack at the party screaming when it happened. That was my man. He did that.
“You saw the game?”
“Casanova, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
When he didn’t say anything, I sat up and flicked on the light next to my bed. “Is everything okay? Did something happen?”
“You watched me play,” Cole repeated. “Did you enjoy it?”
I smiled even though he couldn’t see me. “I loved it. I thought maybe you heard my scream all the way up there in Washington.Everyone was losing their minds. It was one of the best nights of my life.”
“Is that the noise I heard?” Cole chuckled softly. “Wait, everyone?”