“Oh, she’s there all right. Probably running half the town by now, knowing her. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a stubborn streak a mile wide.” He glances over at me. “If I showed up now, she’d probably sooner punch me than talk to me.”
I smirk. “Sounds like true love.”
He shakes his head, before his eyes drift to the rink. “We were pretty serious before I left. But I was dead set on going pro, and she wasn’t about to wait around for some guy chasing an NHL dream.” He adjusts his knee, wincing in pain. “There’s no point imagining what could’ve been.”
Before I can respond, Leo, Miles, Brax, and Tate appear at the boards.
“Good to see you survived your allergic reaction,” Brax says.
“Good to see you survived your Britney Spears’ lip sync,” I respond.
Brax freezes. “You saw that?”
“My sister has video evidence and no shame about sharing it.”
“We were amazing,” Miles brags.
“You were…something,” I agree.
“How’s it going with your girlfriend?” Leo asks, leaning on the boards.
I straighten slightly. “About that.” I pause. Might as well rip the bandage off. “I finally told her how I feel.”
They stare at me for a second before Tate asks, “And how does she feel about that?”
“She feels the same.”
The guys bombard me with fist bumps, back slapping, and Leo saying, “I knew it was going to happen!”
Jaxon extends his fist for a bump. “For what it’s worth, Coach, thanks for not decking me at that Christmas party.”
I laugh, bumping his fist. “Actually, I should be thanking you.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “For what?”
“For asking her to the party in the first place. If you hadn’t, I might never have done something about my feelings.”
“Glad I could help.” He grins. “Even if I did think you were going to punch me for about three solid minutes.”
“So, when’s the announcement going public?” Brax asks.
“Whoa, slow down,” I say, holding up my hands. “We need to get through the wedding first.”
“But it’s historic!” Leo interrupts. “Coach Marco finally admits he has feelings.”
“Okay, okay.” I check over my shoulder to make sure Jakowski and Jenkins aren’t paying attention. “Listen, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but maybe keep this quiet for now. I’m already dealing with enough heat this week.”
“What’s going on?” Tate asks.
I figure he’ll find out anyway since Lauren’s involved. “There’s an article making the rounds that said the only reason I have this job is because of nepotism, and that I’m the one responsible for your loss.”
“Who said that?” Leo asks, furious.
I shake my head. “That’s not important.”
“But that reporter needs to be set straight,” Brax adds. “Anyone who doesn’t see how hard you make us work is blind.”
Their support catches me off guard. “I appreciate that. But the best thing you could do is prove him wrong by showing up on Sunday and winning.”