She told me earlier in the day that she’d stay out of my way, and that if I needed her, she’d be in the kitchen. I was not too ashamed to admit I needed her.
I went to my fourth floor tile and waited with my hands on my hips. Emma pulled a pan out of the oven and set it on the counter, then walked my way with a huge smile. We fell into a hug and she turned her face up for a kiss.
“You’ve got this,” she said.
“No guarantees,” I said.
“Well, I’m proud of you either way.”
“Ugh. Save it for your son,” I groaned.
“What? I can’t be proud of you.”
“No. If we lose, I need to know I’m going to be adequately flogged for my failure.”
Emma appeared to be deep in thought. “Hmm. And if you win?”
“If we win, I get to fuck you while you’re bent over the Cup,” I said.
“Okay. And if you lose, you have to crawl after me for a week while I whip your ass?”
I lifted a shoulder. “That would probably cover it.”
“Okay, then. I’m not proud of you either way, then. You will pay for your transgressions if you lose.”
“That’s more like it.” I pulled her close again. “I’m sorry I don’t know whether I want to go or stay yet.”
Emma put her hands on my shoulders and looked up at me. “I’m not worried about it. This has been the most incredible ride. Today is abouttoday. This game. You. Everything you’ve done to get here. Your team.” She tapped my temple. “This is once in a lifetime. Clear your head.”
I hugged her tight to me. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She pinched the skin on my arm. “Now, go have a salty snack and some water. You feel all skinny-dehydrated already.”
We satin the locker room, almost ready for Cap to read the lineup. This was it. Last one. Mid-June. After this day, our team would never look the same.
For a lot of reasons. None of us had shaved since mid-April, and our caveman-like appearances had never been stronger. As much as I longed to have my mustache back, I was much more antsy to win this damn thing.
Every one of us was exhausted, but would never, ever in a million years give up. We were so close we could taste it.
Owen paced until he stopped in front of me. “I’m asking Liam to be my roommate.”
I stopped breathing. This could solve everything. If Liam was taken care of, Emma might go with me to L.A. “You’re telling me this right now?” I laughed.
He went on with a shrug. “I have an extra bedroom. I don’t know. He’ll be playing hockey. We get along well. It just makes sense.”
“You . . . don’t have to do that,” I said.
Owen lifted a brow. “What would it have to do with you?”
I thought about how things had been since Liam and Emma started traveling with us, how Liam stayed with Owen almost every night. I knew how Liam felt about Owen, and while I’d kept a big secret from Owen, he seemed to be keeping one with me as well. Owen claimed Liam kept him calm before games, and well, none of us were inclined to fuck with that. Owen had the most goals on the team in the playoffs. Whatever they were doing, it was working. “Nothing, man. That sounds like a good plan.”
That added a fresh nervous energy to my already-amped state. I would potentially have options. I wandered around, figuring out who was in the mood to talk and who wanted to be left alone.
Leroy sat scouring a bunch of papers stapled together, rubbing his eyebrows with one hand.
“What are you reading?” I asked.
He slapped the papers across his palm. “I don’t know. Mara gave me something to read to take my mind off everything, but it’s just boring. I’m not sure it’s not one of her punishments.”