Overtime: A Moo U Hockey Romance

by Kat Mizera

  “I have.” I met her gaze. “I’m going to move into biotechnology. I don’t know where or when, but I can’t go to medical school. So I’ll get a job teaching or working at the mall, it doesn’t matter to me, until I find the right program. I’m only nineteen—I have plenty of time—and Patrick’s career is more important at the moment.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with taking a gap year,” she said gently.

  Though that had been in the back of my mind, I’d never articulated it, not really, and hearing someone say it aloud made me as excited as it did uncomfortable. “It’s not part of the plan I had for myself, but neither was Patrick, and what we have is special. School isn’t going anywhere, but finding someone like Patrick doesn’t happen every day.”

  “It definitely does not.”

  35

  Patrick

  Ellie was here.

  As I skated around the ice during the warm-up, my heart pounded a little faster and I couldn’t stop smiling. I was trying to play it cool but my twin noticed immediately. He’d seen Ellie and Naomi, of course, and skated up next to me as we waited to take a few shots on goal.

  “She’s here,” he said, as if I didn’t know.

  “Yup.”

  “You better not fuck it up this time.”

  “Oh, I have no intention of doing that.” I grinned at him and stepped up to take a shot. I put it right over Gruber’s shoulder and he gave me a nod.

  After Paxton had shot, he skated up behind me again.

  “You’re going to stay at school, aren’t you?”

  “I think we need more time together, and honestly, I want the degree. I would’ve gotten it eventually, but maybe this is better. And being with her is definitely better.”

  “You could just ask her to go to Vegas with you,” he suggested mildly.

  I frowned a little. “I don’t think she can. School and all that. I mean, we’ll probably end up being apart for months at a time, but working on a doctorate includes a lot of research and paper-writing, so my hope is that she gets into the program she wants and we live apart some, but then she can spend chunks of time in Vegas too. But we’ll have another whole year to figure it out.”

  “I’m happy for you,” he said, holding out his fist for me to bump it. “I mean it.”

  Knowing Ellie was nearby calmed me. It had since the first night we’d met, and I was able to put everything but hockey out of my mind. My dad, the Sidewinders, my uncertain future, everything just faded away. This game was all that mattered, winning the whole damn thing.

  And North Dakota didn’t make it easy on us. Every time we scored, they came right back with one. By the end of the third period, we were tied at six apiece and going to overtime. For me, it was a dream come true because overtime was where I excelled. I had a sixth sense in that post-regulation period, something inside of me that turned on and gave me an edge. It was hard to explain because it didn’t happen every time, but I’d say about ninety percent of the time.

  The connection with my twin intensified during overtime as well, and Coach Keller knew it, so he had us on the same line, which gave us an almost unfair advantage. But I was all over it, looking for anything that would get me or the puck to the net. I faked around to the outside by the boards, watching the other team’s defenseman’s skates to see if he would cross over, since that would prevent him from easily changing directions to follow me. The moment he did, it gave me the half step I needed to cut back to the middle and drive toward the net.

  I didn’t have to look to know Paxton had been watching and waiting, ready to get me the puck as soon as there was a shot. The North Dakota D-man had already recovered and was back on top of me, but I had my stick out in front of me and on the ice, waiting for Paxton to put the puck on it. Then I saw it, my twin sending the puck my way, and I got just enough of the blade on it to deflect it up and over the goalie’s shoulder.

  That red light was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen and my arms shot up in the air in victory. The first person to reach me was my brother and he wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the ground as our teammates joined us, one at a time. Before I knew it, I was on the bottom of a pile, laughing as they continued to jump on top of us. I barely felt it, adrenaline and excitement surging through me.

  We’d done it, won the whole damn thing, and I’d put that game-winning goal in the slot. It was what I did, what I hoped to continue doing for at least another decade or two, and I hoped like hell this would convince the Sidewinders I was important enough to wait for. I couldn’t control that, though, and as I got to my feet, I searched the crowd for Ellie.

  There she was.

  She was whistling and yelling, arms in the air as she celebrated with the fans around her. God, she was beautiful. I wanted to run over there and touch her but there was too much going on. The coaching and support staff had joined us on the ice and we were getting ready for the handshake line.

  I found it kind of a barbaric tradition, forcing the losing team to be good sports and shake hands with the winners. We were all on top of the world and they were dejected as hell. But that wasn’t my problem, not today anyway, and I did my gentlemanly duty while trying not to gloat too much.

  Once we were done, I took a minute to skate over to the glass close to where Ellie was, putting my palm against it. She practically vaulted over the people in front of her to get to me and her smile made everything that much better.

  “Locker room?” I yelled through the melee.

  She nodded, pointing to Toli, who gave me a thumbs-up. I took that to mean Toli would get her back to me and that’s all that mattered. I winked and headed off the ice with my teammates.

  The locker room was even crazier than the ice had been, with everyone yelling and partying. There was plenty of champagne and we made a big show of dousing Coach Keller, who endured it like a champ. The press was waiting outside to talk to us and friends and family had started to gather too. By the time Coach let everyone in, it was a fucking zoo, and I skimmed the faces, looking for Ellie.

  And there she was. I pushed past throngs of people to get to her and she was already heading my direction as I held out my arms. She threw herself into them and nestled against my sweaty chest.

  “Hi.” I kissed the top of her head.

  “I’m so proud of you,” she said. “You were amazing out there.”

  “Thanks.” I hugged her tightly. “But what are you doing here?”

  “You need me and I need you. It’s that simple.”

  “It really is, isn’t it?” I hadn’t thought of it quite that way, but it was so good to hold her again.

  “I missed you.” Her voice was barely discernible but I heard her and hugged her tighter.

  “Me too.” I looked down at her and she tilted up her face to me. There were people and reporters everywhere, but I didn’t care, and I lowered my lips to hers. I kissed her sweetly, considering how many people were around, letting my tongue flick hers for a few seconds before reaching out to cup the side of her face. “I’m so fucking happy you’re here.”

  “There was nowhere else I could possibly be this weekend.” Her eyes met mine and what I saw there told me everything was going to be okay.

  “Babe, can you—”

  “Is this the little slut trying to get your money?” My dad’s voice was worse than nails on a chalkboard and the growl that left my throat was deep and filled with more than a decade of fear, frustration, and hatred. I shoved Ellie to the side as I whirled to face him.

  “What the fuck did you say?”

  “You’re not ready to be a father.”

  “Duh.”

  “You can fuck anyone!” Dad was on a roll, his face getting redder as his voice got louder. “She’s nothing special—don’t you see she’s using the baby to trap you?”

  “She’s extremely special,” I hissed. “And it’s none of your business anyway.”

  “Why do you consistently do everything in your power to fuck up your care
er? Are you just fucking stupid?” He used both hands to shove me in the chest, sending me back a few feet.

  I came back at him and my fist shot out before I could stop it, sending him sprawling. People started to yell and I sensed my teammates surrounding me, but I was laser-focused on my father. He got to his feet and charged me, but I was ready for him, catching him around his middle and throwing him back on the ground. He jumped up and swung, connecting with my bicep as I side-stepped him, and I hit him again, this time square in the nose.

  “Patrick!” Paxton was pulling me off of him. “He’s enough of a dick to press charges—don’t do it.”

  “Patrick.” Toli stood between me and my father, his eyes meeting mine. “Don’t destroy your future over this guy. He’s not worth it.”

  “Babe.” Ellie’s soft voice penetrated my haze of fury more than the others, her hand on my forearm, tugging gently. “Don’t. Please don’t. I don’t care what he says about me. They’re just words.”

  I didn’t say anything, my eyes still locked with my father’s, as blood dripped from his nose.

  “Ungrateful little shit,” he was saying. “I’ve sacrificed everything so you could be where you are today and this is the thanks I get.”

  “You’re out of here.” Coach Keller appeared with two security guards. “And you’re officially persona non grata at any and all Burlington University sports events. Get him out of here.”

  Dad was still yelling insults and I dipped my head, ashamed I’d lost my temper and embarrassed to have done this in front of my whole team, the Sidewinders who were here, and the press.

  “I’m sorry, Coach.”

  “You’re fine, kid.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I think that was a long time coming and if he does decide to do something stupid like press charges, you have a whole room of people who’ll say he started it.”

  I pulled Ellie close again. As always, the calm in my chaos.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I hate that you fought because of me.”

  “Baby, we’ve been fighting since long before I ever met you. What just happened could have happened at any time the last couple of years.”

  “I still hate it.”

  “I’m sorry he called you names.”

  She shrugged. “Sticks and stones and all that. Fuck him.”

  I laughed. She was so quiet and reserved most of the time, but when she let loose it was great.

  “You okay, sweetheart?” Renee joined us, her eyes filled with concern.

  “I’m better than okay.” Ellie smiled at her.

  “There’s so gonna be make-up sex tonight,” Tate chortled.

  I took a playful swing at him, laughing. “I fucking hope so.”

  36

  Ellie

  It was a long time before Patrick and I had any time alone, to talk or anything else. The team started partying almost immediately after the locker room altercation, and I let Patrick talk to the press and enjoy the win with his teammates. I hung out with Renee, Tessa, and Chelsea, watching, taking it all in. It was exciting, even though I technically wasn’t part of it, and I loved seeing Patrick in his element, especially when journalists were falling all over each other to get to him. His game-winning goal had been epic and they wanted to know what was next for him.

  “I’m only a junior this year,” he’d said. “I think college is the best place for me. The Sidewinders aren’t going anywhere and I’d like to graduate. I haven’t made a final decision yet, but that’s the direction I’m leaning.”

  “Patrick, have you talked to the Sidewinders about your decision?”

  “They’re super supportive,” he’d replied calmly. “They haven’t put any pressure on me to make a decision either way, so I’m taking my time to make sure I do the right thing for my future.”

  What was he talking about? He’d already decided to go pro and I’d obviously missed something if he was leaning toward staying at school now.

  “I have to go back to the hotel with the team,” he said to me at some point in the evening. “Will you meet me there? Where are you staying?”

  “We’re at the same hotel.”

  “You two can totally have our room,” Renee told me. “I’m going to stay with Jared tonight and fly home in the morning.”

  “Thank you.” I reached out to hug her. “This was all because of you and I’m so grateful.”

  “Remember, communication is key. Don’t hold anything back.”

  “Thank you a million times.”

  “You’re very welcome.”

  It was after midnight before Patrick and I were finally in my room. The parties were still raging but we needed to be together, to talk and sort things out. I had no idea what he was thinking and I had so many things to tell him.

  “You didn’t have to cut out early for me,” I whispered as he dropped his bag on the floor.

  “Yeah, I did.” He kissed me, lightly. “But before we do anything else, I need a shower. I’m sweaty and covered in champagne.”

  “Champagne is yummy,” I teased. “I’m happy to lick it off of you.”

  He grimaced. “Not mixed with sweat and bacteria from my equipment. As a future biologist, you should know this stuff.”

  I laughed. “Okay, fine. Go shower.”

  Ten minutes later, he came out of the bathroom in nothing but low-slung sweats, and every part of me clenched in longing and anticipation. Those broad shoulders and muscular arms did me in every time, but his flat, rippled torso and bright blue eyes weren’t bad either.

  I unconsciously licked my lips and he quirked a smile in my direction. “Bet I know what you’re thinking.”

  “Who, me?” I feigned innocence. “I have no idea what you mean.”

  “How about you turn over and let me take a bite of that luscious ass of yours?”

  “I’m scandalized,” I said, laughingly throwing an arm over my eyes and lamely faking a Southern accent. “I would nev-ah do such a thing.”

  “Come here, you.” He yanked me up against him and wrapped his arms around me. There was so much unspoken contentment in his touch, in the way he held me, and I closed my eyes, letting it wash over me.

  “You want to talk?” he asked after a moment.

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s sit over there.” He motioned to the chair by the window and led me there by the hand. He sat down and pulled me onto his lap. “I need to touch you,” he said.

  “That’s good because I totally need you to touch me.”

  “So, what are you doing here? I mean, really?”

  “I…” I took a deep breath and tried to organize my thoughts in a way that would make sense. “My life was very structured before I met you. High school, college, graduate school—it was all a neatly ordered plan. I took a little detour after my undergraduate degrees and went into computer science instead of biotechnology because I wanted to piss off my mother, but in the end, all that did was waste time. What I didn’t understand then was that my life was very black and white, both emotionally and in terms of the way I lived it. And then I met you.” I smiled, touching his cheek. “The gray of my life turned to bright colors. Everything was better…even school. You made me see and feel things I’d never imagined, and when I left you, the darkness came back so fast it felt like I’d fallen into a deep well of despair.”

  “Oh, baby, I’m sorry.” He stroked my hair.

  “It was just so much, so fast,” I continued softly, swallowing. “All the firsts happened in, like, two months, and adding the pregnancy on top of it, part of me shut down. The only way to sort through it all was to push you—and everyone else—away. I needed to find myself before I could let anyone else in.”

  “And now?”

  “Now I realize that mostly what I need is you. Not because I can’t manage on my own, but because everything is so much better with you at my side.”

  “And that’s kind of where I’m at too,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “I realized going to the pros wasn
’t worth it if it meant losing you. I’m willing to give up the degree—even though I’d still like to finish at some point—but not you. So I’ll stay at Moo U another year, get bigger and stronger and more mature, and that should give you time to figure out where you’re going to be.”

  “But I don’t want you to stay for me,” I whispered quickly. “I have zero idea where I’m going to be in a year, so you need to go to Vegas.”

  “I don’t want to go without you,” he said, pressing his forehead to mine. “Ellie, I love you.”

  Tears burned my eyelids and I let them fall unchecked. How long had I waited to hear those words? “I love you too,” I choked out, wrapping my arms around his neck.

  “If you want to come with me to Vegas, I’m happy to take care of you,” he said. “Take a year off, live with me, and use the whole time to pursue all the things you’ve wanted to try but never had time for. And when you find the right program, the place you want to be, if we have to do a long-distance thing until you finish, it’s okay. We’ll survive. My gut says we’ll be married by then.”

  I crashed my mouth to his, overwhelmed with passion and emotion and romance. And he kissed me back like a man who owned me. His tongue pillaged mine, taking pull after pull until I was an aching, squirming mass of hormones. I needed him so badly, but I wasn’t sure if we could.

  “I need you,” he whispered.

  “I don’t know if it’s okay,” I whispered back. “I never asked about intercourse because I didn’t think I’d be having any.”

  “Oral?” His eyes glittered with intensity.

  “Yes. Fuck yes.”

  He got up with me still in his arms and within ten seconds we were naked, our bodies close together on the bed. And somehow, the urgency faded, as if just being like this, back together, was enough.

  “We don’t have to do anything,” he said after a moment. “I don’t want to hurt you. You need to heal properly. I can wait.”

  “Oral isn’t going to hurt anything and I need to come so badly, I might explode the second you touch me.”