BRING IT HOME (Nashville Assassins: Next Generation Book 3)

by Toni Aleo

  “Get to the net, tip something—shit, do anything. I don’t care. Just get a goal and win this!” She looks around at everyone gawking at her. “We got this. Bring it home!”

  The whistle blows, and we hand over our drinks before we start to skate to the IceCats’ zone. I feel my heart beating like mad, and when the puck drops, Aiden wins it, passing it to me. I pass it to Wes, who is trying to set up. Trying to do what Posey wants. He goes to move toward the net, but a player cuts him off, sending the puck to the point behind me, where an IceCats player is. I haul fucking ass to catch him as our defensemen try to block him from getting a shot out. When he goes to shoot, I pick his pocket, turning on a whim and passing it up the ice to where I hear Aiden yelling his ass off.

  He and Wes are alone.

  Holy fuck.

  I skate hard toward the other end, watching as Aiden sends the puck to Wes, trapping a defensemen between them. Wes doesn’t have the shot, so he quickly sends it to Aiden. But instead of shooting, Aiden sends it right back to where Wes has the open net.

  When the lights go off, I swear I almost fall to my knees.

  We won.

  We fucking won.

  We dog pile Wes, and with tears in my eyes, I think about the fact that I may not have my mom in my life anymore. I know that’s a huge gaping hole that is hard to fill, but as my brothers and I hold one another, crying in relief and excitement, I know I’ll always have a family. When we break apart, my gaze falls on my lovely as she shakes hands with the coaches on the other team. I see her see me, and she starts for me, making sure not to fall. I meet her halfway, picking her up off the ice, and we kiss enthusiastically. When we part, our eyes lock, and even with the screams, the boos, the flying beer cans from angry fans, all I see is her.

  My Posey.

  My everything.

  Chapter Twelve

  Posey

  “Are we finding out what it is?”

  Boon and I look at each other with grins on our faces. We haven’t even discussed if we were going to find out or not. “Do you want to know?”

  He nods eagerly. “Should we do a gender reveal?”

  I scoff. “We aren’t Shelli and Aiden. Let them do that over-the-top shit.”

  He grins. “You’re right. Let’s find out and tell no one!”

  I laugh as I hold up my hand, and we high-five. “Good plan.”

  Boon kisses my jaw, leaning his head on my chest as we look at the technician. “You know we’ll have to tell my mom,” I mention, and he nods. “She wants to buy stuff, and she really wants us to get a house so she can decorate the nursery. Also, since the guys thought it would be cute to get you a grill for an apartment in a building that does not allow grills on its balconies, we’ll need a place for that since keeping it in the box in our living room is a travesty.”

  He gives me a dry look. “We just won the Cup,” he says, pointing to the corner where the Cup keeper and the Stanley Cup are waiting. I feel awful for the Cup keeper; he has to be bored. Though, he doesn’t really speak to us. “Give it a minute.”

  “Okay, but we have to tell her, especially because if she finds out the Cup keeper knows before her, she’ll freak.”

  We both look at the Cup keeper, and he grins. “I’m not saying a word.”

  Boon glances back at me. “We’ll tell her.”

  “Okay,” I agree as we wait for the technician to move her little probe along my growing belly.

  I never thought I would love growing a human in my belly as much as I do. It’s still crazy to look down and see the bump—but even just as a bump, I would die for it. It’s my bump, my little person. The last couple weeks have been absolutely insane. Our parade for the Cup win was bigger and much more massive than it was last year. I rode on a float and waved and cried with my city, celebrating our boys. It all seems like a dream, but it really happened. Though Wes isn’t letting anyone forget. He even got a shirt made that reads, “I scored the winning goal in the Stanley Cup Final.” I wish I were kidding, but I don’t really care because I am so proud of him.

  I honestly thought Aiden would have taken the shot, but he told the press that his coach wanted Wes to do something, so he made sure he did something. I love how much the boys respect me. I love my job so damn much, and when the contract came in, signing me for another year, I cried. I feel so accomplished. I am so proud of myself. We haven’t figured things out for when the next season starts, but we have had a lot going on.

  Shelli’s wedding is in a month, and today is the huge game between the winning Assassins team and the alumni players. It’s going to be a blast, and in all reality, I can worry about other stuff later. Right now, I am about to find out what I am having, and then I get to watch my husband try to score on my dad. Little does Boon know, my dad has been training for this. He refuses to have anyone question his greatness. It’s gonna be so awesome.

  But it’s clear I don’t know what awesome truly is until the technician says, “Well, guys, you are having a little boy.”

  My heart stops.

  My soul sings.

  And I swear, I’ve never been so happy in my life.

  I look at Boon as his eyes cloud with tears. “A boy?”

  I laugh around a happy sob. “A boy.”

  “It’s a Boonsey.”

  “Really?” I ask, and he laughs before he kisses me hard on the lips, and then we dissolve in laughter.

  Because how could life get better?

  When we pull into Luther Arena, Boon looks in the back seat to make sure the Cup is still strapped in. He tried to make me sit in the back, but before I could remind him that, if I did, I would not be sleeping in our bed, the Cup keeper said it would be better in the back with him. Thankfully, Boon listened.

  Once we arrive at Luther, Boon gathers the Cup in his arms, and we head inside, where the arena is bustling with excitement. Everyone is here because, thankfully, pretty much everyone retired in Nashville. Why wouldn’t they? It’s the best city ever.

  I see so many people from my life. Growing up, I didn’t know that I was preparing to be a coach, but as we pass alumni players, I’m reminded of their stats. It’s insane that I can still remember. Many of them, I still see a lot of, but when I see Alex Welch, my heart stops. Alex spots me, and his brows come in.

  “Posey Adler?”

  My heart soars that he remembers me. “Welch.”

  We embrace as he laughs. “Lord, look at you. Pregnant? Is this the guy?”

  I grin as I reach for Boon, bringing him to Welch. “Yes, this is my husband, Boon Hoenes.”

  “Wow, I can’t believe someone infiltrated Shea Adler’s wall he put up to keep the guys out.”

  Boon laughs, shaking Alex’s hand as he holds the Cup. “It wasn’t easy. I took a punch or two in the process.”

  Alex laughs, his blazing blue eyes taking me back to my childhood. Man, even now, he’s dreamy! Surfer blond hair that he has cut short, and he’s built like an ox. He’s put on some weight, but I’m pretty sure he could take someone out. Just like my daddy can. “Wouldn’t expect anything less. Man, it’s good to see you, kid. You’re all over the press.”

  I beam. “It’s been a whirlwind.”

  “It’s awesome. I’ll see you at dinner? We need to catch up.”

  “Absolutely. Are the kids and your wife here?”

  “Not the girls, but Mary Ann is in the stands.”

  I grin as he hugs me once more before heading back to the dressing room.

  “He was your dad’s captain?”

  I nod as I watch him head back. He’s aged so much, but that twinkle is still in those blue eyes. “Yeah, he would always break down plays for me. He was just awesome, and I cried when he moved to Canada. It’s so good to see him.”

  He eyes me. “Sounds like you liked him, liked him.”

  I look at him incredulously. “Well, duh. Did you look at him?”

  He laughs freely as he sets down the Cup before he pulls me into his arms. “Too bad you�
��re mine.”

  “I wouldn’t say too bad. I’m pretty damn happy where I am.”

  He kisses me hard on the lips. When we part, his eyes capture mine. “When are we telling your mom?”

  “Afterward. She’s busy.”

  “So, I can’t tell her when I give her the Cup?”

  I glare. “You do, you die.”

  “Man, you’re mean,” he laughs, kissing my nose. “I’m going to go suit up.”

  “Okay. I think I’m going to go find the Welch family or sit with Shelli and the Brooks gang. I don’t know.”

  “Okay, but you’ll be watching?”

  I nod. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because I’m gonna make sure to get your dad back for the punch I took.”

  I eye him. “I thought you two were past that? Also, my dad has been working out. When he embarrasses you, I don’t want to hear it.”

  He feigns hurt. “You don’t believe in me?”

  I smirk up at him, running my fingers along his beard. “Oh, I fully believe in you, but I also believe my dad is the greatest to ever play and he will lay you out.”

  “So rude.”

  “Prove me wrong if you like. But remember, you’ll have Shelli on your ass if you hurt him. He’s got to walk her down the aisle.”

  “This is true,” he says slowly. “But I’m still gonna knock him on his ass.”

  I roll my eyes. “I’m gonna make sure to record this.”

  He gathers me closer in his arms. “You drive me wild, Posey Hoenes.”

  My heart soars as I sigh happily. “Ditto, Boon Hoenes.” His lips capture mine, and I lean into the kiss, loving how my belly presses into him. He hugs me tightly, kissing me without a care in the world as the world moves around us. It’s always like that, though. It’s easy to ignore the world when Boon is kissing me. I pull back first, kissing his chin. “Good luck. I love you.”

  He squeezes my ass. “I love you, lovely.”

  I gaze into his eyes. I don’t question his words. They are written all over his face. In his body language. This man loves our child and me more than he loves himself. I’m so overwhelmed with love, it’s hard to believe that at one time I never saw this happening for me. I thought I wasn’t worthy of a love like my parents’. But in a way, I think our love story is better. I may be biased, but I don’t care. I am over the moon with how this all played out. It took a shitty power play to bring me the guy of my dreams.

  No one could write this better.

  His hands cup my belly, and I’m breathless as he says, “For good luck.”

  “You’ll need it,” I warn as he grabs the Cup, struggling a bit before grinning at me.

  “You might be right,” he says, kissing my nose. “I might have used all of it when you came along.”

  He sends me a wink, and my heart soars.

  As he walks away, one thing is for sure—I don’t need luck when I have Boon Hoenes.

  I already have it all.

  ALLY IS HERE!!!!