Crosscheck

by Rebecca Connolly

  A sob welled up within her, and Mara pulled back to smile through her tears at him, one hand brushing through his hair. “Here too. I’m Team Zamboni, baby. You’ve got me for life.”

  His grin sparked a new fire in her toes, and she curled into him. “Forever teammate? My volleyball buddy Brady will be so disappointed.”

  Mara burst into laughter and kissed Zane quickly. “Brady can deal. You are mine, Zane Winchester. And I’m not sharing.”

  “You’re so competitive,” he chuckled as he brushed his nose against hers. “It’s ridiculously hot.”

  “Welcome to Team Z,” she shot back. “We take no prisoners.”

  Zane scooped her up, wrapping her legs around him as he carried her towards the house. “Damn straight, babe. All in, whole game, everything you’ve got.”

  Mara touched her brow to his, grinning even as she sighed. “Put me in the game, Coach.”

  “You’re already there, my love. And you’re killing it.”

  He kissed her again, and the crowd went wild.

  “Slashing. Two minutes.”

  “Now you call it?” Zane bellowed in disgust. “Sherman’s been pulling that stunt all night, and now you call it? Come on, Coop . . .”

  The ref had zero sympathy for Zane’s complaint and only gestured for the penalty box.

  Zane skated backwards towards the box, shaking his head. “Unbelievable, man. How much are they paying you?”

  “Get over there,” Coop ordered with a warning look.

  Zane mimicked a curtsey and turned around, heading for his box, but not without style. He cupped his hands around his mouth and booed loudly, which the crowd immediately picked up and sent echoing around the arena. He gestured for them to bring up the volume, and they delivered beautifully.

  He grinned at them and gave them an appreciative round of applause, making those nearest him laugh.

  It was a good night.

  Aside from this call.

  Even then, it wasn’t that bad.

  The Hounds were on a roll this year, undefeated so far, and early predictions had them challenging for the playoffs, if not the cup itself.

  Jax and the Flyers would have something to say about that next week, but Zane and his team weren’t worried. In fact, they were looking forward to it. They’d come close to beating them last season, and close wasn’t acceptable now.

  Tonight’s game would be good for them, especially if the score stayed put. It was also more of a fun game than anything else, if for no other reason than because it was Declan’s team. Normally the two of them didn’t have much interaction on the ice, both being defensemen, but Zane had delivered a little gift the period before, and they hadn’t shared the ice since.

  If the expression on Declan’s face right now was any indication, Zane would be in for it when he got out of the box.

  That was Declan, though. Hot or cold, never in between, which was where his nickname had come. Just roll the dice and see what you get.

  Zane grinned as he saw Declan watching him, and he blew him a kiss for good measure.

  Dice just shook his head.

  This was going to be beautiful.

  Music blared through the speakers while the refs conferred on something or other, the players on the ice waiting to reset for a faceoff. Zane smirked and looked up at the jumbotron, laughing to himself at the antics of the fans when captured on camera.

  A sign appeared on the screen then.

  HEY ZAMBONI

  A slow grin crossed his lips at seeing it. He knew that handwriting anywhere, and his heart skipped a beat in anticipation. His wife did this every now and then, holding up a sign to send him a message. Last month she’d turned over a sign with the message YOU’RE HOT on the back.

  Things had been very entertaining when he’d gotten home that night.

  What would tonight’s message from Mara be?

  The sign turned over.

  YES!

  Yes? Yes what?

  He blinked at the sign, his eyes lowering just enough to see Mara’s face beneath it, and her wide, giggling grin caught him like a punch to the gut. Hope was jumping up and down beside her, clearly ecstatic.

  Yes?

  His jaw dropped as the wheels spun in his mind. That morning’s predawn conversation flashed back through his mind at double speed. Mara lying beside him in bed, intertwining their fingers and whispering, “I might be pregnant.”

  He’d rolled on top of her for a quick interrogation, grinning wildly, and kissed her hard when she’d told him her suspicion again. She’d said she would be taking a test later, and somehow he’d forgotten that in game prep. Completely forgotten.

  Until now.

  Yes.

  He shot to his feet with a loud whoop, pumping his fists in the air. “YES!” he bellowed, turning to try and find his family in the stands from his box. The sign caught his attention, and he pointed with both hands at it. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

  The crowd around him was completely lost but cheered with him anyway. He didn’t care; he didn’t even care that the faceoff was happening and that he should be focusing on the game. Had no idea how much time was left on the powerplay.

  He just wanted to climb the plexiglass walls and get to his wife.

  They were having a baby.

  YES.

  No one in the arena would know for sure what that was, given the lack of context. Some of them would know he was married, given the nature of the internet and photos from public events, and there was some idea that they had a kid, but they didn’t know much else. He and Mara had decided not to prevent publicity about themselves, but they weren’t going to encourage it either.

  No one in the public knew that Mara had adopted Hope the same day she’d married Zane.

  No one knew anything about his life before Mara.

  What little life there had been before Mara.

  He grinned at her now, though he could barely make her out in the crowd. His chest could have burst with the joy and love and excitement now pumping through him with every beat of his heart.

  What the hell was he doing here? He needed to kiss his wife senseless right now, not jump around like an idiot in this box.

  “You’re good, Zamboni.”

  Zane turned and looked at the official in the box. He was what?

  The official raised a brow and pointed at the ice.

  Zane followed his finger.

  Oh. Game.

  Right.

  He shook his head and skated out into the ice, trying and failing to get his head back into the game or figure out where he should be going and what was happening.

  He delivered a quick hit to a guy in his way, laughing almost merrily as he did so. The puck suddenly came to him, and he gleefully dribbled it up the ice along the boards.

  “Heads up!” someone called from behind him.

  Zane looked up just in time to see Dice making a beeline for him, and he shot the puck off to his left before being knocked almost completely off his feet, his head slamming into the boards.

  “Wow,” he gasped, still laughing as he struggled to right himself.

  Dice creamed him again, grabbing his jersey and knocking Zane’s stick out of his hands. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  Zane shrugged, grinning. “Okay.”

  He grunted as Dice landed a hard jab into his cheek, the crowd roaring behind them both. “So I guess this means you’re on fire tonight?”

  Dice growled. “This is payback. That hit was a target, and you know it.”

  “Of course it was,” Zane replied, still smiling. “It’s how I show affection.” He slammed a right hook into Dice’s face, the skin breaking just enough to draw a little blood. “Feel better?” He threw his head back on a laugh.

  “Why are you smiling?” Dice spat blood, gripping the neckline of Zane’s jersey. “Your face is going to break, and it’s scary.” He tried to jab again, but Zane dodged it.

  “You see the sign a minute ago?”

  Dice st
opped fighting but still held onto Zane. “Yeah. What does yes mean? Mara agree to go to prom with you or something?”

  Zane let his grin reach its full measure. “Yes means we’re having a baby.”

  Dice’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. “What?”

  “She said yes,” Zane laughed, shaking Dice by his jersey with his enthusiasm.

  “YES!” Dice whooped and threw his arms around Zane as much as he could, thumping his back hard. “Yes, Z! That’s fantastic!”

  Zane had no response except to keep laughing.

  “Break it up, guys,” Coop told them, sounding completely lost as he tried to get his hands between them.

  They ignored him and turned to face Mara and Hope, both laughing now as they pointed up at her in victory.

  Zane could see Mara more clearly now, and she was shaking her head in the same resigned way she always did when the Pit got up to something.

  But she loved them as much as he did, and dinner with Dice tonight would be entertaining.

  “Hey, she brought Hope!” Dice remarked as he held out a fist as though to bump hers across the stands.

  “Uncle Dec will have some explaining to do later.”

  Dice shrugged. “Eh, I’ll buy her a milkshake tonight.”

  Zane raised a brow. “Mara or Hope?”

  “Shut up.” Dice laughed and cuffed him on the back of the head before heading to the penalty box, wiping his cheek free of blood.

  Zane looked at Mara again and pointed to the team tunnel. She nodded and got up with Hope while he returned his attention to the last few minutes of the period.

  It felt like ages, but when the buzzer sounded, he raced over to the tunnel before any of his teammates.

  Mara was waiting for him in the first row of seats, leaning across the barrier as much as she could, laughing and tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.

  Zane grabbed a chair from the usher and moved it over to her, climbing on the seat to be able to reach her. “Yes, baby!”

  She took his face in her hands, her thumbs sliding over his cheeks. “You’re an idiot, Zane. And you’re bleeding.”

  “Baby, we’re having a baby!” He laughed and reached up to slide a hand behind her head, pulling her to him for a sound kiss.

  She kissed him back, her lips telling him just how she really felt at the moment, and it wasn’t irritated or exasperated.

  “I love you,” she whispered against his lips, kissing him softly again.

  “Love you more, hon.” He winked and turned his attention to his daughter, who was practically dancing where she stood. “Ready for this, Hopey-Dope?”

  She giggled and jumped up and down. “Yes!” Then she frowned. “Why did Uncle Dec hit you?”

  Zane chuckled and gave her a high-five. “Ask him at dinner, okay?” He looked back at his wife, shaking his head in disbelief. “I love you so much, Mara. This is amazing, I’m thrilled.”

  “I can tell.” She laughed again and leaned closer, her blue eyes locked on his, stealing his breath, as usual. “Baby Z already has the best daddy in the world. I love you, and I can’t wait, Zane. End this game, and let’s celebrate.”

  He pressed close and kissed her hard. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll bring the cinnamon rolls.”

  Mara’s cheeks flamed, and she slapped his shoulder, unable to hide a smile as he stepped down from the chair. He laughed, blew his girls a kiss, and headed into the locker room with his bewildered teammates.

  “Come on, boys,” he said, tossing an arm around Boomer’s shoulders. “Let’s put this thing away. I’ve got better plans tonight.”

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  Rebecca Connolly writes romances, both period and contemporary, because she absolutely loves a good love story. She has been creating stories since childhood, and there are home videos to prove it! She started writing them down in elementary school and has never looked back. She currently lives in Indiana, spends every spare moment away from her day job absorbed in her writing, and is a hot cocoa addict.

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