The answer sounded more confident than he felt. I knew because I'd heard the same tone from rookies before their first NHL game.
I climbed out of the truck and walked around to the passenger side. By the time Kieran stepped onto the pavement, I had already reached for his hand.
The corner of his mouth twitched. "You know I can open my own door, right?"
"I know."
I leaned down and kissed his cheek. “Give me this. I like doing it."
The faint flush that appeared across his face made the gesture worthwhile.
Together we headed toward the players' entrance. My equipment bag hung over one shoulder while my free hand rested briefly against the small of Kieran's back. It felt natural to keep him close as we walked.
Inside, the familiar sounds of game day surrounded us almost immediately. Staff moved through the corridors carrying equipment. Security personnel nodded as we passed. Somewhere farther down the hallway, I could hear music drifting from the locker room.
I glanced at Kieran as we walked. His attention was everywhere. The championship banners. The framed photographs. The displays celebrating franchise milestones. The history of the organization.
For years, this place had been part of my daily life. Seeing it through his eyes made it feel new again.
When we reached the locker room entrance, I felt him hesitate.
I turned toward him. "You ready?"
His gaze moved past me toward the room beyond. Then he looked back at me and nodded. "Yeah."
The answer wasn't fearless. That made me love him even more. Because he was doing it anyway.
I led him inside.
Conversations continued for another second or two before heads started turning in our direction. A few of the guys waved. A few offered greetings. One or two immediately looked from me to Kieran and back again before understanding settled across their faces.
The first person to abandon whatever he was doing and head our way was Tannen.
Of course it was.
My best friend crossed the room with the confidence of somebody who owned it, which, as captain, he arguably did.
A grin spread across his face the moment he reached us. "So this is Kieran."
I rolled my eyes. "Hello to you too."
Tannen ignored me completely. His attention stayed on Kieran as he extended a hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."
Kieran shook it. "You too."
Tannen studied him for a second before nodding decisively. "Okay. Good."
Kieran blinked. "Good?"
"Yeah."
Tannen pointed at me. "I've spent two weeks listening to this idiot talk about you."
"Tannen."
"What? I'm being welcoming."
A laugh escaped Kieran.
