"Now you're just trying to curse us." A smile tugged at my mouth.
The conversation should have felt ordinary. Instead, it felt strangely important.
"You'll watch the games?" I asked.
He looked at me like I'd asked whether he intended to keep breathing. "Of course I'll watch the games."
"They start late."
"So?"
I shook my head. A few minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot outside his apartment building. The engine idled. Neither of us reached for the door. For a moment, the only sound came from the heater humming softly through the vents.
"I guess this is where I tell you to win all of your games
I turned toward him. "That would be appreciated."
"I mean it."
His expression was serious enough to make me laugh. "I'll see what I can do."
"You better." The smile that followed softened the words.
I reached across the center console and slid my hand along the side of his neck. He leaned into the touch immediately. The simple trust left me breathless. I brushed my thumb along his jaw and kissed him. The kind of kiss that made me aware of exactly how little time we'd had and how quickly I'd become accustomed to having him around.
When I finally pulled back, neither of us moved very far. His forehead rested briefly against mine.
"Text me when you land," he said.
"I will."
"And after the game."
"Kier."
"I'm serious."
I laughed softly. "So am I."
The corner of his mouth lifted. "Good."
He stole one last kiss before reaching for the door.
A minute later I watched him disappear into the building. Only then did I put the SUV into gear and pull back into traffic.
The familiar scent of ice, rubber, and equipment hit me the moment I walked into the practice facility.
Players drifted through the locker room carrying gear bags and coffee cups. A few Christmas greetings were exchanged. Someone complained about holiday traffic. Someone else was already arguing about fantasy football.
For all of us, the break was over.
Practice itself wasn't particularly demanding.
The coaches knew we'd spent the past few days away from the rink. The focus was more on getting everyone moving again, reviewing systems, and preparing for the road trip than running us into the ground.
By the time we finished, most of the team headed toward one of the meeting rooms while trainers moved through the locker room checking on lingering injuries and post-holiday aches.
I was grabbing a bottle of water when Tannen dropped onto the bench beside me. He didn't say anything immediately. Neither did I. After years of friendship, silence wasn't unusual between us.
