Page 17 of Icing on Top

“Really.”

Charlie did a little happy dance before getting distracted by Wes knocking his stick against the glass on his way back to the locker room. But my attention was still on Zoe.

“Thank you,” I murmured softly.

She leaned toward me, and I fought tooth and nail not to get caught up in her scent again. Gingerbread houses… the smell of cinnamon and vanilla… sharing Santa’s cookies with Z—

“We just have to hope that my memory is better than yours or we’ll both be on the chopping block,” she whispered conspiratorially.

“I don’t think she’s going to let us forget.”

The entire arena was vibrating with energy. The game was tight, and there’d been several near-fights, but no one had fully committed to one. Wes had taken a couple hard hits, and when one had knocked him down to the ice, Charlie had scolded him for not staying on his feet like she’d told him to, even if there was no way he could hear her over the crowd.

More often than not, Zoe had been sitting literally on the edge of her seat. Unless the puck was loose in front of either goal. Then she’d stand up, as if that would help her see through the mass of bodies.

We were halfway through the third period with Seattle ahead by one goal and a face-off in Denver’s defensive zone. Charlie stood with her nose pressed to the glass, and Zoe had her hands in a prayer position. Either way was a win for me; Seattle had been my family at one point, but I was a Denver fan, born and raised.

The puck shot out, and Wes quickly got a blade on it, but he struggled to get his feet under him enough to do anything about it. A Denver player easily snatched it off his stick and made a break to the goal, the Seattle defense struggling to catch up to him. He wound his arm back and…

Direct shot into the goalie’s glove.

The whistle blew and the teams returned to their benches for a media break. Zoe finally sat back in her seat, but I could still feel the pent-up energy radiating off of her.

This break, they decided to go with the classic Kiss Cam. I’d never cared for the tradition; the secondhand embarrassment was too strong for me. While there were always a handful of couples excited to be chosen and more than happy to show off their affections, there were still enough cringe-worthy couples to make it uncomfortable.

“Daddy, look!”

To say I was horrified to find my own face staring back at me from the jumbotron with a frame of hearts around it was an understatement. Add in the fact that the camera was focused on me and Zoe, and I was ready to pull a Coldplay Kiss Cam move and duck down behind the boards if I thought I could fit.

Instead, I shook my head no, trying my best to signal to the cameraman that we were not a couple. In my peripheral vision, I could see Zoe doing the same, but I didn’t dare look at her directly in fear of encouraging the crowd to cheer any louder. We were already getting some boos for taking so long.

Was the idea of kissing Zoe appealing? Yes. Did I want to kiss her in front of my daughter and a stadium full of strangers? Hell no. Did that go against my earlier decision to not think of Zoe in that way? One hundred percent.

A small hand cupped my face, interrupting my internal panic, and Charlie planted a massive kiss to my cheek. The boos quickly turned into awws, and the screen finally switched to a different couple who didn’t hesitate to lock lips.

I’d never been so grateful for my daughter. When I turned to face her, she was giggling like a little fiend. I cupped the back of her head and planted a kiss on her crown.

“Nice save, Tot.”

“Making saves on and off the ice,” Zoe added, but there was a tightness to her voice.

Steeling myself and accepting the fact that my face was flushed with no hope of hiding it, I looked at Zoe.

“I’m pretty sure we would have had the entire arena coming after us without her quick thinking,” I said.

Zoe nodded. “Oh, definitely. We were on the brink of a riot.”

The ref’s whistle broke the slight tension between us as the game resumed. That didn’t mean I missed the slight blush on Zoe’s cheeks, though.

Chapter 7

Jeremiah

Charlie had barely stayed awake long enough for Wes to make it to our house after his post-game ice bath. She’d been so exhausted that he’d carried her to her bedroom to tuck her in. Meanwhile, I prepped his favorite protein shake for him. I was working on my own when he joined me in the kitchen, a pleased smile on his face.

“God, I don’t know how you handle her cuteness on a daily basis.”

I handed him his shake with a chuckle. “She is pretty damn cute.”