Page 10 of Scarred

“It did look damn good on her,” he grins right before a roll of tape hits him in the chest from Stone’s direction. Laughing, he sits down to lace up his skates, ignoring Stone’s heated glare.

“How’s Savi doing? Did her last checkup go okay?” I start to buckle my knee pads and look over at Stone. His face immediately breaks into a cheesy ass grin at the mention of his expecting wife.

“She’s doing amazing. The doctor said our little boy is perfect and healthy,” he smiles widely. “Still can’t believe I’m going to be a father in just a few short months. This pregnancy has flown by.” He throws his practice jersey over his pads and begins to tape up his stick.

“Before you know it, you’ll be chasing after a two-and-a-half-year-old,” I chuckle. “It goes by too damn fast.” I move onto my skates before securing my leg pads next.

“Speaking of Scar, Savi wants pictures of her first dance class tonight,” Stone mentions as he stands up to grab his gloves.

“I’ll be sure to send her some.” Lifting my chest pad, I get to work on my upper body gear.

“Good.” Patting me on the back, he grins as he walks by me. “See you out there. I’ll be the one who drops a puck behind your red line.”

“You can fucking try,” I snort back.

Quickly securing my chest pad, I throw my practice jersey over my gear and push my mask up on top of my head. Stuffing my hands into my gloves, I grab my stick before following him out the door with the rest of the team.

Even in practice, I treat it as if I’m playing for a win. My mind begins to shut down everything around me as I walk down the hall toward the ice. The heavy weight of the gear only intensifies the energy coursing through my body, reminding me of the one important job I have to do, no matter the cost.

Keep the fucking puck out of MY net.

Once my blades touch the smooth, cool surface, I become an unstoppable fortress, honing in on every movement and sound around me.

I skate over to my net to do some stretching and rough up the ice surrounding my domain.

The one area that I will guard with every inch of my body.

In front of this six-by-four-foot net is the one place I still feel alive.

It’s my home…my peace.

I’m not a dad in front of this net.

Or a widower who lost his wife.

I’m Cayden Blade, the top goalie in the NHL, and I for damn sure am going to keep it that way.

FOUR

LUNA

The studio always feels different right before class. Like it’s holding its breath, waiting for the doors to open, filling it with excitement and magic.

The wood gleams under my bare feet as I arrange the stick-on-fairies on the floor, giving the little ones something to mark their space.

I teach dance for all ages, from two all the way to adults. Each class holds something different for me and gives me a sense of joy in a way I can’t explain, but the tiny dancer class pulls at my heartstrings like no other.

There’s just something so pure and innocent in the way they see the world around them. Everything is new and exciting. It’s a beautiful thing to witness and be a part of the magic through the eyes of a child.

When they enter this room, they become the fairy princess in the bedtime stories their parents read to them each night. Every spin and jump they do is small, but to them, they are dancing like they are on the biggest stage and leaping so high they can almost touch the stars. If I can keep the magic and joy of dance alive in their hearts, then I’ve done my part to bring a little more happiness into this world.

Movement outside the window catches my eye as I see the first of the moms arrive with their little ones in tow.

Smiling, I head over to the small waiting room sitting just off the dance floor.

When I first bought the place, it was several small offices that made up a law firm. My brother, Noah, got into renovating older homes and businesses in the area a few years back. His crew came in and completely ran with my ideas, transforming this place into a ballet studio dream.

Walls were knocked down, leaving me with just enough room for a small office in the back, a waiting area out front, and the most gorgeous dance floor, fully equipped with barres and mirrors throughout. The tall windows in the front are draped in sheer white fabric, giving it a serene, ethereal feel.