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As one of the team members who had been here since before the explosion, Beau was well-respected. He’d temporarily been captain before I got here, and his support meant a lot to me.
“Thank you,” I said, easing my hold on Dom. “Anyone else?”
Coach walked into the room, his expression confused. “Can you guys get your thumbs out of your asses and get ready for the game? Or would that be too much to ask?”
I released Dom and went back to my locker without even looking at him. I was pretty sure we’d be fine by tomorrow, even if he didn’t like the idea of me and Elle together.
Either way, I wasn’t giving her up. Our second night together had been amazing. With her, it didn’t matter that I was a hockey player. I was just Ford. I’d never had that with a woman, and I wouldn’t let go of it easily.
* * *
Another home game,another win. The mood was light in the locker room after the game. I liked seeing reporters interviewing players who didn’t usually get interview requests. We were doing our best to adapt to having a college rink as our home ice, which meant a lot less bells and whistles than we were used to.
It also meant we didn’t have a family suite, like we’d had at our former arena. I’d gotten Elle two tickets at center ice in front of the press box. They weren’t the furthest from the ice, but they definitely weren’t close. I’d put a lot of thought into it, wanting to give her good seats but not wanting her so close to the action that she saw blood flying.
I’d looked for her immediately when we took the ice, smiling when I saw her. Luke had come with her. An usher was supposed to be bringing them down to the tunnel after the game, and I looked for her as soon as I stepped out after my shower, dressed in a suit.
A camera flashed in my face and I squinted.
“Ford, how are you feeling about winning your tenth game in a row?” a reporter named Katelyn Gross asked me.
They weren’t supposed to interview us here. There was a room for post-game interviews, and I’d declined to take part tonight. That was probably why I’d been ambushed here.
“Feels great,” I said. “It’s always a team effort and these guys have worked really hard for this.”
“How many consecutive wins do you think you guys can get?”
I smiled and shrugged. “I guess we’ll see, but we’re not planning to slow down anytime soon. Thanks, Katelyn.”
I walked away as she thanked me, spotting Elle and Luke standing along the wall.
“Hey,” I said as I approached her. “I’m glad you came.”
“Thanks for inviting us.”
I kissed her, her expression nervous afterward.
“Hey, Luke,” I said, shaking his hand. “Thanks for coming, man.”
“Awesome game,” he said. “You guys have a killer first offensive line.”
“Thanks. We put in a lot of hours drilling.”
“We’re gonna go,” Elle said, giving me a tight smile.
“What? No, let’s go get a drink,” I said. “I want you to meet some of my teammates.”
Her gaze shifted to something behind me, and I turned. Mila stood next to the locker room door, giving Elle a death glare.
“Don’t worry about her,” I said.
“I’m not worried. It’s just that this is her place. It’s like her standing in theChroniclenewsroom.”
I shook my head. “Plenty of other places she could be right now. She’s hoping to intimidate you.”
Elle’s spine stiffened and she took my arm. “Then I’ll stay.”
“Hey, we going out?” Dom asked me as he walked out of the locker room.
