AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I turn and hug Val, who gives me a big smacking kiss on the cheek. “Congratulations, Nathan!”
“I just…” Suddenly I can’t speak.
She pats my cheek. “I know.”
Ten minutes later, we’ve left Stanford and Val in the box and made our way down to the ice. There are interviews and hand-shaking and cheers all around. Michael and Crew find us, and Crew immediately takes Isabel, her noise canceling headphones back on, and hoists her up in the air. She rewards him with a squeal and a giggle. Michael gives Danielle a kiss and then she leans in to press one to Crew’s lips as well. “I’m so proud of you,” she tells him, tears spilling over. “I love you.”
“I love you so much, Dani,” he tells her, his eyes watery as well.
There’s no thought to the future when right now is so damn perfect, but if I had to consider it, I see nothing but love and joy and an expanding family with Cookie & Co. I’m going to grow old with these two men and our wife, and however many children Danielle wants to have. Older than I am now, anyway, since Crew will never get tired of razzing me about my age.
I hold my hand out to him. He takes it with a grin. “Nice shot, right, Nate?”
“It was a great shot, McNeill. Worth every penny I’ve paid you. And maybe even worth putting up with that fucking couch.” We both laugh. He knows I actually love that couch and I don’t care that he knows. “Congratulations, Crew.”
“I’ll still expect a bonus and that pony you promised me.”
I laugh again. I think I’m actually going to buy him a pony. Just to shut him up about it.
I shake Michael’s hand next. “Thanks for your dedication to our players.”
“It was an amazing season, Boss,” he says.
A reporter shoves a microphone in my face. “Tell us what this championship means to you, Mr. Armstrong.”
“What does this mean to me?” I repeat. I would typically give a short, practiced answer or pass the reporter off to a player, but tonight I want the microphone. I definitely have something to say. “I’ll tell you exactly what this means to me. When I was six years old my grandfather brought me and my father down onto the ice after the Racketeers won their last championship. It wasn’t this arena, of course, it was the old one they tore down twenty years ago. But he said we should be proud of being an Armstrong and that when the fourth generation son was standing next to us, there would be a whole row of pennants hanging from that ceiling.” I draw in a deep breath. “Then my father died. I found out I can’t have kids. And there were no more pennants, not for thirty-five very difficult and empty years.”
I feel my family move in to surround me. Danielle squeezes my hand. Crew claps me on the shoulder. Michael passes Isabel over to me. I take her gratefully and I kiss the top of her head behind that ridiculous bow Crew picked out for her and I breathe in the scent of her tiny baby perfection. I clear my throat.
“And now? I have my amazing wife, Danielle, I have the incomparable Dr. Michael Hughes, star player Crew McNeill, and I have our beautiful daughter. My grandfather, Stanford Armstrong, was here to witness this win, and all our players have given something really special to the city of Chicago tonight. It means everything to me.”
Danielle rubs the small of my back.
Her touch, her love, has completely transformed my life.
“So watch out, because this is the beginning of a hot streak.”
“Thank you, Mr. Armstrong and congratulations to you and the whole team.”
“Thank you.” I grin. “Now let’s party.”
Crew gives a whoop.
Isabel gives me a gummy grin.
Michael nods in approval.
I turn to Danielle. “What do you think? Should we celebrate?”
She gives me a sweet but naughty smile. “You’re the boss.”
