Puck Pact: A Marriage of Convenience Hockey Romance (East Coast Series)

Being at away games are always hard.

I hate not being there for Giuliana, and I’m always worried something bad is going to happen. But between the added security, and the text updates from Aarya this weekend, I’ve been happy knowing Giuliana is having the time of her life with her new favorite person.

Aarya: I gave Annie the day off and took Giuls to buy her a kid-sized easel

Aarya: We’re going to paint today

Aarya: *insert picture*

Me: Is that chocolate on her face?

Aarya: I told her it was too early for chocolate, but she looked me dead in the eyes and said, “It’s never too early for chocolate.”

Aarya: I couldn’t argue with that kind of logic

Aarya will have to learn the hard way why I don’t give my daughter sugar before lunch.

Another series of texts come in at noon, with pictures of Giuliana at a fast-food burger joint.

Aarya: She has the same damn puppy eyes that you have

Me: What did she convince you to buy her?Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Aarya: This ice cream cone that’s entirely too big for her

Aarya: *insert picture*

Aarya: I don’t even know how it’s possible to get ice cream on your ear

I laugh, knowing exactly how messy Giuliana gets when she eats.

Aarya: There’s a boy who isn’t playing nice in the ball pit

Aarya: If he touches her, I’m going to have to get in there

Aarya: I’ll shove his head under the balls and hold him there until he squeals

Me: So violent. Where are his parents?

Aarya: Mom is talking her friend’s ear off. Completely oblivious that her son is terrorizing the other children

Me: Some parents are like that

Aarya: I just told Giuliana to hit him with her cast if he comes too close

Me: You can’t teach my daughter to hit the other kids

Aarya: The fuck I can’t. She needs to know how to stick up for herself

Aarya: We should put her in karate

My stomach clenches at the word we. As if Giuliana is ours. As if we’re a team. I know she didn’t mean it that way, but I can’t ignore the way it makes me feel.

The texts continue as the day goes on, and I check my phone as I’m getting ready for tonight’s game.

Aarya: She just told me she wants a baby brother

Aarya: Kid is barking up the wrong tree

Me: LOL she is dying for a sibling

Me: I thought the dog would be enough

Aarya: Have a great game, Big Man. We’ll be watching

Aarya: *insert picture*

My heart swells at the sight of Giuliana and Aarya snuggled on the couch—in matching onesie pajamas—ready to watch me play. Ellie rests her head in Giuliana’s lap while Dash lounges on the back of the couch behind Aarya.

“Look at those two.”

My head spins around to catch McKinley peering at the picture on my phone over my shoulder. “Aarya spent the day with Giuliana. They had so much fun.”

He plops onto the bench beside me and shoves his foot into his skate. “Things seem to be going well.”

“It’s only the first week, but yeah.” I shrug. “Things are going much smoother than I thought they would.”

Between the woman who doesn’t want to be tied down playing house with the single dad, the kid with entirely too much energy, and an anti-social cat…I’d say the first week has gone amazing.

He lowers his voice. “When are you going to tie the knot?”

“She couldn’t get an appointment until next month.”

“I need everyone’s attention.” Jason stands and waits for the locker room to quiet down. “As you all know, Kourtney, Celeste and I aren’t allowed to get married according to the state. But we want to exchange vows and have a ceremony, even if it’s not recognized by the law. We’re taking a trip to Greece next weekend since we don’t have a game, and we’d love it if you could all join us. I know it’s last minute, but⁠—”

“We’ll be there!” McKinley shouts.

The team cheers and surrounds Jason, clapping him on the back and congratulating him. After everything he has been through coming out in a polyamorous relationship, it makes me happy to see him being supported by our teammates.

I scratch the back of my neck, wondering how I could swing an impromptu trip to Greece with a four-year-old. I wouldn’t want to leave her behind, and we have yet to be on a vacation. She’d be elated to get on an airplane and see another country. But I’d have to take her out of school for a few days. I’ve never traveled with a child before. Maybe I should just skip the trip and spend the time with her at home.

Thoughts speed through my mind, until Jason slaps my shoulder pad. “We’d love it if Giuliana could be our flower girl.”

A huge smile stretches across my face. “She would absolutely love that.”

“Yeah? You and Aarya would bring her?”

What’s stopping us? The world knows about Giuliana now, and we can go wherever we want. Greece would be the trip of a lifetime, and she’s always upset about being left out of the things I do with my friends. Taking her with me would mean the world to her.

I nod. “We’ll be there.”

I check my phone once more before the game starts, and one text from Aarya is waiting for me:

Aarya: I think your daughter is my new best friend.

We lost the game, but it was a close one.

I drag my tired ass into the hotel bed, wishing I could snap my fingers and be home with my girls.

My girls.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and blow out a long breath through my lips. Aarya is anything but my girl. It’s ridiculous how often I have to remind myself of this.

Yet here I am, tapping on her name on my phone to call her so I can see her beautiful face before I go to sleep.

She’s wearing a tired smile when she answers the FaceTime. “Hey, Big Man. Sorry about the game.”

“It’s okay. Denver is a tough team.”

“You played great.” She pauses. “I think.”

I chuckle. “I’ll take the compliment, even though you don’t know the difference between great and shitty plays.” She stifles a yawn, and I arch a brow. “How was your day?”

“It was great. Busy.” She grimaces. “I’m exhausted and my whole body hurts.”

“Kids will do that to you. You really should’ve let Annie help out. Today was a lot for you.”

“It was fine.”

“Giuliana looked like she had a great time with you.”

That makes her smile. “Oh, by the way: You’re going to Greece next weekend.”

My eyebrows shoot up as I feign surprise. “I am?”

She nods. “Jason, Kourtney, and Celeste are getting married. They want Giuliana to be the flower girl. She’s going to be so excited. You guys are going to have so much fun.”

I tilt my head. “Don’t you mean we are going to have fun?”

“Oh, no. I can’t go. I could never afford a trip to Greece. Plus, my boss would kill me if I tried to take off on such short notice. He’s already pissed about the amount of time I took off for your away games.”

Bile rises in my throat. “What do you mean he’s already pissed? What did he say to you?”

She slaps her palm against her forehead. “Did I say that out loud?”

“Aarya…”

“He brought up the fact that I took off specifically for your games, and made a comment about how work should be my priority.” Her eyes flick up to the ceiling. “And he may have threatened to not give me a promotion if I don’t take this job seriously.”

This piece of shit. “Quit.”

A laugh bubbles out of her. “I can’t quit. I already told you.”

“I don’t care. I don’t want you working for this asshole anymore. He doesn’t have the right to tell you what to do with your personal time, and he certainly doesn’t get to threaten you like that.”

“Calm down, Big Man. I’ve got everything under control.”

My jaw clenches. “And secondly, you are coming to Greece. I’m paying for you, Giuliana, and Annie. We’re going together.”

She shakes her head as she starts to argue, but I cut her off. “You’re coming, and that’s final.”

She purses her lips like a brat. “You can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do.”

“Good thing you want to come to Greece then.”

The corner of her mouth twitches, and I know I’ve got her. “Fine. If you want to be my sugar daddy, who am I to say no?”

I cough out a laugh. “I’m not your sugar daddy. I’m your fiancé.”

She lets her head fall back against the headboard of her bed. “It makes me uncomfortable that you keep paying for everything.”

“I know it does, but that’s only because you think you don’t deserve it.”

She says nothing in response to that.

“I want you to come to Greece. Giuliana wants you to come to Greece. And these are your friends—they want you to be there for their wedding, and so do you. I would never let you miss out on that.”

She blinks at me with heavy eyelids. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It is that easy.” I roll over onto my side and stretch out my arm to prop the phone against the extra pillow. “When it comes to you, I don’t have to think or try. I do the things I do because I want to.”

She scoots down and mimics my position on her side. “I’ve never met someone like you before.”

“Someone like me?”

“Someone who’s selfless. Someone who does the right thing. Good things. Someone who wants to make other people happy, and doesn’t ask for anything in return.” Her eyes droop closed. “I didn’t think people like you existed.”

Emotion lodges itself in my throat, and I don’t say anything in response, afraid to ruin the intimate moment.

Instead, I stay on the phone with her, watching her until she falls asleep.

She lives inside an impenetrable fortress, her emotions locked inside. I want to break down her walls, to rip out the nails holding up her misguided convictions.

But then I realize, no, I don’t want to take her by force. I want her to trust me enough to let down her drawbridge and invite me inside.

I want her to hand me the keys to her heart.

And I’ll earn them.