Hockey Is My Boyfriend: Part Three (26 page)

He started pumping faster and finally made one last, deep thrust. I watched him as his face tensed and veins in his temples pulsed, then he came and released his hold on my leg. I pulled him into me and kissed his eyelids. He collapsed onto me and lay there.

“Fuck. That was amazing.”

“Almost as good as the last time I had sex,” I said.

“What?” Jimmy drew back from me and sounded very offended. “Who was that?”

“You, silly. That last night in my apartment.”

“Really? So all that time I was worrying about you and other guys, you were all alone?”

“Yeah.” I laughed a little. “I guess I was saving myself for you.”

He frowned. “I wish I did the same thing. But I never thought I’d be back here again—with you. It’s something I wanted so much.” He put a hand on my cheek and cradled my face. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it.

“What were you going to say?” I wondered.

“Nothing. Baller told me I need to cool it with you. That I’m too intense, and I’ll scare you off.”

I laughed. “I’m naked in bed with you. We just had sex. I’m pretty sure that means I’m sticking around.”

He shook his head and looked sad. “You might break up with me again. I don’t want that to happen—ever.”

“It won’t. I’m here to stay.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, and looked up at him until his eyes met mine. “I love you, Jimmy.”

He broke into a huge grin. “That’s what I was going to say. But
you
said it first! Man, Kelly, I love you so much.”

We nestled into each other and got ready to spend the night together. The first night of our second chance.

T
he next morning
, we were eating breakfast and holding hands. It made eating harder, but we couldn’t stop touching each other.

“Last night was so—” I didn’t even know how to describe it.

“I know,” Jimmy said with this huge grin glued to his face. “I’m so happy we’re back together. I’ve wanted this for so long.”

“Me, too.”

“It’s dumb. If we both wanted it, why we weren’t together?”

“We had to grow up a little first. You had to get me fired to get my attention.”

“Ugh. Am I ever going to live that down?”

“Nope, never.”

“Kelly—would you rather be on TV? Was that your dream job?”

“I really liked it, well, parts of it. But I don’t think I ever had one dream job. I loved coaching kids too. It just didn’t pay anything. My new job with Fresh Ice sounds incredible.”

“Okay. But if you change your mind, I can talk to people I know here in Chicago.”

I smiled and kissed him. “That’s sweet, but I’m good.”

“We’re flying out to Vancouver this evening,” he said. “What time is your flight at?”

“Two. Maddy is on my flight, so I can get a ride with her.”

“I’ll drive you both there. I want to spend as much time as possible together. Did you want me to make arrangements for your flight back here for Game Six?”

I shook my head. “I can’t come back here. I can’t even go to Game Five in Vancouver. I told you all that.”

“What? That’s ridiculous, we’re back together now. Surely, that changes everything. I need you at my games—your support is so important to me. It’s the playoffs. Our first run at the playoffs in years.” He gave me his puppy dog look as he said this. There was a familiar sensation as Jimmy’s persuasiveness flowed over me. “And you can’t tell me you don’t want to watch the games—it’s the Canucks too.”

“It’s April and Ben’s wedding next Saturday. We’re having a girl’s night tomorrow, and I promised to be around all next week to help April. I’ve got work as well.”

“But Kelly, you’re taking on this new job. So you can quit your old jobs and if money is an issue—”

“Wait. Listen to me. When you asked me to get back together, do you remember what you said?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I said a lot of things.”

“Yes, but the most important thing was that you wanted someone to tell you when you were being an asshole. April is my best friend, and she’s supported me through tons of crap. I’m the maid of honour, and I’m going to do everything I’ve committed to—regardless of the hockey playoffs.”

“But hockey is so important to you, to both of us.”

“Yes, but some things are more important than hockey.” I wished my parents were here to hear me say that. Well, maybe not
here
, since we were both half-naked and had a post-sex vibe on.

He grimaced. “It’s not like I’m asking you to miss the wedding. And what if we get knocked out? Won’t you feel bad then?”

“Jimmy, you guys had your best season ever—all without me. Stop trying to guilt me, because it’s not going to work.”

He grumbled a bit more, but I felt proud of myself. I had proven that Jimmy couldn’t bowl me over the way he used to.

“What about game seven, if there is one, you’d come to that, right?”

“Maybe,” I said. That game would be mid-week, and Ben would want to watch it too, so there was a chance. I didn’t mention the possibility of Jimmy being my date at the wedding because that would mean that he was knocked out of the playoffs. Neither of us was superstitious, but still. Besides, Phil was the best man, and I didn’t want to cause any extra drama on April and Ben’s big day. It would be enough for me to know that I had a wonderful new job and a wonderful old boyfriend. I didn’t envy anyone getting married; after all the hassles I’d seen firsthand, I wasn’t going there for years. But having someone I loved and who loved and supported me—that was what I craved.

Jimmy’s bottom lip was sticking out a little. He reached over and started pushing the hem of my t-shirt up my bare thigh. “Well, can I at least convince you to come back to bed with me before you have to get ready to go?”

“Always,” I told him and kissed him.

J
uly 2010

Fourteen months later.

James

“
W
e’re sleeping
with the Stanley Cup?” Kelly exclaimed as she walked in the bedroom.

I had carefully arranged the trophy in the middle of our king-sized bed, with the top of it on a pillow. There was plenty of room for both of us on either side.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid,” I told her. I made sure that we were getting the Cup overnight so I could do this. Today had been our public celebration with a big parade in Fredericton. Then at night, we’d had a private party for my buddies and a few teammates. Before they took the cup tomorrow, we’d host a breakfast for our family and close friends. Kelly’s family was here as well.

“Shocker,” Kelly said. She got into her side of the bed. “Haven’t you polished off your whole list yet?”

This past year had been the most monumental one in my life, and I had checked off a lot of items on my life list. A great start to the hockey season had come to a screeching halt when I got a serious concussion. Kelly had looked after me then, even when I was being a huge pain. She and my mom had really bonded. Both of them ganged up on me and insisted I take the long view and not rush my return to the ice. They helped me ignore pressure from the team as well as my own determination to get back out there. I was forced to take a full recovery, but it paid off later in the season when I wasn’t as tired.

When I did get back, it was non-stop action. No sooner was I back into regular season action then the whole league halted for the Olympics.

Kelly was stoked to be back in Vancouver, where the whole atmosphere was non-stop partying and celebrations. And she turned out to be a celebrity in her own right—a whole bunch of people had seen these sports videos she had done, and she was getting recognized everywhere. She even got an offer to return to television broadcasting, but she had turned it down because she loved her work with the Fresh Ice Foundation more.

Kelly loved watching the women’s team, including our friend Deirdre Tough, win the gold medal. The men’s final was so tight, but we won, and the celebration afterwards was incredible. I got to knock another item off the list.

After the Olympic break, we continued our regular season push. It was a gruelling journey, but when we finally won the Stanley Cup in Philadelphia, it was so satisfying. Winning the cup after all our hard work, and being part of a team that had battled together, was the best moment of my hockey life—so far.

Despite the pressures of the jam-packed year, my anxieties had never taken over my life. This was partly because I had learned methods of coping from my therapist, and partly because Kelly was there to help me to relax. She put things into perspective. She never brushed off my concerns, because she understood how important hockey was. And although I was aware I was being a huge downer after losses, it wasn’t until Kelly began refusing to go home with me after a bad game that I tried to change. After all, if mind-blowing sex was the one way I could feel better afterwards, why jeopardize that?

Today’s Stanley Cup celebration in Fredericton was yet another goal to check off. All the kids in town had been so excited to see the Cup and wear my gold medal. And it was a great opportunity to thank everyone who had supported me along the way.

But now that I had won the Cup, there was one more thing I could check off my list.

“Are you just going to go to sleep?” I asked Kelly. I couldn’t actually see her since we were both lying down on opposite sides of the Cup.

“We can’t have sex with the Stanley Cup between us.” Kelly laughed. “Besides, it’s pretty late.”

“I thought you’d want to touch the Cup, and you know—kiss it or something.”

“I think I’ve done everything possible already. I drank out of it, I posed for photos with it, I lifted it into the air. Man, was it heavy.”

“But it’s such an icon. You should really look at all the details of it,” I insisted. I sat up and looked at her over the Cup.

“Argh, Jimmy. Why are you bugging me?” She got up on one elbow and ran her fingers over the base, feeling the engraved letters. “It is cool, isn’t it? It’s like the whole history of hockey.”

Kelly started reading out famous names and making comments. “I know there a few women with their names on the Cup. I wonder if I can find one.” Finally she ran her hand over the rim at top. She cocked her head and then looked inside the bowl.

“Oh hey, there’s something here. Holy smokers! It’s a diamond ring!” She picked up the ring, and even in the dim light it sparkled. As it should, since the diamond was big enough. “Do you think someone left it in here during the party tonight?”

“I don’t think so. Do you like it?”

“Like it? We’re not shopping, where did it come from?”

“Maybe it’s like Cinderella—it belongs to whoever it fits.” I held her left wrist and put the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly, I had made sure of that. “Well, look at that. I guess it belongs to you.”

Kelly’s eyebrows went sky high. She held her hand out and looked at it. “Jimmy, that’s ridiculous. It looks very expensive, so we need to find out who—”

I leaned over the Cup and kissed her.

“Kelly, will you marry me?”

She stared at me in total shock. Her lips were parted, and her dark hair fell around her beautiful face. The face I wanted to wake up to for the rest of my life.

“Oh my God. This is your ring? You’re crazy, Jimmy.”

“
Your
ring. Yeah, I’m crazy—in love.”

“I love you too. But everything’s so awesome right now. Why do you want to change things?”

“Because it’s so awesome. I want us to spend more time together.” As usual, Kelly wasn’t reacting like most girls. But at least she wasn’t saying no, which was my big worry.

I carefully lifted the Cup and put it on my side of the bed, then got beside Kelly and cradled her in my arms.

“I can’t imagine being with anyone else, can you?”

She shook her head and leaned back into my chest. She twisted the ring into place. It looked perfect on her hand. She wasn’t big on jewellery and stuff, but I liked it whenever she wore something I had chosen for her.

“Then we should be together—forever. Marry me, Kelly.”

She released a big breath, and I could feel the tension going out of her. “Okay. We can get engaged. But we won’t get married right away, right?” She squirmed around to wrap her arms around me and kiss me properly. “I’m sorry to be such a spoilsport. I do love you—so, so much. I was just surprised.”

“Well, you never fail to surprise me.” I chuckled. She kissed me again, and I maneuvered us back under the sheets. Now I was lying with Kelly on one side and the Cup on the other. I felt incredibly happy. Almost as happy as when we first won the Cup—I wouldn’t tell her that, of course. But of all the girls in the world, Kelly might be the one to understand my emotions.

I held her hand in mine and we both looked at the ring. She said, “It’s really beautiful. All these different diamonds. Gosh, it wasn’t super-expensive was it?”

I groaned. “Of course it’s expensive. That’s the point. The guys on the team would never let me hear the end of it if I bought you some cheap trinket. It’s symbolic, and you’re going to wear it everyday, right?”

“Yeah, I know, but it’s hard for me. I’m kind of thrifty.”

I kissed her on the top of her head. “Yeah, my mom loves that about you. See, the timing is perfect because we can tell both our families in person tomorrow.”

“Oh golly. It’s almost like you planned everything,” she said, shaking her head.

“Are you being sarcastic?” I tickled her, and she squirmed and giggled. I loved hearing Kelly laugh. I turned onto my back and grinned up at the ceiling. “Another thing to check off the list.”

“What? Getting married was on your list? That is crazy.” It clearly wasn’t on Kelly’s life list—she had never mentioned marriage. Ironically, that made me want her even more.

“Not getting married until after I won the Stanley Cup was something I’d decided years ago. But recently I added a new goal.”

“And what was that?”

“Getting married—to Kelly Tanaka.”

She let out a shout of laughter. “That seems very specific.”

I squeezed my arms tightly around her. “Yeah, but I figured I’m the only guy who had a good shot at it.”

“True,” she replied, still giggling. “Well, now that we’re engaged, you can relax.”

Not quite. “So Kelly, how many kids do you want to have?”

“Jimmy! Stop it. Stop thinking about the future. Let’s just enjoy this wonderful moment.”

Yeah, she was right. But at least I had planted the idea. I kissed my beautiful, elusive girlfriend. No—my beautiful fiancée. And someday—my wife and the mother of my three kids.

Three would be perfect. Maybe we would be one of those hockey dynasty families where all the kids go to the NHL. With our genes, how could they miss? But what if we had daughters? Kelly would want to coach girls for sure. Maybe more than three—then we could all scrimmage together.

“I can tell that you’re planning something new,” Kelly said. “I want you to stop.”

How did she read my mind like that? Well, maybe I could distract her somehow. The night was hot, and she was wearing this skimpy little blue nightgown with tiny straps. I looked down her cleavage and let out a puff of air.

“I also know what you’re thinking now, and I like it,” she said, planting a kiss on my chest. Too bad making love with the Stanley Cup in my bed wasn’t on my list because that what was going to happen right now.