Lucky Bounce: Game On, Part 2 by Jennifer Lazaris

20

Eli pulled up to Nic and Fally's house and killed the engine of his SUV. He was exhausted, but relieved that the Kingsnakes had won at home last night for the third game of the series. They’d won the first game in Florida and had lost the second, so last night’s win had put them ahead.

Just two more wins to go.

Glancing over at the front door, he gripped the steering wheel tightly in his hands. Beads of sweat popped out on his forehead, and he wiped them off with the edge of his t-shirt.

"Fuck, get it together, Donnelley."

Ryder had taken their core group out to lunch at Callahan's today after practice and delivered the shitty news about Fally, killing the high they’d been riding over last night’s win.

Fally was almost certain that his hockey career was finished. He wouldn't outright confirm it, but Ryder told them he'd put the odds at eighty-five percent. But he wanted to weigh the options and talk to his doctors, surgeons, and anyone else involved before saying for sure.

Eighty-five percent was pretty high. All because of that dirty hit that had caused the run-in on the ice.

Eli slammed his hand down on the steering wheel, rattling off a string of curse words.

It just wasn't right. He always liked to tease Ryder, Fally, and Brandon about their age. But thirty-one was too early for a guy like Fally to be done. Not with his talent and love for the game.

His phone beeped with a text, and he grabbed it off the passenger seat.

Nic: Are you coming in, or are you going to sit out there all day? Fal's getting suspicious. He saw you drive up.

Fuck.

Hopping down from the vehicle, he adjusted his ball cap and walked to the front door. Before he lifted his hand to knock, Nic opened it.

"Well, what a surprise." She gave him a wry look. "Go on in the living room. He's hanging out there."

"How's he doing?"

She turned him around and gave him a gentle push into the living room. "He got hit in the knee, Eli. Not the mouth. Ask him yourself."

Fally was kicked back in his leather easy chair with his leg in some kind of wild looking brace. Crutches leaned against the wall nearby. Other than his messed up hair and weary expression, he looked okay.

"Look at this setup." Eli walked over to him. "Better than the hospital, eh?"

"Been in and out of that place way too much lately," Fally replied, giving him a fist bump. "You want something to drink?" He nodded at a small fridge set up on the end table.

"Nic stocked some beverages and snacks in this thing, so I'm not trudging back and forth to the kitchen. Half the time I'm so doped up on pain meds, I think she's afraid I'll fall down and break something else."

"Nah, I'm good." Eli took a seat on the couch. "It's a sweet setup, though. She's worried about you."

Fally gave him an amused look. "And you aren't? At least you look better than Ryder. He stopped by earlier. Couldn't stop wringing his hands when I told him I'm probably done."

Eli stretched his legs out in front of him, then ran a hand over his beard. "I'm not going to lie, Fal. We're all worried."

"Is that why it took you five minutes to get out of your SUV?"

"Yeah, it is. I'm frustrated, pissed off, and sad. I didn't know how you were handling the news. If I feel like this, how the fuck must you be feeling?"

"It's not a hundred percent that I won't be back. I'll know more soon. But my knee is just shattered, man. There's so much fucked up in there. It's a straight up horror show, especially since I've had trouble with that knee a few times in the past."

"Fuck. Fal, I'm so goddamn sorry. I really am."

"I know. The doctors are being honest with me, and I appreciate it, but I haven't really processed everything yet."

"I don't know what I'd do if I were in your position," Eli told him. "It's a shit-ton to deal with."

"Hockey's been my life for how long now? If I don't come back, it's going to be a huge adjustment, that's for sure. I didn't give much thought to my life beyond hockey because I thought I had a few good years le—"

Fally's voice broke, and it was like getting punched in the stomach. Eli squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remain composed.

His friend took a swig of his water, then cleared his throat. "Anyway, now I don't know what to think."

"It's not going to be an easy adjustment. Though you've got N's restaurant and a kid to raise," Eli told him. "You have a life outside of hockey."

"N's is mostly Nic's baby. And yeah, Luke will keep me busy. But D, it's not enough for me. I'll have to do some soul searching if it comes down to it." Fally pointed the water bottle at him. "Moral of this story? Think about what you want to do after hockey before you're forced to think about it. It will be a hell of a lot easier in the long run."

"I wouldn't even know where to start.”

"I think you would be a natural for broadcasting," Fally told him. "Good looking, funny, and great with an audience. That's an option."

"Ugh, no way." Eli held up a hand. "No fucking way. You're the one who would be good at that, not me."

"Maybe. Who the fuck knows?" Fally glanced down at his watch, then sighed. "Gonna be real honest with you, D. I'm due for a dose of pain meds, and I'm usually out like a light within a few minutes. This shit is strong."

"Is the pain that bad, Fal?" Eli asked, concerned. "Do you need it?"

"It definitely doesn't fucking tickle," Fally admitted, downing a pill and washing it down with water. "Hopefully I won't need to be on them long, though. Just to get through the worst of it. Nic's been such a star through this whole ordeal, but she always is. Taking care of Luke, me, running N's from her phone. She's always on call for something or someone. I'm lucky."

"Yeah, you are. You got a good one," Eli agreed. "She thrives on being in charge."

"She does."

Fally's eyes began to droop, and Eli stood up from his seat on the couch. "I'm gonna head out, Fal. You look like you're going to crash."

"It normally doesn't hit me quite so fast, but I'm wiped out today. I need a nap."

"If there's anything you need, tell me what I can do, okay?"

Fally blinked, then inclined his head. "Yeah. There's something you can do. Something everyone can do. Win this fucking series. Do whatever it takes. Two more wins, that's all. Two more wins and it's ours, D."

Eli swallowed hard. "I hear you. You're going to lift that Cup, bud. I promise."

"Take what's ours, and bring it home," Fally murmured, closing his eyes. "Bring it home to Vegas where it belongs."

"We're going to, Fal. Don't worry, okay?"

But his friend was already asleep.

Eli slipped out the front door after waving to Nic, who was talking on the phone.

Walking toward his SUV, he heard Fally's words echoing in his head:

Bring it home to Vegas where it belongs.

They weren't wrapping up the postseason without that shiny silver trophy. Whatever they had to do to get Fally the Cup, they would do it. Even if they were beaten, bloody, and bruised when it was all over, he was going to go out on top.

Like a fucking champion.

Just two more wins, and they were going to take it all.

* * *

The horn blew, signaling the end of game four, and Kingsnakes fans leaped to their feet, stomping and screaming.

"One win away," Penn cried, hugging Holly as the crowd in the Nevada Arena chanted, "We want the Cup! We want the Cup!"

"I can't believe it. I thought for sure we were going to lose," Holly said, returning her hug.

The Kingsnakes were down 3–0 by the end of the first period. Tampa had capitalized twice on the power play and managed a lucky bounce at the start of the second period. But Kingsnakes defenseman John Cohan had scored two minutes later with a cannon blast from the blue line.

After that, the team was on fire. The game ended 5–3, with Ryder scoring twice and a goal a piece from winger Sam London and center Tyler Quinn.

"I have to pee really bad," Penn said, hopping back and forth. "Let's stop in the bathroom before we go to the family room."

"I could use a pit stop," Holly admitted. "Let's go."

They waved to Hannah, Bella and Zoe, who were chatting with Bella's parents.

"See you guys down in the family room," Penn called. "Gotta make a stop first.

They squeezed their way through the lingering, still hyped up crowd and found the closest bathroom. Thankfully, the line was only five people deep. Most of the fans were still in the stands, waiting to see the three stars of the game.

"I shouldn't have had that extra-large pop," Penn complained, rocking back and forth on her feet. "I'm going to burst." Sighing, she opened her purse and rifled through it. "Babe, do you have an extra tampon?"

Holly froze, staring at her friend.

"Hol?" Penn asked, frowning. "Are you okay?"

"What? Oh. Uh, let me check." She quickly unzipped her purse and pretended to search. "Sorry. You'll have to hit up one of the girls when we get to the family room."

"No biggie."

One of the bathroom stalls opened and Penn heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank God. Meet you outside the doors when you're finished."

"Sure."

Her friend hurried toward the open stall, and Holly pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped the app she used to track her periods. Scanning the calendar for the little heart that signified when her period was due, she stared down at the screen.

Five days ago. Her period should have been here five days ago.

"Fuck," she whispered, shoving the phone back into the front pocket of her jeans.

A stall opened, and she hurried inside.

Okay, five days wasn't that late. She'd been late before.

Though never when she was on the pill.

She'd been late taking it only once since sleeping with Eli, and she'd taken it four hours later, the moment she'd remembered. Surely a few hours couldn't make that much of a difference. Though it was a progestin-only pill, so maybe it did. Hadn’t her gynocologist mentioned something about a safe window of time?

Fuck. How could she forget something that important?

Still, with everything going on in her life, her cycle might have been screwed up, pill or no pill. With the fire, those guys harassing her, and the Myasthenia Gravis diagnosis, her stress levels were off the charts. And stress messed with everything.

Holly quickly hung up her purse and did her business. It wasn't like she was weeks late. It was just a few days, and that was too early to panic.

When she was through, she hurried over to the sink to check her appearance and wash her hands. Tomorrow, she'd grab a pregnancy test before she and Penn caught their flight to Tampa.

Easy peasy.

Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she stared at herself in the mirror and sucked in a breath. This was the last thing she needed on top of everything else right now.

It was time to send some negative pee-stick vibes out into the universe. Because after everything she'd been through lately, she didn't think she could handle the alternative.