Lucky Bounce: Game On, Part 2 by Jennifer Lazaris

23

Holly had just finished spreading mayonnaise on the bread of her turkey and cheese sandwich when the lock to the penthouse door clicked.

"Eli's home for his game-day nap, Moo."

Miss opened one eye as she lazed on one of the comfy, high-backed stools next to the island.

"Want to say hello?"

The calico yawned as Eli walked into the kitchen, then let out a tiny meow.

Eli laughed and set his keys down on the counter. "Hey to you too, fuzzball."

"We're just making a sandwich," Holly told him. "Did you eat at the rink?"

"Yep, I'm good." He took a seat next to Miss as Holly took a bite of her sandwich.

"This needs potato chips." Holly grabbed a bag from the pantry. "And a candy bar."

Eli snorted. "You're insane over those candy bars."

She shrugged. "Eh, I've got no other vices. I figure this is allowed."

"Agreed."

"So, is it taboo to ask if you're ready for tonight?"

He leaned back against the chair and stretched his arms over his head. "Nah. We're ready as we'll ever be. The team is hyped to close this out tonight. The doctors don't really want Fally flying so soon after surgery, especially for such a long flight. I guess there's blood clot risks and all that, especially since his knee is all strapped up in that weird-looking cast. So we need to win this one. We want him to lift that Cup with us, and for that to happen, it has to be tonight."

"No pressure, then, eh?" Holly gave him a wry look.

"I think we're more excited than feeling pressure. We're confident."

"That's good."

Eli fell quiet for a few moments, and Holly raised an eyebrow. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm just thinking about my mom. I wish she could be at the game. I talked to Irena about the possibility, but I knew the answer before I asked. It's too much."

"I'm so sorry, Eli."

"I wouldn't be here, doing what I'm doing, without her, you know? She spent so much of her life waking up before dawn and getting me to practice. And traveling to every tournament and game. She sacrificed so much of herself to make sure I got to do what I loved. And it sucks that she can't be there if I get to lift that Cup.

"I know that there's a good chance that she would have no idea what's going on, but I'd know that she saw me. I'd know, and that means something." Eli rubbed his forehead. "It would be nice to know that she's proud of me one more time. It would mean so much. And she deserves to know it wasn't all for nothing."

Holly put her hand over his. "Even if you don't win this series, it wasn't all for nothing. You're wildly successful even if you never win a trophy, Eli. You have to know that."

"Yeah, I know. This would just be special. Anyway, I'm grateful that my sisters will be there, and you. That means everything to me. Hell, even Troy will be there tonight, so I guess that counts for something. He's still blood, even if we don't have a relationship."

Holly leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "We'll all be cheering our hearts out for you. That's a promise."

He ran a finger down a lock of her hair. "I'm counting on it."

"Why don't you go take your nap? I have to run over to Penn's house for a few, but Miss will keep you company."

"Sounds good." He stood and glanced down at the calico. "What do you say, Miss? Want to nap with me?"

The cat stood on the chair and stretched, then jumped down next to him.

"I was kidding," Holly said, staring at the cat. "I can't believe this."

Eli winked. "She's Team Eli. Believe it."

"Ah, well. Maybe she's your good luck charm for tonight. Okay, you two go enjoy your nap. I'll be back soon."

Miss followed Eli into the living room, and Holly shook her head. Her cat seemed to adore him, so a switch to Team Eli wouldn't be out of the question. Especially if he kept sneaking her those special raw treats.

She grabbed the keys to Eli's SUV and headed out, texting Penn as she waited for the elevator.

Holly: Curly Cue, can I borrow one of your iPads? And those two tripods you guys bought recently? They'll fit an iPad, right?

Penn: Sure. Yeah, they will work with any tablet. Want to fill me in?

Holly: Yep. When I get there, I will. I'm on my way over to pick them up now. See you soon.

Once she entered the parking garage, she called Irena, Katherine's daytime nurse, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, Irena. I was wondering if I could stop over in a little while to talk to you about an idea I had. Call or text me back, okay? Thanks."

Holly ended the call and climbed behind the wheel. Hopefully, her idea would yield good results. She just had to pray that luck was on everyone's side tonight. It was time to cross everything they could cross, and hope for the best.

* * *

"I'm here, and I'm ready, ladies!"

Nic stood on the stairs at the end of their row of seats, wearing her satin jacket with Fally's name and number on the back. She held her beer in the air and grinned.

"Nic!" Penn shrieked, waving. "We've missed you here at the games so much!"

Holly nodded. "It hasn't been the same without our resident smartass. Welcome back."

Zoe peeked around from behind Nic, a smile on her pretty face. "You've done a great job filling in for her, Holly. But yeah, it's great to have her back."

"We really did miss you, babe," Hannah agreed.

"Speak for yourself," Bella mumbled, then gave Nic a wink.

"Is Fally up in the press box for the game?" Holly asked.

"Yeah, for now." Nic plopped down next to her. "Depending on how things play out, I'm sure he'll move to the lower level later, if need be."

"Talk about not wanting to jinx things," Penn joked. "If they win. Say it, Nic. If they win."

Nic shook her head. "Nope, not tempting fate after what Fal's been through."

"Don't worry. They're going to win." Bella took a sip of her pop. "You guys know I'm always right."

Holly spied two girls standing on the stairs, peering down at their tickets.

"Madison! Tabitha!" Holly waved at Eli's sisters. "Over here."

"Holy crap, they look just like Eli," Penn said, her jaw dropping. "The resemblance is insane."

"Wait, Eli has sisters?" Nic asked, staring at Holly. "What the hell did I miss?"

"A lot," Holly said, smirking. "He didn't know he had sisters until recently, but they are great girls."

Holly waved a hand. "Everyone, these are Eli's twin sisters, Madison and Tabitha. Maddie, Tabby, this is Zoe O'Bryan, Nic Falanov, my best friend, Penn Foster, Hannah Hendrix, and Bella Lear."

Madison laughed. "I'm going to forget all of those names in five seconds. But hi, guys! We're happy to be here."

"Very happy," Tabitha said.

"Do you guys want to sit next to Holly? I don't mind. Zoe and I can move down," Nic offered.

"If you don't mind." Maddie tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

After everyone was settled, Nic leaned over to talk to the twins. "You guys look so much like your brother. It's wild."

"Except for the eyes," Holly pointed out. "Eli's are brown."

"Strong family genes," Tabitha told Nic.

"How come we haven't seen you guys at a game before now?" Zoe asked them.

"Eli tried like crazy to get us tickets, but it was next to impossible. He finally snagged these two for us," Maddie explained. "We're really excited to be here. We haven't been to any playoff games before now."

"You guys are hockey fans, then?" Hannah asked the girls.

Tabitha nodded. "Huge. We're Toronto fans originally, but now, we're total Kingsnakes fans. We have to support our brother."

"Hi." Bella waved at the twins. "Brandon Lear is my brother. It's cool to meet some sisters close to my age."

"Lear's an amazing player," Madison gushed.

"This is his fiancée, Hannah." Bella hooked a thumb at Hannah. "She's a huge hockey fan, too."

"This is so cool. Did we mention we're happy to be here?" Tabitha asked.

Holly laughed. "Yeah, we picked up on that."

"Time for warmups!" Hannah pointed down at the rink, where the guys came flying out of the tunnel to excited screams and cheers from the fans.

"The crowd is hyped tonight. We need that energy to keep the boys fired up," Holly said as the team skated around their zone in a circle, a blur of orange, white and blue.

"That, and for luck to be on our side," Penn replied.

Madison smiled. "Well, we are in Vegas, so I'm saying the house wins tonight."

"Damn right," Bella agreed. "House wins. Let's go, Kingsnakes!"

"Let's go Kingsnakes," they shouted, then burst into laughter.

Holly grinned at Penn. "You heard it here first. We're going home with the Cup."

* * *

"This game is gonna kill me," Penn muttered, dragging her fingers down over her face. "I can't take this. I really can't. Seriously, 1–1 with two minutes left in the second? Why can't it be a blowout for once?"

"That would be too easy." Holly waved a hand. "It would be great if we could score and take that momentum into the locker room for the third, though."

"Come on, boys," Zoe yelled, clapping her hands. "I'm gonna have an ulcer before this series is over. I've been chewing antacids since the playoffs started."

"I figured it would be a low-scoring game," Bella chimed in. "Both teams are on top of their game. Neither one of them is giving the other room to play."

"But why must we be tied?" Hannah tipped her head back and groaned. "Come on, hockey gods. Do your thing."

Brandon skated up to the faceoff dot in Tampa Bay's zone and bent low, waiting to battle for the puck.

"Just knowing the Cup is in the building is making me crazy," Nic admitted, leaning forward in her seat as the linesman dropped the puck. "I want this so bad for Fal."

"I still have faith. They're doing this tonight," Madison said confidently. "We just have to be patient. Even if we all end up with stress hives by the end of the game."

"A legit possibility," Tabitha told her sister as the Kingsnakes tried to get something going down in Tampa Bay's zone.

"One minute remaining in the period." The announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena as a Tampa Bay player stole the puck away from Tyler Quinn.

The seconds ticked down, and when the horn blared, Holly sank back in her seat with a heavy sigh. "Time to regroup and get ready for the next period."

"Which better be the last period," Penn stood and stretched. "If this goes into overtime, I'm going to lose my shit."

"Such language," Holly teased.

"We're going to go find Troy," Madison told her. "He's here for the game. We were on the same flight to Vegas."

"See you in a bit, then." Holly waved.

The girls waved back and took off up the stairs.

"They're so adorable," Nic said. "Super friendly, too."

"They're very sweet," Holly agreed.

"Where is baby Luke tonight?" Penn asked Nic.

"In the family room with Fal's mom."

"Briar and Callie are down there with Brandon's mum," Hannah said. "It's a madhouse tonight. The guys want the kiddos to be here, of course."

Penn slapped her hands down on her thighs. "What do you think, guys? Should we get some food? I know it's stress eating, but nachos and beer sound wonderful right about now."

"I'm game," Bella told her.

"Me, too," Holly said. "Let's get some pizza, too. I'm hungry." She hoped she wouldn't pay for it later with killer indigestion, but her stomach was rumbling, and her craving for pizza was strong.

"Maybe a beer will calm my nerves," Nic mused. "To the snack bar!"

* * *

"We want the Cup! We want the Cup!"

"Don't we all," Penn muttered as the Nevada Arena chanted their demands, clapping and stomping as a Tampa Bay player skated off toward the penalty box. "But at least we have a power play. What is it, the third one of the game? We need to capitalize on this. Tampa Bay's penalty kill is stellar, so it won't be easy."

"I looked down for one minute to text Fal's mom and missed the whole thing. What happened?" Nic asked.

"Ludwig hooked Gunnar Klasson," Tabitha told her, pointing to the replay on the video monitor.

"Two minutes of five-on-four hockey. Make it count, boys," Bella shouted, clapping her hands.

Holly peered up at the scoreboard. The game was still tied, with eight minutes left in the third.

"Okay, here we go." Hannah leaned forward in her seat. "Let's do this."

The "We want the Cup" chants changed to "Let's go, Kingsnakes" as the guys tried to set up down in Tampa Bay's zone.

"They've got Sam London out on the power play unit tonight," Nic said. "I know they've been trying some different stuff with Fal out."

"He's a great player." Zoe nervously twirled a lock of her fiery red hair around her finger. "Man, I hope they score here."

Holly chewed the side of her thumb as the boys managed to start cycling the puck. Eli was on defense, while Ryder, Brandon, Tyler Quinn, and Sam filled out the rest of the power play unit.

"Usually Shaw is out at the start of the power play, but I think Coach wanted Brandon because he and Sam are so used to playing with each other, and they have great chemistry," Hannah said, clasping her hands in front of her. "Oh for the love of Pete, guys, please, please score."

Ryder got a pass from Brandon and one-timed it toward the net, but Tampa Bay's goaltender caught it and held on as Sam slid up toward the crease.

"Fuck," Nic muttered, glancing up at the scoreboard. "Only forty-seven seconds left before we're at even strength."

The linesman dropped the puck, and Brandon won the faceoff, tipping the puck in Ryder's direction. Ryder slid it over to Eli, who snapped off a quick pass to Sam.

Sam wristed the puck up into the air, right over the goaltender's blocker and into the back of the net.

The crowd erupted into pandemonium as the red light turned on behind the goaltender and the Kingsnakes goal song blared over the speakers.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Holly screamed, high-fiving the girls as they all laughed and danced along with the song.

The boys tackled Sam with hugs, and they were all smiles as they skated off toward the bench.

"Power play goal scored by number twenty-three, his third of the playoffs, Sam London! Assisted by number fifty-two, Eli Donnelley, and number twenty-five, Ryder O'Bryan,"the announcer yelled, and the fans went crazy all over again.

"Okay. We need to keep their asses off the board for the next six plus minutes," Penn said, dragging her hands down over her face. "Just six more minutes. And you know it's going to be nuts."

"They can do this," Bella said confidently. "I know they can. I just know it."

"And Eli got an assist!" Madison said, hugging Holly, then her sister. "I'm so proud."

"Me, too," Tabitha said excitedly. "This is crazy."

Holly smiled. "Me, three. Make sure to tell him how proud you are, guys, when this is all said and done, whether they win or not. I know he'll appreciate that."

"Oh, don't worry. He's gonna hear it," Maddie declared.

For the next six minutes, the crowd screamed and chanted and stomped their feet.

West made one stellar save against Tampa Bay's captain, but the Kingsnakes worked hard to cut off their opponent’s scoring opportunities.

"Ten seconds," Penn whispered, squeezing Holly's hand.

The crowd began to chant as the Kingsnakes stood up on the bench, anxiously waiting for the period to end.

When the buzzer went off, the guys piled over the bench, sticks tossed, helmets ripped off, and gloves abandoned. They raced down the ice toward goaltender West Keller, attacking him and each other with hugs as they jumped up and down, screaming and laughing.

Confetti cannons blasted orange, white, and blue streamers into the air, and the crowd continued their chants as it rained down over the arena.

"They did it!" Hannah yelled, tears streaming down her face. "They fucking did it!"

"Fally's going to lift the Cup." Holly reached over and grabbed Nic's hand. "He's going to lift it, Nic!"

Nic was crying so hard she could barely speak. "It's all he's ever dreamed of. Look, he's down there already. I see him at the tunnel entrance."

Holly brushed away a few tears of her own as Eli held his arms out, a huge smile on his face, and embraced Ryder.

"Tampa Bay kicked ass," Bella said as the dejected-looking team gathered at center ice to wait for the Kingsnakes to begin the handshake line. "They have nothing to be ashamed of."

"It just wasn't their time. It was ours." Penn threw her hands in the air and let out a loud whoop. "My boyfriend is a champion!"

Holly hugged her, laughing. "Yes, he is."

The crowd watched as the guys shook hands with the entire Tampa Bay team, then as they got their Las Vegas Kingsnakes Cup Champions hats.

"It's almost time for the Cup to be brought out," Tabitha said, jumping up and down.

"First they have to give the award to the MVP of the series," Madison replied. "Who do you guys think will get it?"

"I think it will be Ryder," Penn told them. "He was stellar the entire series."

"I honestly have no idea," Nic said, shrugging. "I'll say Ryder, too."

When the commissioner of the league announced Ryder as the MVP, Zoe let out a little giggle. "That's my man!"

"He deserved it," Hannah leaned forward and grinned at Zoe.

Tabitha pointed. "Look, they're bringing out the Cup!"

The whole crowd cheered as the handlers carried out the trophy and set it on the table.

The commissioner started to speak again, and Penn stomped her feet impatiently. "Come on, enough with the speech. Just let him lift it!"

Finally, Ryder stood in front of the trophy table with a huge smile on his face. He lifted the Cup above his head, skating toward his teammates with a yell of triumph.

"I'm gonna cry again," Zoe said, her lower lip quivering. "That smile is priceless."

Ryder took a quick lap around, then stopped in front of Fally, who sat in his wheelchair, looking up at his friend.

When Ryder handed the Cup to Fally, Nic totally lost it.

Zoe wrapped her in a hug as the entire team cheered, throwing their fists in the air as Ryder pushed Fally on a victory lap around the ice. Fally beamed from ear-to-ear, letting out a cry of happiness as he pumped the Cup over his head.

"I want to hug every single one of those guys for winning tonight, " Nic said fiercely. "Every one of them. This means everything to Fally."

"They worked so hard to do this for him," Bella said, shaking her head. "They really wanted to make sure he got a chance to celebrate with them like he deserved."

Fally rolled up to Eli and passed the Cup over to him. Holly's heart felt full to bursting as his trademarked, cocky grin made an appearance. He lifted the Cup over his head, then brought it down to his lips for a kiss.

Madison and Tabitha shouted and clapped for their brother, and Penn gave Holly a smile.

"They did it," she murmured. "They really did it."

Holly wrapped an arm around Penn as Eli passed the Cup to West.

"Yeah, Curly Cue. They sure as hell did."

* * *

Not long after the guys all got a turn with the Cup, the families were allowed onto the ice to celebrate with the players.

Holly stood in the middle of the action, among the TV cameras and journalists, the family, friends, and staff, looking around in wonder. No way did she ever think she'd be standing here a few months ago.

Eli stood nearby, talking to Shaw and his brother. When he looked over and caught her eye, the pride she felt for him overwhelmed her. Her emotions caught in her throat, and she could barely speak as he skated up to her.

"Eli—"

He cut her off, sweeping her into a gigantic hug and spinning her around. But it was the kiss that came after—the sweet, soft, gentle kiss—that knocked her for a loop.

A kiss in front of the entire arena and a million video cameras, and who knows how many people who were watching at home.

But she couldn't be mad at him for it, because the pure happiness on his face was something she'd never forget.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered, hugging him fiercely. "So, so proud."

He pulled back to look at her, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. "That means everything to me, kitten. Everything. I'm so glad you're here. You have no idea."

"Eli!" His sisters rushed up to him, their moment cut short as she stepped back to let him enjoy some time with his new-found family.

To her surprise, Troy was waiting behind the girls, and he shook Eli's hand. The pride on his father's face was evident, even if their relationship—or lack of one—remained. Eli was polite and respectful, and that made her even prouder of him.

"Eli, may we grab a few words with you?"

A well-known sports journalist for the Kingsnakes waited next to a camera crew to speak to Eli.

"Yeah, sure."

His sisters stepped away to introduce Troy to Hannah and Bella, but Holly lingered nearby, wanting to listen to the interview.

It was all the typical sports questions: how does it feel to win, what does it mean to you, etc. But when the reporter asked if there was anything he wanted to say to his family, Eli went quiet for a few beats before speaking.

"I'm lucky enough that my sisters are here tonight to celebrate with me, and though I didn't grow up with him, my biological father is here as well. But I want to say something to my mother."

He swallowed, then looked at the camera. "My mom couldn't be here tonight. She has Alzheimer's disease, and things have been really challenging for her, especially this past year. I just want her to know that I wouldn't be standing here today if it wasn't for everything she did for me. When I was a kid, my mom took me to practices before it was even light out. She was at every game. She stayed up late to help me with homework. All she ever wanted was for me to live my dream of playing professional hockey. Every single thing she did for me was what got me here."

His eyes welled up, and he blinked hard. "Mom, I love you so much. This win, this Cup, my career, and everything I am, it's for you—and because of you. All I ever wanted to do was make you proud. I hope that I did."

He nodded at the interviewer then skated off to collect himself.

Holly put a hand over her heart, sending a silent prayer to the Universe that what she'd discussed with Irena today would work.

It had to.

Nic walked over to her and gave her a hug. "Is this really happening? Really?"

"I'm pretty sure, unless it's the best dream ever."

Nic glanced over at her husband, who held the Cup on his lap. "This is the end of the line for Fally—he's done with hockey. He wants to go out on top."

"I don't blame him. But you can't think of it as an ending, Nic. You need to think of it as a new beginning."

"I'm going to need someone smart and sassy to take my place among the WAGs. I saw that kiss between you and Eli. Maybe that person is you, hmm?"

"No one could ever replace you, Nic."

"I still hope that you'll be next to join our little circle officially."

Holly glanced over at Eli. He fist-bumped Fally and laughed, then lifted the Cup again before taking it for another lap around the ice.

"I don't think it's going to be like that for me and Eli."

"You never know."

Holly put a hand on her stomach, then glanced over at him again.

There would be plenty of time to deal with everything going on between them—but not tonight.

Tonight was meant for celebration, and that's exactly what she planned on doing.