Lucky Bounce: Game On, Part 2 by Jennifer Lazaris

8

"This was a great idea, wasn't it?" Penn asked, carrying a huge box into her dining room as a few of the player's wives and girlfriends gathered around to watch.

Number and letter patches, as well as other crafting materials, tumbled from the box and onto the dining room table.

"Jeez it's like a crafting avalanche," Holly said, taking a seat at the end of the table.

"Some of the other wives and girlfriends from around the league have been making their own jackets for the past few years when their guys get to the playoffs, and they've turned out amazing. Ours will kick ass, too."

Holly took a sip of wine as the women picked through all the goodies, and she couldn't help but smile. Ever since they were little kids, Penn had always enjoyed making her own jewelry, crafting, and scrapbooking. This was totally her thing.

She took a deep breath and glanced around at her friends as they laughed and talked about the jacket project. It was nice to just hang out and enjoy their company. She didn't want to think about the fire or what had happened with those guys at the mall, her weird stress reactions, or what was going on between her and Eli.

A girls' night was exactly what she needed.

"You look like a kid on Christmas day," Holly told Penn. "Did you max out your credit card buying all of this stuff?"

"Maybe I went a bit overboard," Penn admitted, gesturing toward the table. "You should have seen West's face when the boxes came to the front door. I had to assure him they weren't all mine. The other wives and girlfriends paid me back for the materials, so it didn't burn a hole in my pocket."

"I'm a little surprised you waited until the day before the Western Conference finals started to do all of this," Holly told Penn. "It's not like you to be running behind schedule. Especially when it comes to crafting."

"True, but this was the only night our group could get together. The other ladies picked up their stuff when the playoffs started. Better late than never, right?"

"Good point," Holly said, nodding.

Nic Falanov, winger Roman Falanov's wife, held up one of the black satin jackets and gave Penn a dubious look. "I'm not sure about this. There's no way we can wear these outside. We'll roast in the heat."

"We can put them on once we get inside the arena," Zoe, captain Ryder O'Bryan's wife, assured Nic.

Zoe handed a set of numbers to Hannah, center Brandon Lear's fiancée, then tucked a lock of fiery red hair behind her ear. "It's just supposed to be a fun way for us to support the guys and show some team spirit."

"I guess. Are you sure you know how to work that thing?" Nic asked Hannah, pointing to a small heat press machine.

"Sure." Hannah pushed her silver glasses further up her nose. "This thing is little, but it's mighty. I use it to make t-shirts for Brandon's daughters all the time. Speaking of the munchkins, thanks for ordering jackets for Briar and Callie, Penn. I know Briar will be excited to make hers tonight."

Bella Lear, Brandon's younger sister, rolled her eyes and made a face at Hannah. "Better you than me, Han. I'm glad I'm not babysitting tonight. The last time I did crafts with Briar, I had glitter paint in my hair for two weeks. My niece is a menace with this kinda stuff."

"Two weeks? Yikes," Holly muttered. She poured herself another glass of wine, then held the bottle out to Bella. "Do you want a glass?"

"Sure."

"No, she does not. She's not old enough to drink," Nic declared, giving Bella a look.

"My birthday was two days ago," Bella pointed out. "And I'm old enough to drink when I go back to visit my parents in Canada."

"This isn't Canada. And the last I checked, twenty isn't old enough to drink in the States," Nic shot back. "Penn, do you have any pop in the fridge?"

"Jeez-a-loo," Bella complained. "Why don't you pour me a glass of milk and get me some cookies while you're at it? You might be a mom, Nic, but you're not my mom."

Penn grinned. "There's milk and cookies in the kitchen, Bells. Have at it."

Bella sighed as she trudged over to the fridge. "Just so you know, you guys all suck," she said, peering over her shoulder. "Milk and fucking cookies. Unbelievable."

"Watch your mouth, child!" Nic called after her.

"Arrgh!" Bella yelled. "Shut up, Nicole!"

Nic snorted with laughter, and Hannah grinned. "You just woke a sleeping bear. Bella isn't one to mess with when she's mad. And that mom comment..."

"Speaking of moms," Holly piped up, attempting to steer the conversation to something less volatile, "are you excited to be a step-mother, Hannah?"

"Brandon and I aren't getting married until next summer, but I already think of his daughters as my own. I love those girls."

"Do you think you guys will have any more kids?" Zoe's eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, Hannah. That was rude of me. I hate when people ask if me and Ryder are going to have kids. It's not like we haven't been trying, but it's not happening. I'm doing everything but standing on my head trying to get pregnant."

Nic wrinkled her nose, then blew a strand of long, blonde hair away from her face. "Thanks for the visual, Zoe. I really didn't need that."

Zoe snorted with laughter. "Sorry, but it's true. Maybe I should try the headstands. Couldn't hurt."

Penn patted Zoe on the hand. "It's going to happen; you just need more time. Some couples don't get pregnant right away."

"I know." Zoe bit down on her lower lip, then sighed. "I've just got baby fever."

"And I plan to take full advantage of that fever by having you babysit baby Luke every chance I get." Nic grinned at Zoe as she held up her glass of wine. "Luke loves his Auntie Zoe."

"And I love him," Zoe declared. "Ryder teases me about how much stuff I buy him online."

"Okay, ladies, let's get back to these jackets," Penn ordered. "Besides West's last name and number, I've got the Kingsnakes logo, a golden retriever patch for our dog, Bo, an American flag patch, a pink peace sign... hmm, what else can I put on here?"

"Duh, a goalie mask." Holly picked out a patch from the middle of the table and handed it to Penn.

"Oops, I forgot I bought that." Penn held it up and nodded approvingly. "Awesome." She glanced over at Holly. "Um, don't kill me babe, but I bought you a jacket. You're kind of an honorary WAG, right?"

Holly sputtered, then coughed as the wine went down the wrong pipe. "What? No! Not even. I'm not anyone's wife or girlfriend."

She hadn't told Penn about the night she and Eli had spent together at the hotel. At least, not yet.

Penn knew how she felt about him, but for her best friend to call her an honorary WAG? It set off a chain reaction of panic as all eyes landed on her.

"Don't try to tell me you don't have something going on with Eli, Holly," Nic told her. "Sparks fly between the two of you every time you're together. You'd have to be stupid not to notice."

"Agreed. And Eli hasn't exactly kept it a secret from anyone that he wants you," Hannah murmured, picking up a hockey stick patch.

"No kidding." Holly took another sip of wine. "However, that still doesn't make me a WAG."

"He really likes you; he just needs to be nudged in the right direction. And pushed away from those bitches at the clubs. Can't you just bang his brains out for a little while?" Nic asked. "You never know what might happen. He might see the light and make things exclusive."

Holly paled, thinking about Eli's passionate declaration at the hotel. How he was done with other women and only wanted her. But no way was she ready to share any of that with her friends.

Penn stared at Nicole. "Jesus, Nic. Really? Bang his brains out?"

"What?" Nic asked, waving a hand. "Listen, West wasn't exactly a choir boy when you guys met, Penn. He was just as active as Eli on the puck bunny scene. Guys can change. I speak from experience. Hell, Fally was no saint."

Penn made a face. "Ugh, I don't want to think about West like that. I know he was a player, but..."

"But he's not like that anymore. You guys are headed for the altar," Zoe chimed in.

"Altar? He hasn't asked me to marry him," Penn countered, tying her curly blonde hair back into a ponytail. "Not yet, anyway."

"It's only a matter of time," Zoe assured her. "I bet before the year is out, he'll ask."

Penn shrugged. "Maybe. Hey, how did this conversation get steered in my direction?"

"Better toward you than me." Holly held up her wine glass with a grin. "Sorry, Curly Cue."

Bella glanced over at Holly and nodded, dunking a chocolate chip cookie into her wine glass of milk. "True. Better than me, too."

Hannah let out a snort of laughter. "I can't picture you with a hockey player, Bells. You hate hockey."

"I don't hate it. I'm just tired of it. I lived at hockey rinks as a kid. I got dragged to every practice, every game of Brandon's..." Bella took a bite of her cookie. "I used to do my homework at hockey rinks. But you're right about me not going out with a guy on the team. Brandon would flip his shit."

"He would," Hannah agreed. "I don't think he could handle you dating one of his teammates. I don't think I could handle it either because he'd drive me insane."

"Anyway." Nic leaned back in her chair. "All of our guys were bedding bunnies before they met us. But when they meet the one, everything changes." She pointed at Holly. "Don't rule anything out with Eli, is all I'm saying.”

"Can we please stop talking about Eli Donnelley?" Holly asked, glaring at Nic. "I'm living with him. I have to write a feature about him. My research is about him. I could use an Eli-free night. Thanks."

"Uh huh. You doth protest too much," Nic teased.

Holly tipped her head back and groaned. "Hello, God? If there's a lightning bolt with my name on it, now is the time. Thanks. Sincerely, Holly Wilkes."

Zoe snickered into the back of her hand. "So dramatic. But Nic does have a point."

"Come on, Holly. Can you blame us for wanting you to be part of our crowd in an official capacity? You're a fucking cool chick," Nic said, elbowing her. "How many gossip reporters would ever be invited into the inner circle? We like you, and we trust you."

"I'm honored, but you'll just have to enjoy my sparkling conversation, endless sarcasm, and quick wit for what it is," she said wryly. "And that's an Eli-free zone, okay?"

"We'll see," Nic handed her jacket and numbers to Hannah so she could press them. "I've got a feeling. I had a feeling about all of you guys, and here you sit. I'm never wrong."

"Fally might disagree," Holly joked.

Nic tossed one of the patches at her, and she laughed, ducking out of the way.

"You're still going to sit with us at the games though, right, Holly?" Zoe asked.

"You know, despite being a hockey gossip reporter, Holly doesn't go to many games. The first game she'd been to in ages was the one she dragged me to when I reunited with West," Penn told the group.

"That's because I'm not paid to watch games," Holly reminded her. "I'm paid to watch the players. Not like it's my dream job or anything. I took this gossip gig because it was the only thing I could get at the time."

"That still doesn't answer my question," Zoe pointed out. "Are you sitting with us or not?"

"I'm pretty sure the complimentary tickets Eli has are in your section, so the answer is yes," Holly replied. "But I'm not wearing one of those jackets. Not even if you paid me."

"I can't wait to see what the other WAGs have done with theirs," Penn said to the group. "Everyone seemed excited to make them. Well, except for Sam London's girlfriend, Shay. But she's a bitch on wheels. You guys should have seen Shay's face when I handed her a bag of craft materials. She was horrified she was going to have to make something. I mean, did she think a famous designer was going to volunteer to make our jackets? She's such a label whore."

Bella clucked her tongue. "Such language from a sweet little farm girl."

Penn snorted. "Well, she is."

"What the hell does Sam even see in her?" Nic asked. "Okay, she's really pretty. I get it. But she's a total See You Next Tuesday. Sam is sexy as hell with that longish blond hair, big green eyes... he can do a hell of a lot better than Shay. Plus, he's really sweet.”

"I've heard that Shay isn't even interested in Sam anymore," Zoe confided to the group. "And that she wants John Cohan. Rumor has it she's biding her time with Sam to get to John."

"Get to Co?" Nic asked, raising her eyebrows. "Good luck with that. He's as single as they come. He's never even brought a date to a team event. And he keeps to himself. He's super quiet."

"More like brooding," Zoe commented. "Ryder calls him a lone wolf, and he always looks so serious."

"Never met him," Bella said, dunking another cookie into her wine glass of milk. "I don't think he's been to any of Brandon's parties. Unless I just didn't see him."

"He's an excellent defenseman," Hannah told her. "Trust me, Bells—Co is hard to miss. He's six-foot-seven. He has been to a few team parties, though."

Bella raised her eyebrows. "Six-foot-seven? Wow. He's a big boy."

"Very. Plus, he can throw down like a boss and has a hell of a shot," Hannah replied. "As for Shay, I agree about the See You Next Tuesday part. There were a few teenagers wearing Sam's jersey in our section at one of the games, and apparently Shay said some nasty stuff to them. I didn't see it, but one of the other wives did."

"She better get over it. The guys are going to have female fans. And we all know puck bunnies aren't wearing jerseys to the games," Nic said knowingly. "Not that I haven't seen some women fans go overboard when they're face-to-face with the guys, but for the most part they're harmless."

"For the most part," Zoe said, with a grin.

"Okay, guys, let's get back to the jackets," Penn said. "We need to get them done before tomorrow, and I'd like to spend some of this evening with West."

"Isn't he over at Shaw's house?" Holly asked. "Eli said he was going over there to hang out with some of the team."

"Yeah, West went over to Shaw's," Penn said, nodding. "Sam's over there too, along with Brandon, Fally, and Ryder."

"They're probably having a better time than we are." Nic held up a snake patch and made a face. "Ugh."

"You really hate doing anything crafty, don't you?" Zoe teased.

Nic sighed. "Yeah. I'm going to be the worst at this when baby Luke's finally old enough to do this kind of crap. Maybe he'll inherit my disdain for crafts." She held up the bottle of wine in one hand and her phone in another. "Come on ladies, we can craft and drink. Time for a photo op. Hold up those glasses. And Bella, hold up your glass of milk so your brother knows Penn isn't plying his little sister with alcohol."

Bella grumbled, then forced a big smile. "Yes, mom."

"Brat." Nic stuck her tongue out at Bella. "Now, everyone say cheese and Kingsnakes!"

"Cheese and Kingsnakes," they chorused, grinning for the camera.

Holly laughed as she poured more wine into Penn's glass. She had to admit, despite the interrogation, she was having a lot of fun.

And fun was exactly what she needed.

* * *

"I could kiss Nic for getting all this food delivered to us from N's restaurant," Shaw told Fally, carrying his plate over to the wraparound leather couch in his living room. "Opening that place was the best thing you and your wife ever did."

"I think she just wanted to make sure we ate a healthy dinner since the series starts tomorrow," Fally told him. "Look at this stuff. Chicken, rice, veggies, salmon, steak..."

"We eat this type of meal all the time." Ryder took a swig of water from his bottle and waved a hand.

"Yeah, but not prepared like this. N's food is fucking awesome," Eli argued, cutting his steak.

"Seconded," Brandon agreed.

"Thirded," Sam London chimed in from his spot on the easy chair. "Wait, is thirded a thing?"

"Dunno," Shaw said through a mouthful of food. "I'm going with yes."

"Jesus," Brandon muttered. "I always feel like I'm babysitting with half of this crew. Chew your food, Castle. That's fucking gross."

Shaw shot him the finger and laughed.

"So what gives? Do you think we're ready, guys?" Fally asked.

"Fuck yes." Eli glanced up from his plate. "We're more than fucking ready for this series. Why? You got something you want to share?"

"Nah." Fally shrugged. "I'm cool. We've watched so much tape and have done so many drills that I know we are prepared. It's the fucking arena curse I'm worried about."

"Oh, here we go. It's not a curse," Ryder scoffed. "Look at you being all superstitious. You're the only guy who doesn't have any pre-game routines, Fal. I never expected you to believe we're cursed."

"Besides, we beat them in their own arena this past season," West reminded Fally.

"Yeah, once," Fally replied. "Okay, curse is probably the wrong word. But you know the word has always been thrown around. Guys, we definitely have trouble winning in that arena. And I'm not going to lie, it bothers me because there's no fucking reason for it."

"Yeah, you're not wrong about that," Ryder agreed. "West, you're always solid in the net during those games. It always seems to be stupid shit. Bad bounces and shitty calls. Or someone getting injured. It’s weird."

"Like a curse," Sam said.

Every set of eyes zeroed in on him.

"What?" he asked. "You just said it was weird. That's why it's like we're cursed."

Ryder pointed his fork at Sam. "Enough. We need to shake this shit off. We need to go into their arena like we fucking own that building."

"I think it will help that a lot of our fans will be traveling to San Jose for those games," Eli told them. "It's a short flight."

"Yeah, true," Brandon said. "It might help to have it feel like a home atmosphere."

"Honestly, it's going to be more pressure to play at home than in San Jose," West told them. "Let's face it, we want those wins in front of the home crowd. But sometimes, being away from all the crazy hype is a relief." He took a few gulps of water before continuing. "I think it's fair to say after last season, we've all got a lot weighing on our mind about the Western Conference finals."

"Fuck," Eli muttered, scratching his beard. "I don't want to go through that again. Losing by one goal in game seven? Jesus. Thank fuck we aren't playing L.A. again. That would blow."

"We're going to be fine," Shaw told them. "More than fine. We're prepared. We need to go out there and play our goddamn game, guys. We all want the Cup. I get it. But we can't think about that. We need to take it one game at a time and play our game, our way. As for not winning in San Jose's building? The season is finished. This is a new chapter, and we already proved to ourselves we can win there. And we can. We're going to own them, understand?"

"Fucking right," Ryder said, holding up his bottle. "That's what I want to hear. Fuck this stupid so-called curse. We're going to hand them their asses."

The men lifted their water bottles and toasted.

"This would have been a lot more effective with a real drink in our hands," Eli said, smirking.

"And a lot more fun," Sam joked.

"We'll indulge when we get past this round," Ryder said. "For now, easy on the booze."

"Yes, dad," Shaw said, rolling his eyes.

"Nah. Dad will always be Brandon," Eli said with a straight face. "Isn't that right, old man?"

Brandon shot him the finger, and Eli laughed. "So touchy in your old age."

"Over the hill at thirty-fucking-one," Brandon muttered.

"Don't listen to these assholes," Fally said. "We've both got a ton of hockey years ahead of us.”

"I hope so," Ryder replied. "We're on the wrong side of thirty when it comes to hockey, though."

"Jesus," Fally grumbled. "Enough with the old age shit." He paused and cocked his head. "What the fuck is that noise? The buzzing?"

"Wow. He still has his hearing. Look at that," Shaw said. He ducked as Fally pretended to lunge at him.

"Sorry. It's my phone. I'll mute it," Sam apologized, pulling it from his pocket.

"Jesus, it's been buzzing non-stop for the past fifteen minutes. Is there some kind of emergency, London?" Fally asked.

"No, it's Shay." Sam clicked the mute button. "You guys know how she gets when she's pissed about something."

The room fell silent for a few moments as the men exchanged glances.

"Yeah, we know." Ryder nodded. "Londs, what's going on with you guys?"

Sam shrugged, then slid his baseball cap around to the back, tucking his blond hair behind his ears. "I don't know."

"Why don't you know?" Fally asked bluntly. "I'm not trying to get in your business, Sam, but honestly? You don't seem happy. Life is too short to not be happy, bud."

"I know, but she's just..." Sam sighed. "She drove me insane when I tried to break up with her a month ago. I'd reached my limit, and then she didn't stop with her antics. She'd call me and come over crying and apologizing in the middle of the night. Ranting and raging when I didn't let her in."

"Jesus, is she fucking stalking you or some shit?" Eli asked, peering over his water bottle at Sam. "That's disturbing, not to mention abusive, behavior. Are you still into her, London? I know you've been together for a while."

"No," Sam answered, his voice clipped. "I don't feel anything anymore. I've heard about some shitty stuff she's been doing lately. It makes me sick."

"What stuff?" Brandon asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Saying awful things to the fans at games. To girls wearing my jersey. Or making comments on social media to fans or random people. She's just..."

"Tell it like it is, Londs. She's a crazy bitch," Eli finished.

"I guess," Sam mumbled, shifting in his seat.

"Look, I've seen her in action when you guys fight," Eli told him. "I know her temper, and I know what she's like. She can get mean. Very mean."

"I know." Sam lifted his shoulder. "But I don't want her going nuts on me until the playoffs are officially over. I'm planning on breaking up with her for good then. But I'm just frustrated."

"I get it," Ryder said sympathetically. "She's smoking hot, and she was your first girlfriend when you made it to this league. You think there's a certain status to walking around with a girl like that on your arm. But I promise you, it's not worth it. You're what, twenty-three? Twenty-four?"

"Twenty-three. And yeah, it's not worth it. Not anymore," Sam said darkly. "I'd give anything to meet someone who is nice, pretty, and who likes me for me. Besides, I think Shay is using me to get to someone else now that things are starting to go south with us."

Eli stared at his friend. "What the fuck. Who, London?"

"Cohan. I've heard people talking, and I've seen some shit that makes me think it's true.”

"John Cohan?" Ryder asked, raising an eyebrow. "John isn't messing around with Shay."

"No, I'm sure he isn't." Sam set down his fork. "John is a serious guy. I can't see him doing that to a teammate. Fuck, at this point I'd say he could have her, but I wouldn't wish her on anyone."

"He keeps his private life really private," Brandon said. "He's never offered up info about it, and I've never asked. Figured it was off-limits. At parties, he usually takes off when a conversation turns personal."

"Are you sure you can handle Shay until the playoffs are over?" Shaw asked. "Can you put up with that shit for a little while longer, brother? It sounds miserable."

"I'm going to try," Sam told him. "She's been texting me for the past fifteen minutes complaining about those jackets Penn wants the girlfriends and wives to wear. She doesn't want to make one. She says it's stupid, and keeps going on about it. I told her not to do it, but she won't stop complaining."

"She's talking shit about Penn?" West asked, bristling. "She better not be."

"Truth," Eli replied. "Holly and Penn are best friends, and you know Holly has a razor-sharp tongue. She'll destroy Shay. Unleash the flying monkeys and all that," Eli said with a grin.

"No, she's not talking about Penn," he assured them. "Just the jackets." Sam ran a hand down over his face. "Not that she gets along with any of the girls anyway. Who couldn't get along with Penn or Zoe? Or Hannah and Nic?"

"I'm surprised Nic hasn't gone off on her," Fally told Sam. "I know she hasn't been happy with some of the stuff Shay's pulled lately."

"That makes two of us," Sam replied. "I'm trying to keep her reined in, but it's like trying to hold back an avalanche."

"Deal with her as little as possible," Fally advised. "I know it's easier said than done. But if it gets to be too much, Sam, ditch her. You can stay with one of us instead of your condo until the playoffs are over if you need to. And you can always block her ass or change your number."

"Exactly. And on that note, let's finish this amazing dinner and fire up the Xbox. Blow off some steam and shit," Shaw told them. "You definitely sound like you need to blow off steam, Londs. We're ready for this series, guys. We've got this."

"Fucking right." Eli nodded. "We've got it and then some. I can't wait until tomorrow."

Ryder grinned. "One game at a time guys. But yeah, we're fucking ready."