Hold Me Forever: a feel-good romance (The Maxwell Brothers)

My woman was in the stands, watching me, and I felt on top of the world when I skated out on the ice. My name reverberated through the rink as they announced me, and I heard the fans cheering in the background. I searched the crowd for one person and found her in the Blades’ suite. I kept her gaze, flashing a smile just for my girl.

Steve skated right next to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. ‘Dude, keep your head in the game. I need you to focus and be the best. I need you for this game.’

‘Steve, I’m in top shape.”

“I know you are. I mean mentally. Yesterday during training, your mind was more on your girlfriend working in that dingy diner for that sleazy boss. I don’t want any of that distracting you.”

“You have nothing to worry about,’ I said, loud enough for the MVP of our opponents, Adrian, to hear. He was close enough to eavesdrop—such a jackass. The whole Most Valuable Player accolade had melted his brain.

‘Good. Just keep your head in the game.’

‘Will do,’ I said.

Adrian snickered. I removed my glove and flipped him the bird. Asshole did it right back.

Fucker.

The rivalry was normal in hockey. If I was honest, it was useful. It pushed each team to play their best. But Adrian and I never saw eye to eye on anything. I didn’t like the way he played. It was dirty.

The second the game began, all thoughts of Adrian or anything else evaporated from my mind. It was a blank slate. My eyes were on the puck. I blocked goals left and right, again and again.

I heard the fans roaring as if from a distance. I wasn’t able to understand what they said, obviously, but I knew the gist of it. I felt empowered every time they cheered or called my name.

Coach used the first intermission to school us good.

‘Men, you were strong, but I know you can do better. Tyler, your game is on point. Leo and Joe, we need more goals. Tyler alone won’t be able to win us this game. He can’t score any goals. You can, so do it.’

‘Yes, sir,’ they both said. They were frowning, and I appreciated that Coach wasn’t harder on them because I knew they were being extremely hard on themselves anyway.

I went between the two of them, patting each one’s shoulder. ‘Come on, guys, we can do it. Let’s get back on the ice and show them why we won the Stanley Cup.’

That made Joe light up. He gave me a thumbs-up. ‘Yeah. Let’s do that, man. Down with the Dogs.’

I went back to the crease, moving from left to right, staying as limber as possible. I was blocking everything in sight, and I knew I had to build my mental strength. When a goalie managed to stop every puck that got in his way, there was only one thing to do: distract him, attack him, shift his focus. You couldn’t beat a team if you couldn’t score.

During the next TV timeout, I skated close to my bench. Steve was there drinking a swig of water.

‘Good game, man,’ he said. ‘Not sure we’ll win this one, but it won’t be for your lack of trying.’

‘We’ll win,’ I assured him.

‘Really? Are you sure of that, Maxwell?’

I turned around. Adrian stopped in front of us.

‘We don’t need your commentary,’ Steve said, rising from the bench.

‘Why not? I can congratulate you on your game.’

‘No you can’t. You‘re being a jackass, so what’s your angle today?’ I asked.

‘That pretty girlfriend of yours.’

‘Leave her out of it,’ I said, not intending to say any more. Kendra was none of his fucking business.

‘Maybe I won’t. What kind of work did she do in that dingy diner with the sleazy boss? By the looks of her, a stripper. Or something more? She seems willing enough, jumping up and down like a fucking puck bunny. Maybe she’s tired of you and wants to give one of us a spin.’

Now that pissed me off. I thought Adrian appeared to have been eavesdropping on me and Steve before the game started, and apparently he’d listened to every word.

‘Shut your mouth,’ I said through gritted teeth.

‘Maybe I’ll take your wife for a spin too, Captain.’ He said “Captain” like it was a curse word. ‘She’s been looking so sad lately that I think she needs a good fucking, and you aren’t up for the job.’

The next few minutes were a blur. I wasn’t even sure who started the fight. It was probably me or Steve. But within seconds, it escalated the way it usually did in hockey. Our whole team came to stand behind us, and that’s when the Dogs’ team lined up too.

And then it turned into a shit-show.

***

Five minutes later, we were headed to the locker rooms during another intermission. Coach was furious at what happened, though none of us felt great about what went down. Most of us needed to find our gloves, and change ripped jerseys—it was a brawl, all right. I took off my helmet, holding it in the same hand as my stick. We went through the tunnel to the locker room. The press with special passes were there launching question after question at us.

“We’ll talk to you after the game,” Steve told them.

“Give us something,” one reporter said.

We kept going and hurried to the changing room. Steve and I were the last ones in, and I did a double take when I noticed Daniels.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. We already had Coach giving us an earful.

I exchanged a glance with Steve, and both of us nodded. We were going to stay back. Coach didn’t want anyone except the team in the locker room at intermission, not even our manager.

“What the hell happened out there?” Daniels said to Steve and me.

Neither of us responded.

‘What the hell happened out there?’ he asked again, his anger radiating off his skin.

‘Adrian was running his mouth,’ I said.

He narrowed his eyes. ‘You’re not a rookie. You know the deal. That stuff happens. It’s not the first time he’s done it. You’ve always been good at ignoring this shit.’

Before now, it never affected me. Some players always played dirty, even verbally attacking family to get under the opponent’s skin. But I’d never had anyone else to care about—not until Kendra. That was why it had been so easy to let it all slide by me.

My family, we were strong. Maxwells don’t take shit; we hold our own ground. But no one gets a pass at my woman.

‘I won’t stand by when someone talks shit about my girlfriend.’

‘He’ll try any weak points to distract you. You know that.’

‘Adrian was an ass. Basically called Kendra a stripper and said he’d take her for a spin. He spewed some shit about my wife too,” Steve said. He was a good captain, always standing up for the guys, and we all appreciated it.

“He’s just generally trying to provoke everyone,’ I added.

‘You’re the captain. Deal with it. Get your shit together, both of you,’ he said before walking back up the tunnel. The team was already in the changing room.

I did a double take. Kendra and Declan were standing a few feet away from us. My eyes bulged. My girl was crying. I hurried over to both of them.

“Babe, how did you get back here?”

“Declan convinced a security guard to let us back here. I had to see that you were okay,” she said, tearing up, checking my face and patting my torso with her palms. She couldn’t feel that much, considering all the padding. ‘Oh my God, that looked so rough. I was so afraid something happened to your shoulder or that you were hurt.’

‘I’m fine,’ I assured her, cupping her face with both hands. Fucking hell, her eyes were glassy. This worried her that much? ‘I swear, I’m not hurt. My ego maybe, but otherwise no.’

Steve came up to us. “We need to hurry and get in the locker room. Coach is already fuming.”

“You go. I need a minute.”

As he went inside, Declan took a step back, giving us privacy. The press was far enough away that they couldn’t see us. Even they knew not to approach the changing room.

I focused on Kendra. Her eyes were wide. ‘I listened to what you said to the manager. You got into a fight, and it was because of me?’ she asked.

‘No, it was because Adrian is a jackass.’

She bit her lip. ‘Andrea said Daniels warned you about not getting involved with me. Why didn’t you tell me?’

Smiling, I got closer. ‘What did I tell you about me barely following rules, let alone instructions, babe?’

She swallowed hard and kept my gaze, but I felt her tense up.

‘Talk to me, babe,’ I said.

‘Not now. You have to focus on the game,’ she said. ‘I don’t want you to get into trouble because of me, that’s all.’

‘I’m not. And even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. I told you, you’re number one. Don’t pull away from me.’ I accented every word, looking her straight in the eyes so she knew I meant it.

‘I’m not. I mean… Why are you saying that?”

‘Babe, I can feel you tensing up. Your shoulders, your whole body.’

She was silent for a moment, and then she shook her head, biting her lower lip. ‘I’m not. Come on, Mr. Superstar Goalie. Go get ’em,’ she said, but her voice was uneven.

The door to the changing room cracked open. Steve looked out at us.

“Tyler, get in here now.”

“Okay, fuck. I’ll be right there.”

All I wanted to do was stay here and finish this conversation with Kendra.

I looked at Declan. ‘Take care of my girl while I’m out there.’

He nodded before I stepped into the locker room.

Coach gave us the shit we deserved, but I’d expected that. A few minutes later, I followed my teammates out on the ice, but I didn’t feel the rush of adrenaline that skating to the net usually gave me. My mind was spinning. I was angry at everything that took place tonight. I loved hockey, but for the first time in my career, I couldn’t wait for the game to be over. I wanted to be with my woman.

But first I had to defend her honor.

Adrian better watch the fuck out.