Yo Ho Ho, page 18
"Holy shit! You guys, Logan is making out with Max in the kitchen!"
Max quickly pulled away and looked over Logan's shoulder. Alex was standing in the doorway with an empty glass of champagne and a huge grin on his face.
"It's about time," Jordan said as he walked in.
Logan stared over at his captain, his arm still firmly around Max. "What do you mean, 'It's about time'?'' he asked incredulously.
Jordan rolled his eyes. "You're not as discreet as you think you are."
"I didn't see anything," Alex said. "Well, until now obviously."
"It's OK, Alex." Charlotte walked in and patted the defenseman on the shoulder. "The only reason Jordan was paying attention to anything was because I told him. Also, Happy New Year, Max."
She smiled. "Thanks. You too."
Logan pulled away from Max and put a hand on his hip while his other lingered on her waist. "Wait a minute. How did you know about Max and I?"
Charlotte just smiled and shrugged. "Just did," she said. "Seriously, why do you think I invited her to be here with you tonight?"
Max gave her a surprised look while Logan could only stare as some of the other players walked in with more empty glasses.
"Where should I put this?" Ryan asked Charlotte. "Oh, hey, Max. I didn't know you were here."
"I just got here a few minutes ago."
"She was making out with Logan in the kitchen," Alex announced.
"Wait, what?"
The players turned and stared at Max and Logan with a few of them giving the couple teasing smiles.
Logan leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Do you want to get out of here?"
"Yes, please."
He slipped his arm from her waist, putting his hand in hers. "While we would love to continue this discussion," he said in an exaggerated tone. "It's time for us to leave."
Max smiled. "It was nice seeing you guys."
"You've only been here for five minutes," Alex said.
But she didn't care. She didn't need to justify leaving a party after just arriving. She wasn't there for the party anyway. She was there for Logan. Sure, kissing him was a bit of a surprise. Max didn't expect him to be that assertive after what she did to him. She deserved much less than being kissed passionately by a gorgeous man after what she had said to him. But she was here now, with Logan, and that was all that mattered to her.
The two of them quickly said their goodbyes, and Charlotte walked them to the door. She stepped away just for a moment to get Max's coat, and Logan gently squeezed her hand. She turned to him and he smiled down on her, warming her up before they had to walk back outside.
"Here you go!" Charlotte held up Max's red coat and helped her put it on before giving her a hug goodbye. "Have a good night," she whispered.
Then Max was pulled out in the cold, only this time she really didn't notice the snow seeping into her shoes.
"Did you drive here?"
Logan's voice had changed. It was gruff and sensual and sounded like it was coming from a man who desperately wanted something.
"I parked over there."
She pointed to her car down the street, but Logan just continued to walk with determination as he held her hand and led her in the opposite direction.
"We can come back for it tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" she asked.
In one swift move, he pushed her up against his car, his lips on hers again as he pressed his hard body against her. He put his warm hands on her cheeks, pulling her face towards him and letting his mouth linger on hers. When he finally pulled away from her, his eyes were a mix of desire and apprehensive as he looked at her.
"We can get my car tomorrow," she said breathlessly.
Logan's smile was huge, lighting up his whole face. He reached behind her and opened the car door, helping her in with her high-heeled shoes before climbing in on the other side.
When she walked out of her office for the last time today, she had no idea this was how her night would end, and it was a better ending than anything she could've written.
Epilogue
"Alright, everybody! Now remember, when we skate by Coach Max, we have to give her the loudest ever roar she has ever heard ever!"
The kids cheered with delight. Logan knew how to wind them up, especially with his extra "evers."
"And we all have to be loud enough so the back of our dragon can follow us around the rink, right?"
Everyone cheered and Matt Jackson gave him a big smile from behind the kids.
"Are we going to lose Matt or are we going to roar really loud?"
The kids erupted with cheers, and Logan would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy this. Because he really did, especially now that he and Matt had their dragon routine down.
Max was at the other end of the rink in black leggings and her Kids Can Skate hoodie. Last year at this time, she was sitting on the bleachers interviewing him for a story she was writing for the Detroit Herald. Now, she was in charge of the coaching staff for a hockey charity. There were some bumps along the way, especially early in the year when Logan was on the road and Max wasn't with them like she used to be. He missed seeing her every day, and he's pretty sure some of the other players had trouble adjusting to life without Max as well.
But in February, he was getting off the plane in some city when his phone rang. It was Max.
"I got the Kids Can Skate job!"
Logan wished she could see the huge smile on his face. "That's amazing, Max. I can't wait to help you out."
He meant it too. Max was at the rink almost every weekend working with the kids in the program, and Logan was right there with her. There were some times when he skipped out. He didn't really feel up to hanging out with the kids the day after the Pirates were eliminated from the playoffs in May. He had some bruised ribs last month that prevented from skating — or doing anything else, much to his chagrin. (At least he and Max found ways around that to keep each other satisfied while he had to sit out a road trip.)
Through it all, he made sure Max got what she needed. It did suck that she gave up writing. He knew she missed it, and there were times when he felt guilty that she had chosen him over her journalism career. It was a sacrifice for her, and he knew it. He would never take it for granted that she made the choice to give them a chance.
But while she had let go of her writing, she had also rediscovered her love for hockey. She picked up her skates again, and that was something both of them agreed was a good thing. She had skated more this year than any other year since high school. He couldn't describe how he felt whenever he got to see Max on her skates. He just knew that he liked feeling it. It made her happy and put a smile on her face again, which made Logan happy.
What also made Logan happy was leading a group of roaring kids past Max. It was one of the best parts of practice.
He stuck his hand in the pocket of his track pants, probably for the millionth time that morning. He hadn't really thought out every detail of his plan. He was trying to be romantic, but skating around a huge rink with a small box in his pocket was making him nervous. At least his jersey was long enough to hide his secret.
Logan started skating towards Max at the other end, who was casually picking up cones off the ice. She knew what was coming, but he still loved seeing her reaction.
"Alright, everyone. You ready?" He could hear the blades of the kids' skates behind him. "It's time to… roar!"
The kids all screamed, and Max pretended to jump in surprise. Her acting left a little to be desired, but it was still adorable to Logan. She started skating ahead of them, her blades cutting into the ice as the dragon chased after her.
"Let's roar again! Make sure Matty can hear you in the back!"
The kids screamed and yelled in pursuit of Max as they took another two turns around the ice before finally catching up with her. Logan playfully grabbed her around her waist and swung her around.
"We got her, you guys!"
Cheers erupted from the kids as Logan gently set her down on the ice and gave her a warm smile.
"OK, OK, you got me! Nice job, everyone. Let's all head to center ice to wrap up today."
The kids all followed Max while Logan and Matt hung back a bit to watch.
"You went too fast for the back of the dragon today."
Logan laughed. "I can't help it if you're trying to keep up with a bunch of kids in your goalie gear."
The two of them stood there as Max talked to the kids about everything they had accomplished today.
"You still have that box?" Matt quietly asked him.
Logan stuck his hand in his pocket again. "Yep."
They watched as Max got all the kids to huddle up in a circle. "You guys did an awesome job today! Remember that next week is Christmas and then New Year's so we aren't going to have practice for a few weeks, OK?" The kids groaned in disappointment, which was a testament to how much they loved spending time with Max. "I know, but I'll see you soon. Now everyone, hands in. What do we say?"
"Let's go team!"
The kids cheered one more time and slowly started to make their way off the ice.
Matt gave Logan a pat on his back. "Good luck. Not that you'll need it."
"Thanks," he said quietly.
The goalie smiled at him and then left to help the kids off the ice while Logan started skating around the rink, picking up the cones and obstacles they had used that day.
"Can you grab the net down there for me?" Max yelled over to him.
"Yep."
He stuck his hand in his pocket. Still there. Then he grabbed the net and took it over to the Zamboni entrance to drop it off next to all the other gear.
Max was finishing up as he skated over and stopped at center ice. There was no one there now except for them. The parents were all gone, the kids had taken off. Logan had asked the rink's manager if he could have a few minutes before the next group came out. The box was still in his pocket. Everything seemed to be going according to plan now.
Logan looked over at Max as she locked up the gear and started to skate out again.
"Hey, you still have something over here."
She looked up surprised and started to check the ice for whatever was left behind. Then she gave him a warm smile and skated over to him.
"Are you talking about yourself?"
"No," he said. "I wanted to give you your Christmas present a little early."
Max hockey stopped in front of him, sending some ice shaving onto his pants. She was teasing him, which he would normally find adorable. But today was not a normal day.
"OK, Moore. What kind of fancy Christmas present do you have for me?"
Logan stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out the box that he had been carrying all morning.
"This."
He opened it up to reveal the ring he had picked out for her. Not too big, not too small. Unique and special and the perfect size for Max.
Her eyes went wide as she stared at it. "What is that?" she asked. "What are you doing?"
He smiled down at her. "I'm telling you that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
He could see her eyes welling up with tears, and he had to swallow hard to push down his emotions so he could say the words that he wanted to say.
"Max, marry me."
She smiled and put her hands on his cheeks to pull him down to her, her kiss warm and inviting and real. Logan wrapped his arm around her, her body tight against his. There was no way he could let her go now. He finally pulled away, his forehead still on hers. Her cheeks glistened with tears and she gave him an awkward smile.
"So is that a yes?"
She laughed and kissed him again. "Yes," she said. "It's a yes."
He pulled away and grabbed the ring out of the box. It slipped right on her finger, like it belonged there. It was a ring, but it was also the piece of his heart that he had given to Max a year ago. There was no way he would ever ask for it back. It would always belong to her.
"Merry Christmas, Maxine."
She looked up at him, her eyes warm, and gave him that smile of hers that always made him feel loved.
"Merry Christmas, Logan."
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much for reading this book! This has been a bit of a crazy to get out in time for the holidays so I hope you like it.
A huge thanks to my biggest fan, my husband, who is so encouraging and actually listens to my romance publishing stories.
Thank you to all of you for not only giving this book a chance but my others as well. It's amazing to have your awesome support!
About
When Jenny Redford isn't working on her next story, she has a pair of knitting needles in her hands while cheering on her favorite hockey team (even though they're going through a rebuilding year).
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More from Jenny Redford
The Detroit Pirates series
For the Captain
Buried Treasure
Excerpt: For the Captain
Jordan had finally figured out his game-day routine after years of testing what worked and what didn't.
He got to the arena around three o'clock, hung up his worn sheepskin coat and turned off his phone — if there was an emergency, his brother knew how to reach him. He would change into a track suit with the Detroit Pirates' logo, make a protein shake, and take it to the bench out by the ice. For a half hour or so, he would drink and imagine how the game would go — which plays would work and which wouldn't, who he had to avoid and who he had to help. After that was catching up with his teammates, which was something he added this year now that he was the captain. He needed to always make sure things were working out with the players if they wanted to win it all this season.
And then of course, there was the soccer game. It was a staple for most hockey teams: a soccer ball and a circle of players kicking it around or bouncing it off their knees, anything to keep it in motion. But something was off today. Jordan felt like the world was trying to give him a sign that soccer was just not his thing. After bobbling it a few times, he missed a totally easy shot and had to go chasing it down the hall.
That's when he saw her. Blonde hair hiding her face as she looked down at her phone, long legs accentuated by her black leggings and a pair of black boots to match her jersey. Well, it was really his jersey considering she was wearing his number. Jordan stood there dumbfounded. It had been months since he had been with a woman, months since any woman really had a pull on him. He had been so focused on the team and getting away from who he used to be that he had pushed all of that aside. But it was no wonder that he would suddenly feel this way again with a woman so beautiful in front of him.
"Hey, jackass! Stop hogging the ball!"
Jordan turned to see his teammate Alex Orlov sneering at him.
"Screw you," he casually retorted as he tossed the ball to them.
He looked back at the woman, someone he thought looked familiar from somewhere. He couldn't quite figure it out, but she definitely seemed to look out of place in the drab underworld of the arena. Was she a player's girlfriend or part of the other team's staff maybe? And if either of those were the case, why was she wearing his jersey?
"I know you're staring at me, and it's kind of rude," she said without looking up from her phone.
Jordan looked around wondering what kind of idiot would stand there obviously staring like that. Then he realized he was that idiot. "Sorry, darling. I thought I recognized you from somewhere."
She looked up with harsh brown eyes that seemed ready to rip into him — and then they softened a bit. "You're Jordan King."
"I am. And you are?"
She held out her hand to him. "Charlotte Stone."
Holy crap, Charlotte Stone. As soon as she said her name, he recognized her from that stupid New York socialites' reality show that Alex insisted they watch during their down time on game-day afternoons. Her mom and some other old rich women starred on the vapid program and occasionally her mother would parade Charlotte in front of the cameras. She was the only person that Jordan was ever actually interested in seeing on the television screen. And she was here in his arena wearing his jersey.
"Nice to meet you." He tried to casually shake her hand, hoping it would hide the fact that he actually recognizing her. "Sorry about the uh... staring thing."
She smiled at him, wordlessly telling him it was OK because she was used to it. But he couldn't help but feel something for her that he hadn't felt in a long time around a woman. Nervousness maybe? Anxiety? Whatever it was, it was not normal for the most eligible bachelor in the Motor City.
"So I know this may sound rude, but what exactly are you doing here?"
"She's with me!" Jack Foster came walking down the ramp towards them and gave Charlotte a quick peck on the cheek. Jordan would never admit that he was jealous of his boss at that moment, but he was. "Your tickets," he said, handing Charlotte a white envelope.
"Tickets?" Jordan asked. "So you really are a hockey fan?"
"I am," she replied. "And Jack owed me after I signed the contract to live in his building."
"Signed a contract for the penthouse," he reminded them with an amused look on his face.
