“Morning.” Ava yawns, lifting her cheek from its place on my chest. I bury my face in her hair, not ready for either of us to get up and face the world yet.
I’ve been up for a few hours now, but she doesn’t need to know that. It was nearly impossible for me to sleep last night with how important today is.
“Good morning, beautiful,” I rumble.
“Mmm, what time do we need to leave by?” she asks, stretching her legs out beneath the silky hotel sheets.
“Mom wants to have brunch in an hour. Then we should have a few hours before we have to head to the arena.”
The draft is being held in Chicago this year, and since neither of us has ever been here before, we spent yesterday acting like two overexcited tourists. Mom and Gray got here last night after their flight was delayed, and they’re both a bit bitter they won’t have time to explore the Windy City.
“She’s probably freaking out right now. Remember how she was at dinner?”
I shiver. “Oh, God. I really can’t take any more tears. I’m already anxious enough.”
“She’s just proud of you. Her son is about to be drafted into the NHL. How many parents can say that?” Ava smiles up at me and kisses me above the beard she refuses to let me shave. “We need to get in the shower.”
“Together? You’re feeling risky today. What are the odds we don’t make it on time?” I reach behind her and grab a handful of her ass. She lets out a squeak of surprise and leaps out of bed. Her smile fills the room with light as she laughs, sticking her arms out in front of her.
“Is that a no?” I wiggle my eyebrows and throw my legs off the bed, stretching my arms above my head. I catch her eyeing my hardened abdomen muscles and groan. “Don’t look at me like that unless you’re okay with me ravishing you in that damn shower.”
“Well, when you say it like that,” she says slyly before pulling the T-shirt she wore to bed over her head and tossing it across the room.
In two quick movements, I’m off the bed and lifting her in my arms. She hooks her legs around my waist and kisses me as I move us into the bathroom and make love to her in the shower.
I finish buttoning my dress shirt and pick up my pink tie from the bed. “How do I look?”
Spinning on my heel, I find Ava coating her lips with gloss in front of the dresser mirror. The wind is knocked out of me with one glance, leaving me standing behind her, slack-jawed. I soak in the image of her as she meets my gaze in the mirror, and her lips quirk in a daring smile.
The dress she chose fits her body like a glove. The white material goes well with my navy suit, and I find my eyes snagged at the smooth, pale leg peeking through the slit at her thigh. Her shoulders are only covered by two thick straps, and she’s showing the perfect amount of cleavage, or so she told me.
“And you’re my date? Fuck, am I ever a lucky guy,” I mutter.
She giggles and grabs my suit jacket from the bed. I track her as she moves around the room, and when she bends down to pick her heels up off the floor, her ass straining the tight material of her dress, I have to adjust my hard-on.
“You have the stamina of a horse, I swear,” she says when she catches me moving my cock around.
“You’ve never complained before.”
“Hell no I haven’t.” Her phone dings from the side table, and she tosses me my suit jacket before looking at the text.
“Your mom and sister are outside. Gracie told me to warn you that your mom is crying again,” Ava tells me.
My stomach rolls. “Can’t you just tell them I left early? I really can’t afford to get any more nervous.”
Something about seeing my mom and Gracie triggers my nerves, and I am already far too tightly wound. This is it, and I’m terrified I’m going to wake up and it’ll have all been in my head.
“Like they would believe you left me alone looking like this,” she scoffs.
I narrow my eyes on her. “You’re right. You’re not leaving my side once we get down there.”
She waves me off, but I see the hint of a smile on her lips before I go to the door.
After taking a deep breath, I open it and get attacked with a hug before I have a chance to speak. Mom’s soft cries make my heart ache, and I quickly wrap her in my arms.
“I swear, Mom, I am not redoing your makeup again,” Gracie scolds. She shoves past us and heads into the room. “Where’s my future sister-in-law?”
Girly giggles ring through the room as I pull out of Mom’s hug. “Hold your horses, pipsqueak. You’ll scare her away.”
“If she can handle looking at you every day, I don’t think it’s possible to scare her away,” Gracie shoots back and rushes over to Ava. “That reminds me! Your new apartment is beautiful. I’m so staying over again as soon as possible. I’m still shocked you were willing to live with that ogre, though,” she adds as they hurry into the bathroom.
“Is she trying to steal Ava for herself or something?” I grumble. Gray stays at Ava’s and my new apartment once and thinks she can have my girl.
“Who knows with your sister.” Mom shrugs and reaches into her purse. Pulling out a Kleenex, she wipes away the remnants of her tears. “Your dad would be so proud of you, baby.” She balls up the Kleenex and looks over at me with wet eyes.
My vision blurs when she says that, and I have to look away from her. All I ever wanted was to make my dad proud, and I know wherever he is, he’s looking down at me with a grin on his face.
“Thanks, Ma,” I whisper, kissing her cheek.
“If you guys are done with your sobfest, I have hot hockey player ass to look at,” Gracie announces as she and Ava rejoin us.
“You aren’t going to be looking at anything. Don’t think I haven’t noticed what you’re wearing. Would it have hurt you to cover up a little?” I glare at the mini dress she’s wearing.
“I think you look beautiful, Gracie. Ignore grandpa over here,” Ava jumps in, wrapping her arms around me from behind. She kisses the back of my neck, and all of my negative thoughts disappear.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and just like that, my nerves come barrelling back.
“Shit. We need to leave. Dougie has interviews set up for me, and we’re already behind.”
“C’mon, then. Time to watch my baby become the newest face of the NHL!” Mom claps excitedly.
I look at Ava as she laces her fingers with mine. I can’t help but be blown away by the face she’s here, doing this with me. We really did make it.
“Holy shit! That was exhilarating!” Gracie shouts once we find our allocated seats in the arena.
I can’t help but nod in agreement. I’ve never had that many cameras in my face before. When Dougie and I spent hours last week prepping for these interviews, I highly misjudged just how exhausting they would be. It was a completely different experience than the Minnesota fiasco, but still overwhelming.
“Gracie,” Mom scolds from her spot on my left. My sister just waves her off and continues to eye every breathing male in the vicinity.
As the lights dim and everyone starts to take the stage, I rest my hand on Ava’s exposed thigh and squeeze. She looks up at me with a comforting smile and wraps her hand around my arm, leaning her head against my shoulder. Mom takes my free hand and squeezes it in her own.
My stomach is in knots as I fight off the static that’s trying to fill my ears. We’ve known which team is picking first for months now, but even as the Seattle GM steps up onstage and moves behind the podium, I feel like I can’t breathe.
My name is called, and the world starts to move in slow motion. Both of my arms are pulled as the three most important women in my life stare up at me with tear-filled, proud eyes.
I make it to my feet and let myself get wrapped in my mom’s arms, giving her this moment. I squeeze her back just as tight and whisper an “I love you” in her ear before the deafening sound of clapping snaps me back into reality. I pull back from her and turn around to lift Ava off her feet.
“I love you,” she whispers in my ear as I spin her around.
“I love you, baby.” I steal a quick kiss before setting her down to hug Gracie, who squeezes me tightly.
My body goes into autopilot as soon as I start making my way to the stage. Voices congratulate me, and I manage to give some of them a thankful wave before reaching the stage.
The stairs disappear beneath my feet as I eat up the distance between me and the Seattle GM. My grin gets even bigger when I reach the line of management and shake their hands.
Words are exchanged, and I drift off on cloud nine.
Suddenly, a jersey is held out in front of me, and my chest puffs out proudly as I take it with shaky hands. Hutton is written in white on the back, contrasting well with the navy blue and bright green silky material.
I instantly pull it over my head and grab the Seals baseball cap from another team member. Beaming, I move to the middle of the line and smile for the camera in front of us.
I spot my family across the arena, and my grin grows tenfold at the pride written across their faces.
I finally did it.
I made it.
