Zack(36)

And that was that. Kate strode across the kitchen and took Ben by the shoulders, leading him toward the garage door. “Are you excited about the game tonight?” she asked him.

While Ben babbled back at Kate, I walked behind them and got an unfettered look at her ass in those jeans, and I knew in that moment I was going to have a very serious problem on my hands. I knew in that moment that it was going to be hard to fight my increasing attraction to Kate.

As the fans continue to cheer, I head back toward the gate that leads under the arena and step off the ice. I walk down the short hall, slapping hands of fans leaning over the railing edge, and then turn left toward the locker room.

Several members of the Cold Fury family are milling about, heading toward the family lounge to wait for their loved ones to finish showering. I immediately spot Kate holding Ben as she stands up against the wall, taking in all of the activity. I had one of the ushers specifically tasked with bringing them to this area after the game was over, and it’s just perfect seeing Ben’s face as I walk toward them.

His eyes are bright and shining and his hat’s back on his head. As I near him, he squirms out of Kate’s embrace and holds his arms out to me. I drop my stick and gloves right there and grab my boy, hefting him in my arms.

“You got a hat trick, Daddy,” he yells, and yeah…it’s starting to sound even more adorable when he calls me “Daddy.”

My eyes flick to Kate, who is leaning against the wall and watching us with gentle, happy eyes. I give her a small smile and turn back to Ben. “Sure did, buddy. I think we should celebrate tomorrow. What do you think?”

“Can we go to the zoo?” he asks excitedly.

Fuck…that’s a huge day out, since the zoo is more than an hour and a half away, but I have tomorrow off, so it’s doable. “Sure thing.”

“Can Kate come too?” he asks, his head turning back to look at her over his shoulder.

“Of course she can,” I say, thankful that Ben extended the invitation and not me. I’m still unsure about how much to include Kate in my time with Ben, and I’m ashamed to admit I really kind of want her to go. But as long as Ben is the one doing the inviting, I don’t feel like I’m crossing any lines.

“Mr. Grantham,” I hear from behind me, and turn to see Eliza Hardwick, a sports reporter from the local news station standing there with a cameraman. “Can I get a short interview with you?”

Anxiety cramps my gut because I never did like the limelight all that much and this would be my first time dealing with it since returning to the ice. But unfortunately…it’s not like I can just say no. It’s sort of expected after the game, especially when you’ve been named MVP.

I give her a half-smile and say, “Sure.”

Turning back to Kate, I bend over, since I really tower above her in my skates, and hand Ben back into her arms. “This will just take a moment.”

She smiles with a gleam in her eyes as she takes Ben. “You were awesome tonight, HOS.”

“I’m still Hell on Skates?” I ask with surprise and a chuckle.

“After that performance tonight, most definitely,” she affirms.

Grinning, I turn away from her and walk a couple steps up to Eliza. She’s done several interviews with me over the past few years. Unfortunately, she’s one of those female sports reporters who has a chip on her shoulder, always feeling like she has to prove herself. It makes her unpredictable at times, which is why this makes me anxious.

They set me up against the cinder-block wall that has the Cold Fury logo painted on it, and Eliza steps up next to me. When the cameraman gives her the thumbs-up, she says, “That was a great game, Zack. Your third career hat trick, which included an empty netter at the end to seal the win. It’s impressive coming off a long hiatus from your injury. How is the wrist doing?”

She holds the microphone out to me and I take a nervous swipe at my sweaty forehead as I lean down just a bit to answer her. “It’s doing great. I’ve been cleared and it’s feeling really strong.”

“You’ve been out of the lineup for almost four months,” Eliza says after she moves the microphone back to her face. “Was it hard to get back into the game?”

I shake my head and give a confident smile. “Not really. I stayed in pretty good shape while I was recovering and I’ve had some really good practices the last few weeks.”

“And how about getting into the game mentally?” she asks slyly. “We all know you’ve been through a terrible tragedy. Do you think that’s affecting your play?”

I grit my teeth, completely on edge from the question. “I’m feeling good,” I reiterate to her. “I’ve had tremendous support from my team and the fans. I’m just ready to play hockey again.”