Name From a Hat Trick - L.A. Witt Page 0,146
my head, but I’m pretty sure if I try it, I’m going to screw it up or pass out or something.” I laughed nervously. “But the bottom line is…” I reached into my pocket, then carefully knelt on the ice and held up my hand with the ring between my fingers. “I love you, Devin. Will you marry me?”
He stared down at me, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. A few gasps and murmurs rippled through the thin crowd. And then the entire stadium was dead silent.
My heart went even wilder. Oh shit. Was he… Had I timed this wrong? Was he going to say no? Should I have done it privately? Or made it bigger? Or—
Then he laughed and squeezed my hand. “Are you kidding me? Of course I will.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded, and relief hit me so hard it was a good thing I was kneeling or I might’ve stumbled. I managed to get to my feet, though, and Devin wrapped his arms around me and kissed me, and the fans applauded while both teams cheered.
He drew back a little and looked in my eyes. “Doing that in front of so many people…” He stared at me. “With your anxiety…”
I smiled. “Yeah, it was kind of terrifying. But I didn’t know how else to show you that because of you, I can go out in front of a bunch of people and do something like that. Not just because you helped me get my anxiety under control, but…” I swallowed hard as I held his gaze. “Because you’re worth it. And I wanted you to know I meant it.”
Devin’s lips parted. Then he smiled, held me tighter and kissed me again.
“All right, you two.” Maddox smacked my skate with his stick. “Clear out so we can play some hockey.”
Devin and I both laughed. Hand in hand, we skated toward the bench. My teammates congratulated us, and Dallas practically squealed as she threw her arms around first him, then me.
“I can’t believe you guys are getting married!” she said, still holding on to me. “It’s about time!”
I laughed. “About time? Hey, we didn’t want to rush.”
“Whatever.” She let me go and rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. “You guys have been practically married from the beginning.”
Devin and I exchanged looks, and we both chuckled. I mean, she wasn’t wrong.
“All right, you.” He gave her a gentle nudge. “Go take off your skates. I’ll be there in a minute.”
She was still grinning as she headed up the chute. He watched her go, then looked at me, and his expression was a mix of emotions. Touching my cheek, he said, “I still can’t believe you did it in front of a bunch of people.”
“I wanted to make sure you knew how important it was for me.” I swallowed. “You’re the reason I even started doing something about my anxiety. You’re the reason I got my life back from my own head, and I can do things without freaking myself out anymore.” Nodding toward the ice, I added, “I couldn’t think of any other way to show you that.”
He stared at me in disbelief. “That’s… Wow. I don’t even know what to say.”
“You said the important part.” I squeezed his hand. “You said yes.”
“Of course I did. And, um, just in case you’re second-guessing things and worrying that I only said yes because we were in front of a crowd…” He reached into his pocket with his other hand, and when he brought it back out, he held up a thick silver ring. “I was planning on asking you, but you worked up the courage before I did.”
I blinked, eyes flicking back and forth from him to the ring. “Really?”
Smiling, Devin nodded. “Really.”
I pulled him close again and kissed him. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He brushed his lips across mine, then drew back and gestured at the ice. “Now go play some hockey. We can celebrate after the game.”
We shared another long look, a brief kiss, and then he went in to take off his skates.
Heart going wild with relief and excitement, I was smiling like a dork as I picked up my stick and skated toward center ice.
Against a million odds, I’d scored a hat trick and Devin had been there to throw a hat out onto the ice with a note to get my attention, and against even more, that note had been the beginning of a connection I’d never imagined having with anyone.
There’d been a time when all I could hope for was to achieve and hold on to a career as a professional hockey player, and I’d done that.
Somehow, though, I had so, so much more.
I was in love with an awesome man who wanted to marry me. I had an amazing stepdaughter. I was an out gay man whose anxiety was, with each passing day, getting more and more under control. I had so much more than I’d ever even thought to ask for.
And for the rest of my life, I’d be thankful every single day for the hat trick that had brought Devin and Dallas into my world.
The End
Rebound (Pucks & Rainbows #1)
A forty-something single dad, a twenty-something hockey star, and a whole lot of baggage. No, this couldn’t possibly blow up in their faces.
Officer Geoff Logan has his plate full. His cop’s salary and Marine retirement aren’t enough to make ends meet. He’s got war wounds and demons that are in it for the long haul. His teenagers are, well, teenagers, plus they’re pissed that he left the boyfriend they loved. Can’t a guy catch a break?
Seattle Snowhawks center Asher Crowe has it all. A seven figure salary. A literal house on a hill. A stable, loving relationship with an amazing boyfriend. At least, that’s what the world sees. Behind closed doors, he’s been living in a private hell, and when he finally works up the courage to end things, his boyfriend refuses to go quietly.
One call to the cops, and suddenly Geoff and Asher’s paths cross. But is the connection between them simple chemistry? Kindred spirits? Or just a pair of lonely hearts looking for a hot distraction?
And even if it’s more than physical, is there really a future for two men from such vastly different worlds? Especially when the past comes knocking?
This novel is approximately 89,000 words long.
TW: abuse, combat PTSD
Available on Amazon.
Assist (Pucks & Rainbows #2)
A rookie, his teammate, and his best friend from a rival team. What could possibly go wrong?
Seattle Snowhawks rookie Justin Reid has it bad for his teammate Shawn Kelleher. It’s just his luck that Shawn’s got a crush too… on Justin’s best friend, Vancouver Narwhal center Keith Adams.
When Shawn lets it slip at the worst possible moment that he wants Keith, Justin is hurt, but what can he do? He steers Keith in Shawn’s direction and lets chemistry do the rest.
What Justin doesn’t know is that while Keith is into Shawn, he’s also secretly wanted Justin since forever. After some stumbling, they realize there’s something very hot and very mutual going on between all three of them. It’s fantasies coming true left, right, and center, and it just doesn’t get any better than this.
Except this scorching hot triad is anything but simple. Not while the closeted son of a hockey legend is fighting to make his own name in the shadow of his deeply homophobic father’s legacy. Not in the midst of grueling schedules and a team’s fraternization rules. Throw in pesky emotions showing up where they aren’t wanted, and it’s a play that’s doomed from the start.
Shawn, Keith, and Justin all fought their way into professional hockey. Is what they have together worth fighting for too? Or will fear let heartache win this game?
ASSIST is approximately 117,500 words. It's book 2 of the Pucks & Rainbows series, and can be read as a standalone.
Available on Amazon.
About the Author
L.A. Witt and her husband have been exiled from Spain and sent to live in Maine because rhymes are fun. She now divides her time between writing, assuring people she is aware that Maine is cold, wondering where to put her next tattoo, and trying to reason with a surly Maine coon. Rumor has it her arch nemesis, Lauren Gallagher, is also somewhere in the wilds of New England, which is why L.A. is also spending a portion of her time training a team of spec ops lobsters. Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Website: www.gallagherwitt.com
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @GallagherWitt