Tending Tara (Alaska Blizzard #7) - Kat Mizera Page 0,13
afford right now.
The Blizzard was leading 2-1, and he didn’t want to let any goals in. The team had struggled historically, but they were in the fourth week of the season and doing pretty well. He damn sure wasn’t going to be the one to blow it.
One of the other team’s forwards was racing toward him in a breakaway, and Donovan forgot everything but him. The skater, the puck, his body in relation to both of those other things. Then the other guy shot, and Donovan felt the sting of the puck as it connected with his glove. That was one. Hopefully, he’d stop any others that came his way tonight.
The Blizzard won 4-1, and Donovan closed his eyes once he was in the shower. It had been a good game, and he was happy with the win, happy to be back in the thick of things again, though he hoped Aaron was okay. They hadn’t heard anything about his injury, and he looked around for someone who might know something after wrapping a towel around his hips.
“Sergei, any news on Aaron?”
“Looks like a groin injury. Probably out four to six weeks.”
“Shit. At least it’s nothing too serious.”
“Yeah.” They got dressed in silence, and Donovan grabbed his things, ready to head out until he remembered Tara. He looked around for Miikka and spotted him heading down to the family lounge, so he followed him, hoping she would be there with Charli. He could call her, but this felt more intimate and a bit more personal. Maybe he was overthinking it, but it had been a good night, and he was hoping to end it on an even better one.
He walked into the lounge and spotted Tara hanging out with Logan. He paused for a moment, watching them together. They hung out a lot, and he wondered if there was anything between them, but when Tara had gotten hurt, Logan had hung back, letting everyone else go to her first, and there was no way a guy would just stand there if a woman he was involved with had been injured like that. At the very least, Logan would have been the one holding her hand, not Donovan. Well, he hoped so.
“Hey, Tara.” He approached her after Logan moved off to talk to someone else, and she smiled up at him.
“Hi, Donovan. Great game!”
“Thanks.”
“I guess you’ll be starting now,” she said. “With Aaron out at least a month.”
He nodded. “Looks that way.”
“Will they bring in another goalie?”
“Yeah, probably the kid from Juneau—his name’s Viktor Maslak. He’s come up a few times, like last year when Aaron had the flu and stuff like that.”
“Oh, I think I met him,” Tara said thoughtfully. “I was here when Aaron had the flu, and I remember another goalie. Blond?”
“Yeah, that’s him. Real tall, too. Six-five.”
“Yes, I remember now.”
“So, uh, I have a question.”
“Okay.” She met my gaze with a smile.
“Are you going to the Halloween party?”
“Yes! It will be my first.”
“You’ve never been to a Halloween party?”
“Halloween isn’t a big thing in Finland.”
“Oh, wow. Well, I was wondering if you’d like to go with me? You know, as my date.” He practically held his breath as he waited for her to answer, but she just smiled up at him.
“I’d love to. Do you have a costume?”
“Yeah. There wasn’t much left, so I got stuck with a pirate costume. What about you?”
She grinned. “I get to be Cinderella!”
She seemed so excited about it, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Does it come with glass slippers?”
“No, but I have a pair of shoes that will work.”
“Is Cinderella a thing in Finland?”
“Cinderella is a thing everywhere, but getting to dress up like a princess is a thing for me because I never have.”
“Well, is it okay if Prince Charming is a pirate for the night?”
Her eyes twinkled. “Absolutely.”
“Since we have a game that night, I’ll probably have to meet you there.”
“Yes, you can meet me there. A group is coming over early to see Matthew in his costume and such.”
“Okay.” He paused. “You, uh, want to get a drink?”
“Sure.” She nodded. “Let me just tell Miikka you’re going to bring me home. You will, right?”
“Of course.”
“Give me a minute.” She went and said something to Miikka, who immediately looked in Donovan’s direction and gave him a thumb’s-up. Which made half the people in the room look over at Donovan.
Great. That was the last thing he needed.
“You and Tara.” Logan wiggled his eyebrows at him. “Right on.”