Rushing the Goal (Assassins #8)(78)
“It’s the peewees, River, not the NHL,” Lucy sang and he grinned.
Angie giggled happily as Lucy’s mom beamed. “Are you ready, sweetheart? I’m nervous for you.”
“Mom,” Lucy complained and she shrugged.
“What? You know how I am. My baby, come here. Let me hug you.”
Angie went willingly as Lucy and River chuckled at how silly she could be. She was a mother hen, and her babies were just that, her babies. Hugging her grandma, Angie looked back at Lucy. “Mom, is Dad coming?”
Lucy swallowed hard, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “I told him the time. But it’s still early, honey. I’ll text and ask, okay?”
She looked dejected as she turned to Autumn. “You have your iPad, right? Uncle Jace and Jude want to watch the game.”
Autumn patted her purse. “Done, River is gonna set it up.”
“I wish they were here. I wonder where Jayden and Baylor are. And Benji.”
Yeah, where was Benji?
Looking around, Lucy saw Jayden and Baylor coming from the concession stand. “There are Jayden and Baylor.”
“Oh, yay! Oh, there’s Coach Adler. I better go,” she said, wiggling out of Autumn’s arms and grabbing her bag. “Benji said he would be here, right?”
“Yeah, and I’m sure he will be,” Lucy said reassuringly, but maybe she should text him, just to make sure.
Shit, maybe he wasn’t coming.
No. He wouldn’t have told her he was if he wasn’t.
Nodding her head, Lucy bent down and patted Angie on the helmet since she had her cage on already. “Good luck. Love you.”
“Love you,” Angie said before running off. She fist-bumped Jayden and Baylor as Lucy watched, a grin on her face. When she ran past them, Benji all of a sudden came out of a side door, catching Angie midstride, lifting her over his head, her stick and bag hitting the ground as her laughter filled the room.
And Lucy’s heart promptly exploded in her chest.
“You’re here!”
“Duh,” he said, hugging her tightly. Then they were talking, but Lucy couldn’t hear them. As she headed toward them, her mother stopped her.
“Who is that tall drink of water?” she whispered and Lucy gasped.
“Mom!”
Autumn laughed. “What? Just wondering. Is that the famous Benji?”
Lucy’s lips curved as he patted Angie on the head and they fist-bumped. “Yeah, that’s him.”
“He’s adorable,” she said as they closed the distance between themselves and Benji and Angie, but Lucy didn’t verbally agree as Angie beamed back at her.
“Benji’s here!”
Lucy grinned. “I see that. Hey, Benji.”
He was wearing his thick, dark-rimmed glasses, his hair falling against them as his lips curved. “Ms. Sinclair.”
“Silly, her name is Lucy!” Angie giggled, leaning into him. “Isn’t she pretty today?”
“Angela,” Lucy warned, but Autumn was beaming.
“You are looking extra beautiful today,” she agreed and Lucy glared.
“Mom!”
Benji just grinned, though, his eyes bright as Lucy met his heated gaze. “I think you are completely right, Hart. Prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. Besides you, of course,” he said, tickling her, and she dissolved into laughter on the ground. Glancing at her mother, Lucy found that she and River were laughing too. Why did this feel normal to her?
Shit, what was happening?
Picking her up by her jersey, Benji put Angie on her feet and then fixed her jersey. “All right, Hart, ready to win?”
“Yes!”
“Remember, play deep, right by the goal. Rebounds, you got them, right?”
“Yup!”
Benji tapped her helmet. “That’s my girl. Go kick some butt.”
Angie nodded quickly before dragging her bag with her toward where Shea was waiting for her. Looking back at Lucy, Benji smiled and her lips quirked as her mother held her hand out.
“Well, my goodness, you are wonderful with her. I’m Angie’s grandma, Autumn, and this is my fiancé, River.”
Benji reached for her hand, shaking it. “She’s a great kid, lucky to meet her. But wait, did you say grandma? You mean aunt, right?”
Oh, her mom ate that right on up. Lucy rolled her eyes as he shook River’s hand. “Man, it’s wonderful to meet you. I really admire your game, mirror some of my play on yours.”
Oh, yeah. Lucy had forgotten River was kind of a big deal—being a Stanley Cup winner from the Bruins and all. Grinning ear to ear, River nodded. “Yeah, Paxton, right? You play opposite to Sinclair.”
Benji nodded. “Yes, sir.”
When they started to talk hockey, her mother leaned to her. “He’s amazing.”
“Mom, stop.”
“You should get on that.”
“Mom, please.”
“Lucy, he likes you. He keeps staring at you.”
“Please, Mom, stop,” Lucy begged but Autumn just grinned.
“Want me to ask him out for you?”
“Sweet Lord in heaven,” she muttered before clapping her hands together. “I’m gonna go sit down.”