Make Your Move (Aston Archers Hockey #1)

3. Lincoln

CHAPTER THREE

LINCOLN

“ A re you ready to head out?”

I turn around in the kitchen with a bottle of water and a banana as I see Nash standing there. His eyes look tired, and he runs a hand through his unruly dark blonde hair. It doesn’t even look like he bothered to brush it, so I can only hope he took the time to brush his teeth.

“Are you ready?” I ask him, tilting my head to the side as I pull open the peel of the banana. “You look like you just rolled out of bed.”

His mouth opens wide, and he lifts his hand as he shields his yawn. “I did. I missed my first alarm, so I’m getting a little bit of a late start.” He pauses and rolls his shoulders. “Throw me one of those,” he says as he nods his head in the direction of the produce basket.

Grabbing a banana, I toss it to him, and he catches it without hesitation. I look at the clock behind him on the wall, noting that it’s almost six thirty. “How long of a drive is it to the practice facility?”

They opened a new rink a few years ago that serves as their training facility, and it’s where the team practices. We have a few weeks until the first preseason game, but since we’re getting closer, they’re really amping up the number of practices and our training regimen.

I can only imagine it’s as intense as it was in Orchid City.

Just as Nash is about to respond, movement in the living room catches my eye as a whirlwind comes tearing through the room. A tiny body with bouncing blonde curls comes running into the kitchen as a fit of laughter escapes her. She’s about as graceful as a newborn deer, and she flies past Nash.

“Whoa, Posey!” Nash laughs loudly as he moves out of her way and tries to grab her. His hands just miss her, and she disappears around the island.

“Get back here, you little menace!” Nova yells out as she comes hobbling after her daughter. She has one heel on her foot, and the other is tucked beneath her arm with a hairbrush. She looks flustered, but there’s still a smile on her lips as she chases after her.

I’m watching her when I feel something collide with my leg. My gaze drops down beside me, and I see Posey right next to me. She’s having a fit of giggles, and she starts reaching for me, her little hands pawing at my leg. “Up, up,” she says in a rush as she hops up and down.

My eyes widen, and I stare down at the little creature, unsure of what to do. My experience with children is nonexistent, and they scare the living shit out of me.

The little girl bounces up and down again, her movements growing more frantic. “Hurry!”

I don’t think and simply react as I slide my hands beneath her armpits and hold her torso as I lift her into the air. She kicks her feet, reaching for me as she continues to giggle. Nash is watching me with a shit-eating grin on his face as he can see how fucking awkward I feel.

Posey rests her little hands on my chest and collarbone as I hold her against my side. She feels so light in my arms, and as awkward as I feel, I’m also weirdly at ease. Nova is out of breath as she comes into the kitchen, and she manages to get her other heel on her foot before she stands upright.

She lets out a breath, smoothing her hair along the side of her head as she looks at Nash and then at me. It’s like a supersonic collision as our gazes meet across the room. She sees Posey in my arms, and her eyes widen slightly as she takes in the sight of us.

I move away from the counter, closing the distance between the two of us as I walk over to Nova. She blinks like she’s in shock, and I watch the way her slender throat moves while she swallows hard. My heart begins to beat faster as I stop in front of her and tip my head down to look at her. There’s a little over a foot height difference between us.

Nova looks up at me with a pink tint breaking out across her cheeks. Her makeup is done, her hair slicked back in a low bun. I allow myself a moment to look her over as I take in her beige-colored slacks and her white blouse that’s tucked in. Gone are the sundresses I grew accustomed to seeing her twirling around in when we were younger.

Nova Simmons is a fierce fucking woman, even if she still has the freest soul.

“I believe this belongs to you.” I smirk as I pull Posey away from my body and awkwardly hand her to Nova.

She takes the small child from my hands, and a smile breaks out across her face as she taps her finger on Posey’s nose. “This one has a habit of running away when it’s time to do her hair.”

“I can’t say I don’t blame her,” I concur as I watch her set the toddler down on one of the stools at the counter. She squirms, but doesn’t get down, and she moves her body around as Nova tries to brush her hair. It’s like watching someone trying to wrangle an alligator.

Nash leans across the counter, and he crosses his eyes while he sticks his tongue through the gap in between his teeth. Posey lets out a squeal and tries to reach for him as she lets out a hearty belly laugh.

“You’re not helping, Nash,” Nova scolds him as she fights back her own laugh. Nash rolls his eyes and starts talking to his niece while Nova manages to get her hair pulled back into a ponytail. “There, we’re done,” she tells her daughter as she scoops her up and puts her down on the floor.

Posey walks around and stops right by me. I look down at her as she tilts her head back as far as it will go. She pushes her pudgy fingertip against my knee. “Who you?”

“This is Lincoln, baby,” Nova tells her as she walks over to the fridge and grabs a container of fruit and yogurt. “He’s friends with Uncle Nash and is going to be staying here.”

Posey blinks three times as she assesses me. Her eyes narrow, like she’s trying to figure me out. Finally, she takes a step away and lifts her hand to wave. “Hi.”

“Hi, Posey,” I say softly as I smile and wave back at her. Nova scoops her back up and walks into the dining room. I see her through the open space as she sets her daughter in her highchair and sets up her breakfast. Nova smiles at Posey, and my heart feels like it’s going to explode.

I was jealous when I found out Nova was in a relationship. Finding out she was having a baby with him was a kick in the chest. But seeing her now with her daughter…motherhood looks beautiful on her.

“We should probably head out,” Nash tells me, breaking through the moment and my thoughts. I quickly look over at him, but he isn’t looking at me. He’s slipping his feet into a pair of sneakers while grabbing his keys from the counter. “It’s only a fifteen-minute drive to the training facility, but traffic can be shitty in the morning.” He looks over at the dining room, raising his hand. “Have a good first day at school, Poe!”

Posey waves both of her hands and kicks her feet. “Bye-bye!”

“Have a good day back in the office, Nova,” he says to her before he disappears into the foyer.

“Good luck at practice, Lincoln,” Nova tells me as her eyes meet mine through the doorway. Her smile illuminates her face, and for a moment, I’m transfixed.

The front door shuts, pulling me from the moment. “You too,” I reply with a smile before quickly exiting the room. The words replay over in my mind as I head out the front door and walk out to the street to Nash’s car. What a stupid response that made absolutely no sense.

I resist the urge to smack my forehead with the palm of my hand and climb into Nash’s car. My door is barely shut before he’s pulling away from the curb. He turns on the music, and we ride to practice listening to his pre-game playlist. Nash taps his hands on the steering wheel, and his antics are enough to distract me from the anxiety building within the pit of my stomach.

We get to the training facility, and Nash pulls into the parking lot where the other players are. A few stragglers are still walking into the building, so we aren’t the last ones to arrive. He takes me through the entrance, introducing me to some of the other people as we walk to the locker room. I recognize most of the guys since we’ve played against each other.

Nash and I sit down on the bench in the changing room together, and two other guys walk over to greet us. I instantly recognize the one and smile from the familiarity. His onyx-colored hair is a little longer than the last time I saw him, and he brushes it away from his forehead. Carson Ford. We played juniors together and spent the past few years playing against each other.

He was just traded to Aston two seasons ago.

The other guy I know from the few times I’ve seen Nash over the years. Rowan Taylor is one of the best goalies in the league. He’s played for Aston for the past five years, and his record is impeccable.

“Linc, you remember Rowan, right?” he says, motioning to the goalie. “If you don’t remember Ford, I’m really going to question whether or not your brain is intact.”

Carson smiles at me and slaps my hand. “What’s up, Slinky? It’s good to see you back here.”

“Hey, Matthews.” Rowan smiles as he holds out his hand to shake mine. “We’re glad to have you joining us.”

“I’m glad to be here,” I tell the two of them as I look around the room at the rest of the guys. There’s a level of uncertainty when you play with people you’ve never played with before. Finding that synergy and rhythm together can sometimes be a challenge, and we all need to be on the same page on the ice. I’ve played with Carson before and a few of the other guys, so I’m hopeful it won’t be too bad.

Carson sits down beside me, and Rowan goes over to his corner spot, and everyone starts to get dressed. While we’re getting ready, the assistant coach comes in and introduces me to the rest of the team. We all exchange our pleasantries before hitting the ice.

As my blades hit the slick surface and I begin to move toward the center, I take a moment to soak it all in. Using the power in my legs, I skate around the arena watching the rest of the guys as they all come on. Rowan slides into the net and starts stretching while everyone else warms up their muscles.

Sometimes a trade fucking sucks. It can happen when you least expect it and completely turn your life upside down. I have a feeling that won’t be the case for me. As much as I enjoyed my time in Orchid City, it was never really my home. It wasn’t where I wanted to spend my entire career.

Aston is where I’ve always wanted to be.

A puck slides across the ice, hitting the blade of my stick. Looking in the direction of where the puck came from, I find Carson with a grin splitting across his face. Hayes, one of the defensemen, laughs beside him before joining the rest of the guys grabbing pucks from the center of the rink, blasting shots at Rowan. “Welcome home, Slink,” he says with a wink. “Come on. We have a season to get ready for.”

I skate over to him, and we head in center ice with the rest of the guys. They’re all welcoming and it really does feel like this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Practice takes up the better part of the morning, and when we’re done, my legs feel like Jell-O. I’m not a rookie player, but I’m the new guy on the team. I came here with a lot riding on me. They didn’t make the trade to acquire a bullshit player. They made it to acquire someone who is going to be an asset to the team. I’ve moved back to Aston with a lot of pressure on my shoulders, but it’s not a weight I can’t carry.

Just like every other player, I still have to work for my spot on the active roster.

I have to prove this is where I belong.