O Goalie Night (The Ottawa Otters #1)

Chapter 39

CHAPTER 39

FOSTER

“ Y ou have my permission to date my sister.”

I take a break from gearing up to give a weary look at my current teammate and former best friend.

“I don’t need your permission.”

My response seems to catch him off guard. “Well, too bad. You have it.”

I already knew from Beth that he apologised for his behaviour, but this is the first time he’s talked to me since he left my place two days ago. I’ve been following his previous directive to stay away from him.

“Can I have permission to date your sister?” Austin asks from a few spots down. The bruise on his eye where Ben clocked him is still healing and is currently a deep purple. Even though he apologised for his behaviour at the bar, he doesn’t seem to have learned his lesson.

“No,” we say in unison.

“But you said you owe me.” Austin points to the discoloured skin. Being able to torment Ben was clearly worth the punch to the face for him.

“I said I’d owe you a favour.” Ben rolls his eyes .

“Exactly. And I want that favour to be permission to date Beth.”

My glower must match Ben’s because Will enters the fray.

“I swear to God, Crawford. If you keep running your mouth, I will not pull them off of you this time.”

“Alright, alright,” Austin shrugs before addressing the rest of the locker room. “Anyone else have a hot sister?”

We watch as our rookie gets pelted with several gloves, shinpads, and other various bits of equipment before finally sitting down and shutting up.

“I’m sorry for how I reacted when I found out.” Ben’s eyes are trained on the floor. I don’t doubt the sincerity of his words.

“It’s okay, man. We would have been open with you from the start, but you had a lot going on and we didn’t want to pile on.”

“Still. I never should have made it all about me. If I’d actually talked to either of you about it, I would have realised that you really care about one another. You and Beth have my full support from here on out. You’re a good guy, Fozz. That’s why you’re my best friend.”

I grin at him. “Thanks, man.”

He opens his arms and I accept his hug as our teammates “awww” around us.

“Teammates by chance; friends by choice.” Will holds up his hands to make a heart shape.

“That’s deep, Will,” Ben says, still hugging me. He lowers his voice, speaking directly into my ear. “Deep like the hole I’ll bury you in if you hurt my baby sister.”

“Understood.” I nod at him as we pull apart and he grins, clapping his hands .

“Alright, boys! Let’s go fuck shit up!”

The game was a massacre and we were the dominating force. There are times when a team gels so well that nothing can possibly stand in their way. Tonight was one of those times.

Watching our lines play together tonight was a thing of beauty. Each shift moved like a well-oiled machine, anticipating each other's moves with an almost telepathic connection. The forwards executed crisp, tape-to-tape passes, cycling the puck effortlessly in the offensive zone, while the defensemen pinched in at just the right moments to keep the pressure on. Breakouts were seamless, with players filling lanes and supporting each other perfectly. Every line change brought fresh energy, so we never lost momentum.

Not only that, it’s obvious that everyone was having a blast.

When you play hockey at this level, the stakes are high. It’s stressful and both physically and emotionally exhausting. But nights like these remind me how fucking lucky I am. I get to make a living playing the sport I love.

The flight home is a rowdy one. After tonight’s win, we officially have the best record in the league this season and everyone’s feeling festive.

No one even complains when Will starts a boisterous rendition of Good Lord Stanley, changing all the lyrics to hockey references.

I spend the ride home from the airport staring out the window at the falling snow, thinking about how my life has changed the last few weeks.

I’ve got my brother back, something I gave up hope of happening a long time ago. Ben has not only come around about me and Beth, but he seems to be feeling more like himself again, the loveable goofball that wormed his way into my life all those years ago.

And I’ve got Beth. I wasn’t bluffing when I said I didn’t need his permission to date her. But knowing that us being together won't jeopardise her relationship with her family makes things a whole lot easier.

As the car pulls into my driveway, I’m thinking it’s not possible for life to be sweeter right now.

That’s when I see a familiar SUV parked in its usual spot.

In my haste to get inside I almost forget my bag. Throwing it over my shoulder, I jog to my house, careful not to slip on an icy patch.

Christmas music greets me as I push open the front door. Not the upbeat kind you dance to, the soft, hymn-like kind you might hear in a church. I put down my bag and kick off my shoes before entering the living room.

Beth is curled up, fast asleep on my couch. She looks like an angel in the glow of the Christmas tree lights and I stand there for a moment, just taking her in.

She looks so peaceful that I’m tempted to let her sleep, but I know she’ll be more comfortable in my bed. Not to mention the fact that the couch isn’t big enough for both of us and I need to hold her tonight .

I push a few stray locks of hair away from her face and she stirs. When her eyes flutter open, her sleepy smile threatens to make my heart give out.

“Welcome home,” she whispers.

“Same to you.” I kiss her, softly. My entire body relaxes at the reassuring pressure of her lips against mine. “Let’s get you to bed.”

I lift her up and she wraps her arm around my neck. As I walk us into my bedroom, I can’t help but think how perfect she feels curled against me. It’s as if she belongs there.

Because she does.

“My mom invited you for Christmas,” she says sleepily as she nuzzles against my chest.

“Wow.” I chuckle, completely taken aback. “That’s quite the turn of events.”

“I think I actually got through to them. Plus, you have Ben’s stamp of approval which is essentially a Golden Ticket. But I told her you had plans with your family and she understood.”

My heart squeezes and I hold her tighter. Part of me still can’t believe that I’m having Christmas with my family. Cody had a sit down with Amelia and explained who I was and why I’ve been absent from her life up until now. Apparently she asked him three hundred questions before saying “Ok” and going off to play. I officially met her and her mom on Facetime yesterday evening. My niece did most of the talking during the forty-minute call. When it was time to say goodbye, she’d said “Goodnight, Uncle Foster” and my heart almost exploded in my chest. I hung up the phone and cried like a baby, then I called Beth and told her all about it .

“Please thank your mom for me.” I kiss the top of her head. “And tell her I’d love to come next Christmas, if the offer still stands.”

Beth’s eyes shine up at me in the darkness. “I think it’s safe to say that it will.”

I feel her heart beating against me. My own heart thuds in my chest, beating only for her.

“I love you.” The words slip past my lips as effortlessly as the air I’m breathing. “It’s probably too soon to say that, right?”

“Yeah.” She sighs contentedly against me. “I’m guessing it’s also too soon to tell you I love you, too?”

“Most likely.” Our mouths meet in the dark, ending the discussion. I listen to her breathe as she falls asleep, feeling happier than I ever have.