One Pucking Secret (One Pucking #1)

Chapter 20

Wyatt

My head isn’t in the game. The ice feels foreign beneath my skates, each push lacking the usual power. Teammates shout at me, voices blending into a frustrating buzz. I can barely focus on the puck. My thoughts drift to Chloe and Jasper, stuck somewhere between anger and hope.

“Wyatt! Get your head in the game!” Coach’s voice cuts through the haze like a slap to the face. I nod, trying to shake off the fog, but my grip on the stick slackens all the same.

The ref calls a time-out, and I skate toward the bench. Zach skates over, concern etched across his face. “You okay, man?”

I let out a deep breath, the weight of it all pressing down. “It’s almost a week now, and Mark and the PR team still haven’t figured out who leaked those photos.”

Zach nods, sympathy written in his expression. “Yeah, I heard. They’ve been working nonstop on it. They’ll get to the bottom of it. Just hang in there.” He glances down at the ice for a moment, then looks back up. “I still can’t believe you have a son. I mean, I kind of suspected it that day on the rink.”

“Yeah, I figured with that look you gave me.” I manage a slight smile, though there’s exhaustion behind it. “It was all still new… I hadn’t even had a chance to say anything.”

Zach nods in understanding. “I get it.” He gives me a reassuring nudge. “You’ll get through this. I’m here if you need anything, alright?”

“Thanks,” I say, meaning it.

He’s about to skate away when he pauses, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Oh, hey—look up.”

I glance up instinctively and freeze. There they are—Chloe and Jasper—in the private box, waving enthusiastically. My heart swells as I catch sight of Jasper grinning from ear to ear, wearing a jersey with my number emblazoned proudly across his chest.

They actually came.

Chloe turns slightly, revealing she’s wearing one too. Her auburn hair catches the light just right, her gaze warm and steady. Seeing them together like this, here for me, fills me with a grounding energy I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.

Jasper waves again, bouncing on his little feet like he can’t contain his excitement. I can’t help but smile back, that familiar feeling of purpose settling over me. If they’re here, I owe it to them to give it everything I’ve got.

I skate back toward my team with renewed energy coursing through me.

They look at me—some surprised, some skeptical—but there’s fire in their eyes now too. It’s time to play like I mean it, because Chloe and Jasper are counting on me.

Zach’s voice rings out. “Alright, guys, one period left! One period to turn this game around. Wyatt, you’re fired up—keep that spark. Let’s finish this strong.”

“Got it,” I say, gripping my stick tightly.

“You’re going to have to try a lot harder if we’re going to win,” Alec throws in, his tone half-challenging, half-motivating. The words leave me seething, but they spark something deeper too.

“Let’s go, Knights!” Zach concludes.

“Let’s go!” I echo.

The puck drops, the sound slicing through the arena’s roar like a clean skate cutting across fresh ice. We’re back in it, the puck in motion, and I’m a live wire, every sense honed on the game—but it’s their presence that anchors me.

“Focus, Banks!” Alec’s voice snaps me back.

“Got it,” I bite back, pushing off hard with my blade, feeling the ice yield to my strength.

“Nice move, Banks!” a teammate calls as I cut through the defense, stick handling with precision.

“Stay locked in!” Coach Reynolds shouts, but he doesn’t realize it’s because of them—Chloe and Jasper—that my focus has never been clearer. They’re my motivation, my reason to bear down, to play my hardest. For them, I’ll turn pressure into power.

When the puck slams into the back of the net for the sixth time, it feels like more than just a goal. The crowd roars, the horn blares, and adrenaline courses through me. This game is mine, but it’s for them too.

“Unbelievable, Banks!” Zach shouts, his glove smacking against my helmet in a congratulatory smack as the rest of the Knights swarm me.

As we skate off the ice together, the cheers still echoing, Zach grins. “Never seen you play like that,” he says, holding my gaze.

“Guess it just clicked,” I reply, keeping my tone casual as we share a look of mutual respect .

The buzzer sounds, sealing our victory, and the Knights converge at center ice, a mass of jubilant bodies in blue and white. It’s our moment, but my thoughts are with them—Chloe and Jasper, my world watching from above, the ones who lit that spark.

I head for the exit and find Chloe and Jasper standing just outside the locker room door.

As soon as I see her, Chloe’s green eyes search mine as I approach.

“Hey, champ!” I greet Jasper, bending down to his level. His smile is a beacon, bright and undimmed by the chaos swirling around us.

“You were so cool out there!” Jasper tells me, bouncing up and down with excitement.

I rise and press a kiss to Chloe’s lips, brief but filled with the promise of things left unsaid in public spaces.

“Thanks for coming. Did you two have fun?” I ask, throwing a glance over my shoulder for any signs of lurking cameras.

“It was so much fun! You scored so many points for your team!” Jasper’s words tumble out in an enthusiastic rush .

I laugh, the sound genuine despite the tightness in my chest. “That was the plan, bud.”

Chloe’s gaze meets mine, a blend of pride and concern in her expression. “I’ve never seen you play so… intensely,” she says softly.

“Just have a lot of pent-up energy,” I say, wanting nothing more than the quiet of home, far from all the stares and whispers.

“Let’s get you two out of here. Before the media shows up.” My words are hushed, for their ears only, as I shepherd them toward the back exit.

The corridor stretches before us, the dim lights overhead casting long shadows that seem to chase us as we move quickly, Jasper’s small hand squeezed tightly in mine. My heart thuds in my chest, not from the game anymore, but from the need to protect, to shield my little family from the drama that’s brewing just beyond these walls.

The flash of cameras blinds me as we burst through the doors, questions hurled at us like snowballs. Jasper’s grip on my hand tightens, his small frame pressing against my leg. I scoop him up with one arm, shielding his face with my shoulder.

“Keep moving,” I murmur to Chloe, taking her hand in mine and keeping my eyes locked straight ahead as we push through the sea of flashing lights and shouts.

We’re a fortress in motion, Chloe’s presence steady at my side as we finally break free from the crowd and make it to the safety of my car. My pulse settles as we pull away, the paparazzi shrinking in the rearview mirror. But relief is short-lived. As we approach Chloe’s place, another horde of vultures awaits, their faces etched with greed under the harsh glare of camera flashes.

“Damn it,” I mutter, hands tightening on the steering wheel. A hard U-turn, and we’re away again. When I peer into the rearview mirror, Jasper is blessedly already sound asleep.

“Chloe, you and Jasper are staying with me tonight.” The words are firm, leaving no room for argument. “Hopefully, they’ll scatter by morning.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t have come,” she whispers, voice shaking with the weight of our new reality.

“None of this is on you.” I glance at her in the dim glow of the dashboard, her green eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Your place isn’t safe right now. We can’t risk those jackals camping out on your doorstep.” The very thought ignites a protective fire within me .

Chloe nibbles on her lip, contemplating. Her concern is palpable, a tangible thing in the close confines of the car.

“Move in with me.” The offer hangs between us, heavy with implications.

“Move in?” Her voice is a soft thread, taut with hesitation.

I glance at her, my gaze unwavering. “Yes. I want to keep you and Jasper safe. My place has better security, and we can be together. Plus, Jasper needs stability right now.”

Chloe’s brows furrow. “But is this permanent, Wyatt? What does it mean for us?”

I take a moment to consider her question, the weight of it sinking in. “If it makes you more comfortable, it can be temporary, for now,” I offer, choosing my words carefully. “Just until all of this blows over. But if it feels right, perhaps it can become permanent. I’m all in, Chloe. With both you and Jasper.”

Her gaze softens, but there’s still a flicker of apprehension in her eyes when I dart a look at her. “But what if it doesn’t work out? What if…”

I reach out, gently taking her hand in mine. “Chloe, there’s no pressure here,” I assure her, and damned if I don’t mean every word. “You can leave anytime if it doesn’t feel right. I just want to be here for you both, in whatever capacity I can be.”

She nods slowly, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. “Okay,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Great. There’s more than enough room. One guest room can be Jasper’s, the other a playroom or whatever you want.” To my own surprise, I find myself excited about the prospect of redecorating to make room for the two of them.

“Really? You’d do that for us?” Her breath catches, a mixture of hope and disbelief coloring her tone.

My hand again finds hers resting on her thigh, and I squeeze gently. “For you two? Anything.”

But as much as I’m looking forward to having a full house, doubt bubbles up within me. Can we make this work? Am I cut out to be a father full time? I suppose there’s only one way to find out.