He refilled the juice, grabbed some coffee, and carried the cups to the table. "Looks good."
Blair pushed out his chair for him. As soon as he sat, she stroked her hand over his back. "How are you feeling?"
"Golden." He loaded up his plate.
She arched a brow and picked up her coffee. "Last night took a lot out of you guys. Stress on the kidneys, liver, brain and other organs is guaranteed, especially in a six-period hockey game, so if you don't feel golden, it's normal. So, what are you feeling?"
He hated seeing the concern, the worry in her eyes. "I'm just tired."
"I'm beat too." Rod swiped a strawberry off the edge of Dylan's plate and grinned. "Since Coach gave us the day off, what do you want to do? We'll be practicing hard for the next three days before the finals begin so make it good."
"Honestly, I want to stay here." He smacked Rod's hand as his brother reached for another berry. "And the bowl of fruit is right over there so quit stealing my food."
Rod made a production of picking up the bowl and replacing the fruit he'd taken. "The next series is going to be just as brutal. Edmonton has a really strong team. They were only one point ahead of us in the standings. We'll call the guys and get Leo, Celek, Kreider, and Vince over here. We can watch film and scope out the competition."
Dylan glanced at Blair. As much as he needed to be as prepared as possible, he also wanted to spend time with her.
She smiled and placed her hand over his. "You made it all the way to the finals. I'd expect your mind to focus only on hockey right now. I remember how hard you guys worked last year, and I don't want anything to stand in the way of you bringing home the Cup this year."
She was perfect. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. "It would mean a lot to me to have my name on that trophy along with Rod and my dad. I made this city a promise and I need to deliver."
"I don't mind hanging out and watching with you guys. I want to see how Vince's knee is feeling anyway, and Kreider's foot since he took that shot off of his skate last night."
He loved how dedicated she was, but because she'd become friends with some of the guys, including him, she knew them much better than a typical team's athletic trainer. From spending time together away from the rink and practice facility, she was able to tell if something was off from their expressions and tones of voice. It made her amazing at her job, but so hard to hide anything from her. Not that he was hiding anything from her. Not really. That dizziness had been all about a lack of food. Or dehydration. He was totally fine.
When they'd finished eating, he and Blair took their coffee into the family room. The big L-shaped couch was perfect for a lazy day of relaxing. He stretched out along one side and Blair curled up beside him.
The room was peaceful, quiet, and perfect.
"I like having you here." Stroking his fingers along the small slice of skin between her shirt hem and the waistband of her leggings, he pulled her closer and kissed her temple.
She shifted until her lips brushed over his mouth. Soft and tasting of berries, she teased her tongue over his lips. He groaned and fisted his hand at her low back to keep her in place. His body reacted, tightening, pulsing with need and desire. He licked into her mouth and wrapped her ponytail around his other hand.
Her sigh seeped into his blood and made it sing. Too soon, she pulled back. "Rod and Arielle are only a few rooms away."
"I really need to get my own place." He reluctantly released his hold.
"I have my own place." She smiled and traced her finger over his chest. "We can go there later."
Rod strode in carrying his coffee cup. "You can do whatever you want as long as Dylan is back here in the morning so he and I can drive to practice together."
Blair's laughter rang out. "Thank you for your permission."
"Hey, we're in the finals. This is not the time to mess with routine." Grinning, Rod lifted his shoulders. "I don't make the rules. It's just the way it is."
"Don't worry. I'll be here. I'm not risking anything." Including telling Blair about his still-aching head. He'd told her that he wouldn't lie to her, but not mentioning something wasn't exactly the same thing as outright lying. And seriously, he'd be fine as soon as the sugar hit his bloodstream. He'd just need to be careful until this damned headache cleared. He'd need to be careful. Rod and the guys would be a good distraction.
They were so close to the Cup, and he wasn't going to chance anything stopping him.
CHAPTER NINE
THE EDMONTON ARENA was rocking for the first game of the Cup finals. The non-stop action of the first period of play, and two goals scored for each team, had fueled the fans' excitement. It had been loud from the moment the puck dropped.
Half-way through the second period, Blair shivered in her jacket and scanned the ice, assessing the fresh players as they hopped over the boards and joined the play, and the tired players coming back to the bench.
After a few tense minutes of Edmonton controlling the puck in the Bedlam zone, Dylan stole the puck on a turnover. He and Leo sped down the ice and charged the net on a two-on-one. One of the Edmonton forwards flew up behind the play and his stick knocked into the side of Dylan's head. He jerked back and seemed to lose his balance. His hands came out to the sides as he slid across the goal crease. His torso banged into an Edmonton defenseman, and the
