Page 109 of Grasp The Moment

Derek

I’m invoking the goalie rule

I don’t know how many of her male models have bailed, but I remember her mentioning how many pieces she had to make for the line a while ago.

Jace and my phones go off like crazy with all the guys chiming in and responding to my text thread. He raises a browat me, not bothering to check his own phone as messages roll in.

Sienna scrunches her brows, looking between the two of us before tilting her head. “What did you do?” she asks, narrowing her eyes at me. The gold in her hazel eyes seems to brighten as a slow smile begins to curve on her face.

“Invoked something that none of the guys can say no to.” I shrug casually and am quickly reminded of my company as Jace gasps.

His green eyes are bright and wide as he stares me down, his jaw agape.

“You didn’t…” he whispers, his eyes trailing down to his own phone that hasn’t stopped vibrating with new messages.

“Oh, but I did.”

Sienna pouts as she looks between the two of us, trying to understand the silent communication between us as Jace huffs.

He throws his head back with a sigh, looking at the ceiling before eying his girlfriend with a frown. “He invoked the goalie rule.”

Sienna pops a brow up, taking one of Jace’s fries. “The goalie rule?”

He groans, flailing like a toddler as he pouts. “Whatever the goalie says, goes, for the next twenty-four hours.”

I smirk as I open the group chat once again. Half of our newer team members are sending messages of confusion, while the older members are riddled with anxiety. I roll my neck and grin deviously as I text them.

Derek

All you assholes are expected to be at my wife’s show tomorrow, send all of your measurements within the next hour. I have a plan.

Remember what the goalie wants, he gets.

41.Georgia

I thinkthat I’m growing gray hairs at the ripe age of twenty-one, because I have never been so freaking stressed in my life. I couldn’t find more than two more guys to walk in the show after the fiasco of them all quitting. Now, it’s the day of the show, and I’m sweating freaking bullets.

“If I could get the boys to do quick changes, then maybe I’ll be able to?—”

A loud crashing followed by a thundering of footsteps cuts me off. My back goes ramrod straight, my brows soaring to my hairline as not one, but ten of Derek’s teammates come rushing backstage.

It’s still early in the day, and the show doesn’t start until six p.m., so what the hell are they doing here?

“What are you guys?—”

“Sorry we’re late!” Blake exclaims, huffing as he tries to catch his breath, “We got held up at The Sugar Hole. Mama Bear told us to get you cupcakes, but The Sweet Tooth doesn’t open for another hour, and he also insisted that we get here before ten a.m., so we got donuts. You likedonuts, right?”

My jaw is on the ground.

I shake my head, trying to make sense of the panting hockey player, but I can’t.

“I’m sorry… What?”

“I thought you’d like strawberry donuts, so I picked that one for you,” Braxton chimes. He gives me a bright smile before dropping what looks to be a gym bag on the ground.

I step back and take in my surroundings. In front of me are currently ten hockey players, all looking fresh-faced and bright-eyed as they stare at me. The boys of the Summerfield hockey team are attractive—there’s no doubt about that. But they could also be the most awkward bunch of men that I’ve ever met in my life, especially when attention is on them, and they’re not on the ice.

I’ve seen Derek bomb so many post-game interviews and have to redo them because he gets awkward on camera, which is shocking considering he makes cooking content on social media.