Page 43 of Grasp The Moment

“I know he didn’t just?—”

Denver’s words are cut off as I crook my neck at the man, gearing to stand up when the crowd goes ballistic.

“Oh my God!” Cleo shouts, jumping to her feet as Delilah and Sienna do the same.

As the crowd goes crazy, I turn to the man. “Watch yourself and don’t make me turn around again. If you don’t like kids, take it up with the man upstairs.”

Turning back to the game, my skin immediately loses color, and I pick up Delilah and hold her in my arms as Derek and another player shout at one another on the ice. To the side, Braxton and another go at it, throwing blow for blow. My eyes widen with shock as I lean forward, watching as Jace checks the player bothering Derek. My husband—the smug bastard—smirks as he watches the two go at it.

When the crowd calms down and we take our seats, my eyes remain locked on the ice.

On him.

“Yep. That right there, ladies, is the look of a WAG.”

17.Derek

Delilah ison ten as she recounts every single detail of tonight's game back to Georgia and me from her booster seat. From the corner of my eye, I can see the excitement beaming off of my daughter in the rearview mirror as she giggles and makes her own little hockey jokes.

“Did you see the way Uncle Cupid hit that guy, Papá?” Delilah asks, leaning slightly in her chair as I chuckle, entering the neighborhood for my mom’s house.

“I did, Sunshine. How’d it make you feel?” I question.

It’s my usual follow-up question to things like that on the ice, but a part of me knows that the question wasn’t for my daughter. It was for the abnormally silent woman in my passenger seat.

Georgia gnaws at her bottom lip as Delilah makes a loud humming sound, as if to show that she’s thinking of her answer before she gasps.

“I don’t think it was bad. Uncle Cupid hit him first, and that’s not nice, but I know that man was mean to you,soit’s okay,” she says, resolve in her tone as I chuckle.

“Just like that?”

She hums. “Yup.”

I eye Georgia quickly before placing my hand on her thigh and squeezing it. “And how did you feel after watching the game?”

She turns her head, our eyes connecting momentarily before she quickly focuses back on the road.

“I think that there was absolutely zero reason for that guy to get so close to the opposing team's goalie. You guys have played this game your entire lives; it’s a basic rule across all boards,” she mumbles, clearly perturbed by the events that took place tonight.

Mulling over her words, I nod and hum in agreement.

“Well, Killian’s a jackass, so?—”

Delilah gasps, her voice animated as she yells, “You said a swear!”

“Shit…” I curse again, and fuck, I’ve got to stop doing that.

Usually, it’s the other guys cursing and Deli calling them out.

“I’ll put twenty in the jar, Sunshine.”

That seems to put Delilah off as she goes back to singing quietly while her favorite musical plays on the radio.

When we get to my mom’s house, the exchange of Delilah and a small greeting is quick and seamless. The tension between the two of us is still fairly thick, but nothing we can’t get through—I hope.

Getting into the car, I’m met with a warm welcome from Georgia. Her previous quietness is replaced by a small, devious smile across her plump lips.

“What is it?” I ask, quirking a brow at her as her grin widens and cheeks redden.