Author: Jaci Burton

First he had to put all his focus on the game tonight.

They were facing Nashville, a formidable opponent and one of the other teams in their division fighting for the title. Tyler needed to be on top of his game, because this was a must win. There were only three games left in the regular season schedule and they were neck and neck with Nashville. It was going to come down to these last few games. The Ice needed to win two more games, and Nashville needed to lose two of them for the Ice to win the division, and that’s only if they beat Nashville tonight.

They’d had grueling practice all day today, the coach putting them through their paces. He wasn’t going to accept any mistakes tonight. None of them would accept stupid mistakes. They were too far into the season and the end goal was in sight. They had to win.

By game time, he cleared his head and took the ice, his teammates as pumped as he was. He looked to the left where the seats were when he came out onto the rubber pads leading to the box, wishing Jenna were here tonight. But it was a work night for her and her assistant manager was sick, so despite him asking her to come to the game, she couldn’t get away.

Probably better this way. He could concentrate on the game and not Jenna sitting in the front row watching him.

This was too important a game to let anything distract him.

He skated out onto the ice, his heart pounding. He’d never played on a winning team before, had never made the playoffs. It was so close he could taste victory.

“TY HAS NO IDEA ABOUT THIS BIRTHDAY PARTY, DOES he?” Tara asked as she put the finishing touches on the tables.

“No clue. He’s so nervous about the game tonight I’m not sure he even remembers it’s his birthday today.”

Mick laughed as he helped Tara spread out a tablecloth. “Nothing matters when the game’s on the line. He’s lucky if he can remember his own name right now.”

Jenna surveyed the private room that Tara had so generously offered to decorate. They couldn’t close the bar tonight—with the Ice so close to making the playoffs, her regulars would be disappointed not to be able to watch the game with all their friends, and it would be bad for business. But she did shut off the private room so they could set up for the party she intended to have for Ty’s birthday.

He promised her he’d come to the bar right after the game. And just in case they lost and Ty felt shitty about it, intending to drown his sorrows alone, she’d given a heads up to Eddie and Victor that today was Ty’s birthday and she was throwing him a surprise party. The guys told her they’d make sure Ty came to the party, even agreed to delay his arrival to allow his teammates to get there before he did.

Everything was ready. Tara had done an incredible job setting up the room with balloons in the Ice’s blue and white team colors with matching table decorations to reflect the hockey theme she’d chosen. There were miniature pucks and hockey stick drink stirrers, plenty to drink, and a lot of food because she knew the players would be hungry. Tara had worked with a cake decorator and had a hockey stick cake made. It was awesome.

Her parents and brothers would be coming in, along with all Ty’s friends. She even had an ice sculpture of a hockey player staying cool in the freezer. She hoped to God the team won tonight or it would be one hell of a somber birthday celebration.

She hurried out to tend to her customers while Tara tended to the decorations. Since baseball season had started, Gavin was home again and in town, but he didn’t have a game today so he showed up with Liz and Jenna’s parents. Jenna barely had time to wave at them when they came in because the bar was packed with fans who were glued to the screens, watching the game and ordering beer like they hadn’t had anything to drink in a week.

Fortunately her dad seemed eager to get behind the bar and help serve drinks, something she was glad to have him do. She needed as many extra hands as she could get. Her mom disappeared into the kitchen and helped out with the food orders, much to Malcolm’s relief, so they had a smooth operation going. Dad served the bar patrons while Jenna filled the waitress’s orders. They were going to do a hell of a lot of business tonight judging from the number of times her waitresses came running back to her with requests for more drinks. And if the Ice won, she might be calling quite a few taxis for some of her patrons.

The good thing about being busy was she barely had time to glance up at the television screens to watch the game. Even though she wanted to watch, her stomach was a knotted mass of nerves. She knew how much each of these last few games meant to the team—to Ty. Winning the division and making the playoffs was critical. She had to rely on either the cheers or the groans of her customers to let her know what was going on with the game, because it was too loud in the bar to hear the announcers.

When she heard a cheer, she’d stop and look up, knowing something good had happened for the team. The Ice had scored twice in the first period, once on a pass from Ty to Eddie, and once on a sneak shot from behind the goal by Meyers. Nashville scored on a power play, so the Ice were up two to one going into the second period.

Her stomach knotted up even tighter. It was still too close and way too much game left to play. She busied herself with her customers, not even looking up when she heard a chorus of groans and curses.

Nashville had tied it in the second period.

Dammit.

It stayed that way all through the second period. The tension in the bar was so thick she could barely wade through it, and the noise level was deafening, because the shots on goal by both teams had been insane, yet no further goals had been scored by the time they headed into the third period.

The play had been rough, with two more power plays by both teams.

“Your boy looks good tonight, honey,” her dad said as he shouldered up to her to wash some glasses.

“Does he? I’ve barely had time to watch.”

“Take a few minutes to watch. I’ve got this.”

She laid her hand on her dad’s shoulder. “I don’t know if I can. I’m about ready to crawl out of my skin.”

Her dad laughed. “Yeah, it’s pretty tense and these are critical games. But Ty will want to know you saw him play.”

He was right. And she did want to watch. She took a break and stepped out from behind the bar to walk around and visit with her customers, but no one wanted to chat. Their faces were glued to the screens, so she leaned against a wood beam and watched as Victor got hold of a puck and skated like lightning, passing it to Eddie, who got slammed against the glass as he fought the defender. Eddie dug in and passed the puck across the ice to Ty, who took it and skated toward the net, then took a shot, missed.

She let out the breath she’d been holding, realizing her heart was pounding and her palms were sweaty. She swiped them down her jeans.

Come on, guys. Time to score.

The defender slammed the puck to his wing, who passed it to the Nashville center, who took a shot but the Ice’s goalie caught it in his glove.

Jenna was going to pass out if she kept holding her breath. She let it out, and decided she might be better off not watching the game. But then Ty and Eddie got a breakaway and passed the puck back and forth. Eddie defended, Tyler took the shot and it slid into the net on the left corner. The lamp lit up and the entire bar erupted, everyone coming to their feet, pounding the tables with their hands and clapping.

Jenna screamed and shot her fist in the air. She ran back behind the bar and hugged her dad, who beamed a grin.

“He did good.”

She realized she had tears in her eyes. “He did, didn’t he?”

“Now they have to hold them, and maybe score another.”

“Oh, I hope so, Dad.”

Her mom came out and watched the last six minutes of the game with them. It was more terrifying now that they were ahead, hoping Nashville wouldn’t score and tie it up again. Nashville had several more shots on goal, but the defense held. And when Meyers put another one in the goal and put them two up with a minute and a half left to play, the pounding feet and cheers in the bar sounded like an earthquake. Her dad picked her mom up and kissed her, and Jenna squealed with joy as the last seconds ticked down to zero.

She’d never been happier for Ty. What a great birthday this was going to be for him. And maybe now the knot in the pit of her stomach would go away.

Two hours later she’d cleared out the bar, though most people had left after the game was over anyway, and she’d told the stragglers they were closing early because of a private party. She and her dad had handled the few grumblers and drunks easily enough. You didn’t want to piss off a Riley, because if you became belligerent, you weren’t invited back.

Some of the players started arriving, and she led them to the party room, where drinks and food were set up. Eddie had texted her that he and Victor would be arriving with Ty in about forty-five minutes. Media interviews were about over, and Victor was going to dawdle with protracted primping.

Jenna laughed at that because it was so believable.

She munched on a carrot stick and some dip and surveyed the set up. It was too bad Ty’s parents couldn’t be here, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that. At least her family was here, and Ty’s friends and teammates.

Eddie finally texted they were five minutes away.

“He’s almost here, everyone,” she said, so she went to the front door to unlock it and waited there.

When they walked in, Eddie and Victor headed into the room while she swooped Tyler up in a big, warm kiss.

“Congratulations on the game,” she said.

“Thanks.” He looked around. “Where is everyone?”

She shrugged. “It’s a work night. We were full earlier, but I guess everybody had to get home. It was kind of dead after the game. I’ve got some food in the pool room, though.”

“Oh. Okay.”

She took his hand and led him into the room, then stepped back.

His eyes widened when he walked in and everyone yelled surprise and happy birthday.

He turned to her and she grinned.

“You knew it was my birthday.”

“Of course.”

Then he was swallowed up by well wishes, hugs, and pats on the back, and she didn’t see him again for a while. But it was his celebration, so she let him enjoy it. She took care of his friends and her family, making sure everyone was well fed and had drinks while Tyler was surrounded the entire night by people who cared about him.

She had the sports entertainment station on so the team members could see replays of the game, and of course everyone rehashed the night’s events. Her dad, Gavin, and Mick sat with the team and talked hockey, while Jenna, Liz, Tara, and Jenna’s mom hung out with the wives and girlfriends of the players.

Ty finally broke away and put his arm around her.

“I didn’t even know you realized it was my birthday.”

“Did you even know it was your birthday?” she asked.

He laughed. “It wasn’t high on my list of things to deal with today, but yeah, I knew. I just wasn’t going to make a big deal about it.”

“Well, I was.”

He brushed his lips across hers. “Thank you for this.”

She smiled up at him. “You’re welcome.”

It was after two before everyone started to leave. Tara and Mick and Liz and Gavin stayed to help with cleanup, but she pushed them all out the door after that, telling them she’d lock up. Her parents had gone home earlier, and the players would have stayed all night to party, but they all looked wiped out and had another game the day after tomorrow, so they needed to get at least a little rest.

She locked the doors, pulled the shades, and turned to Ty. “Good birthday?”

“Almost a perfect birthday.”

She cocked a brow. “Almost?”

“Yeah.” He took her hand in his and pulled her into the game room. “I haven’t gotten my gift yet.”