Free Their New Beginning (Oh Captain, My Captain #5) by Lindsay Paige, Mary Smith, Rebecca Cartee

last out of the tunnel, bumping fists with the fans leaning over the rail to touch him.
    The light blue jerseys stand out against the white of the ice. The crowd cheers as each Gambler is announced, but the roar is louder when Jax appears on the jumbotron. I clap loudly seeing his serious face on the screen as he stretches out on the ice. What is it about Jax stretching that I could stare at all day?
    I shake the horny thoughts out of my mind as the crowd dies down before the drop of the puck. With ease, Jax stands up and glides over to center ice.
    Game on.
    Jax gains possession of the puck, and I can see the intensity in his eyes. He wants to win this game. He wants to lead the league in points, especially if it means beating Ashton.
    After a rough first period, both teams are scoreless. The Nebraska Bucks are gunning for Jax. When the second period begins, Jax is quick to score. I jump up, clapping and cheering for him, watching the team celebrate on the ice. Soon after, he catches a breakaway and scores again. I wonder sometimes if he realizes how easy he makes it look.
    I’m on the edge of my seat when the third period starts. We’re tied, and I don’t like it. Jax’s face is like stone. You can’t tell if he’s nervous or not. I watch him jump off the bench and push himself to the other side of the ice. He slaps his stick on the ice, yelling for the puck. It’s quickly passed to him, and on one knee, he slaps it into the back of the net.
    Hat trick!
    The crowd explodes, and I’m yelling at the top of my lungs. Jax has had several in the past, but this one seems more special. We’ve had a rough time, but we can still overcome. My heart is bursting with pride watching the fans throw their hats onto the ice and staring at the replays on the big screen.
    That’s my husband.
    The smile is still plastered on my face as I lean against his Mustang waiting for him. When he walks out with other teammates, he looks happy and relaxed. He looks like my Jax before I broke his heart.
    “Well?” he asks coming up to me.
    “It was better than the first game I went to.” I wink at him.
    Jax comes closer to me and takes my hand. It’s a small gesture, but it means everything to me. It’s the first time he’s touched me since I told him about my cheating. “Let’s go home.”
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    I thought we were making progress and that he might actually have slept in our bed last night. Even though he didn’t, I wake up with a plan. I sit in front of the laptop, deleting email after email when I remember what Regina said.
    Show him the girl he fell in love with.
    An idea hits me like a puck to the head. I’m going to fight and I’m going to win. I set the plan in motion, grab my jacket, and race out the door.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    I’m standing outside the locker room door. My palms are sweaty because I’m hoping that this works as I’ve planned. Several of the guys come out, waving and saying ‘hello’, and lastly, there’s my Jax.
    “Hi, Jax.”
    “Hey, what are you doing here?” He looks confused.
    “Well, see, this is our first date again,” I tell him brightly.
    “Our first date?” He shakes his head, not understanding.
    “I want to start again. I want to take you out on a lunch date.” I hold up the small, but heavy cooler. “I know you’re done with practice, but I wasn’t sure which sandwich you liked.” I let him peek inside and he can see that it’s everything he brought to me on our first date at the hospital.
    I’m rewarded with a smile. “Well, let’s go find out then.”
    “There aren’t any benches, so we can sit up in the stands or maybe on the hood of the car? You pick.”
    “Let’s sit in the stands.” He takes the cooler from me, and I follow him down the tunnel to the stands.
    We find a seat, and I open it up. “Gentlemen’s choice. Which one do you want?” On our date, he let me pick first. This time, I want him to.
    “I’m thinking I’ll go in blind and hope for the