“I have a pen,” Emmersyn said. She dug through her purse and handed it to me. She was smiling at the boy as she did, and he looked to her and back to me.

“Thanks. I mean, this is really cool. We’re here for the game tonight.”

“Yeah? You live close?”

“No. We… uh… we live in Texas, but I really wanted to see you, so yeah…” He trailed off, red rising high on his cheeks and his hands would not stop trembling as I slipped the card from his hand. “What’s your name?”

“Kaden. Kaden Stanford.”

I scribbled out my autograph, personalized for him, and then looked up to where his mom and dad were still standing and waved them closer. “How about we get a picture, yeah? With your family?”

I glanced back toward the casino. The team bus was just pulling up which meant any minute, there’d be thirty guys coming out, and wouldn’t that just blow Kaden’s fucking mind.

“Mind if we get a picture together, Kaden?”

“No. I mean, yeah, that’d be awesome!”

“You mind?” I asked Emmersyn, but she was already holding out her hand toward Kaden.

“Absolutely not.”

We grabbed a couple pictures with just me and him, and then I invited his parents in for a picture. Right as we were getting done, the guys came out, boisterous and loud like always.

“Yo,” I called out to them. “Come here a sec.”

“Holy shit,” Kaden gasped. “I mean, I heard y’all ate here, but I wasn’t sure it was true but holy fuck…”

“Language,” his mom snapped. “Come on.”

“Sorry ma’am, sorry, it’s just… the whole team.”

“Picture time?” Joey asked with a grin and strolled up to us like he did this every day, all day long.

“Fan from Texas. Meet Kaden and his parents.”

They introduced themselves. Pictures were taken, and by the end of it, Garrett and Joey had shuffled around who was using their tickets for the game tonight—Lizzie would sit with Emmersyn, Gabby would move and sit by Sophie, which left their four tickets unused, and a hell of a lot better than the ones the Stanfords had purchased in the upper rows.

“Wow. This was wonderful. Thank you so much,” Kaden’s mom, Molly, shook my hand, tears in her eyes. Her love for her son obvious in her overflowing emotion.

“No problem.” The guys slapped Kaden on the shoulder. Pretty sure he wasn’t ever going to wash the shirt again, and his menu card was now autographed by almost every guy on the team. “See you tonight, all right, Kaden?”

“Yeah. Definitely. Thanks!”

The family started walking away, Kaden continually glancing back. The valet was still at my SUV, pulling up during the pictures and staying near my car.

And after they’d turned the corner, Emmersyn grinned up at me.

“The city loves you. Or at least your fans.”

“The city hasn’t ever had a decent professional sports team and doesn’t know what to do with hockey players in the desert.”