Chapter 130 Chapter 129
Logan POV
The Ice House is loud tonight.
Music blasting through the speakers. Guys shouting over each other. Someone already opened another case of beer.
We won.
Not just won—dominated.
And when the final horn sounded and the crowd started chanting our names, it felt like everything clicked again.
Skating felt effortless.
Every pass landed.
Every shot had purpose.
Coach even clapped me on the shoulder in the locker room.
“Keep playing like that and scouts will be lining up.”
The guys are still riding the adrenaline now.
Marco is trying to convince Cole to do a keg stand in the kitchen.
Someone shoved a hockey stick into the ceiling fan.
Typical post-win chaos.
Normally I’d be right in the middle of it.
Tonight?
I’m slipping away.
I grab my jacket and head toward the back hallway, ignoring Marco yelling after me.
“Shaw! Where you going?”
“Out,” I call.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
“That’s a very short list,” Cole adds.
Laughter follows me as I step outside into the cold night air.
The noise from inside fades immediately.
Quiet.
Finally.
I lean against the railing on the porch and pull out my phone.
One message.
Harper.
Harper:
Did you survive the game?
A small grin pulls at my mouth.
I type back.
Me:
We won.
Three dots appear almost instantly.
Harper:
I know. I was watching.
That makes my chest feel strangely warm.
Me:
Where are you?
Her reply comes a second later.
Harper:
Across the street.
I straighten.
Across the street?
I glance up.
And there she is.
Standing under the streetlight near the sidewalk, hands tucked into the sleeves of her oversized sweater.
My heart kicks once in my chest.
I push off the railing and jog down the porch steps.
“What are you doing here?” I ask when I reach her.
She shrugs lightly.
“Celebrating.”
“With me?”
“With the hockey captain who just had the best game of the season.”
I grin.
“So you came all the way over here just to congratulate me?”
“Maybe.”
Her eyes flick briefly toward the Ice House behind me where the party noise is still spilling out through the windows.
“Looks like the rest of the team is doing plenty of celebrating.”
“They are.”
“But you’re not.”
I shake my head.
“Not tonight.”
Her eyebrow lifts.
“Oh?”
I step a little closer.
“Private celebration.”
Her cheeks flush slightly.
“And I assume I’m part of that?”
“You’re the entire plan.”
Harper laughs softly, shaking her head.
“You are dangerously smooth tonight.”
“Winning does that.”
She crosses her arms, but she’s smiling.
“So what exactly does a private celebration with Logan Shaw involve?”
“Depends.”
“On?”
“How brave you’re feeling.”
She gives me a look.
“Logan.”
“Harper.”
The space between us suddenly feels smaller.
The cold air makes little clouds when we breathe, but I barely notice it.
All I notice is the way she’s looking at me.
Like she’s trying very hard not to smile.
“You played really well tonight,” she says quietly.
I shrug.
“Thanks.”
“No seriously,” she continues. “You were incredible.”
The sincerity in her voice does something strange to my chest.
I clear my throat.
“Well, it helped knowing someone important was watching.”
Her lips curve slightly.
“Oh really?”
“Yeah.”
She tilts her head.
“And who would that be?”
I step closer until there’s barely any space left between us.
“You.”
Her breath catches slightly.
“Logan…”
But she doesn’t move away.
I reach up and gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
The touch is small.
But it sends a spark straight through me.
“You came all the way here just to watch my game,” I say.
“I told you. Celebrating.”
“Yeah.”
My voice drops.
“I like this version of celebrating better than the one inside.”
Her eyes flick toward the house again, then back to me.
“They won’t miss you?”
“Probably.”
“And you don’t care?”
“No.”
Her smile softens slightly.
For a moment neither of us speaks.
Then she says quietly,
“I’m glad you won.”
“Me too.”
Another small silence.
Then Harper lets out a soft laugh.
“You know what’s funny?”
“What?”
“Two weeks ago we could barely stand being in the same room together.”
“That’s not true.”
She raises an eyebrow.
“You brought Cole on a date with me.”
“Strategic mistake.”
She laughs.
“Strategic?”
“I was trying not to make things worse.”
Her eyes search my face.
“Did it work?”
“No.”
“Good.”
The word slips out before she can stop it.
And suddenly the air between us feels charged.
I step closer.
Harper doesn’t move.
My hand slides lightly to her waist.
“Logan,” she murmurs.
“Yeah?”
“Your team is throwing a party.”
“I noticed.”
“And you’re out here with me.”
“That’s the better option.”
Her breath catches again.
For a second she looks like she might say something.
Instead she just shakes her head softly.
“You’re impossible.”
“Probably.”
I lean down slightly.
“Still here though.”
Her fingers curl lightly into the front of my jacket.
And then she kisses me.
It’s quick at first.
Almost like she’s testing something.
But the second my hand tightens around her waist, the kiss deepens.
The cold night air disappears.
The noise from the house disappears.
There’s just Harper.
Her hands sliding up to my shoulders.
The warmth of her body pressed against mine.
When we finally break apart, she exhales softly.
“That was…”
“Yeah.”
She laughs under her breath.
“You’re very distracting, Logan Shaw.”
“I’ve been told that.”
She bumps her forehead lightly against my chest.
“You know,” she says quietly, “this private celebration thing might be a problem.”
“Why?”
“Because I might start expecting them.”
I grin.
“That can be arranged.”
She looks up at me again.
And for a moment the world feels strangely simple.
No gossip.
No pressure.
No fathers calling.
Just us.
And right now—
That feels like the best celebration I could ask for.