A/N: Thank yous to Team Spiderward, who worked diligently on this chapter for it to post before the holiday. xx

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. The NHL owns anything that sounds familiar. I'm here having fun.

/ /\ (oo) /\ \

Chapter 49

I worry about my wife.

I worry about her when she's in Houston. I worry about her safety when she's traveling between there and home. I worry when she's at her office. I worry any time she's out of my sight.

And I especially worry about Senior, despite her reassurances that she has everything under control where he's concerned. I disagree, but that's not what Bella wants to hear, and for once, I'm in agreement with the advice of her lawyer to abandon pursuing this conflict or whatever it is between them. This is where Charlie warned me about her stubborn, independent nature to protect those she cares about, but I already knew she's not easily derailed once she's made up her mind.

With fresh losses to the Predators and the Rangers, I should be more worried about our current six-game losing streak. There seems to be no end in sight to our recent spiral with Caius rubbing everyone, except for Victoria, the wrong way. Part of me feels some responsibility in not extending a more inviting welcome to him in an effort to close the widening gaps between us as a team. But he isn't Vladdy. And never will be. I know if I reach out and attempt to find new ground between us, there's a greater chance that others will follow my lead.

Ben, specifically.

He's struggling, and regardless of how supportive I am, it's difficult to watch. Ben played youth hockey with Caius, and while I don't have the specifics, I don't need them. I would guess Caius tormented him relentlessly. The playful jabs now are no longer playful. And it's getting old quickly. If Ben won't say something, I will. We need to end whatever this is and move past Caius's youth hockey bullshit behavior.

While we're almost finished with Wednesday's morning skate, Caius won't shut up as we wait for our next drill to begin. I skate toward him, blocking his view of Ben.

"Knock it off," I warn, staring at Caius intently.

"Awww, he knows we're just having fun." Caius laughs. "Don't you, Benny?"

"I'm not. And he isn't."

Even though others may try to ignore the situation, I can't. We're all struggling with a variety of issues off the ice. It's also no easy task to regain a new balance on the ice with him as part of the team. I thought the taunts would stop by now and he would focus on our opponents, but that isn't the case. He's relentless.

"That sounds like a you problem," Caius says smugly.

"I agree. It's a you and me problem."

Caius grins. "How's the ankle? Some injuries just never heal quite right, do they? I can see it in your play. Such a shame. You really could have been somebody—a hall of fame goaltender . . . a starter. Now, you're just a pathetic backup who doesn't know when to quit, like Volts. You two should share a room together at the retirement home, but don't worry, I'll be first in line to take care of your hot wives. Give them what they're missing."

I'm going to beat the shit out of him.

"My ankle is strong enough to kick your ass," I threaten.

"Awww, Spider, you're making my cock twitch." Caius grabs his crotch. "Save your energy for being first in line at those early bird dinner specials, old timer."

From behind me, I hear: "You fucking asshole."

Without his blocker, glove, or stick, Ben charges toward Caius, shoving him backward. Once Caius drops his stick and gloves, Ben locks onto his jersey with one hand, rears his fist, and lands the first blow to his face, knocking off Caius's helmet. During their struggle, Ben's helmet flies off and they trade punches with Ben landing the most before they fall to the ice.

Everyone looks on as Ben clearly has the upper hand, which is no surprise based on size alone. Ben is called "Big Ben" for a reason. At six foot, seven inches, he's one of the tallest goaltenders ever to play in the league. Fueled by years of repressed anger toward Caius, Ben unleashes his size and strength until Caius's face becomes a bloody mess.

Coach's shrill whistle echoes throughout the rink of our closed practice, ceasing their movements immediately. "Enough!"

"Keep your mouth shut," Ben grits out the warning with a final shove of Caius's chest before climbing off him.

Caius only returns a bloody smile.

"Everyone on the goal line," Coach yells. "If you have energy to fight, you have energy to skate. We're not done here. Let's go."

With a collective groan, we move to the red line.

"We didn't do anything, Coach," someone whines.

"You want to act like hormone driven high schoolers . . .? I'll treat you like them. We're doing the lines. Go!" Coach blows his whistle, beginning the drill.

We skate back and forth from the goal line to the others, touching the closest, before returning, only to advance, skating toward the next one, farther away.

"Come on, Cap! The tendies are going to beat you." Coach huffs, watching us closely. Once everyone returns from the opposite goal line, he shouts, "Again!"

With another shrill release of his whistle, we skate, repeating our previous actions. Several players struggle to catch their breath while everyone completes the drill.

Coach nods. "Again!"

I have no idea how long we continue skating sprints, but it's more than enough to lose count and for Coach to make his point, wringing us out until we're gasping. It should surprise no one when Ben, Stefan, and I are the last ones to finish. Goaltenders don't skate for speed like other players. Our skates are made differently, and we wear more padding.

"I think I'm going to be sick," someone says from beside me.

"Circles," Coach states before his whistle chirps.

We begin one at a time skating around each face-off circle closest to us before moving to the center ice circle, then the face-off circles on the opposite end.

"Faster!" he yells. "Work on those edges. Do I need my stopwatch?"

"No!" A winded James replies immediately.

Nothing good ever comes from timing us while completing these skating drills. My legs already feel wobbly, and I can't imagine continuing this much longer. Tyler waves us ahead of him, not wanting us to be last again and face any unnecessary wrath from Coach. During our conditioning days at the beginning of the season, we stopped only when the slowest skaters beat the fastest. It's nearly impossible and brutal.

Once Tyler crosses the goal line, completing the drill, Coach skates to the middle of the rink. "Trouble—center ice."

With blood on his white practice jersey, it looks as if his nose is no longer bleeding. Bent over, hoping to catch my breath, I watch Caius join him.

"Anyone feel like fighting now?" Coach asks. "Big Ben?"

"I'm done," Ben says, breathing heavily from beside me, waving him off.

"Spider?" When I don't move, Coach adds, "It's now or never. This is your chance." He glances at Caius. "We're moving past this petty bullshit. We have no room for it on this team or in our locker room. And, apparently, you knuckleheads can't use your mouths to settle your differences. So, we're doing this the only way you know how. Let's go. We're waiting."

With a nod, I skate to where Caius is standing and hold up my fists. Caius makes no move to defend himself, while everyone waits for one of us to make the first move. Catching his breath, Caius swallows hard, glances at Coach, then returns his focus to me, saying the last words I ever expect to hear.

"It was my fault. I ran into you on purpose that night in Providence. It was a dirty play. I knew you were vulnerable, and I did it anyway. You have every reason to punch the shit out of me for what I did to you. Do it. Hit me. I deserve it. Then we'll be even."

Admitting he was in the wrong is . . . something. He isn't actually using the word "sorry," and I question his sincerity. Is it enough for me to be able to move on? I didn't anticipate we would ever find ourselves in this position—playing on the same team and needing to work together.

I drop my hands. "Apology accepted. But . . . one more antagonizing word to me or anyone else on this team and I'll kick your ass, leaving no doubt that then we will be even. On or off the ice. Anywhere. Anytime."

Caius grins. "Understood."

"Volts?" Coach shouts as I skate out of the circle.

Marcus shakes his head.

"Crow?"

"If Ben and Spider are good, I'm good."

Coach chuckles because I doubt anyone remembers the last time Tyler was in a fight, including Tyler. "Okay. Cap?"

"We're good. Let's save it for the Panthers."

"Anyone else?" When no one moves, Coach nods. "Good. This ends here. Finish your workouts, hit the showers, then we'll go over final thoughts for tomorrow night."

/ /\ (oo) /\ \

After hard-fought wins against the Panthers on Thursday and the Sharks last night with Ben in net both nights, we're optimistic going into our next road trip. With only eleven games left in the regular season, we need to string together enough points to get us in the playoffs. We're currently teetering between the third position in our division and a wild card spot. It changes every night.

I'm not looking forward to being away from Bella, especially being back in Las Vegas for the first time since our wedding without her. While it's still early, I'm enjoying every moment of holding her in my arms before she needs to get ready for her trip to Houston.

"I'm going to miss you," I whisper, leaving a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'll miss you too. This is a short trip, right?" Bella asks.

"Yeah. We'll play back-to-backs in Phoenix on Monday then Las Vegas on Tuesday."

"Will you start one of the games?"

"Probably. Ben is starting against Arizona. So, I could be in net for Vegas. I wish you could go, but I understand why you can't."

"I had fun at the ranch with Deedee last week." She pauses for a moment. "Did Marcus share their news with you?"

I shake my head. "No. What's up?"

"Oh, maybe they aren't sharing the news yet since it will take time to be finalized, but they're adopting. They met with a brother and sister recently, hitting it off. Deedee is excited and said it was love at first sight for her. They're older. I think she said the brother is six and the sister is five. While they were initially looking to adopt one child, she's thrilled, and said there was no way she would ever dream of splitting them up. Alec will meet them soon," my wife explains.

I smile at the thought. "That's great. I'm happy for them. I know they've wanted to expand their family for a while."

Bella's smile matches mine. "Me too. I just love spending time with her. Deedee is always so positive about everything and fun. It's contagious—exactly what I need. And what Mom needs too."

"How's your mom feeling lately?"

She sighs with resignation. "Tired. The fatigue is dominating everything at the moment. Dad said she's having some nausea and complaining about aches, especially a headache. I feel awful that Mom is going through this, but I don't regret encouraging her in pursuing treatment. The alternative is devastating for all of us. I don't want to lose her. I can't lose her. The nurse shared with me that it will take years for Mom to recover from the treatments. It's a long process and we need to manage our expectations that she will never be one hundred percent."

With my nod of understanding, we're both quiet, until Bella begins, "So . . ."

"So what?" I prompt.

"Yesterday, since no one was in the office, the security company that Jason recommended came by to look for surveillance devices. They called last night during your game to let me know they found some and they believe the devices were recent additions—in the last few months. They're all new with the latest technology. I can't believe a week after sharing my concerns to Jason that my suspicions are confirmed. That was something I was hoping to be wrong about."

"They were added . . . during your remodel?" I guess.

"I think so. I mean, that would be the perfect time to add something of that nature. It also fits with Roy's timeline and his interest in all things Victoria."

Senior's interest isn't limited to Victoria if he's invested in listening to my wife's conversations too. And that . . . worries me.

Bella continues. "During our meeting, Roy revealed he has the upper hand where the Whitlocks are concerned. So, with Jasper's company doing our renovations, I'm positive one phone call was all it took to get what he wanted."

"What did the security company recommend doing about them?"

Bella shrugs. "The guy said whoever is monitoring the devices will know instantly if they're removed. So, we need to think carefully about choosing to move in that direction. My gut instinct wants to cut off Roy's access immediately."

"Did you tell Victoria?" I ask.

"No. I'm telling you. I think I may talk with my dad about it. Get his opinion too. What do you think I should do?"

"Talk to Victoria. Make all your employees aware that you've learned they are being recorded through audio and visual devices that you did not authorize. Tell them they were added by the owner of the building without your knowledge and that their conversations are not private."

Bella nods. "I can do that. It buys us some time to decide what we ultimately want to do about the devices."

"Don't be so sure that it's only Victoria he's interested in . . . listening to or manipulating. Even though you held your own, he came after you without warning. Be careful when dealing with him," I caution, because it seems as if she could use a reminder.

"Mess with the bull, you'll get the horn." Bella grins, as if she's the bull in that scenario.

Fuck, I love her.

"How big is Pumpkin this week?" she asks, changing the subject to one of my favorites.

I reach for my phone on the nightstand and open the app.

"The size of a cherry." I share with a smile before closing the app. After switching to my phone's camera, I take a few selfies of us snuggled together in the morning light. "The app suggests that we should start thinking about names."

"This early?"

I shrug. "It could take a while for us to agree."

"Do you have any favorites?" Bella asks.

"Masen after my father, but I haven't considered anything beyond that," I reveal.

"I suppose Masen would work for a boy or girl. It's non-traditional for a girl, but since it's a family name, it shouldn't matter. And we aren't exactly traditional. We could use Macy or some variation of the spelling too. That could be a sweet tribute."

"I agree. I'm excited for your next appointment."

She leans back slightly, looking up at me. "What has you so excited about it?"

"The app says we should be able to hear the heartbeat this time. That's going to make it feel more real."

"For you. It feels plenty real to me." Bella laughs. "I was surprised when Rose volunteered to go along with me this week to Houston. It will be nice for the two of us to spend some time together outside of the office. We haven't done that for a while. Even though Austin is still sick, Emmett will be busy with Eric and Katie, but I'll appreciate our time together."

"We've all been busy," I conclude, rubbing leisurely along the curve of her back.

"I still haven't talked with your mother about becoming Pumpkin's nanny or spearheading our foundation. I should do that this trip since it will probably be included with our D Magazine article. Maybe Rose will also want to be a part of the charity and hosting events?"

"I would imagine so, but we're not in any rush. Steve is still completing the paperwork for establishing the foundation."

Bella's head bobs with agreement. "Okay. Your mother seems to be enjoying the time with her sister. I hope it continues to be . . . healing. Maybe that's not the right word. Rejuvenating could be more accurate. The situation with your parents has taken its toll on her. With every trip to visit my parents, I check in with your mom. It's easy to see the restoring or repairing of her peace and happiness. She's more at ease around everyone."

"That's good."

"Have you heard anything else from Carlisle?" she questions.

"No." I blow out a steady breath, suspecting she could have new information from her lawyer with her question. "Have you?"

"I know you said not to involve Jason, but I believe you deserve answers. And so does your mother."

"What do you know?"

"His car was impounded while he was in Nashville, then a few days later he paid the fees to retrieve it. At my request . . ." Bella starts.

"What?"

"A tracker was added to his car without his knowledge."

"Doc." I shake my head. "I wish you hadn't done that."

Mom had one installed before to give her peace of mind, but that never happened. Dad found it and that may have caused more damage to their relationship. But trusting him at this point is a challenge for everyone.

"I know, but I think it's better to know where he is than not."

"I doubt that. So, where is he?"

"Just between us . . . before Carlisle left Nashville, he was with Emmett's parents, at their home."

Emmett's parents? I wonder if Rose knows that.

"I haven't mentioned it to Rose."

"Don't."

"Okay. Then he drove to Oklahoma City, and he was there . . . for a while."

I can only imagine. "Which casino?"

"Primarily, Riverwind, but he was at several in the area before driving to Albuquerque," she shares. "I'll text you the link to the tracker so you can keep up with his movements yourself."

We're both quiet until I realize what he's doing. Bella probably has it figured out and she's waiting for me to connect the dots.

"He's coming to our game in Phoenix," I state, staring at the ceiling. "And there could be an intention to watch the one in Las Vegas too."

"Would Emmett's parents loan Carlisle money?" Bella wonders.

I chuckle sadly. "What do you think? Emmett would give anyone the shirt off his back if they needed it."

"They don't know about his gambling problem?"

"No, they don't. At least, I don't think they do. Fuck. I don't need his bullshit in my head." I return my hand to her bump, rubbing Pumpkin gently. The simple act always soothes me.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to upset you, but I was worried about where he could be and wanted reassurance that he's not hurt. At least, I don't believe he is. Even though Carlisle isn't my biggest fan, he's family now for me too," Bella explains, justifying her decisions. "I'm . . . concerned."

Reluctantly, I agree, "You're right. It's probably good that I'm not surprised by his appearance. Maybe that's what he was hoping for. A surprise visit. I can't imagine what there would be to say between us by meeting face-to-face."

"I won't ever claim to understand him or his motives."

"At this point, me either."

"Maybe he's ready to apologize. It's his apology tour," she suggests with a grin.

"In that case, he needs to start with Mom, not me. No, he's up to something, I just have no idea what."

/ /\ (oo) /\ \

During our flight to Phoenix, James is a bundle of nerves sitting next to me, fidgeting in his seat constantly. He's attempting to read, but I notice he keeps switching e-books until his phone vibrates with a text. After reading it, he gets Ben's attention, then hands him his phone. Ben nods, handing it back to him.

With James's knee bouncing with nervousness, I lower my voice and ask, "What's going on with you two? Everything okay?"

"My lawyer sent a message. Do you remember he filed a petition to establish paternity?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the judge ruled in our favor. Angela gave samples for pregnancy and DNA testing today to meet the deadline. She's been stalling for weeks without the order, and the judge threatened fines and jail if she wouldn't comply. Ben and I submitted samples last week. There's a possibility of getting answers in three days, but it will most likely be five to seven."

"Resolution will be good," I state easily.

"If it's mine, I'm going to do everything possible to establish my rights. My lawyer said even with a positive result that I'm the father, Angela can keep me away from prenatal appointments and out of the delivery room. There isn't anything to prevent her from going through with an adoption, which she's threatened, if I don't bend to her demands," James reveals.

"What could she possibly be demanding? You're the one pushing for the testing," I point out.

"With her compliance for testing, her lawyer produced a new list of demands. Angela wants to quit working since her job as a flight attendant could prove to be physically challenging and hazardous as the baby grows. She will need to be financially supported during and after the pregnancy, which means child support. I would do that anyway, but she's also asking for a credit card to purchase things like maternity clothes. Then there's the issue of her medical care since she won't have a job. Plus, she wants to move into my house."

"What's wrong with her home?" I ask. It's in my sister's neighborhood.

"She's renting and won't be able to continue making monthly payments without an income," James explains. "My lawyer said it's a way to establish my rights and maintain a record of involvement by agreeing, but I'm drawing the line at the fucking sex demands. It's just all her typical bullshit."

Sex demands?

"Wait—a part of her demands is that you have sex with her?"

James nods. "If I'm the father. Three times a week or she plans to locate 'suitable companions' to parade through my house at my expense as part of maintaining her 'positive mental health' during the pregnancy. Can you fucking imagine? I have no doubt she would make sure I was able to hear or see them fucking. Who wants to be a part of any of that shit?"

"No one."

"Exactly. Angela claims my rejection at establishing a friendly relationship between us has taken a toll on her and she doubts we will ever be able to successfully co-parent together." He scoffs. "Friendly. Her? That's not possible. She's a fucking viper. After meeting with a psychologist recently, her lawyer shared a report that her current environment isn't supportive and is toxic to her pregnancy."

"She's toxic. Is she pulling this same shit with Ben or just you?" I wonder.

"Yeah, both of us. Our lawyers are working together. Mine can't guarantee I'll win sole custody, but if we're at least roommates, I could build a case against her."

Shaking my head at that advice, I reply, "I wouldn't let her anywhere near your home. Can you imagine what she would do if you were dating someone? You would never be able to bring them there, which is fucked up. You need to set some clear boundaries."

James scrubs his hands over his face with frustration. "I have a bad feeling about what the test results will be. My lawyer is preparing me for the worst-case scenario and I get that."

"Let's hope for the best."

"Yeah. I'm full of this rage that keeps building with every message. It's consuming me, and I want to pummel something."

"Maybe an extra workout this evening," I suggest.

"Good idea. I can probably find a boxing ring or gym somewhere near the hotel to pound out a few hours," he concludes and begins a search on his phone.

After landing, I send Bella a text letting her know we've arrived and will be on our way to the hotel soon. Her earlier texts indicate that she and Rose made it to the ranch safely.

As we're departing the plane, I hear Demir's voice from behind me. "Spider!"

Once I make eye contact, he says, "Wait for me."

After a quick nod, I follow James down the stairs, hand off my luggage, then step to the side and wait for Demir to join me.

"Hey." His smile is unsure. Demir looks around at who could be paying any attention to us, but everyone is focused on boarding the bus.

"What's up?"

Demir lowers his voice. "It's probably nothing."

"Tell me what's going on."

"In Mexico, you said we need to watch out for Ben because of Angela. I do that anyway. He's our tendie. We always protect him."

"What happened?"

"Trouble sits in Vladdy's old seat, across the aisle and on the diagonal from me."

"Okay . . ."

"He was texting during most of the flight. I thought it was Doc's partner since I notice VS at the top of the conversation, but he was texting someone else too."

I shrug, not a clue who it could be or really care unless he's cheating on her already, but maybe they haven't established only dating each other yet.

"I saw your name and Ben's mentioned to someone listed as JB in his phone."

"My name?" I ask, surprised.

"And Ben's. I couldn't read the whole message, but I saw Trouble's last response—patience. I always deliver."

"He's telling someone to have patience? Patience for what?"

"Don't know." Demir smirks. "I'm still not convinced his name isn't Chaos."

"It fits, doesn't it?" I smile sadly. I guess we aren't past his shit.

"I thought you should know."

"Okay. Thanks, Fin. I don't know what it means. Hopefully, nothing."

"Me too. Especially, since we're winning again. I don't trust that guy. Has he said anything to you?"

"No. And he seems to be leaving Ben alone, which is good. I've buried the hatchet, but that doesn't mean I don't remember where it is if I need it."

"You know the story of Julius Caesar?" Demir asks out of the blue.

"Vaguely. Isn't that Shakespeare or something? Read it when you can't sleep?" I joke.

"I'm not a good reader, but I listened in school," Demir reveals, then continues. "Today is the Ides of March, when Caesar was assassinated. A deadline for settling old debts."

"Settling old debts?" I repeat.

"I don't know. Trouble has history with Ben. I want to be wrong, but I have a bad feeling. Something is brewing. I don't trust him."

"You're not alone in that thought."

It seems as if we are all tuned into bad feelings, which is counterproductive to where we should be.

/ /\ (oo) /\ \

With Demir's warning about Caius in the back of my mind, I'm a little more on edge than normal for Monday night's game with Arizona. From my spot on the bench, my imagination gets the best of me when the feeling of being watched returns, as it did while I was in Las Vegas with Bella at the Planet Hollywood Casino.

At the time, I thought I saw someone who looked similar to Jake at one of the tables, but I keep hoping I was mistaken. With the clock winding down on our professional relationship, there are still two months remaining with our contract. I don't need him causing any issues for me with Bella or the team.

While I haven't seen my dad, Bella alerted me with a text that his car had arrived in Phoenix, in case I hadn't checked myself, which I hadn't. It could mean he's here . . . somewhere. I have no idea what he's hoping to accomplish. Or why he would make the trip to watch us play. Maybe we're just a stop on the way to Vegas or elsewhere.

From the drop of the puck, I keep an eye on Caius who appears to be on a mission, hitting every Coyote on the ice relentlessly. He shrugs off any comments by our teammates about his checks, keeping his head down. There's nothing wrong with them, as they are classic textbook hits and not cheap shots or near the boards, but he has to be hurting from some of the hits he's delivering.

James is right there with him, only he's the one repeatedly in the penalty box.

It's a little odd, when Caius never makes eye contact with me as he skates toward our bench and climbs over the boards to wait for his next shift. Without any acknowledgment of me even when he's sitting close, I'm not sure if this new phase of our relationship is better or worse.

Demir is right.

Something else is going on with him. And my gut says it somehow involves me.

We trail the entire game and can't get our offense rolling while Arizona slips one past Ben in the first period on a power play. They put two pucks into the back of the net minutes apart during the second period. There's plenty of chatter around Ben after each whistle, then in front of our bench, as tempers are rising between James and their players while changeovers continue. We're definitely not making any friends tonight.

As old rivalries between players heat up, it's no surprise when a fight breaks out in front of Arizona's net with James and Caius in the middle of it during the third period. Arizona's backup goaltender, a buddy of mine, who got the start for tonight is down and not moving. I watch as their medical trainer hurries out onto the ice.

The last time I spoke with Sean was when Stefan made his debut in Dallas at our "Hockey is for Everyone" night. Sean wasn't in goal that night, which was prior to the trade deadline and our addition of Caius. I thought he could be traded to Calgary or Vancouver, but that wasn't the case. Since they lost the last game we played in Dallas, I wasn't surprised to see Sean get the start for tonight. So far, he's been effective in shutting down our attempts to score.

The overhead replay of the incident leading to the fight reveals Caius losing an edge of his skate after powering into the net and colliding with Sean. It may have been an accident, but the damage is done as Sean is helped from the ice by his teammates and departs the game.

I have no idea what is hurt from observing him, but Sean is crouched over during his exit, not moving his legs to get off the ice. It could be something we can't see easily, like a groin injury when nothing else appears obvious. Those take time to heal.

After the officials assess penalties, James is given a game misconduct and match penalty for telling the ref to "go fuck yourself," ending his night, while Caius is given a two-minute minor for fighting.

That's it.

From my perspective, two minutes doesn't seem like an appropriate punishment when a player in a vulnerable position is forced to leave the game with an injury. A part of me worries there could be retaliation from one of Arizona's players against Ben, but fortunately, the rest of the game is uneventful.

With the goaltending change to Arizona's normal starter, Tyler and Demir both find the back of the net, giving us hope of a comeback. Unfortunately, their goals aren't enough when time runs out and we end the night with a three to two loss.

Zero points.

Hopefully, we can grab two in Las Vegas, but the loss causes us to slip in the standings to the wild card spot with three other teams trailing behind us closely. During our flight, our goaltending coach confirms that I will be in goal with Ben as backup.

I just hope things turn around for us . . . in a number of ways. Maybe that begins in Vegas.

A/N: Happy holidays to you and yours! I can't thank my pre-readers and beta enough for their help with turning around this chapter so quickly. Many of you know this hasn't been an easy month for me health wise, and I wanted you to have at least one chapter from Spider this month. I have no idea when the next chapter will post since I'm still working on it. I have been writing a few things for this story out of order since Senior and Bella won't stop talking, and clearly, they don't realize we're on Edward's POV at the moment. lol

If I don't have a chapter ready, then I'll share another banked chapter from For One Night Only. Are you reading that one? It's a 1920s historical romance and I'm loving Jazzward. Some readers are finding Miss Swan a challenge to love, but if anyone can win someone over, it's her. If you're ever curious about updates, want to view photo galleries for my stories, or read previously posted stories, you can find them on my website kayrichard dot com. You're welcome to subscribe at the bottom of the web page, then every update will be delivered directly to your inbox.

I also have a Facebook group, Kay Richard's Fanfics where you can find me regularly, and I'm on Pinterest too, if that's your thing. Thank you to everyone who continues to read and for your kind words of support. xx