Captain Hook rubs a hand over his hair from front to back and lets out a short puff of a sigh as he grabs the pair of boxing gloves, which he last received, and stands. The music is turned down and the room goes mostly silent. “I’ll make this short and sweet.”
“You? Sweet?” Tommy Boy interrupts, earning himself some chuckles and a glare from Brayden.
“He got the game-winning goal and he was the best D-man on the ice tonight. Good job, Bruiser.” Brayden tosses them to me and I catch them easily.
“Thanks, Captain Hooker. We all did real well.”
“Fucker,” he grumbles. He tolerates Captain Hook. Making it Hooker pushes it too far. I like to tease him every now and then. That’s all I’m willing to do. Brayden is usually an uptight guy, always serious, and I think in all the time I’ve known him, he’s smiled maybe twice. I don’t think he even smiles after he scores. It’s like there’s a permanent frown on his face.
Zane and Marc slap my shoulders in congrats as the rest of the guys hoot from their places across the room. A social media guru for the team comes in, so I hurry up and hang them around my neck for the photo she’ll take.
“Bruiser’s just showing off tonight because his woman came to watch,” Rams says.
“That makes sense,” Olsey nods. “He’s usually such a slacker.” He grins.
“Thank fuck he’s finally with his woman. He can focus instead of being on his phone all the damn time,” Marc adds.
“Shut the hell up. All of you.” Sydney had no effect on how I played. Thinking of her now, though, reminds me that I need to hurry the hell up and get out of here.
“Why do we have boxing gloves anyway?” Z asks, a bit quietly even though the music is turned back up so it’s unlikely anyone but me will hear him anyway.
“Ah, because Rebels are fighters? It’s symbolic? You gotta fight for what you want.”
“Kind of ironic though, don’t you think? We take the gloves off when we fight.”
I laugh. “Hey, I didn’t pick it.”
I make my way to the showers for a quick one and then get dressed, listening to the guys talk about our plans. A bunch of us are going to a bar. It surprises me a little that Brayden is going. He normally goes home if I had to guess. Which, it’s not like I always went out with the team because I chose Sydney instead, but when I did go, Brayden wasn’t there. Liam never goes either, and even he is going tonight. There are just some nights that brings those teammates out of their hiding places. This must be one of those nights.
“Are you going to the bar?” Zane asks me.
“Yeah. You?”
“Don’t think so.”
“How come?” He normally goes, I think, and especially if I go.
He shrugs.
“Come on, Z. You should go. It’ll be fun. Everyone else is going.”
In the end, I’m unable to talk him into going. I have a feeling it has something to do with Deanna. He should break up with her already. It’s going to end badly for him. I’m not sure how, but it looks like he cares too much and she cares too little. Not to mention, she’s for sure sleeping with other guys. Well, at least one other guy. Open relationship my ass. It’s not going to work. It really won’t work when Zane doesn’t like the idea of it, but he’s in it anyway because he doesn’t want to give up what little he does have. Damn. That almost sounds like part of my relationship with Sydney. I don’t think it’s the same.
“About time you got here.”
I look around the box. Sydney’s the only one left. “Sorry, gorgeous. I got held up. You could’ve headed out without me.”
“I didn’t know if you would check your phone first, so I didn’t want you to freak if you came and I wasn’t here.”
I take her hand and start leading her out of the building. “You cut your hair.”
“And messed with the color. Do you like it?”
“Yeah. Still up for going to the bar?”
“Actually, can we go home? There’s something I want to talk to you about and then I figured...” Her voice fades as she slides a hand up my chest.
“Home it is.”
“Really? No convincing?”
She seems so surprised that I wonder if maybe I’m better off going to the bar instead. I replay what she said in my head. “Well, maybe that depends. What did you want to talk about?”
“Nothing serious. Just something about Savannah’s birthday.”
We’ve reached her car, so as soon as she unlocks it, I open the door for her. She smiles to herself.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. I’ll see you at home.”
I grab her hand before she can slide into the driver’s seat. “Tell me what you’re smiling about.”
“It’s nothing. I’ve always liked you opening my door is all.”
“Oh. Yeah, well, my dad taught me good—” I abruptly stop. Talking about Dad and giving him credit for my abilities to be a gentleman is not something I want to do anymore.
“We should talk about that too,” Sydney says quietly.
“Not tonight. I’ll see you at home.”
She nods, and I see her off before following after her. Instead of thinking about my father, I wonder what she wants to discuss about Savannah’s birthday. That is much more interesting than the issue of my father.
Sydney beat me home with enough of a lead to already be inside when I get there.
“Babe?” I call out when I don’t see or hear her.
“Don’t come back here yet!” she shouts from the bedroom.
“Why?” I ask as I start walking that way.
“Because I said so! Just wait! I mean it, Ian!” Her voice grows louder the closer I get. “If you so much as peek in here, no sex!”
That really gets my attention. “What the fuck are you doing in there?”
“Stop talking to me or I’ll change my mind!” she yells. I lean against the wall and wait. Not five seconds later, she changes her mind. “Talk to me, Ian. I’m done, but now, I’m second-guessing myself, so talk to me while I make up my mind.”
“Why don’t you let me come in and we’ll get this over with?” I turn to walk in because this is ridiculous.
“No!” There’s actual fear in her voice. That’s the only thing that makes me stay put. “Talk to me, Ian,” she repeats softly.
“Okay. Uh, how was the game? With the girls, I mean?”
“Oh! I know what icing and off-sides are. I know which position you play and what you do, as well as the forwards. Obviously, I learned about some penalties, too. I think I have a good basic understanding of things. Thank you for asking them to explain it to me. I think I have new friends.”
Wow. She just sounded excited. About a sport! Should I go outside to see if it’s raining cats and dogs? Or maybe see if pigs are flying? Try to go to hell and see if it’s frozen over? This is unbelievable. “That’s great, babe,” I tell her honestly.
She’s quiet for a moment. “I spent a lot of your money today.”
“How much is a lot?” I ask mostly out of curiosity. To see what her definition of a lot is.
“Two-fifty,” she whispers. “I used my money for my hair, nails, and massage.”
“I won’t go broke because you went on a shopping spree, Sydney, and I told you to use my card anyway. I don’t care if you splurge on yourself every now and then.”
“Well, I bought some things for Savannah, too.”
“That’s good. What else did you buy?”
“Come look.”
Finally! I round the corner and stop short.
Wow. I don’t even know where to look first. Has she worn heels since prom? They look damn good on her. So do the stockings that stop mid-thigh. The lingerie is sheer, so I can see the new bra and panty set. It must be new because I would definitely remember that.
Sydney laughs. My gaze reluctantly rises to her face. “And here I was worried this would be a waste of money.”
“What makes you think it’s not?”
“You can barely look me in the eyes for five seconds because you’re looking everywhere else. Are you going to observe or would you like a hands-on experience?”
“Come here.”
She tilts her head. “Why can’t you come to me?”
“Because I want to see if you can still walk in those things.” I nod down at her heels.
“You’re such an ass.” She laughs, but she does walk over to me and looks hot as hell doing it. Sydney immediately pushes my suit jacket off my shoulders. It’s hard to fathom the fact that she was nervous over this.
“Why didn’t you want me to see you?” I ask, grabbing her hips as she unbuttons my shirt.
“Is it weird that I’m more comfortable being naked? I mean, this is showy and normally, we just undress and have at it. Not a lot of thinking. This is thinking.”
“Who knew that you and thinking would be a good thing?”
There’s that laugh again. We’ve done enough talking. I walk her backward to the bed.
“I love you,” she whispers right before she falls.
“I know.” I grin.
“Ian.” It’s a stern warning as she crawls up the bed and I quickly undress.
“I love you too, babe.” With a hand on each ankle, I glide up her skin, climbing up the bed as I go. My grin grows as her legs spread. I go straight for her hips, switching to using only one hand as the other helps prop me up.
“What are you doing?”
“Enjoying what you bought.”
Sydney grabs my face and yanks me all the way up, kissing me hard. My hips crash to hers and I wish there wasn’t anything separating us. Her and her fucking clothes. She’s killing me with this kiss. This is not her normal kiss. Her usual slow start makes no appearance. It’s zero to sixty with a strong grip on my face, tongues slashing around inside of mouths, and me letting out a groan that sounds more like a growl when she bites my lower lip. My body falls onto hers because my arm gives. She makes an oof sound.
That’s apparently her opportunity to make her simple demand. “Enjoy me.”
Easiest thing she’s ever asked me to do.
My dream was much like my reality. I was wrapped around a beautiful woman who just so happened to be all mine. The first thing I become aware of as I’m waking up is Sydney’s fingers walking up the arm I have locked tight around her waist.
“Morning,” I mumble, so she knows I’m awake.
“Morning.” A soft kiss is pressed to my mouth. “We never talked.”
“Talk then.”
“Your eyes are closed.”
“Don’t need ‘em to listen, babe.” Besides, she’s naked. It’s bad enough that I can feel her. If I open my eyes and see even a little of her, it’ll push me over the edge. She wants to talk, so I’ll listen better if I’m not even more distracted by the sight of her.
“How will I know if you fall back asleep?”
“Wouldn’t do that to you. What is it about her birthday that you want to go over?”
“Can I redecorate her room? Paint it and everything?”
I peek an eye open. What?
“She’s never had her own room, Ian, and definitely not something that was full of as much personality as she is. I just want to give her a bedroom that suits her. If I can.”
“Have at it.” The landlord told me when I moved in that I could paint if I wanted, and I did, because it needed it. If Sydney wants to paint Savannah’s room, she can. “I’ll help you as much as I can.”
“Oh, I’m so excited!” She kisses me hard as her phone rings.
“Ignore it.”
“It’s Logan.” She rolls away from me, grabs her phone, and laughs as she answers and sees me with a frown. “Hello?” I slip my hand between her legs. She jumps and tries to push it away. “Okay. Good.” Her legs squeeze around my hand while it dives a little lower, slipping the tip of my finger inside of her. “How long has she been feeling bad?” she asks. That makes me pause. Is she talking about Savannah? “And her fever started when?” Another pause. I remove my hand. “Okay. Thanks. As soon as I get dressed, I’ll be on my way.”
“Savannah’s sick?”
“Yeah. She started throwing up last night, but didn’t start running a fever until this morning, which is why he called.”
I get out of bed and start getting dressed. “Why didn’t he call last night?” He should have called last night. She’s been sick all this time and he didn’t tell us! Her parents! What the fuck?
“He was letting us have a night to ourselves, and he called us the moment she was worse,” she defends. How is she not pissed?
“She was worse the moment she threw up!” I shout, yanking my shirt over my head.
“Ian!” Sydney is suddenly in front of me and she grabs my face. “Savannah is fine. She’s been sick before. Take a chill pill, okay? Worrying is fine; overreacting is not. You’ll feel better once you see her, so take a deep breath, finish getting ready, and we’ll go pick her up.”
I pull away from her, annoyed that she isn’t bothered by this, and hurry up to brush my teeth so I can see my daughter. Twenty minutes later, I rush through the apartment door. Savannah is asleep on the couch with her feet in Logan’s lap. My hammering heart slows a bit at being able to see her finally. She rouses awake when I carefully pick her up.
“I don’t feel good, Daddy,” she whines.
“I know, little Miss. We’re taking you home.” I walk out without a second glance. I’m much calmer now, but I still think he should’ve called sooner. Plus, I do want to get her home sooner rather than later. I get Savannah into her car seat and crawl into the backseat to sit next to her. My heart swells when she reaches out to hold my hand.
Sydney is glaring as she walks toward the car. She’s talking the moment she gets in. “You know, you should stop being rude to him. He’s basically the reason we’re together.”
“Hush, Mommy,” she whines her order. Savannah tries to turn in her car seat like she wants to lie on her side, but huffs in frustration. “I wanna sit with you,” she says to me.
“You have to sit in your car seat. We’ll be home soon.”
She frowns and tears well in her eyes. Fuck. She’s killing me here. I’m too tempted to pull her over into my lap and hold her for the rest of the ride home, but I’m not risking her safety. She’ll be okay until we get home. Savannah doesn’t think so, though, because she fusses the entire way. Sydney, on the other hand, glares at me every so often via the rearview mirror. I ignore her.
When we get home, I carry Savannah inside and sit down on the couch. She rests her head on my thigh. At what point do we take her to the doctor? How high was her fever? I place my hand against her forehead. Still hot. To soothe her or me, I’m not sure, I start repeatedly pushing her hair away from her face. Sydney sits next to me.
“There’s a virus going around the daycare. She probably has it,” she says.
“I don’t like this.” I’m feeling a little sick over seeing her feeling bad. Even as she dozes off, she looks like she feels miserable. I don’t like this one bit. I want Savannah better right now.
If only it was as simple as that.
“Welcome to parenthood. She had a really bad cold last year with this terrible cough that just didn’t want to go away. When she’s sick, you feel like crap because she’s so pitiful and it sucks.”
That it does. Remembering what she said earlier, I ask, “Why is Logan the reason we’re together?”
“The text you got when you were out of town about us meeting to talk? He actually sent that. He’s also the one who said I should move in. He’s been pushing me toward you ever since you found out about Savannah. Who knows if I’d be here without him doing that and telling me what needs to be said?”
She’d be here because I’d eventually convince her this is exactly where she needs to be. I don’t say that. Instead, I put an arm around her and settle in.
“Are you going to admit you shouldn’t have been rude?”
“Nope.”
“Ian,” she starts, but I cut her off.
“I missed enough of her life, babe. She’s...” My throat tightens and I swallow away the difficulty. “She’s my little girl, and I should get every opportunity to worry over her and take care of her from here on out. If I was on the road, I’d expect you to tell me the moment you could, even though there would be nothing I could do. You already know what you’re okay with; I don’t until it happens. I stand by my actions.”
Savannah curls into a ball, which makes me wonder if she’s cold. I grab the blanket from the back of the couch with my free hand and cover her up.
“Okay,” Sydney says. “I see your point. I’m sorry that I forget to see things from your view.”
“It’s fine. Not everyone can be as perfect as I am.”
She laughs. We fall silent. Sydney turns the TV on and leans into me. “Hey, did you ever talk to your mom?”
“I texted her and she told me that she wanted to talk, but I haven’t called her.”
“What about your dad?” she whispers, causing me to sigh.
“I don’t want to deal with him yet.” Not at all. Now that the fury is starting to fade, I’m torn. I want him to meet Savannah, but I want to keep him from her as punishment for making Sydney think I wanted nothing to do with them for so long. He was never planning to tell me about Savannah. That’s what I can’t get over. After how he raised me, how could he do this to me and my own kid? I can’t wrap my mind around it.
Savannah rolls over, her eyes sleepily looking at me.
“Babe, get a trash can,” I order as I take note of her pale face. Sydney runs to grab one. “You feeling okay, little Miss?”
She shakes her head. Sydney makes it back just in time for Savannah to cough. I roll her over, hold her hair back, and she pukes after the second cough. She starts crying and mumbles about not feeling good. Sydney brings her some water so she can at least swish and spit.
“Want to lay back down?” I ask her.
“Nooooo,” she cries, crawling into my lap to rest her head on my shoulder. I slouch into the couch so she’s not too upright and grab the blanket to tuck it around her. As I begin to rub her back, she takes a fistful of my beard. She just holds on.
When Sydney returns with a clean trash can, it occurs to me that Savannah should probably want her mommy. Yet, she hasn’t seemed like she wanted to go anywhere else.
“Shouldn’t she want you?” I ask.
Sydney kisses the top of Savannah’s head, but that must annoy her because she makes a whining noise and buries her face closer to my neck. “No,” Sydney answers. “She only wants me when no one else is around. I don’t know why, but if Chris or Logan was around, she’d almost always want to snuggle with them instead when she wasn’t feeling well. She likes the men in her life better than her mommy.”
“Well, I like Mommy more.”
Sydney laughs. “I bet you do.”
Savannah refused to be by herself, so Sydney and I were always next to her. She even slept in our bed. She’s feeling better today. I couldn’t be happier because it killed me to see her so miserable. She is definitely pitiful when she’s sick. She mopes and is grouchy if you bother her, but you never know what’s going to annoy her. I have to say, though, I did enjoy all the attention she gave me. It felt pretty damn good that she wanted me instead of Sydney. It felt good to be taking care of her too.
But there is one drawback. Guess who’s throwing up?
Sydney, thankfully.
I have to leave tomorrow morning for a game, and Savannah’s skating lessons start today. Sydney obviously isn’t taking her, so I am. As I walk Savannah over to her instructor, I keep chuckling to myself. She’s clutching my hand because she already has the skates on. However, her balance is just fine.
Her instructor’s name is Paula, thank goodness for her name tag because I had forgotten. She’s looking down at a clipboard when we walk up, but she lifts her head, her eyes widening. “You’re Ian Rhett!”
“Ah, yeah. I’m here with my daughter, Savannah, for the class.”
Paula frowns. “You have a daughter? I mean, not that it’s impossible, but I’ve been a fan of the Rebels for a while and usually we know which players have kids. God, I’m rambling; sorry.” She starts to stare at her clipboard. “I have a Savannah Jarvis, but not a Savannah Rhett.”
“That’s her,” I confirm.
Paula is either confused or intrigued or both by that, and I choose to ignore it all. “Okay. Thanks. You can wait with the other parents over there if you’d like.” She crouches to look at Savannah. “Are you excited for your first lesson?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Why don’t you come with me?” She holds out her hand, but Savannah looks up at me.
“Go ahead. I’ll wait right here.”
It takes her a second to decide to let go of my hand and follow Paula to join the rest of the kids. They try to keep things really simple, short, and fun at this point while they both get the kids comfortable on the skates and teach them how to move around on the ice with them. My phone rings, a call from Sydney, so I answer.
“You should be resting,” I say in lieu of hello.
“I am. How is it so far?”
“Babe, it’s literally just starting.” I laugh. “Nothing to report. You’ll be able to see it when you bring her next. Hang up and take a nap.”
“I just did. I don’t know how those kids survived this because I feel like death.” There’s a short pause. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“You’ll get to see things when you bring her,” I repeat.
“Ian,” she sighs. “You like having my firsts, right? I’ve had all of her firsts. I’ve been there for everything. I’m not there today and I swear, if I thought I could get into the car without throwing up the entire time, I’d be down there in a heartbeat. So, tell me what’s going on. Please?”
That nearly breaks my heart. “Hold on a second, gorgeous. I’m going to hang up, but just trust me.” I hang up before she can say anything and call her back, but this time, it’s through FaceTime. I fix the screen so she can see for herself what Savannah is doing.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “She’s so cute!”
They both are. Sydney’s eyes are glued to the phone and mine alternate between watching her and Savannah. Halfway through, Sydney has to put the phone down to throw up. Aside from that, she’s able to watch all of Savannah’s first lesson. We hang up once she’s done and Savannah runs over to me.
“Daddy, that was fun!” she squeals. “Do it again.”
I laugh. “You will. Let’s get these skates off and go home to check on Mommy.”
At that, Savannah sobers. “Mommy still sick?”
“Yeah, but she’ll feel better soon, just like you did. Are you going to take care of her while Daddy is gone tomorrow?”
Savannah nods her head. “Where you go, Daddy?” she asks.
“On a trip to New Jersey, but it’s a short one.” Now that her shoes are on, I take her hand for us to leave.
“Why you go, Daddy?”
“For work.”
“Why?”
“Because sometimes I have to go on trips for work.”
“Why?” she repeats as I put her in her car seat.
“Hey, little Miss, I already answered that question.”
“Nuh-uh.”
I level my gaze at her. “Why does Daddy go on trips?” She has the nerve to shrug. “I just told you. Now, you tell me.”
She stares at me for a moment, her legs swinging side to side and bumping into me. “For work,” she finally answers.
“See? You’re a good listener. Daddy likes good listeners.” I kiss her forehead and she grins. I close the door and get into the driver’s seat, so we can finally head home.
She tells Sydney all about her lesson and Sydney listens as if she doesn’t already know everything. Savannah also tells her that she’s a good listener. Sydney glances at me when she says this, but I just shrug with a smile. I manage to wrangle Savannah away from Sydney to give her a bath and then we sit in the recliner together to watch TV until it’s time for bed.
That’s when my phone rings with a dreaded call from my mother. I guess I’ve avoided her for long enough.
“Hello?”
“How can you tell me news like that and then ignore me, Ian? Tell me everything right now.”
“I’m good, Mom. Thanks for asking. How are you?” I sarcastically ask. When she doesn’t say anything, I sigh. “Did you call Dad?”
“Yes, and he told me that he kept the truth from you and then that she did the same thing. Are you sure this kid is yours?”
“Yes.”
“Did you have a test done?”
“Mom, I don’t need one!”
That starts her on a thirty-minute rant about how I need to get a DNA test performed to make sure that Savannah is mine. At one point, I set the phone down and motion for Sydney to come sit with me. I’ve been keeping my distance, not wanting to get sick, but I’m going to need to hold on to her to keep my anger at bay.
“What’s going on?” she whispers.
“Mom wants a paternity test.” Her eyes widen, but I pick the phone back up. “Are you done?” I ask when there’s a pause.
“No. What are you doing for this girl and her daughter? What’s going on now? Your father said that you’ve been dating her on and off since you were in high school basically.”
“Yeah, that’s the condensed version. Now, we’re living together, she’s going to school, and I take care of them. Things are good.”
“Wait. Wait. Wait. You’re taking care of them? She’s not working? Are you crazy, Ian? What if she’s just using you for your money?” Sydney tenses in my arms, obviously able to hear her. “You don’t need to hand over your money like that, especially if you don’t know for sure that the kid is yours.”
“Are you kidding me?” I interrupt. “You’re a fucking hypocrite. I can’t use my money to take care of my family but you can leave yours to marry some fucker for his money? I didn’t tell you for any other reason other than to let you know that you have a granddaughter. If you want to know about her, then I’ll be more than happy to tell you. Otherwise, keep your fucking opinions to yourself. Do you understand me?”
She stutters and then, “I’m just looking out for you!”
“Bullshit. If you want to talk about your granddaughter, you can call me. Don’t call me for anything else. I’m done with this stupid shit.” I hang up before she can say anything else.
“Ian,” Sydney starts softly.
“Babe, don’t.” I don’t know what she was going to say, but I don’t want to hear anything right now. I’m too damn pissed and the last thing I want is for that anger to transfer over to Sydney.
She rests her head on my shoulder and I rest my hand on her thigh since she’s sitting sideways in the seat. I can’t believe my mom is going to bitch at me for doing exactly what her husband does for her and he shouldn’t, if only because she takes advantage of it! She left us for his money. She might love him, but her greed is ultimately what led her away. And now, she’s going to say that I shouldn’t provide for my own family in whatever way I see fit?
“Do you want a test?” she whispers. “I mean, I did lie to you, so—”
“Stop it. That’s not the first time I’ve been asked. The teammate who recommended the lawyer? He asked me if I was sure and I interrupted him. Told him I trusted you more than anyone else in my life. I don’t need a test to prove you’re telling the truth when you’ve told me she’s mine.” I do trust Sydney. Not to mention, she’s said that I’m the only person she’s ever been with. That leaves only me to be Savannah’s father. That little girl is mine.
“Sorry. I guess I never expected anyone to ever question me about it.”
“Don’t worry about it, okay? That’s not an issue.”
She nods. “Your mom is kind of a bitch.”
I laugh. “Yeah. Don’t let what she said bother you. I’m happy with our arrangements, and what she says doesn’t matter. The only people that matter are you, me, and Savannah.”
“I love you,” she says with a smile.
“Love you too, babe.”
Sydney rests her head on my shoulder again. “I hate that you don’t have a good relationship with your parents. Can you at least think about talking to your dad soon? Let him fix things.”
“Why?”
“Because he and I both made mistakes. You forgave me. Why can’t you forgive him, Ian?” She’s looking at me now with those pleading brown eyes. Why is this so important for her? It’s not her dad. Why does it matter? It’s not bothering me as long as I don’t think about it.
“He wasn’t going to tell me, Sydney. Ever. That’s why.”
“But what if he was, but he wasn’t sure how?”
“Babe,” I start to shut this shit down, but she interrupts me.
“Talk to him, Ian. For Savannah. Your dad is a good man, over all, right? Don’t you want her to meet her grandfather? To meet at least one person in your family? Don’t you miss him?”
I stare at her for so long, I wonder when it’ll turn awkward. I hear what she’s saying. I don’t like it, but I hear her. “Fine,” I mutter. “For you and for Savannah, I’ll call him by the end of the week. No promises.”
“That doesn’t sound like you’ll have an open mind.”
“Don’t push it, gorgeous.”
She smiles and kisses my cheek. “Thanks. I’m going to bed; I’m exhausted.” She stands and walks slowly down the hallway, one hand on the wall as if she needs help. When I hear her retching, I turn off the TV, lock up, and follow after her. I need to do what I can to take care of her before I leave tomorrow.
For some reason, we’re called to the practice facility in the morning. Our flight leaves soon, but we’re being told to come in first. When I get to the conference room we were told to meet in, there’s only EJ in the room. On the table is a sleeping baby in a car seat.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
EJ turns, looking rough as hell. “Hey.”
“Are you okay?”
“Not really.” The baby startles, waking herself up, and she starts crying. EJ seems frozen for a few seconds before he carefully picks her up.
Marc, Noah, Scott, and a few other guys enter the room, stopping short when they see EJ and the baby.
“What’s going on?” I ask again.
“Um, so apparently, this might be my kid. I woke up yesterday and she was on my doorstep. Vicky, the girl I was seeing? She stopped talking to me, remember? She was pregnant, had the baby. She dropped her off at my house with a birth certificate, a note that said she was mine, she was sorry, and to take good care of her. Then, when I go to her house to figure out what the fuck is happening, I...” EJ chokes up and shakes his head. “Paramedics were there. One of her friends found her dead. They think she overdosed. She was a drug addict. Didn’t even know.”
Marc stands next to him and places a hand on his shoulder. “Shit, man. That’s fucked up.”
“Yeah.” EJ clears his throat. “Anyway, I asked for you guys because I don’t want to miss this game, but my mom’s flight doesn’t land until this afternoon. Do you think any of your women would be willing to watch her until my mom gets here to help me sort this mess?”
“Meredith might want to,” Noah says. “Let me call her.” He steps out of the room.
“If she can’t, I know Sylvia can,” Scott tells him.
“Sydney can’t. She’s sick.”
He nods and glances down at the baby as she makes a fuss. She’s a tiny little thing. “She’s only a week old,” he whispers. “What the fuck am I going to do with a baby?”
“Don’t worry about that just yet,” Noah says as he comes back in. “Mere’s on her way. Let her take care of her until your mom gets here and then you can focus on hockey.”
“You’re going to want to get a paternity test, though. Just to be sure,” Marc adds. “If she was a drug addict, she may have left her with you because she knows you’ll take care of her and you have the means to do so. Your mom will help you figure things out and we’re here for you, too.”
EJ nods. “Thanks.”
“Don’t feel guilty about letting your mom take over for right now either. Hockey will help clear your head from what’s happened,” Scotty tells him. “You can figure some things out after this trip and before the next one.”
“At least she’s cute,” Nathan pipes up.
EJ looks down at her as she starts crying again. He’s already in love with her. I can tell. He’s spent one day with her, is freaked the fuck out, but he’s already enamored with her. “Yeah, she’s beautiful.”
“What’s her name?” Marc asks.
“Bree.” EJ bounces her in her arms and she stops crying. He already knows how to soothe her.
“You’ve told Coach and everyone, right?” Brayden asks. I didn’t even realize he was here. Why would EJ call him? He doesn’t have a woman that I know of who could keep little Bree for EJ.
“Yeah. I did that before you guys showed up.”
“Can I hold her?” I blurt out.
EJ seems surprised, but he nods. Once she’s in my arms, I start to feel a little enamored with her myself. Her eyes are wide open as she stares at me. Her arms move about and she ends up grabbing hold of my beard. Her nose scrunches. Maybe she doesn’t like it because she lets go. I wonder if Savannah was this tiny or if she was a little bigger.
“I’m here,” Meredith says as she bursts into the room. “Oh, she’s so cute!” She peers at her and I can tell she’s itching to hold her.
“Want to hold her?”
“Please!” She melts the moment the baby is in her arms. “Oh, EJ, she’s beautiful.”
“Thanks,” he replies awkwardly. “Could you watch her at my house? I had to buy some supplies yesterday and most of it is there. Then, when my mom gets here, she can go straight there.”
“Yeah, of course. Whatever you want. When does her flight land?”
“At one. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all!” They exchange numbers and EJ gives her his address while they put the baby back in the car seat before we all head outside. Meredith moves over to Noah and takes his hand. I’m walking right behind them, so I hear her whisper, “I want one. I think I have baby fever; just that quick.”
He laughs. “Don’t speed up my plan, yeah?”
“Whatever. Just think of all the sex we’d have and how cute our baby would be.” Okay. I’m hearing way too much. Meredith’s voice lowers, but I can still hear her. “If we’re lucky enough, that is.”
Noah wraps an arm around her. “It’s part of the plan, Mere. It’ll happen. For now, enjoy Bree and your baby fever.”
Hell, I think I have a bit of baby fever. I almost envy EJ, if only because he’s going to experience parts of Bree’s life that I missed with Savannah. I want to experience that some day. For now, I need to focus on keeping my life together and figuring out how I’m going to work things out with my father.