Chapter 6

6

IRENE

What happened?

Irene motioned again, completely taken aback as she looked at her son’s beaming expression. Her standoffish, grumpy boss had gone to her child’s school, speaking to the classroom about sign language?

Mommy, Barrett showed up at my school today. I’m going to be on television! Stephen said quickly, jumping slightly up and down and practically coming unhinged with his enthusiasm as he continued on, unphased.

It was so cool, Mommy. The classroom door opened, and Barrett was there talking to everyone – but especially me – and even Devin came to say hello on the playground, asking if I could get Barrett’s autograph for him. Do you think he would sign something for me if I asked nicely? Do you? Huh, huh? Mommy? Mommy, are you watching?

“I see you,” she whispered, shocked. “I’m just very surprised and happy for you. We’ll have to watch the…” her voice trailed off as the garage door opened suddenly nearby, and Barrett walked in.

His brown eyes met hers for a brief moment. He didn’t say anything. He simply swallowed causing his Adam’s apple to bob slightly before he looked away. It felt like an eternity before he turned to them.

“I picked up Chinese food,” he began, signing so Stephen was included, and her stomach did that weird little quivering thing again. She slapped a hand over it, tossing it up to being hungry.

And then Mario Cart? Her son jumped excitedly. Can we watch the news? I told Mommy about you coming to the school. It was so cool.

“Can we talk later?” Barrett said quietly, looking at her. She had a sinking feeling that she was about to get terminated again. After the morning she had, she was on edge, and later was not going to work for her.

“No,” she began hesitantly, seeing his doubletake. “Let’s talk in the other room now so he isn’t trying to read my lips. I think my plate is already full, so if you are about to dump something on me – do it quickly.”

“Okay,” Barrett nodded and looked at her – then Stephen. Can you put an eggroll on each plate and get out the forks by yourself? I need to talk to your mom for a minute.

Sure!

Irene’s heart skipped as Barrett’s strong hand clamped down on her wrist. His touch was firm, almost unyielding, as he pulled her along the hallway with an urgency that left her scrambling to keep up. The duffel bag he had been carrying was abandoned mid-motion, his focus entirely on her.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, her voice sharp with both confusion and irritation. She twisted her wrist against his grip, her other hand prying at his fingers. “I can walk, you know…”

“Irene,” he said curtly, barely breaking stride as he tugged her closer, “we need to talk, and we need to do it now, or we’ll be talking in front of your son. There’s a lot to cover, and I don’t have time to sugarcoat it.”

Her stomach sank at his words, a leaden weight settling low in her core. “What’s this about? What happened at the school?” she asked, her voice quieter now, a thin thread of dread lacing through it. Barrett slowed only slightly, glancing over his shoulder at her with an expression so raw and earnest it nearly stopped her breath.

Where was the cold, sucking-lemons-look?

Where was her curt, grumpy boss?

“I hate bullies,” he said simply, his tone like steel wrapped in velvet. “I wanted to give Stephen a little social boost, so I showed up. Figured if the kids saw me there, maybe they’d lay off him.”

Irene blinked, stunned.

“Just out of the blue? Just like that?” Her tone carried more skepticism than she intended, but she couldn’t help it. People didn’t just… do things like this.

“I’m a nice guy,” Barrett replied, shrugging one shoulder like his kindness was no big deal, as if this grand gesture wasn’t extraordinary.

And that’s when it hit her.

Hard.

Like a freight train colliding with her carefully constructed barriers. Her mind reeled, warning bells ringing in a deafening chorus. This wasn’t just some guy. This was her boss . The person who controlled her paycheck, her ability to keep food on the table, classes, medical bills, and kept a roof over Stephen’s head. A guy like Barrett couldn’t blur those lines, couldn’t look at her the way he was now—like she was something more.

“Barrett…” she began, her voice trembling with the weight of unspoken consequences.

He held up a hand, cutting her off before she could derail whatever train of thought had him so wound up.

“Hear me out,” he said, his words rushed but deliberate. “Let me just… throw the spaghetti at the wall, okay? Then we can pick through the mess.”

The sincerity in his voice, the quiet vulnerability that cracked through his confident facade, made her chest ache. Something happened, didn’t it? Her mind was screaming silently in awareness.

She nodded mutely, watching as he rubbed his face with both hands, a gesture that screamed of frustration—and something deeper. Fear? Doubt? Whatever it was, it made the air between them feel electric, alive with something unspoken and heavy.

Barrett exhaled sharply and locked eyes with her. That sinking feeling in her stomach deepened into a full-on freefall. Her world felt like it was teetering on the edge of some seismic shift, and she wasn’t sure if she could handle it. The thought was a gut punch, but it was better to rip off the Band-Aid now wasn’t it?

“I’m fired, aren’t I?” she blurted, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.

“No,” he said quickly, his voice firm. “You most certainly are not fired.”

Her breath caught. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. But—” He paused, dragging a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to find the right words. “There is a change… if you’re open to it.”

Irene’s throat tightened. A change? Her mind raced, filling in the blanks with every worst-case scenario it could conjure. “What kind of change?”

Barrett drew in a long, steadying breath, then let it out slowly. “I got a job offer,” he admitted, his words careful, deliberate. “A big one. Massive, actually. But you can’t tell anyone—not Batiste, not anyone, Irene.”

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

“I won’t say a word,” she promised hesitantly. “But… what does this have to do with me?”

Barrett’s expression shifted, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features. “It’s a new team,” he explained. “They haven’t announced it yet. But they want me.”

A new team? Irene tilted her head, her confusion growing. “I don’t understand…”

“My agent negotiated a contract,” he continued, his voice dropping as though he were sharing something he couldn’t quite grasp himself. There was a note of awe in his voice, and she could see it in his eyes. “For one-point-two million dollars.”

Her jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh…”

“A year,” he clarified, his eyes wide, his words almost breathless.

“OH MY GOSH,” she yelped, clapping her hands over her mouth as her heart soared for him. Her boss or not, Barrett deserved this. He had done so much for her, for Stephen, without asking for anything in return. Karma had finally come knocking, and she couldn’t have been happier for him.

“I know,” he said, a small, disbelieving laugh escaping him, cracking that stern look on his face – and she couldn’t help but stare. He was utterly devastating when he smiled and seemed happy. “It doesn’t feel real. And that’s just the salary. They’re already talking endorsements. Sneakers, sports drinks, magazines…”

“Oh, mercy,” Irene breathed, shaking her head in wonder. “That’s amazing.”

“It is,” Barrett agreed, his grin faltering slightly as something darker flickered behind his eyes. “But there’s a catch.”

“Whatever it is, you have to figure it out,” she breathed, stunned. “Barrett, that is a ton of money and nothing to laugh at. It would make you so comfortable financially and… wait , why are you telling me what the details are? I’m your maid.”

“That’s the catch,” he said gently, holding her gaze. “I need you to marry me.”

Her brain seized. Record scratch. Bell rung. You name it; it just happened in her head.

“Excuse me?” she balked and stuck her finger in her ear. “Maybe I’m the one who’s going deaf, but did you just say that you need me to marry you ?”

“It’s a condition of the contract,” Barrett began carefully. “They want only married players because there is less of a chance of problems with drinking, gambling, lasciviousness…”

“I’m stunned you know that word.”

“I’m educated,” he smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. “Just because I play hockey and act stupid doesn’t mean that I am. You might be surprised if you gave me a chance to be a friend.”

“We’re friends.”

“We barely talk.”

“You never talk to me– and well, actually, it’s true. You never talk to me. You text . Today was the first time you’ve ever called me or talked with me – and you hung up on me, as a matter of fact.”

“I’m talking now – and I’m asking you to marry me.”

“We barely know each other,” she retorted, dumbstruck. “We can’t get married. We don’t…”

“Before you say anything either of us regret,” Barrett interjected quickly, watching her carefully. “I would be very grateful.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you would have access to everything – and I wouldn’t have split accounts between us. If you were my wife, you would have access to the money. We’d take on a new home in Quebec and…”

“Quebec?” Irene practically shouted in shock. “That’s not a different city – it’s a different country! We’d have to get Visas or green cards, learn a different language, and we speak ASL. We’d have to learn French or it would be a different interpreter for Stephen and…”

“My agent tracked down a private school for the deaf that has teachers there that speak English and French - with a list of interpreters, if needed for Stephen,” he said softly, his eyes gentle as he reached for her hand, pleading with her. “Look, apparently, there is a lot on the line, and I told my agent to find something for Stephen because without your help – this is not happening. Stephen is a good kid – and you are a nice person. I would make your life easier by helping me with this. If I say no, my agent is going to fire me. If the Coyotes think that I solicited this, then they might think I’m looking and not renew my contract next year. This is big and…”

She stared at him in disbelief, her heart hammering in her chest, because this was, in truth, the answer to her problems that had plagued her this morning… in a way. It wouldn’t change the fact that she was pregnant.

She hadn’t dropped that bombshell on anyone - yet.

“Barrett,” she started, feeling tears of disbelief, fear, and disappointment choking her. “There’s something you’ve gotta know, something I haven’t told anyone…” she began, unsure where to start. He was standing there, holding her hand, giving her everything she could have ever dreamed… but he had no idea what he was getting into. He had no clue of the mess she was already in.

“Talk to me,” he urged quietly. “Talk to me, we can figure this out, and then I can show you the emails, contract, and the school if you are interested. What’s wrong? Do you have a boyfriend, a fiancé or something? Is it me? Am I too big of a video game dork or…”

“No,” she chuckled tearfully, looking into his eyes and seeing kindness for the first time ever – and she needed that kindness right now. If he yelled at her, she would have left. Her nerves were shot, her mind was overwhelmed with worry, and this felt surreal, like a dream come true… but she couldn’t accept without clearing the air. If he was going to give her the world, she had to be honest with the man. “I messed up.”

“We all do.”

The admission weighed heavily on Irene, as though every word she was about to speak carried the potential to break her. She stared at the floor, unable to meet Barrett’s eyes, her hands trembling as she fidgeted with the hem of her worn sweater. The room felt suffocating despite its openness, the soft hum of life around her clashing with the storm inside her.

Her voice was barely audible, a fragile whisper fighting to escape. “No, I really messed up,” she began, her stomach twisting into a knot so tight she thought she might be sick. “Almost three months ago—I had a weak moment. I did something I’m not proud of… and… and I’m pregnant.”

The air seemed to still, the moment stretching into something unbearable. Barrett didn’t move, his was posture rigid, and his expression was unreadable. She could feel the weight of his silence pressing down on her as though it carried a judgment she wasn’t ready to face. In the background, the soft clink of cutlery being arranged punctuated the quiet. Stephen, blissfully unaware of the turmoil between the two adults, was meticulously setting the table with care—just as Barrett had instructed him.

It was such a simple, ordinary act, but it struck Irene like a blow. The domesticity of it, the surreal picture of this little boy she adored doing what he could to please Barrett, made her throat tighten. A stinging warmth pricked at her nose, and she fought back the tears threatening to spill. The sound of normalcy, of a life she’d longed for but couldn’t quite grasp, was almost too much.

“Say something,” she pleaded, her voice cracking as she forced herself to look at him. The expression on Barrett’s face made her heart sink—it was a mask of cold detachment, and she hated how much it hurt.

“Is it Batiste’s kid?” he asked sharply, his tone so icy it made her flinch.

“What?” Her voice rose in shock, her head snapping back as if he’d struck her. “WHAT? No! Ewww!” She recoiled, horrified by the suggestion. “He’s in love with Aimee, and they’re getting married in three weeks. Are you even serious right now?”

“Whose baby is it?” His question came with the precision of a scalpel, cutting through her defenses.

“Mine.”

“Who is the father?” He didn’t flinch, his gaze unwavering.

“My ex-husband.” She said it quietly, the words heavy with the shame she couldn’t seem to shake.

Barrett’s jaw tightened.

“Do you love him? Are you getting back together with him?”

“No—and no,” she answered, her voice trembling but honest. It felt strange to be so open, especially with Barrett, her boss, of all people. Yet, in the oddest way, it was also a relief to have someone to share her burden with, even if she hadn’t expected it to be him.

“He showed up and said all the right things. I was at a low point, and I gave in. It was a mistake.” She paused, her breath hitching. “I’m not in love with him and haven’t been for a while, but I was scared and grasping at straws. I never imagined being rejected, divorced, abandoned, and alone at twenty-seven years old, and it’s so terrifying sometimes,” she admitted, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions.

The words began to tumble out faster, each one laced with the guilt and fear she’d been carrying for far too long.

“Kids are expensive. When it’s a deaf child, you have to make so many little changes, like a fire alarm that lights up instead of just sounding off. And then there’s the bigger stuff…” Her voice faltered as she swallowed hard, trying to keep herself from unraveling. “What if it’s me? What if I caused Stephen to be deaf because I have some genetic problem? What if my next child has a worse disability or?—”

“Irene.” Barrett’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts like a lifeline, sharp but not unkind. “Is there anyone else I need to worry about? It’s just you, Stephen, and the baby?”

“Yes.” The single word felt like a confession and a plea all at once.

“Is your ex going to be a problem with the baby?”

“No,” she whispered, ashamed, looking away from his piercing eyes. “I called him earlier today, and he told me to get rid of it. I can’t, though, Barrett. It’s a child, a soul, and…”

“Then marry me,” he interrupted simply, his tone so matter-of-fact that it took her a moment to process the enormity of what he’d just said. “We can figure it all out together. If there is something wrong, we’ll find the best doctors and handle it together – as friends and partners.”

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him, disbelief etched across her face. The room seemed to blur for a moment, her vision swimming with unshed tears as she tried to comprehend the kindness and resolve she saw in his eyes. That same unwavering gentleness she’d caught glimpses of toward her son was now shining through, steady and solid… for her.

“I can’t promise I’m the best person to be a father,” he admitted, his voice softer now, almost hesitant. “But I like Stephen. He’s a good kid. I would be willing to give it a try. You need a break, someone to help with the children, and you won’t have to worry about money.” He exhaled, the weight of the decision evident in the tension of his shoulders. “Right now, I think we need each other to bail the other person out of a mess—and we can do this as friends.”

“Are you sure?” she whispered, her voice trembling, her heart thundering in her chest.

“No,” he said with a short laugh, the sound tinged with nervousness. He ran a hand through his hair, the vulnerability in the gesture striking. “My life and my job are on the line, but I’m jumping regardless. You’re already making this house into a home—cooking, cleaning. Just do it in Quebec, with me, instead.”

The corners of her mouth twitched upward in a watery smile, and for the first time in weeks, she felt something akin to hope as she met his own nervous gaze.

“You have my back… and I’ll have yours,” he said gently. “I swear it. Be my trump card so I can secure my future – and I will secure all three of yours.”

“Barrett…”

Irene stared at him, her heart pounding in a way she hadn’t felt in years. There was a vulnerability in Barrett’s eyes that caught her off guard, something she hadn’t expected from the man who usually exuded confidence. His hand trembled as he held hers, the subtle shake not from nerves alone but from the weight of what he was about to do.

She barely registered the coolness of the ring as it slid into view, catching the dim light between them like a secret waiting to be shared. Her breath hitched, her voice coming out in a soft, disbelieving whisper.

“Oh my gosh…”

Barrett took a steadying breath, his eyes searching hers as though trying to gauge whether she’d run or stay.

“Can we run to the courthouse in the morning and fake it for the media?” he asked, his tone gentle but urgent. The words seemed to fall into the quiet like a stone into still water, rippling outward. “Can you smile, wave, and put on a show so they don’t realize that this is all to solidify my spot on the team?”

She froze, her mind racing.

There was so much packed into that single request: the vulnerability, the hope, the desperation. She didn’t know whether to laugh at the absurdity of it all or cry because it felt like stepping off a cliff into something she wasn’t sure she could handle. She had just gotten out of a marriage a year ago – nearly tripped back into it – and now was being asked to marry a man for anything but love.

Ouch.

“Yeah, I can fake things for the media,” she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hands trembled as he took the ring and slid it onto her finger. It was cool against her skin, a tangible reminder of how surreal this moment was. He chuckled nervously as the ring settled loosely on her finger, a small sound that made her chest ache with an emotion she couldn’t quite name.

“We can size it once we get settled,” Barrett said, his smile tremulous and endearing, the kind of smile that made her believe that perhaps he was just as scared as she was. She was getting a glimpse behind the walls he’d had up for so long, and it was staggering to behold. “I promise, with this contract, I’m the last guy you will ever have to work for.”

Irene let out a nervous laugh, the sound brittle but genuine. Her emotions were a tangled mess—confusion, doubt, and a strange, unexpected flicker of warmth all fighting for space in her chest. Barrett hesitated, his gaze locked on her as though weighing whether to press on or give her an out.

“I guess you’re right,” she admitted quietly. “Maybe we should talk more.”

He nodded, relief softening the tension in his shoulders. “We can start talking over dinner and looking at those houses emailed to me because when word gets out—” He paused, his jaw tightening visibly. “Irene, it will go downhill fast. It’s honestly going to be a whirlwind bordering on a hurricane – but I’ll handle everything I can. You just have to smile, nod, keep quiet, and act like a doting wife. My current team will probably cut me, and then we’ll be on the way to Canada. We’ll figure out the rest…”

Her heart stumbled.

“My apartment,” she gasped, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. She hadn’t even considered the practicalities of this madness yet.

“There’s probably a clause to let you out,” he said, his voice steady as though trying to anchor her. “If not, I’ll pay out the lease.”

“This is crazy,” she murmured, shaking her head.

“Want to do crazy stuff together as make-believe partners and friends?” His expression softened, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

The simplicity of his question left her breathless. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she settled for a weak smile. It was pathetic to think that she was so stuck that she’d accepted his offer. What about love, romance, all the bells and whistles? Nothing like having a little security, I suppose , she mused silently before looking at Barrett. “I guess we should go break the news to Stephen…”

Barrett’s grin turned mischievous, a spark of his usual confidence returning. “We should probably turn on the news so he can see the video footage of him today at the school,” he said, his voice light with amusement.

Her brow furrowed. “Oh?”

“I might have pulled a few strings with Mike, making sure the footage today turned out good for Stephen.”

“Turned out good, how ?”

“Who do you think is going to get to break the news about the wedding—and my new team?”

The weight of his words settled over her, a mix of shock, dread, and something close to admiration swirling through her. Barrett had a way of making even the most chaotic situations seem manageable. Maybe this crazy, impossible idea wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Maybe, just maybe, she could take the leap.

Swallowing, she nodded and followed him out of the room, taking a deep breath to tell her son that she was uprooting both of them – to Canada – as a family.

Whoa boy…

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