Cross-Checked (Boston Rebels #3)

Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six

McCabe

McCabe

My sister’s flight home tonight got canceled, so she’s staying with me.

Sunshine

Oh, okay. So this is my warning that I shouldn’t sneak across the hall in nothing but sexy lingerie tonight?

McCabe

I want you to meet her. But yeah, preferably with clothes on.

Sunshine

I thought our plan was to keep our relationship a secret until after the playoffs?

McCabe

We’re keeping it a secret from the general public. A small group of people close to us already knows. Of course I was going to tell Sloane.

Sunshine

Meeting her still feels like a really big step.

McCabe

Too big?

Sunshine

No. It’s just that you didn’t ask me to meet her earlier, so I wasn’t expecting this and now I’m just trying to wrap my head around the idea.

McCabe

The only reason I didn’t ask you to meet her earlier was that she was only here for the day and I was having lunch with her, and I knew you had that big meeting all day. Plus, I wanted to tell her about us before she met you.

Sunshine

* Deep breaths *

McCabe

Stop being weird about this. Your brother already knows we’re together and now my sister does too. Obviously we’re going to meet each other’s families.

Sunshine

Yeah, but when you meet my parents this weekend, we’re still going to be pretending we’re not together.

McCabe

That’s getting harder and harder.

Sunshine

That’s what she said . . .

McCabe

Sunshine

What time do you want me to come over?

McCabe

How about right now?

“ O h my god, you did not!” my sister’s peals of laughter ring out after AJ tells her about the time she intentionally wore a vibrant pink suit to a dinner with all the GMs, because one of them had insinuated that women didn’t belong in the upper echelons of hockey management.

“I did. I was the only person there not wearing black or navy blue. And you know what? If that asshole hadn’t made the comment, I probably would have worn a black suit too, just to fit in. Instead, that night made me realize that maybe I wasn’t meant to fit in. Maybe I was meant to stand out.”

“You’re my fucking hero,” Sloane says with a big smile. “Like, seriously, someday I want to be a girl boss like you.”

I’m not at all surprised that these two have hit it off. Sloane’s in healthcare management, and as a single mom to two active girls, she’s balancing work and life as best she can. She has big aspirations but hasn’t had the luxury of putting in the time and effort it would take to advance in her career like I know she wants to. It’s part of why us living in the same city had been so appealing—we’d have been able to help each other out.

“Just be careful you don’t girl boss so hard that you forget to have a life. I went down that route, and don’t necessarily recommend it.” AJ’s gaze slides to me, a small smile gracing her lips as she looks at Abby, who is currently cuddled into my chest, sucking on her pacifier. I’m sure her eyes are half-closed, because she feels like dead weight, exhausted after the video chat we had with Sloane’s daughters before AJ came over.

“Now that my kids are both in school, I finally feel like I can be a bit more dedicated to my job. Like this trip for these meetings today wouldn’t have been possible before, but because my neighbor has kids my kids’ ages and she could just bring mine home from school with hers, I got to come to Boston.”

Sloane had gotten her girls on the bus this morning before heading to the airport, made it to Boston before lunchtime so we could have a quick meal together, then had an afternoon full of meetings at a hospital in the same network as the one she works at. She was supposed to be home by bedtime, but bad storms in the Nashville area grounded some flights, and her plane never left the airport to head to Boston. Instead, she’s scheduled on a flight home tomorrow in the late afternoon.

“Not being able to step up like this before,” she continues, “held me back from advancing in my career. Not that I’d change the time I had with my kids when they were younger. But it does feel nice to be recognized for my skills at work, too.”

AJ studies my little sister as she talks, and I think she senses her need for validation. “Can I give you some unsolicited advice?”

“Sure.” Sloane looks at AJ with open admiration, but I’m a bit worried about what AJ is going to say. She can be blunt, and I don’t want her to unintentionally dim my sister’s newfound enthusiasm.

“Do the best job you can do at work, but only insofar as it doesn’t take away from your family. I know I don’t have children, so I don’t know what it’s like to balance kids and a career, but looking at it from this side...I’d trade my success for a family any day. The validation you get from work will only carry you so far in life. The love you get from your family”—AJ swallows, and I think she’s talking hypothetically until she looks at me and I realize that she’s not. She’s talking about us—“it’s so much more important.”

Sloane smiles and says, “I want to be you when I grow up.”

“Honey,” AJ says, reaching over to take Sloane’s hand and squeezing it. “You’re going to be so much better. Because you’re getting this whole work/life balance under control a decade before I did. You’re going to crush this.”

I clear my throat, because suddenly I’m a bit choked up, and that startles Abby and she lets out a whine.

“Here,” AJ says, standing. “Let me put her to bed so you two can have some more time together. I’ll be back in a bit.” She takes Abby from my lap after I give her goodnight kisses, cuddles my baby into her chest, and carries her toward the hallway that leads to the bedrooms.

Once she’s out of earshot, Sloane says, “Holy shit. She’s amazing.”

I nod, because there’s no denying it. “She is.”

“And to think that you used to hate her.” Sloane has had years of hearing me bitch about AJ, so she was appropriately shocked at lunch when I told her how things had changed.

“I think it was just easier to hate her.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because look what happened when I stopped.”

“What happened? You’re both happy for the first time, maybe ever? Sounds just terrible .” She laughs lightly with a shake of her head.

“When did you become such a smartass?”

“I was born this way.”

“Is it going to bother you if she stays here tonight? She pretty much sleeps here every night now.”

“Why would it bother me?” Sloane furrows her brow.

“I don’t know. I’m just making sure.”

“I love this for you. I love that you’re happy. I love that you guys found each other and are so good together. And I love the way she is with Abby...how she talks to her and treats her like she’s her own little person. I’ve dated guys who...I don’t know. Who treated my kids like they were an inconvenience, I guess?”

“This is when it’s good we don’t live in the same place, because I’d probably want to kill a guy who treated you and the girls that way.”

She opens her mouth to respond, but Abby lets out a shriek that has me standing. “Let me just go check on them. I’ll be right back.”

I rush down the hall and find Abby’s door cracked. I’m about to push it open and walk in, when I hear AJ, her voice soft and calming, saying, “Yeah, if I had to burp like that, I’d probably scream about it too.”

In the corner of the room, she’s rocking Abby in the glider, rubbing her back in a circular motion as she hums a song. I’ve never heard her sing. Didn’t even know it was a talent she had. And yet, there’s something so inevitable about this scene... her sitting in my daughter’s room, rocking her and singing to her before putting her to bed. She really was meant to be a mom, and I want this for her more than anything.

I want her here in my house every single day.

I want her to be Abby’s mom.

I want her to be my wife.

“ D ude,” Hartmann says as he steps up to me in Walsh’s backyard late the next morning.

All around us, the families of our teammates are talking and laughing while children run wild at this team party, celebrating the Rebels making it to the finals. My eyes don’t leave the other side of the large stone patio, where AJ’s holding Abby’s hands to steady her as she takes tentative steps. Next to her, Sloane chats her up.

“You didn’t tell me your sister was so hot.”

That gets my attention. “Alright, Lover Boy. Don’t even think about going there. Besides, she’s too old for you.”

Granted, she’s maybe four years older than him. But given his reputation, I can’t picture him with someone with kids. He’s not the type to settle down. I also try to ignore the fact that she’s closer to his age than AJ is to mine.

“I don’t know,” he says, his eyes back on AJ and Sloane. “Older women are kind of hot.”

He’s not wrong.

“Do not fucking look at my sister,” I threaten. “The last thing in the world she needs is a child like you chasing after her. She’s already raising two kids of her own.”

“She seriously has kids?”

I don’t miss the way his eyes travel up and down her body when he asks this question.

“Yeah, and an asshole of an ex-husband, so just keep your distance. Besides, she lives in Nashville and is flying home tonight. Put her out of your mind.”

“I don’t know, I think she’s burned in my mind now.” His chuckle has me realizing that he’s just trying to piss me off, so I punch him in the shoulder, muttering something about him being an immature prick. I watch AJ pick Abby up and hand her off to Sloane before she holds her phone up, shielding her eyes from the midday sun.

AJ turns and walks away, to the far side of the lawn, while Sloane walks toward me, carrying Abby. “You going to introduce me?” Hartmann asks.

“Get lost. For real.”

He’s laughing as he turns and walks away, but not before I see him wink at Sloane.

Abby reaches for me as soon as I’m close enough to take her, and then she snuggles her head into the crevice between my neck and shoulder, yawning. “Walking is hard work, huh, baby girl?” I say as I rub her back.

“I can’t believe you were even thinking about leaving,” Sloane says quietly as she stands next to me, her gaze sweeping across this scene. “You have this whole family you’ve created for yourself here.”

“Well, this thing with AJ is still very new, and I was thinking of leaving before it started.”

“I mean, even what you have with your teammates is great. The way you guys are there for each other...the way you give each other shit like actual brothers would. And then just add AJ on top of that, and the way she is with Abby, and how much you two clearly adore each other. Don’t walk away from this,” she insists.

“I’m not planning to,” I tell her. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, actually. I’m really hopeful that my new agent can work out a contract with the Rebels after Trevor almost screwed me over. But if for any reason he can’t, I’m going to retire. There’s just...there’s no way I’d even think about leaving her.”

“Normally, if anyone told me they were ready to give up their career and change their whole life for someone they’d been dating for less than a month, I’d have a lot of questions and probably be pushing back. But somehow, between you guys, I don’t know...it makes sense. It feels like you’re already in a long-term, committed relationship. And AJ was clearly born to be a mom. You guys going to have more kids?”

“It’s complicated.” Even though I don’t think AJ would mind Sloane knowing about her hysterectomy, it’s not my story to tell.

“Well, no matter what you guys choose, she’ll still have Abby. That girl adores her.”

Abby lifts her head when she hears her name, but she’s too tired to hold it up and her cheek crashes back down onto my shoulder. It’s definitely getting close to her nap time, and all that walking around with AJ seems to have tired her out.

“You know, spending this time with you guys yesterday and today makes me wonder if I should be thinking about moving up here with my girls, instead of you moving down to Nashville. We have friends and neighbors down there, but nothing else is really holding us to the place. It’s not like Wayne ever sees the girls, now that he’s moved to Florida.”

I hate her ex-husband and how he’s treated her, but that dirtbag moving to Florida and being out of their lives is the best possible end to that situation. Her moving up to Massachusetts would be even better.

“I’d like that,” I tell her, smiling. “If there’s anything I can do to help sway you in that direction, let me know.”

“I need to think about it a bit more,” Sloane says, right as AJ walks up to us. The look on her face is almost joyous.

“You’re never going to believe who that was on the phone,” she says to me.

“You going to make me guess?”

“No,” she laughs. “It was Aidan Renaud.”

“Oh yeah? Is that asshole finally coming back?”

“I thought he was your best friend?” Sloane says, head tilting as she looks up at me.

“He is. But he got injured last summer, and since he’s been out this season, I’ve heard from him exactly two times.”

“Well, I hope he’s not on your shit list, because he just got cleared to play.”

“In the finals?” I don’t know if this is good news or not. He’s a fucking talented winger and has been on my line for most of the time I’ve played in Boston, but we have a solid first line now and we’ve played together all season without him. I’m not sure what it would be like introducing him back into the rotation.

“No,” she says. “His last surgery was only a few months ago, but his doctor is confident he’ll be back for pre-season training this fall.”

“Good. I want him back for next season,” I say, and when her eyes meet mine, there’s worry in her gaze. Neither of us knows whether I’ll be playing for the Rebels next season, and I haven’t told her that I’ll be here with her regardless of whether I’m still on the team.