Hot Shot (Hot as Puck Book 2)

26. Branton

I remember being so nervous I thought I’d pee my pants the first time I drove through the gates of the Watts home. If I hadn’t emptied my bladder an hour ago I’m sure I’d feel the urge to go now too.

Mom was at the wheel all those years ago. I was 6 years old, had just lost my father, and she was driving us to what she called our ‘fresh start’.

I didn’t understand it back then. It wasn’t until I was older, a teenager, that I understood what she meant. I get it now even more.

We never talked about it but she had to have been so excited—so scared. To uproot us from the only home I’d ever known and move us clear across the country after such a terrible loss.

The job of live-in housekeeper and occasional babysitter the Watts family had offered her must have seemed like a miracle to a woman who hadn’t worked outside the home in years.

They’d given us a safe place to stay, given us a family to love—be loved by—and introduced me to the first love of my life.

Hockey.

It had taken another eight years for me to find my second love and for years I lived with the knowledge I’d never have her.

I was nineteen when Blake finally noticed me the way I noticed her. Six years my senior, I figured the attraction on her side would be fleeting, would fizzle out.

Except Mom died and I’d floundered in my grief until I was at the point of flunking out of class and losing my spot on my college hockey team.

Blake had turned up on my doorstep and stuck with me, pushing and pulling, and dragging me back to the man-boy I’d been before Mom’s death. Those months formed a bond that even Celeste couldn’t break.

It’s damaged but still there. Still tethering us together the way we’d been before I let myself be hoodwinked by a lying bitch.

And I hate that I have to bring Celeste here, even if it is only in memory. I don’t want her tainting this place. The sanctuary of my youth, the birthplace of my future.

“It’s going to be okay.”

I glance over at Blake. “You sound so sure.”

“I am.”

“I’m not.”

“I know. Just remember that no matter what, we all love you.”

“The twins made it pretty clear after I married Celeste, the emotion they felt for me was the opposite side of the love coin.”

“Yeah, well, they never did learn to keep their opinions to themselves, well Landon mostly. Corbin seems to know when to keep his mouth shut. Sometimes. And as much as I hate to say it, I think finding out about Laura may change that. Change them.”

“We haven’t decided to tell them yet. We need to tell your parents first.”

“One would argue Laura’s parent should know before her grandparents.”

“But we don’t know which one of them is her father. And it’s unlikely a DNA test would shed any light on the subject. Not if they carry near identical DNA themselves.”

“I guess they get to share Laura like they’ve shared everything else in their lives.”

The driveway is long, weaving through trees before the property opens up to reveal the house. When we break through that shelter I can see two people standing at the bottom of the front stairs.

“We have a welcoming committee.”

“The security system would have alerted them when we opened the gate.”

“I remember.”

“May as well park near the front door. They’ll only follow us to the garage if you don’t.”

“Less of a hike to carry our bags too.”

“I’m not the one with more than one bag to carry.”

“I don’t understand how you have so much packed into that duffel bag. I took bare essentials when I left the house in New York and I still needed two large suitcases and a duffel.”

“I’m used to traveling light. Until I quit skating, hell, even when I coached the Canadian Women’s team, I didn’t have a home base. Just lived out of two bags. The rest of my stuff was here. Not that I had much.”

“And your house in Baton Rouge?”

“Don’t worry. Once I put down roots, I fitted the place out with everything.”

“Practice rink?”

“Except that. I thought about it, but the basement is small and a rink that size wouldn’t do much for a toddler, never mind an adult.”

“I guess now that the Rogues practice facility is open, you can use that.”

“Every day. And I’ll be dragging your ass there with me. There will be no slacking off on my watch.”

“Noted.”

Through the windshield I see Andrew Watts staring at me like he wants to drill a hole in my head. Easing the car to a stop beside the front stairs, I’ve barely moved the gear shift into park when Blake unbuckles her belt, flings the door open and bounds out.

I smile when she does the same thing she’d done as long as I’ve known her. Running straight at her dad, she launches into the air a good six feet from him. And like every other time I’ve watched them do this, he catches her and spins in a circle.

Taking a deep breath, I switch off the engine and climb out of the SUV at a more sedate pace. By the time I reach the hood, Blake has moved on to her mom, the two of them wrapped in each other’s arms.

Forcing myself to move closer, I head for Andrew first. Putting out my hand, I smile. “Hey, good to see you, Mr. Watts.”

“What is this Mr. Watts bullshit? And since when do we shake hands, son?” In spite of his words, his hand grips mine. With a quick yank, he pulls me in, saying, “Come here, dumbass, this is how we say hello.”

I find myself in an embrace worthy of an Olympic medal if hugging was a sport. Blake and I talked about Andrew’s hugs earlier. How everyone should be the recipient of one at least once in their lifetime.

Maybe it’s the welcome. Maybe it’s the reality of Laura never meeting this amazing man. Or maybe it’s the walls I’ve hidden behind for years finally crumbling to dust. Whatever it is, like hugging Blake a week ago, emotions I’ve bottled up come flooding out.

The big man doesn’t even flinch. Just holds me tighter. Lets me lose myself in the body-wracking sobs tearing through my chest.

“I’ve got you, son. Let it out.”

Andrew’s words, spoken softly in my ear, seem to give freedom to more of the pain I’ve let fester and eat away at me.

I didn’t cry this hard after Laura took her last breath. Not when I saw the teeny coffin they’d put her in. Not when I found out not only didn’t I get to keep her, she hadn’t been mine to keep in the first place.

I vaguely hear Blake and her mom head inside. But the pain and the tears don’t stop. No matter how hard I try to hold them back, how hard I want to stand on my own, neither of those things happen.

The sobs ease a little and Andrew says, “A good purge does wonders for the soul. Now let’s head inside. There’s a couple of ice cold beers waiting for us by the grill along with some juicy fat steaks we need to cook.”

I’m a snotty mess when I pull back and Andrew does the damnedest thing. He pulls the hem of his shirt up and wipes my face like I’m a toddler with a runny nose.

I have no words. No idea how to thank this man for everything he’s done for me in my life. I shut him out, cut him off without a word of explanation and the first time he sees me in years, he’s pulling me in, offering me comfort and support as though the last time we spoke was yesterday.

“I’m sorry.” It’s not enough, I know it, he has to know it.

“For what? Going off and living your life?”

“For cutting you out of it. For the things I have to tell you. For hurting Blake.”

“That last one I’ll take the apology for. The rest, I’m sure isn’t of your making.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because I might not be your father but I’m the closest damn thing to it you’ve had for most of your life. I watched you grow up, helped you grow up. The boy I raised would never hurt the people he loves intentionally. I know you have reasons. Reasons I’m probably going to get pissed off about. But, Branton, you are mine as much as the four boys and girl my wife saw fit to grace me with.”

“I—”

He claps me on the shoulder and steers me toward the house. “Let’s get that beer. And throw those steaks I’ve been marinating all day with special smoky barbecue sauce on the grill.”

“Mom’s secret recipe?”

“Is there any other? I’d never be caught dead using anything else.”

“I haven’t mastered her sauce. Tried but no luck. Her stew though, I’ve got that pretty close in recent years.”

“You’ll have to make us a batch while you’re here. Any idea how long that will be?” He pushes the front door open and leads the way in. “I miss my girl more now she lives on the same continent than I did when she was traipsing around the world searching for gold.”

“Blake said a week. She wants to run me through my paces with you watching. I’ve kept in shape but haven’t played a game with anyone since…”

“No worries about that. It’s like riding a bike. I might see if any of the boys have free time to head out here. We might get ourselves a pickup game like we did when you were all little.”

“I need to talk to you before you do that.” I swallow through my tight throat. “I have some things to tell you, advice to ask, before I can see anyone else.”

“Okay. We’ll have a couple of beers, eat a couple of juicy steaks, and then if you’re up to it we can take a walk out to the pond.”

“I’d like that, but I want Blake with me, and Mrs. Watts needs to hear what I have to say too.”

“As much as I want to tell you to spill it now, I think we’ll all do better with whatever you have to share if our bellies are full.”

“It might be better to hear this on an empty stomach. Nothing to throw up then.”

“Branton, you are not making me feel better about waiting.”

“Sorry. I’m projecting. I’m the one who’s likely to throw up.”

“No throwing up in my house, Branton Lattimer.” Larissa Watts slips her arm around my waist for a side hug. “Now when will the steaks be ready? I’ve got loaded potatoes ready to bake but they’re best served hot out of the oven.”

“Give us ten, then put them in. That will give us time to crack a second beer.” Andrew grins.

“Might be best to pass on the second beer. I’m opening a bottle of red to go with dinner.”

“Oh, we’re bringing out the good stuff?”

“Always do when one of my babies comes home. And tonight I’ve got two of them under my roof.”