Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
ALEC
The woman standing in front of me can’t be Evie Thomas.
She’s got the same blue eyes, the same wavy hair falling over her shoulders. But everything else I’m noticing—it’s breaking my brain.
Dark lashes, full, pink lips, creamy skin, subtle curves.
Logically, I know I shouldn’t be surprised. Megan warned me. Reminded me that Evie is in her twenties now. She’s been married, had a baby, experienced parts of life I haven’t even started to think about. But in my head, she’s always been my kid sister’s best friend, cheering from the stands at my college hockey games. This version of Evie doesn’t fit in that box.
She’s all grown up, and she’s gorgeous.
Still Megan’s best friend, and still too young for me. But gorgeous.
Beside me, Camden digs an elbow into my ribs, and I realize I’ve been staring. I said hello, called Evie a nerd, then she smiled, and I apparently lost my ability to speak.
Luckily, Evie fills the silence for me. “I am never going to live that down, am I? It was one game.”
I glance over my shoulder at my teammates. “She brought a textbook to one of my college playoff games.”
“I had a really important history exam,” she counters.
“Sounds like a logical choice to me,” Felix says from just over my right shoulder.
“Especially if the alternative was watching you play,” Nathan adds.
The insult doesn’t hold an ounce of water coming from Nathan, who has been my defensive partner for the past four seasons. We’re rarely on the ice without the other, so if I play well, he usually does too, and vice versa.
But then Camden adds, “Without Nathan next to you to make you look good, watching had to be painful.”
My teammates chuckle, and Evie’s eyes dance as she looks us over, like she finds them dogging on me highly entertaining.
I roll my eyes and step to the side, waving a hand toward my friends. “If it wasn’t obvious, these idiots are a few of my teammates, and they’ve clearly forgotten how to respect their captain. Evie, meet Nathan, Camden, and Felix.”
I introduce Evie and Malik’s aunt, whom I met the other day when I was fixing Evie’s front step, and the guys take turns stepping forward to shake hands with them both. When they finish, I look at Evie. “Want to point us in the right direction? It shouldn’t take long with all four of us working.”
Despite their teasing, considering what Megan told me about Evie, I’m glad it’s these three teammates who are with me. Camden is the only one who is single, but he’s still hung up on a woman he met over the summer while visiting his family in Savannah. He hasn’t said much about it, but he’s clearly still licking his wounds over what happened when he left. Felix got married at the end of the off-season, and Nathan is in a committed relationship. Even if they weren’t, I’d trust all three of these guys to be respectful in any circumstance, but it feels particularly important this time.
If Evie’s ex-husband walked out on her, leaving her pregnant and alone, she probably doesn’t have the highest opinion of men. Maybe that’s what Megan meant when she said Evie was fragile.
“Yes. Definitely,” Evie says, a beat of worry crossing over her expression. “But there’s been a slight change of plans.”
After Ruth agrees to keep an eye on Juno, who must be sleeping somewhere, Evie leads the way, and we head down the sidewalk to her house. As we walk, she explains the flooding she found when she first opened her front door, then details her desire to just move everything into the garage instead. I hear and process her words, but I’m admittedly distracted by this more mature version of Evie’s voice, by the way she moves her hands as she talks as if to punctuate her words.
Did she do that before? I can’t remember, but I like that she does it now.
“And you still haven’t gotten through to your landlord?” I ask as we turn and head up her driveway.
“Not yet. But he did warn me he’d be hard to reach for the next week or so. He’s backpacking in Yosemite. Either way, there’s no way I can sleep here tonight, so moving stuff into the garage will have to do.”
I frown. “If you aren’t going to sleep here, where are you going to go?”
She shrugs. “A hotel, probably.”
Felix, who is a landlord himself, moves to Evie’s other side and starts asking questions about her lease.
Meanwhile, all I can think about is the enormous house I’m living in all by myself.
If Megan were here, she wouldn’t want Evie paying for a hotel. But…Evie has a baby. Do I really want a baby staying in my house? Would Evie even feel comfortable staying with me? After Sunday’s final preseason game, we’ll be on the road for close to a week. She’d basically have the whole place to herself.
“I just went through this last year,” Felix is saying, “and I’ve got a great disaster repair company we can call. Even if your landlord doesn’t get back to you right away, if you go with a company that’s licensed and insured, considering the circumstances, I doubt he’ll protest you moving forward with the repairs.”
“He’s been really easy to work with so far,” Evie says. “But I’m not sure I could afford to start if he’s not footing the bill.”
I watch Felix’s expression soften. He’s got the resources and the connections, and I know he’d take care of this for Evie without batting an eye. But something deep in my gut doesn’t want Felix to be the one who solves this problem for her.
“That shouldn’t?—”
I take a step forward and turn to face Evie. “Let’s just get through today and see if we hear from your landlord,” I say, cutting off Felix’s words. “We can figure out next steps once we get everything unloaded.”
“Yes. Good plan,” Evie says, but Felix shoots me a knowing look, one eyebrow raised like he understands exactly what’s going through my mind.
If he does, then he’s a few steps ahead of me, because I can’t make sense of it at all. I just know that despite the grumbling I did about Megan volunteering me to help, Felix shouldn’t be the one who solves Evie’s problem.
It should be me. I want it to be me.
Besides, Megan would never let me forget it if I didn’t step up, and I’m sure Evie is going to tell her what happened, if she hasn’t already. My hands are basically tied here.
It isn’t going to take long to stash everything in the garage because Evie doesn’t have that much stuff. A couch, a couple of chairs, a bed, a single dresser. There’s more furniture for the baby than there is for her.
After ten minutes of the five of us working in relative silence, I carry an open crate full of what looks like music books into the garage and set it down on top of a dresser that Nathan and Felix just brought in. Evie is standing beside it, adjusting the shade on a floor lamp that looks like it was bent in the move.
“You play violin, right?” I say, shifting the box forward.
She glances at the music books and smiles. “I’m surprised you have to ask. I practiced at your house almost as much as mine.”
A memory pops into my head of Evie playing the same simple song over and over again while I was home on break from college, trying to watch a movie with friends. She must have been in middle school at the time and had seemed upset when she crossed through the living room to Megan’s room, instrument case in hand.
She’d sounded terrible—cracked and squeaky—nowhere near like actual music. But I’d refused to ask her to stop even when my friends complained. There had to be a reason she wasn’t practicing at home, and if the tears I noticed when she passed through were any indication, it probably had something to do with her brother, who’d been sick as long as I could remember.
I must be frowning because Evie starts to laugh. “I know. I sounded terrible back then.”
“No, no, that’s not what I was?—”
She lifts an eyebrow, cutting off my protests, because I was thinking about how bad she sounded. But that wasn’t why I frowned.
“I was just thinking about your brother,” I explain. “He was why you practiced at our place, wasn’t he? Brady, right? How’s he doing?”
Her expression brightens. “He’s great. Totally cancer free. He’s a senior this year.”
“Really? Wasn’t he just a few years younger than you? He’s still in high school?”
“Five years younger,” she says easily. “It’s freaking my parents out that they’re so close to having an empty nest.”
The fact that Brady is only five years younger than Evie and he’s still in high school makes my thirty-plus years suddenly feel ancient. For me, high school feels like a different life.
“Thanks for asking,” Evie adds, almost like she’s surprised I remembered.
I nod and tilt my head toward the music books. “I assume you eventually got…good?”
She laughs. “I did. Good enough, anyway. I graduated with a degree in music and everything.”
“That’s why you’re down here. Something to do with your violin?”
“Sort of?” she answers. “Less my violin, and more just stringed instruments in general. I’ll be learning how to build them, repair them, refurbish them.”
“Megan said you’ll be a luthier? I honestly didn’t even know that was a thing.”
“Most people don’t. At least, not people who aren’t musicians.”
“Why’d you pick it?” I ask, mostly because I really like listening to her talk.
She shrugs. “I don’t know. My degree is in violin performance, and I’m sure I’ll get back to that eventually, but since I’m raising Juno on my own, I needed something with more flexible hours. As long as there are people who play stringed instruments, there will always be a need for luthiers, so I figured…good job security? Plus, this is a really great opportunity. Victoria is one of the best in the business, so I’m lucky I get to learn from her.”
I step to the side while Camden and Nathan bring in Evie’s mattress and lean it against the wall.
“There are a few pillows in the back if you can’t handle anything heavier,” Nathan says, eyeing the crate of books with a grin.
The last few weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time with the trainers after practice, icing my knee, babying it like I have to if I have any hope of staying in the game. But then yesterday on the ice, Coach Davis made a comment about my age. “You aren’t as young as you used to be, Sheridan. This season, you have to play with your brain as much as your body.”
Since then, the guys have been ribbing me with merciless consistency. My level of play hasn’t been impacted—at least I don’t think it has been—so the teasing has all been very good-natured. But I’m guessing if the guys knew the kind of pain I’m ignoring, they’d take the whole situation a little more seriously.
Still, I can’t fault them for what they don’t know, and I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about it yet.
“What was that about?” Evie asks as we watch Camden and Nathan walk back to the pod.
“What was what about?” I ask. “The teasing? They just like to make fun of me for being old.”
She eyes me curiously. “Okay. But it seemed like your face did a thing.”
“A thing?” I raise my eyebrows, but it’s not lost on me that Evie just picked up on something being off when, so far, none of my friends have done the same.
Less than an hour later, we finish unloading, and Evie closes up the pod.
While she walks back to Ruth’s to check on Juno, I head inside the house with Felix to take a look at the water damage. It’s bad. Worse than I expected. There’s no way she’s moving in until this place has been completely gutted. It’s going to need new floors, new baseboards, possibly even new drywall.
“What do you think?” I ask Felix.
He runs a hand through his hair. “The sooner you get someone over to start cleanup, the better. We could do a little with a push broom, get some of the standing water out, but it’s really a job that should be tackled by professionals.” He pulls out his phone. “I’m texting you the number of the guy I know. He did fast work at my place. He could probably have guys out here before nightfall.”
“You think I should go ahead and call him? Even with the landlord not knowing what’s up?”
“I would,” Felix says. “The longer the water sits, the worse things will get and the longer Evie will be without a home.”
I nod as my phone buzzes with Felix’s text. “All right, cool. I’ll call right now.”
I follow Felix out to the porch, where he says goodbye then heads down the driveway to where Van is already climbing into Nathan’s Bronco. The three of them wave before Nathan pulls away from the curb, probably anxious to get on with their evening.
There’s still no sign of Evie, so I drop onto the porch steps and call the number Felix sent me. It only takes a few minutes to explain the situation, and the guy on the phone assures me he’ll have someone over to assess the damage and begin water removal within the hour.
While I’m on the call, my phone buzzes several times. By the time I end the call and open my texts to see, I already know what I’m going to find.
Sure enough, my teammates have blown up the dream team text thread we keep going between us. A while back, a journalist referred to the Appies starting line as The Dream Team, so we renamed our text thread as a joke. There are eight of us all total, seven who still play for the Appies, plus Wyatt who was with us last season, then signed with the Bruins and moved to Boston. Most of the time, I’m happy to stay connected with my teammates.
Other times, the dream team texts make me want to throw my phone into the nearest lake.
Nathan
A heads up for those of you who weren’t present. When Alec saw Evie for the first time, he basically swallowed his own tongue.
Camden
Can confirm.
Felix
Honestly, it was hard to miss. Pretty sure he drooled.
Van
I’m sorry I missed it.
Nathan
It’s also worth noting that her house flooded from an exploding water heater, which means our good captain is probably going to invite her to stay at his place.
Felix
He’d better invite her. Alec, you do know you can’t let her stay in a hotel, right?
Alec
Of course I will. But this will not be a thing. Evie is like a sister. There was no tongue-swallowing.
Definitely no drooling.
Felix
Good. Then it shouldn’t be a big deal when she moves in.
Van
How much younger is she?
Alec
Nine years.
Van
Nice. She can care for you in your old age.
I pocket my phone, knowing that at this point, responding will only motivate them more. But Felix is right. It shouldn’t be a big deal for Evie to stay with me. And if she actually was my sister, I wouldn’t hesitate to offer. Which makes me wonder why I’m hesitating now.
I look up and see Evie walking down the sidewalk with Ruth, a baby in her arms.
I stand and make my way toward her, meeting them at the foot of the driveway. The baby is facing outward in Evie’s arms. She has a head full of dark hair the same color as Evie’s and big blue eyes. As far as babies go, she’s pretty cute. I’ve never seen one with so much hair.
The baby kicks her legs the slightest bit, and Evie looks down and smiles. “Are you saying hi to Alec?” she says to her daughter. She lifts her gaze to meet mine. “Alec, this is Juno.”
I reach out and let Juno take my finger, her chubby fist closing around it with surprising grip. “Hey there, Juno,” I say, shaking her finger like it’s an official greeting. This makes the baby smile and something small turns over inside my heart.
“I think she likes you,” Evie says. “Want to hold her?”
“Oh, absolutely not,” I say, and Evie laughs. “I don’t know anything about babies.”
“There’s only one way to learn,” Ruth says with a knowing grin.
“Did your friends leave?” Evie asks, looking toward the curb. “I didn’t get to say thank you.”
“They did, but they don’t need any thanks. They were happy to help. And they already agreed to come back when the house is done and you can officially move in.”
Evie smiles, but it’s tight around the edges, and I can sense how much she hates needing this much help. I definitely shouldn’t tell her I just gave my credit card number to the disaster repair guy to secure their services.
I’m pretty sure her landlord will pay me back.
But even if he doesn’t, I’m not sure I care.
“Now, Alec, help me convince this young lady that she does not need to stay in a hotel,” Ruth says, one hand propped on her hip. “I’ve got a spare guest room that she’s welcome to use, and I’d be more than happy to have the company.”
A knot forms in my stomach. I should feel relief. Evie would probably feel more comfortable at Ruth’s, and I’m sure the elderly woman knows a lot more about babies than I do. But what I really feel is a strange sense of disappointment.
“It’s so kind of you to offer,” Evie says. “But you already told me your daughter is coming to visit next week. I can’t take up the guest room when she’ll need it, especially not with a baby who doesn’t care if anyone else in the house gets any sleep.”
“As I said, there’s a pull-out sofa in the office that Desiree can use,” Ruth chides, but I understand Evie’s hesitance, especially with the open-ended nature of her current situation.
“Actually, I’ve got more than a few empty guest rooms at my house,” I say before I can overthink it. “They’re on the opposite side of the house from my room, so you’d have plenty of privacy and your own bathroom. Plus, I’m on the road with the Appies all next week, and the house is empty when I’m not there.”
Evie’s brows lift, eyes wide. “You’d let me stay with you?”
Something in her tone makes my cheeks warm the slightest bit. “I mean, if you want. Megan would want me to offer.”
“Well,” Ruth says. “That sounds like a perfect solution.”
Evie bites her lip, and for a moment, I expect her to protest. To say she’d be more comfortable at Ruth’s after all. But then her head bobs once in a distinctive nod. Like she’s made up her mind and committed herself to it, maybe despite her better judgment. “Okay,” she finally says. “That would be great.”
Okay. So I guess I’m getting a new roommate.
Juno blows a few spit bubbles before kicking her feet, squirming enough that Evie flips her around and lifts the baby to her shoulder.
Make that two new roommates.
My heart speeds the slightest bit, and I realize I’m excited.
Weirdly excited. And not just because I know it’s what Megan would expect.
Maybe it’s because my house really is too quiet. Or maybe it’s because I can’t stop noticing the way Evie keeps tugging her hair over her shoulder, revealing the curve of her neck, the ridge of her collarbone, the slope of her bare shoulder. She’s wearing overalls over a white tank top, a look I didn’t know I liked until I saw it on her.
“So I guess, since I still haven’t heard from my landlord, I just need to call someone about the house,” Evie says. She looks at me. “Felix mentioned he knows someone. Did he happen to give you the number?”
“It’s already taken care of,” I say. “They’ll be here before the end of the day.”
Evie holds my gaze, lips pressed together for a long moment before she turns and hands Juno to Ruth then steps closer and wraps herself around my waist in a tight hug.
At first, the surprise of the gesture keeps me from responding, but it only takes a moment for me to catch up and settle my arms around her shoulders. She smells amazing, like apples and cinnamon, which is something considering the day she’s had, and it’s all I can do not to lower my nose to her hair and breathe in a lungful of her scent.
I’m sure I’ve probably hugged Evie before, when she was offering congratulations after a game. Or maybe after her and Megan’s high school graduation. But I’ve never hugged her like this, and I’m distracted by how good it feels to have her against me.
“Thank you, Alec,” she whispers. She gives me one last squeeze, then lets me go, stepping back as she lifts her hands to wipe at her eyes.
My throat goes suddenly dry and my skin prickles with heat and awareness.
What was that?
A hug, but something else too.
Ruth clears her throat, and I lift my gaze to hers. She raises her eyebrows, then looks pointedly at Evie.
Right. Evie just said thank you, and I’m standing here like an idiot, cataloging every inch of my body that touched any inch of her.
“It’s no problem,” I stutter out. “It just took a phone call.”
Evie shakes her head. “It’s more than that. It’s everything. The phone call. The house. You offering a place for us to stay. I had no idea I was going to need a hero today, but since I very clearly did, I’m really glad it was you.”
“Come on,” I say easily, like it’s no big deal. “We’re basically family. I’ve only done what any good brother would do.”
I don’t know why I say it.
Panic, probably.
After all, I told my sister she didn’t have anything to worry about when it comes to Evie and me. That means I shouldn’t be feeling this much attraction. Maybe my subconscious was trying to reestablish boundaries and remind me to behave?
Evie blinks once, twice, then she smiles. “Right. Right, of course. And I really appreciate it.”
I could be wrong. But as Evie turns and reaches for Juno, pulling her daughter back into her arms, I think I see a flicker of disappointment flash through her eyes.