17. Shane #2
Her chewing slows down as she mulls over my words. “I mean, yeah, I guess that makes sense. I’ve hardly been there in the last two months, so it’s just practically an empty space that could be filled with someone else.” She then chews on her bottom lip. “But I don’t own it, Greyson does.”
“Then tell him to sell it once it’s empty,” I offer as a solution. Like I said earlier, I have no plans of letting her go, so that condo will never be used again, at least, not by her.
“Okay, yes. I’ll do that. In fact, I’ll do it right now. I’ll just need to find time this week to pack up the rest of my things and move them over. Grey paid for all the furniture, so I don’t feel right taking it.” She reaches for her phone across the desk and taps out a message on it.
“You’re telling him right now?”
“Yeah… Might as well get it over with… right?” She sets her phone back down and tosses her food around. “Anyway, he probably won’t even answer.”
I lean in and kiss her temple. “I’ll hire some moving guys to get all your stuff, and maybe you could ask Ronnie to help you pack everything up this weekend.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that. Lionel will be there too, I’m sure he won’t mind helping.” She nods, sliding a piece of orange chicken past her lips. Her hair is currently up in a messy bun with strands falling in her face as she looks down into the containers of food.
I raise my hand and tuck those wild strands behind her ear. Her eyes dart to me as her cheeks grow rosy. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What is it?” she asks as she picks up the sweet and sour shrimps next.
“I know it’s still early, but I’ve been thinking about when Little Star comes, mostly the nursery. I don’t like the thought of having our baby upstairs alone, while we’re on the main floor.”
She hums as she swallows her food. I haven’t eaten much yet, but I’m too busy admiring her to care.
I’ll just eat before heading to the arena.
“You’re right. I don’t think I’d be comfortable having him or her up there.
It isn’t practical and would most likely cause me a lot of stress. What do you suggest?”
“Well, I was thinking we could change my office into a nursery, and I’ll move my stuff to the other one.
I know it’s not exactly beside us, but it would be the closest room to ours.
It will also still leave us some privacy for our intimate time without fear of waking the baby.
And once he or she is older and we feel ready for that step, we can move them to a room upstairs. ”
She nods but still seems to be thinking about it.
“But if you want us to be on the same floor all the time, we could just do some renovations upstairs and have our bedroom moved up there instead. I don’t mind, sweetheart.
Whatever you want, we’ll do it. If you want to add on to the house to have an extra room on the main level without changing the ones that are already there, we can do that too.
” I squeeze the back of her neck then rub circles with my thumb.
“That would cost a lot of money.” She bites her lip, a new blush forming as she sets down the container in her hands.
“And your happiness would be worth every penny spent.” Using the hand at her neck, I turn her head toward me and kiss her. “Just think about it and let me know, okay?”
“I will,” she whispers with her eyes closed.
I take the time to admire her features. Those splatters of freckles over her nose that drive me crazy, the long blonde lashes. Those lips that always look a little swollen, and a beautiful heart-shaped face. And then she opens her eyes and life as I know it ceases to exist.
Enchanting pale brown orbs bore into mine. Eyes so pale that shine with innocence—I’ve never seen anything like them. They put you in a trance and hold you captive the moment they fall on you. I’ve been their prisoner for the past four years, and I have no plans of ever breaking free.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Aubrey. You take my breath away every time I lay my eyes on you.”
Her breath catches before she purrs my name. “Shane…”
I claim her lips once more like I might never get to again. The way I feel about her is impossible to describe.
I never thought I’d feel this way in my life.
I didn’t even know this kind of love existed.
The kind that makes you question everything, the one that makes it hard to breathe when she’s not around.
The one I would gladly give up my fortune, my career, if it meant having her. I wouldn’t even hesitate.
We spend nearly an hour together, until she eventually needs to get back to work, and I need to get ready for the game tonight.
After heading home, eating a little something, then showering and putting on a suit, I return to the arena four hours before puck drop.
There are always some last-minute things to go over before a game, and I like to have it all figured out before my team hits the ice.
Two hours before puck drop, we have our pregame meetings with the whole team, going over the penalty kills which wasn’t addressed this morning, and a review of the five-on-five. My boys know what I’m expecting from them tonight by the time we’re done with our meetings, and finally, it’s game time.
As the players warm up on the ice, I look back to the row of seats right behind us.
Aubrey texted me earlier saying she would be at the game with Veronica.
It doesn’t even take me a second to find her, she’s literally right behind me.
I can’t help the grin that spreads on my lips as I watch her cheeks take on a pink hue.
She has her hand resting over her tiny belly that I can’t stop staring at every time she’s naked or wears something tight.
Watching my Little Star grow in her belly makes my heart constrict.
I don’t think she even knows she’s started doing that, holding her stomach like she’s comforting our child or protecting it from danger.
“I love you,” I mouth over quickly, knowing I need to return my focus to my players.
“I love you, too,” she mouths back before I turn around, shutting my mind off from my beautiful Angel and concentrating on my job for the rest of the night.
A chuckle sounds from beside me and I look over to find Paul at my side. “It suddenly all makes sense.”
Shit. I was hoping to keep him in the dark a little longer. “What’s that?”
“What’s been up Ford’s ass lately. You should have warned me there was something going on between you and the young Miss Ford. Now I do hope this isn’t just a way to pass the time because—”
“It’s not!” I cut him off with a bark, anger seeping through my veins at the thought that he would think such a thing. “I love her, she’s carrying my child, and I intend to marry her someday.”
“Ah, and I’m to presume that the black eye you were sporting not too long ago, was his way of congratulating you on the news.”
“Your assumptions would be correct.” I nod briskly.
He sighs deeply. “Look, Jefferson, I like you, okay? You’re one of the good ones. But you do understand that if this doesn’t get fixed soon, we’ll have issues on our hands.”
“I’m fixing it. You have nothing to worry about,” I say, and I pray to God that’s the case.
“I hope you’re right.” He pats me on the shoulder and offers me a tight smile.
By the end of first period, no one has scored. Which, in my opinion, is still a good thing. It means my guys are pushing just as hard as they’re getting. And despite being on backup defensemen, they’re doing their job well.
Except that when we reach the end of second period, we’re down three-to-zero and one of my players is playing horribly.
Ford isn’t focused on the game. I keep catching him looking up in the stands, and I know exactly who he’s looking at.
He’s been tripping over his own foot, missing the puck entirely when a pass is made his way, and his shot is completely off, making it easy for our opponents to steal the puck every time.
He’s making mistakes he shouldn’t be doing at his NHL level.
I had already changed the lineup after first period, and if anything, it made his play worse. So I change the line back to how it was originally, placing Hayes, Burkley, and Ford back together as my starting line, and then I do something I never thought I’d have to do.
But if it gets him in the zone, then so be it.
I place my hand on his shoulder, and he immediately tries to jerk me off, but I grip his jersey and lean in.
I don’t need everyone hearing what I say.
“Get your fucking head in the game, Ford. I won’t tell you again.
Here’s some motivation, you want me away from your sister, right?
” He growls at the mention of her. “Well, then imagine doing it on the ice. Every opponent out there is me. The puck? That’s Aubrey.
Their goal? That’s home. Keep her safe and get her the fuck home. ”
AUbrEY
The boys’ game is off, and from the times I’ve watched at home, it’s been off for a while. I can’t help but feel partly responsible, certainly for the way my brother has been playing. I hate that this is happening to them after playing such an amazing season last year.
But tonight, it’s worse.
We’ve just entered third period, and I watch as Shane leans into Greyson and whispers in his ear. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but by the way my brother’s demeanor goes rigid, I’d say it’s not too friendly.
“What do you think he told him?” I ask Ronnie, not taking my eyes off my brother as he skates off onto the ice with a new sense of determination.
“I don’t know, but it’s getting him moving.” She shrugs. “Maybe he threatened his job.”
I frown, turning to her. “Shane would never do something like that. Despite what’s happening between us three, he knows just how good a player Greyson is.”
“I was kidding, Brey. I know Shane isn’t like that.” She places her hand over mine. “How are you doing… with all that?”