Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
QUINN
“When are they getting here?” I arrange the last of the dishes on the counter.
“Should be any minute,” Jasper says. “Are you nervous?”
“Honestly? No. Having met the other guys, I know I’ll like them.”
“My only hope is Bode behaves.” Jasper laughs.
“He’ll be fine.”
“It’s weird you already know all of them.”
“Well, I don’t know them know them,” I say. “I only know them from playing. And that doesn’t really count.”
A knock sounds on the door. Jasper gives me a quick kiss before heading over and opening it. His face drops immediately.
“You brought Caleb?” Jasper asks, beckoning them in. “I thought it was adults only?”
“It’s my Gran’s night out and our babysitter was sick. I didn’t want to miss tonight, so I figured you wouldn’t mind. He’s already been fed.”
“I wasn’t worrying about him eating Brussels sprouts,” Jasper mutters.
“It’s fine,” I say. “I love babies.”
“See? Quinn likes him,” Bode goads. “Besides, I get a pass because you didn’t tell me you were dating anyone.”
“I told you not to bring that up,” his girlfriend says. “I swear, we can’t take them anywhere.”
I smile at her. “I’m Quinn, and I can tell I’m going to like you a lot.”
She blushes. “I’m Stevie. I’m just going to get this out of the way now and say I love your music. It’s a shame what you’re going through.”
“I appreciate the vote of support.”
“I would have punched that guy,” she says. She tucks a curly lock of brown hair behind her ear.
“You and everyone else.” I laugh. “Can I get you something to drink?”
She holds up a bottle of wine. “I brought some if you want a glass?”
“I’d love one.”
Beer, wine, cocktails. I’m not picky when it comes to breaking the ice with Jasper’s teammates and their partners.
A knock sounds again and Jasper is even more exacerbated when he answers it. “I apparently missed when I said it was kids’ night.”
Marcus and Harper arrive with their toddler, Dax and Chloe hot on their heels.
“The girls have play practice tonight and we didn’t want to leave him with my mom since she had Bunco tonight. We couldn’t find anyone on short notice.”
“As long as he doesn’t bother Zucchini,” Jasper says. “I love your kids, but this is Zucchini’s pad.”
All the guys burst out laughing and I can’t help but join in.
“Hey, don’t give my Twatopotamus shit,” Noah says, coming in before the door can close. “She’s the best.”
Everyone piles into the tiny condo. With this many people and two toddlers running around, it’s cramped.
But I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“Alright, let’s get this done with,” Jasper says, coming to stand next to me. “Everyone, I want you to officially meet Quinn, my girlfriend.”
“About damn time,” Bode calls out. “I was worried he was going to die alone.”
“See? They love you,” I whisper to Jasper.
“I guess.” He kisses the top of my head before offering everyone drinks—kids included.
“I am so excited to meet you. I’m Harper.” The blonde bombshell that arrived with Marcus sticks her hand out. “I promise, I’m usually very cool, but I might not be tonight.”
I smile back at her as the last woman in the room comes over. “And I’m Chloe, but I’m guessing you already knew that. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you at the shop. Who knew wearing a hat could work as a disguise?”
“I love your rings,” I gush, holding my hand out to her. “This ring? I’m obsessed with it.”
The other girls hold out their hands with matching rings with the crossed hockey sticks. “We are too. Chloe is so talented,” Harper says.
“Seriously. I wish I had that much talent,” Stevie says.
“Stop it.” Chloe blushes furiously. “I should be gushing over you.”
I wave her off. “Please. I can’t imagine how much goes into making each ring.”
“I’ve had to hire a few more people to help because of you,” she points out. “I can’t tell you what it meant to me that you came to the store.”
“I would have been there opening night if people knew Jasper and I were together.”
“Dax said you two met online?” Chloe asks.
I eye Jasper over them. His gaze is locked on mine as he chats with the guys.
It’s nights like this that I can’t wait to have in the future.
I don’t know what tomorrow holds at this moment.
If I’ll be able to go on tour again and record more music.
The future is murky. With Jasper talking about retiring, our careers are both up in the air.
But at least we have each other to help us wade through the unknown.
“Yeah. I don’t know how we matched, but he made a cat joke and I was a goner.”
“You must be special if Jasper kept you to himself for this long,” Harper says.
I smile at her. “He’s a pretty special guy himself.”
“I know the guys worried about him,” Stevie says. “They thought he was lonely.”
“I’ve felt that way sometimes.”
“We all have,” Stevie agrees. “I had my fair share of bad exes. I got lucky finding Bode.”
A lovesick look comes over her. No doubt the same one I have when thinking about Jasper.
“We’re all lucky,” Harper says.
“You ladies ready to eat?” Bode comes up behind us, wrapping Stevie in his arms.
“Hmm, I guess so.” Stevie presses up onto her toes to kiss Bode. He looks just as lovesick as she does.
It’d be hard to watch if I didn’t have that with Jasper.
“How’s it going?” He pulls me off to the side as everyone starts to serve themselves.
“Good. I really like them.”
“I knew you would. They’re good people.”
Jasper takes Caleb from Noah so he can make a plate.
“This guy is a cutie,” I say, waggling my fingers in front of him. He lights up.
“He is. Let’s hope he doesn’t take after his dad.” Jasper laughs.
“I heard that, you jerk.”
“Jerk? Watch it, Bode. That one hit below the belt.” Jasper feigns hurt.
“I can’t cuss in front of Caleb. He’s repeating everything we say. I don’t need him to tell his nanny to eff off.”
Caleb repeats jerk a few times and I laugh at how cute he is.
“See?” Bode jabs the serving spoon at us. “I have to set a good example for my kid.”
“Do you want kids?” Jasper asks. “I know this is something we probably should have talked about before tonight, but hey, I’m asking now.”
“If we get lucky.”
Jasper pulls me into his arms. “Quinn, I’m already the luckiest guy on the earth because I have you.”
Swoon.
I love this man and how he has no problem showing me how he feels.
“Well, if we get lucky enough to have one, then we’ll have one.”
The thought of Jasper with our kids? Teaching them to skate? Watching our favorite Julie Andrews movies? Loving cereal and hating vegetables?
I would give up every future imaginable in singing to have that with Jasper.
“You want to hold him?” Jasper asks.
“Sure.”
I take him and head over to the table where Stevie sets up a portable booster seat for him. The guys head over to the living room to sit and eat.
“He likes you,” Stevie says.
Caleb is smiling at me as he stares up at me.
“He’s cute.”
“Thanks,” Stevie says. “Let me get him settled so we can eat.”
“Do you want me to grab him a plate?” I ask.
“I’ll take care of it. He’s starting to get picky about what he’s eating.”
“I feel that,” Harper says. “We still struggle to get Jamie to eat anything green.”
“I do not envy you,” I say.
“I hope if we have another, they’re as good as Caleb,” Stevie says.
“He is the best baby,” Chloe agrees. “If I wasn’t so busy with the store, we might consider having one.”
I wish that were my biggest concern right now. The trial is going to be here in a few weeks. It’s all I can do not to focus on it.
Making music is not cheap. Studio time. Production. Tours. It costs a lot. Something Eric drilled into my head. If none of that money gets recovered, it’s going to be damn hard to start over.
“You know, I’m having the girls over to watch the game next week. Do you want to come?” Chloe asks, interrupting me from my thoughts.
“I’d love to.”
It’ll be a good distraction for me. That and I think I like the idea of making friends with these women.
I have a feeling they’ll be in my life for a long time. I don’t know how much longer Jasper will be playing, but even if he retires, these guys are like family, and I feel like I could have the same bond with them as Jasper has with his teammates.
Because this thing with Jasper? I plan on it lasting forever.