Chapter 4
CAMDEN
Cora: She won’t get on the plane.
Me: It’s okay.
Cora: You’re allowed to be upset.
Me: And she’s allowed to have her fears. As you’ve pointed out many times.
Cora: I’m sorry.
With a shake of my head, I pocket my phone. It shouldn’t bother me. I won’t let it bother me. Three deep breaths and acceptance, then I step into the restaurant. Moving on.
“There he is,” Daniel says, waving an arm to catch my attention.
Shit. How he and Hannah beat me here is a mystery. Figured they’d be getting freaky in the hotel room and I’d have at least fifteen minutes to improve my mood before dinner.
But since I don’t, I force one of my cavalier smiles to my lips. “Met a woman in the bar.” I pat my pocket. “Got her number.”
The lie comes easily. I’m sure my sister would have a lot to say about that.
Hannah rolls her eyes and pats the spot next to her. “Well, then we better eat quick, huh?”
Chuckling, I bend and kiss her cheek. Then I slide into the seat. “As if the two of you aren’t itching to get back to the hotel room.”
Daniel drops a hand to his wife’s bare thigh and he squeezes.
She turns to him and smiles. It’s one of those soft ones. Sometimes Hannah is a ball buster. Most of the time she is. But when it comes to Daniel and her two children Maverick and Monroe, there’s only love.
“Mav said if he catches us naked one more time,” she laughs, “he’ll start a tiktok channel about it so we’re being good on this trip.”
I slap my chest and suck in an exaggerated breath. “Fuck, Han, don’t scar the boy.”
Daniel presses a kiss to his wife’s cheek, smiling like he’s the happiest guy in the world. And he has every right to be. A beautiful family. A hall of fame career. Though, we both hung up our skates nearly a decade ago.
After he retired from the game, he went to work with his father.
It surprised the hell out of all of us. He’s now an executive with Hall Records, and he’s damn successful, using that charming personality to win over prospects and sign new talent.
Most importantly, he rarely travels for work.
That was important to him. It always killed him to miss out on anything his kids were up to.
Since the moment Hannah first told him she was pregnant eighteen years ago, he’s been a wonderful, dedicated father.
And he’s so ridiculously in love with his wife.
If there was a picture to go along with the word whipped in the dictionary, it’d be a headshot of him.
Though with Maverick following in his footsteps, Daniel still chases the game plenty.
Like today. We’re all in New Hampshire for his game. He and Beckham, War’s son, play together these days.
And because I’m Mav’s godfather, I hit as many games as my schedule allows. Though this one was actually worked into my schedule as the head of scouting for the Boston Bolts. I’m here trying like hell to draft the number one high school center in the whole country—Maverick Hall.
After the server takes our drink order, Hannah turns to me. “So I take it things are over with the woman from last month?”
I stare at her, my mind going blank.
“The one you brought to the game in Foxboro.”
Fuck. I fight the urge to drag a hand down my face.
I don’t even remember the girl’s name. I never bring women around my family—and Daniel and Hannah are my family, blood or not—but when I tried to leave the woman I’d met the night before in her hotel room by telling her I had to head out to watch my godson play, she told me she loved hockey and would be happy to accompany me.
What was I supposed to say? It’s a public place. And she was hot. We spent that night together too. But I have no idea what happened to her after that.
“Oh uh, Lynne,” I say. “She’s uh, she’s away this week.”
Hannah rolls her eyes. “Oh my god, you have no idea who I’m talking about.”
“It was, what, three weeks ago?” Or four? I honestly can’t remember.
“Her name was Jasmine,” Hannah says.
Daniel cups a hand over his mouth, hiding a smile, but his dark eyes are full of delight.
“Oh,” I wave a hand and sit back. “We didn’t see each other again after that night, but I met Lynne after that.”
Hannah breaks into a devious grin. “Okay, where’s Lynne then?”
I shrug. "Didn’t make it past the second date.”
She straightens, her chin lifting in challenge. “No one makes it past a second date with you.”
“Hannah,” Daniel pulls his wife close, his facial expression darkening. “Leave Cam alone.”
I shrug and grin at my best friend. “I can take it. But rather than talking about me, let’s talk about Mav’s game.” As my godson’s name leaves my mouth, the little shit saunters up wearing a cocky grin. “Speak of the devil.”
He’s got his dad’s thick brown hair and his mother’s blue eyes, though he inherited his confidence from them both. He’s smart and surprisingly funny, and the closest thing to a son I’ll probably ever have.
“Hey Uncle Cam.”
I stand and pull him into a hug. “You looked great on the ice tonight.”
“You catch my dangle in the third period? Uncle Harry taught me that.” He mimics the move he made with the stick. The one that sent the puck between one guy's legs and into the back of the net.
A chuckle rumbles up my chest. “Yeah, those are the plays of the future center of the Boston Bolts.” I clap his shoulder, turning him to face his parents.
“Yeah, mom.” He juts his chin. “Future since she won’t let me join the draft next year.”
“Mav.” Daniel growls in warning.
Maverick slumps, looking properly chastised. “Sorry Ma.”
Hannah only grins. “It’s fine. You joining us for dinner or are you going to hang out with the boys?”
“War ordered pizza for Beck and me,” he replies as he rounds the table. He bends at the waist and pecks her cheek.
“Okay,” she says. “Go have fun with the team. Good job tonight you did great.”
"Thanks Ma, love you.” He straightens, gives his father a nod, and turns back to me, wearing a smirk. “Good to see you Uncle Cam. Work on her for me, kay?”
I chuckle as he wanders off.
War passes him, patting his shoulder, and heads for us.
Even after all these years, I straighten like he’s still my captain.
He’s wearing a long-sleeved black t-shirt with the boys team’s name on it.
It’s rolled up to the elbows, exposing the tattoos that seem to multiply every time I see him.
He’s just as strong as he was back when we played too.
Unlike the rest of us, he still gets on the ice regularly since he coaches the high school team.
“You’re making Beck go to college, right?” Hannah says in greeting.
I glance at War knowing full well he isn’t. Brayden was drafted at eighteen and he’s now the captain of our team just like his old man was. But I’ll let him handle Hannah.
He pulls on the back of his neck, head ducked, and peers over at Daniel.
“Oh my god, you aren’t,” Hannah hisses.
With a shrug, he drops into the seat opposite her.
“How did you get Ava to agree to that.” She grabs her phone from the table and unlocks the screen. “Ugh, I’ve got to talk to her.”
War chuckles, sitting back, relaxed. “She knows what her boy wants. You know how it is, these boys live for the sport, just like we did. And they’re better than we were back then.”
“Cocky as shit too,” I say.
Daniel tips his drink in my direction in agreement. He’s proud of that and I don’t blame him. They’re really good kids, but yeah, they need to get knocked around a bit in the NHL. And when they do, they’ll be better for it, just like we were.
Hannah blows out a breath. “Shit. I’m outnumbered, aren’t I?”
Daniel grasps her chair and pulls it closer. “I'm always on your side, baby, but ugh, yeah, you are outnumbered on this one.”
“The Bolts have set up a great college program,” I remind her. “He can take classes while training. Get his degree along with chasing his dream.”
The Langfields care more about their players than any team owners I’ve ever encountered.
It makes my job incredibly easy. Not only do they offer educational opportunities, but they provide free housing and incredible healthcare and mental health resources.
Recruiting is like stealing candy from a baby.
Hannah only sighs, her shoulders slumping.
War takes pity on her and changes the subject, eyeing me. “You ready for your party this weekend?”
I lean back in my chair. “When am I not ready?”
He smirks. “Bringing a date?”
“I’m sure I’ll bring someone.” I should probably start looking. I hate being the only single one at these get togethers, especially when it’s my own party.
Hannah pulls away from Daniel and rests her elbows on the table, grinning. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal.”
“A deal?”
She bobs her head, her teeth sunken into her lip like she’s thinking. “A bet.”
“A bet?”
Daniel frowns. “Dream girl, where you going with this?”
“You date someone for longer than two dates,” she says, ignoring her husband, “and I’ll consider letting Mav join the draft next year.”
Scoffing, I pick up my drink. “Consider?”
She presses her tongue to the inside of her cheek and studies her husband. “Okay,” she finally says. “Make it three months with the same woman, and I’ll let Mav choose what he wants to do about the draft next year.”
“What?” Daniel bolts up, his eyes wide.
I cough out an uncomfortable laugh. “Three months?”
Hannah’s smile grows, her blue eyes shining. “Yup. Show me you can change, and maybe I’ll let my baby boy join that team of yours.”
“Whoa.” Whistling, War shakes his head.
I roll my eyes. “That’s absurd.”
“You’re really betting with our son’s future?” Daniel asks, his jaw slack.
She frowns at him. “I thought you wanted him to play?”
“I do but I want you to be okay with it.”
Hannah chuckles. “The man hasn’t dated a woman in the twenty years I’ve known him.”
“Longer,” I mutter. More like twenty six, but who’s counting.
She throws her hands up. “Point made. There’s no way he’ll win this. But you want your godson to play so bad, you know what you need to do.”
This is ridiculous. I run my hands through my hair and shake my head. Because what’s more ridiculous is that I’m actually considering it.