CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
After practice, Luke went straight to the hospital. He stopped in the gift shop, then carried his purchases up to the cardiac floor Harper was on.
It nearly broke his heart to see Harper lying in a hospital bed. She looked a little pale and tired, and she was hooked up to all sorts of monitors. But she gave him a big grin when he knocked on the doorframe of her hospital room and asked, “Can I come in?”
“Mr. Luke!” She moved like she was going to sit up and Brie gently rested a hand on her shoulder.
“Hey, you need to be careful right now, okay? You’re still all hooked up.” She gestured to the heart monitor and IV.
Harper lay back against the pillow. “Are those for me?” She pointed at the balloons and stuffed animal Luke carried.
“Yep.” He handed them over and Brie took the balloons, setting the weight on the nightstand.
Harper clutched the stuffed bunny. “You got me a bunny!”
“I did.”
“He’s so cuuuute.”
“Harper, what do you say to Mr. Luke?” Brie prompted.
“Thank you!” Harper beamed.
“You’re welcome.” He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, not sure what to do or say now.
Luke wondered where Sebastian was and if he’d decided to go to the shop after all.
A moment later, a nurse bustled in, wearing cartoon-printed scrubs. “Okay, Harper. I need to do a couple of checks on you. Is that okay?”
“That’s okay. Look, Mr. Luke gave me a bunny!” She held out the stuffed animal to the nurse.
“Well, that was nice of him.” The nurse shot a smile at Brie. “You got one of the good ones, huh?”
“Oh.” Brie looked started. “No. We’re not dating.”
“I’m dating her brother,” Luke said gruffly.
The nurse apologized and Brie shot Luke a sidelong glance, clearly surprised by his comment. He shrugged. At this point, there wasn’t much point in hiding anything.
Especially when Sebastian walked in a moment later, carrying a bag of food and a tray of drinks.
“Oh! Uh, hey, what are you doing here?” he asked, glancing at Luke.
“Wanted to see how Harper was doing,” Luke explained, then reached for the tray of drinks. “Need some help?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
As Luke took the drinks, Sebastian leaned in and brushed his lips across Luke’s cheek. “How was practice?”
“Okay,” Luke said. “Told the team about us.”
Sebastian blinked. “Really?”
“Really,” Luke confirmed. “Hey, do you want to come to a thing at O’Neill’s Pub with me tonight?”
“Uhh, sure,” Sebastian said. “Sorry I didn’t get you food by the way. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“It’s fine. I ate at HCI.”
“Good.”
When Luke leaned over to offer the drinks to Brie, she was staring at them wide-eyed. “So this is serious-serious then?”
“What is?” Harper asked. “What’s serious?”
“I’m dating Mr. Luke,” Sebastian said.
Harper squealed. “Yay! This is the best day ever.”
Brie grimaced. “I really prefer the ones where you’re not in the hospital, kid.”
“But Uncle Sebby is Mr. Luke’s Ducky. I love this for us!” Harper clapped her hands together, then picked up the stuffed bunny. “Did you hear that, Mr. Bun-Bun?”
Sebastian chuckled and looked at his sister. “Where on earth did she pick up ‘I love this for us’?”
Brie sighed. “I have no idea. Now give me my lunch, Seb. I’m starving.”
“I should have been there,” Brie said, later that day as they walked around the courtyard of the hospital.
Harper was getting testing done and they had some time to kill. Luke had gone home and Sebastian and Brie had been wandering around the soggy garden, enjoying the last of the warm spring day.
“Should have been home when Harper collapsed?” Sebastian guessed when his sister didn’t continue.
“Yeah, what was I thinking?” she asked, twisting her hair up in a clip. “Going out like that?”
“I don’t know,” Sebastian said drily. “Maybe attempting to have a life of your own?”
“I can’t have a life of my own, not when Harper is—”
“Sick?” Sebastian said bluntly. “You have a kid with a chronic condition, Brie. She’s always been sick and she’ll always be sick.”
“Fuck!” Brie burst into tears.
Horrified, Sebastian put his arms around her and pulled her close, holding her until the sobs slowed to hiccups. He rubbed her back and said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
“No, you’re right. You’re right and I know it.” She pulled back, wiping at her eyes. “It’s just so fucking hard to admit, you know?”
“I get that.” He tucked her arm into his and they kept walking.
“But you can’t bubble wrap her, Brie. You can take precautions, but she’s going to have to go to school someday.
She’s going to want to ride bikes and do ‘normal’ kid stuff.
And some of it you’ll have to tell her no about, but some of it you’re going to have to say yes to. Because it’s the best thing for her.”
“I know. I hate it, but I know that.”
“And some things you’re going to have to say yes to for yourself,” he said gently. “Like having friends and going out for dinner and a drink and maybe even someday dating again.”
“I suppose.”
“So stop beating yourself up about what happened,” he continued, still keeping his tone gentle. “Harper had a setback, but she’s tough. She’s a strong little girl and the two of you will get through this. Hopefully with the help of those of us who care about you.”
“You’re right.” Brie said. She glanced over at him. “But speaking of people who care about us … you and Luke, huh?”
“Yeah.” Sebastian smiled.
“I remember you saying ‘fuck the NHL’ when you quit the sport,” she teased. “I didn’t expect you to take that quite so literally.”
Sebastian laughed. “Well, I always did love hockey …”
Later that evening, Sebastian blinked at the riot of rainbow-colored decor inside the Irish pub. He’d never been to O’Neill’s before, but Luke had described it as a low-key, relaxing place that the team had been using as an official hangout spot for decades.
There was nothing low-key about it tonight and he laughed when he saw a hand-lettered sign with the words Welcome to the Rainbow Side.
Behind him, Luke muttered, “Fuck my life,” and turned like he was going to head right back out of the building.
Sebastian grabbed his arm and held on. Could he physically stop Luke from leaving? Probably not. But the gesture did the job because Luke sighed and turned back to face the Harriers players who were lined up inside the pub.
“This is your official welcome to the rainbow side!” Tanner shouted and Jesse shot a confetti cannon.
A shower of brightly colored paper rained down over them and Luke shook his head, dislodging another sprinkle of them. Sebastian didn’t even want to think about how much of it was caught in his own curls.
“I thought this was a fucking meeting about how to help Brie?” Luke grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
“It is,” Jesse said. “We just wanted to also throw you a coming-out party. And a ‘welcome to the SAPs’ party for Sebastian.”
“Thanks,” Sebastian said with a laugh, tilting his head and shaking it, confetti fluttering to the floor below. “I feel very … welcomed.”
“Oh, that reminds me, I need to add you to the SAPs app,” Jesse said, taking his arm and guiding him off to one side.
Sebastian’s head spun a little as Jesse chattered enthusiastically about an app for spouses and partners of players and all the resources they had available to them.
He glanced over to see a couple of the guys talking to Luke too. He looked massively uncomfortable, but when he glanced over and their gazes met, his expression softened just a little, the corner of his mouth lifting.
“Uhh, someone’s smitten,” Jesse said with a soft laugh.
“Yeah,” Sebastian admitted, turning back to face him, a little embarrassed that he’d been caught staring so blatantly. “Sorry.”
Jesse’s smile widened. “I meant him.”
“Oh.” Sebastian’s face warmed. “You think so?”
Jesse gave him a thoughtful look. “You know, I didn’t like Luke when I first got to the team.
I knew he was a valuable player, but I didn’t think much of him as a person.
But since then, I’ve really gotten to see a different side of him.
He’s gruff but … there’s a kindness lurking underneath there that I wouldn’t have expected. ”
“I hear you.” Sebastian chuckled. “I fucking hated the guy when we first started hooking up.”
Jesse laughed. “So that part wasn’t a cover?”
“God no. But he’s … there’s a lot more to him than most people see,” Sebastian admitted.
“I believe that.”
“So how is he in bed?” Tanner said, appearing at Jesse’s elbow. “I kinda don’t want to think about it too much because he’s totally like a brother to me but um, I’m also kinda dying to know.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Well, Luke’s pretty private, so I won’t go into details, but let’s just say, he’s pretty much like you’d expect. Gruff and growly and … intense. But like Jesse said, there’s more to him than you’d think.”
“Big dick. Got it.” Tanner nodded like it was confirming something he’d guessed. “Thought he’d be a grower.”
Sebastian let out a startled laugh. “Uhh, that wasn’t quite what I meant.”
“Am I wrong?” Tanner arched an eyebrow at him.
Sebastian shrugged. “I’m not saying that …”
“Okay, okay!” Connor’s voice rose over the crowd. “That’s enough harassing Luke and Sebastian. Everyone, grab a drink, grab some food, and let’s get down to business.”
As Sebastian made his way up to the bar a few minutes later, he was introduced to some of the SAPs. Kady’s girlfriend, Mandy, was very friendly, though he was surprised when he was introduced to their partners, Lauren and Jake.
“Great to meet you,” Sebastian said.
“We’re poly too,” Krista said, giving Sebastian a smile as she leaned into Tom’s shoulder. “Although we aren’t dating anyone else at the moment.”
Sebastian nodded.
“Did Luke tell you why?”
“No?” Sebastian said, slightly confused. “Was he supposed to?”
“No. I was just curious.”
“He really doesn’t talk about anyone’s personal life,” Sebastian said. “He’s very private.”
“True,” Krista said with a soft laugh. “And honestly, this probably goes without saying to you, but the first rule about the SAP club is—”
“We don’t talk about the SAP club?” Sebastian finished jokingly.
Mandy laughed. “Pretty much. It’s just … it’s not always easy being in the public eye. Fans are quick to criticize and make assumptions and blame personal lives on the way players are playing and …”
Sebastian nodded. “Not a problem. To be honest, other than promoting my business, I’m hardly on social media and I … well, I don’t exactly have a robust friend group in Boston. Hell, I hardly had that in New York. The perils of being a business owner who never knows when to turn it off, I suppose.”
Mandy looped her arm through his. “Well, you’re stuck with us now!”
And Sebastian thought that he was going to like that just fine.
After food and drinks and a lot of ideas about what the team could do to support Brie and Harper had been shared, Luke found himself face-to-face with Catherine O’Shea.
“I like him,” she said firmly, nodding toward where Sebastian was laughing about something with Tom and Thad.
“Me too,” Luke admitted.
She glanced over, her eyes twinkling as she took a sip of her drink. “Well, I would hope so. It’s a pretty important prerequisite for a relationship.”
“True.”
She leaned in. “What I really mean is that I like him for you, specifically.”
Luke nodded.
“I didn’t know you were looking for a relationship,” she said. “I always got the impression that was something you weren’t interested in.”
“I wasn’t.” He swallowed hard. “But this feels … it feels right.”
“Good.” She reached out and squeezed his forearm. The pub was warm and he’d stripped down to a T-shirt a while ago. Her fingers were cool from the glass she held and it was nice against his overheated skin. She looked up, studying his face. “Something’s worrying you though.”
“What if I get it all wrong?” he said thickly. “I don’t know that I’m any good at this.”
“Luke …” She sighed. “I’m going to let you in a little secret. No one is.”
He gave her a skeptical look. “You and Declan make it seem pretty easy.”
“We’ve had many years to practice.”
“True.”
“Declan’s a bit like you, I think. He doesn’t like to talk about his feelings much. It doesn’t come naturally to him. But he worked at it. And I know you understand hard work.”
“I do,” Luke agreed.
“So put that work into your relationship. Talk, even when it feels uncomfortable. And never forget how lucky you are to be with someone who understands you.”
Luke nodded, watching Sebastian throw back his head and laugh at some nonsense from Tanner. “I can do that.”
“And you know you can come to me if you ever need relationship advice, right?”
“Yeah,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Thanks, Mrs. O. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Because although he did love his parents, he’d never in a million years go to them for advice. The O’Sheas? Yeah, he’d consider it at least.
“Where is Declan tonight?” Luke asked.
“Hockey tournament with Nolan,” she said, referring to Connor’s son. “Their team is on a tear this season. That seems to happen after guys come out, actually.”
Luke grinned. “Well, much as I hate all this shit”—he gestured to the rainbow explosion in the pub—“hopefully that bodes well for the postseason.”
“Can’t hurt,” Catherine agreed. “It’s almost like being open and honest and having loving support is good for the game or something.”
“Almost,” he agreed with a smile.