Spencer #4
Keeley ran the brush through her hair, gently teasing the knots out until she could run it the full length of each section.
Hannah’s hair was drying fast, and once she had half her head brushed, Keeley gathered it in a loose ponytail and pushed it to the side.
She repeated the process with the other side until all of Hannah’s hair was fluffy and knot-free.
Once she’d finished brushing, she gathered Hannah’s ponytails at the top of her head and used an elastic string to tie each one. “We don’t want to tie it too tightly or it hurts, doesn’t it, sweet girl?”
“No, no hurt,” Hannah replied as she shoved the final piece of buttered scone into her mouth.
Hannah grinned, and I had to snap a photo of her. She had the cutest little puffy pigtails atop her head, and her smile was adorable.
“Now that her hair is longer, she usually sleeps with a satin bonnet on so it keeps as much moisture in her hair as possible and doesn’t tangle.”
“More, peese,” Hannah said, banging the table.
“Absolutely, sweet pea.”
I cut and buttered another scone, then popped it on her placemat just as Bray stumbled out of the bedroom, naked as the day he was born.
He was rubbing his temples and had dark circles under his eyes.
My heart cracked, aching as I watched him struggle.
I couldn’t help going to him. He was in pain, and I needed him to know he was being doted upon.
Midnight stirred from her spot on the backrest of the sofa, stretching, and like a premonition, I could see what she was about to do. I charged forward, lunging for her as she launched herself at Brayden.
I caught her and yanked her away from attacking Brayden’s nuts. Keeley rushed to Brayden’s side, and Brayden stood frozen, his eyes wide as he panted.
“Midnight,” I scolded and closed her in the spare bedroom where her litter tray was. I moved her water and food bowls in there as Brayden held up his shaking hand. Keeley wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back soothingly.
“Sweet Baby Jesus, y’all, I nearly got neutered by a fuckin’ cat.”
“She just wanted to bat them around a bit like a ball of string,” I placated, trying to defend her. She really did love Brayden. Sometimes. She just had a twisted way of showing him.
He looked at me and cocked his brow, blinked, then turned to Keeley and asked, “Did we win?”
“We did,” Keeley responded with a smile. She eased him down onto the sofa so he was lying with his head on the armrest, and I covered him with a blanket.
“Rune and Minns got sent to the box for the beatdown they gave the Fireballs’ center,” Keeley explained as she stroked his cheek softly.
“Florida scored while Rune was in there—Mironov and the others did their best, but they were outnumbered—then when Gauthier and Hux got back on the ice, they played like a fire had been lit under their asses. In the presser, they said they’d done it for you. ”
His smile was faint, and the furrow in his brow spiked my worry. I smoothed the line down, and he hummed. “Y’all, that center’s on my shit list. Wait until we play them again.”
I chuckled, and Keeley pressed a kiss to his temple. “You need to eat. How’s your headache on a scale of one to ten?”
“A six?” Bray squinted.
Shit, the light in the kitchen was still on, and bloody Midnight hadn’t helped. I switched it off and tugged the drapes closed a bit more, reducing the light filtering in from them.
“That means it’s a nine,” I corrected while I lathered a scone in jam—no, jelly—and spray cream—not ideal, but it was the only thing we had in the refrigerator—and took it, together with a bottle of water, to him. “Get this into you, and I’ll grab you some pain pills.”
“I updated the group chat last night,” Keeley explained as I walked toward the bedroom for Bray’s clothes and the paracetamol he was allowed to take.
I paused at the doorway, straining to hear her quiet murmur.
“Everyone knows you’re okay but that you need to take it easy for a few days. They’re going to hold off calling and coming by until at least tomorrow.”
Bray sighed, and I could just imagine the way he was cuddling into her as she kneeled in front of him. “Thank you,” he mumbled.
I walked back into the living room and handed him his underwear. He looked up at me blankly and I laughed quietly. “Midnight’s locked away, but Hannah’s here.”
His eyes widened and then he scrunched them closed and pressed his fingers to his closed eyelids. “Shit. Y’all, I’m so sorry. I can’t think straight.”
“It’s okay,” Keeley soothed. “She’s fine—she’s facing away from us anyway.”
“Stupid concussion. It’s fucked everything,” Bray grumbled.
“What, Texas?” I asked, going back to running my fingers through his hair.
He nuzzled me and sighed. “We can’t buy the house until I can sign the paperwork as well, but there were other people looking at it. I don’t want to lose the place. Hannah’s bedroom is perfect.”
Keeley’s mouth popped open as if she were about to protest, but I cut her off. “As soon as the agency opens, I’ll call them. I can put a holding deposit down today so we don’t lose it. We can’t lose it. We have a second birthday party to host there.”