Chapter 2
Present Day
Bennett
Sweat drips down my forehead, along my nose, and down over the tip, landing on my upper lip. I lick it away, chest heaving as I uncap a bottle of water. Tipping my head back, I chug the entire thing down in seconds.
“Good work out there.” My dad, Jax, the coach of the Silver Knights hockey team, claps me on the back. “Looking sharp. Are you ready for the season?”
“My body hates me, but I’m ready.” I chuckle, using a second water bottle to pour onto my heated skin.
Perks of having the coach as your dad? Extra practice time. “You know, the Carolina Cougars are going to have scouts here. A lot of other big recruiters, too.”
“I know.” I nod.
“You could go right to the NHL after you graduate.”
“I know.” I nod again.
The plan wasn’t for me to go to the NHL when I started at SVU. I’ve always loved hockey. Since the moment I could walk, I was on skates.
It was something Jax and I bonded over.
Even though he played football in high school with my dad, his passion was always hockey. He could have been a pro, even tried it, but decided it wasn’t for him.
He loved teaching me the sport, and as I got older, I stayed in the game. I played all throughout school and now college too.
The thing is, I’m good. If I wanted to, I could make it to the NHL.
And while I love the game, I’m not sure if that’s something I want.
I’ve been working toward a career in sports management, with the idea of at least having something to do with hockey.
Playing as a full-time job in the NHL, though, is something I’m still undecided about.
“I have until the end of the year to decide, right?”
“You have until the end of the season,” Jax corrects. “I’m not trying to pressure you. I want you to do what makes you happy. But I see the love you have for the game. If you’re not sure if you want to take the NHL route, why not try for the AHL?”
I’ve heard it all before. The thing is, I’m not sure if I want to play hockey at all, because life as a professional athlete can be grueling and time-consuming.
I like living in Silver Valley, and I like being close to my family. If I take this pro athlete career path, I’m not sure how much free time I’d have to be with them. The idea of not seeing my family as much as I do now doesn’t sit right with me.
Ugh, maybe Aria was right. I’m such a mama’s boy.
Can you blame me, though? She’s literally the sweetest person ever. So damn supportive and kind. Would give you the shirt off her back and her last dollar from her purse.
I go home every Sunday for family supper and sometimes even spend a few nights a week there to hang out with my younger brothers.
That wouldn’t be something I could do if I go pro.
“Hey, Benny,” Lilly’s voice makes me smile. Looking behind Jax, I see her appear behind the glass. “You up for some breakfast?”
“Go.” Jax laughs. “We'll talk about this later.”
“You got it, Coach.” I give him a salute.
I’m grinning widely as I leave the ice. “Come here, big sister.” I start walking toward Lilly.
“Get away from me,” she squeals as she starts to run away.
“Not so fast.” I grab her, wrapping my sweaty arms around her.
“Oh my god! You fucking stink. I’m going to barf.” She starts to gag. “Why are you so wet? What is that smell?”
“It’s all man,” I laugh, rubbing my sweaty face against her cheek.
“More like a swamp monster.” She shoves out of my hold, shivering in disgust. “Go shower. While you do that, I’m going to burn my clothes.”
“Drama queen.”
She flips me off as she heads to the girls’ bathroom.
Once I’m showered and dressed, I grab my hockey bag and head out to the front of the stadium.
“I have two men who played hockey, and they never smelled that bad,” she tells me, as she rises from the bench where she was waiting for me.
“I can assure you they did. Trust me, I’ve smelled Toby’s hockey bag, and I thought there was a dead body in it.” I laugh as we head outside. “You just didn’t notice the smell of his hockey pants because you wanted to be in them.”
Toby is our stepbrother. And well... Lilly and Toby have never had a sibling-type bond. They’ve been in each other's lives since they were four and seven, but Toby has always had a protective way with her.
After a lot of drama, the two of them ended up together. I was around thirteen. She is also with Toby’s best friend, Bishop. When I tell you my family is a waving pride flag, I’m not joking.
But I love it.
It’s made coming out a breeze, minus the time I got punched in the face by my ex-best friend.
I never felt like I needed to hide who I was. Of course, it was rough as I navigated my feelings, but thankfully, I had Jax and Dad who helped a lot.
“That is not true.” Lilly laughs.
I give her a look. “Really?”
“I’m not talking about getting in anyone's pants with you.” She gives me a pointed look as I throw my bag into the trunk.
“I’m twenty-one, Lil. Sex isn’t a taboo subject.” I close the trunk and open the front passenger door. “I love lots of it.”
“Ew. No. I do not wanna hear about my little Benny’s sex life.” She covers her ears.
I laugh as I buckle my seatbelt.
“We’re all adults here, big sister.” I grin.
“No. I’m an adult. You will forever be my little brother. My kid brother. My best friend and little buddy.”
“We’re still best friends. I’m just bigger now.”
“Don’t remind me. You make me feel so old.”
“Lilly, you’re only like five years older than me.” I roll my eyes.
“Older than you. Old. Old!”
“You’re more emotional than normal.” I narrow my eyes and notice a wet glimmer in hers. “Are you crying?”
“What? No.” She sniffs. My heart sinks, and the humor in my tone vanishes.
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.” She laughs, wiping at her eyes. “It’s why I wanted to go out to breakfast this morning. It's a good thing. I promise.”
“Okay...” I say slowly. “Care to tell me now so I don’t think you’re about to tell me you have cancer or something?"
“I’m not sick.” She laughs again. “Well, only in the mornings.” She smiles over at me.
“Only in the mornings...” I repeat. It takes a second for it to click. I gasp. “Oh my god, are you pregnant?!”
“Yeah.” She smiles, nodding her head. “Eight weeks as of today.”
“This is amazing.” I laugh, unbuckling quickly, then launching myself forward. I wrap my sister up in my arms tightly. “Holy shit. I’m going to be an uncle.” I pull back. “Do the ‘rents know?”
“No.” She sniffs, wiping at her eyes again. “We’re going to tell them at family supper on Sunday. I just wanted you to know first. You're my person, you know?”
“Stop,” I warn her, pointing a finger at her. “I'm a man. A manly man. I don’t cry.” But I feel the back of my eyes sting with happy tears.
“Tell that to Toby and Bishop. Bishop sobbed like a little baby. It was the sweetest thing ever. I’ve only ever seen Toby cry once, but even he was shedding tears.”
“I’m so happy for you.” I take her hand in mine, giving it a squeeze.
“Thank you. I’m excited. It’s the right time, you know? Life is good. My book is doing amazing, and the bookshop is thriving. Toby is working with Dad, Bishop’s restaurant is booming. We’re in a good place in our lives.”
“How is my big sister married and having a baby?” I sit back in my seat. “I feel like I’m lacking in my personal life.”
“Hey.” She gives my knee a pat. “You’re young and enjoying life. That’s how it should be.”
“I want what you have.” I turn my head toward her. “Someone to love, to take care of, to go home to.”
“You’re twenty-one.” She smiles. “You have lots of time to find that.”
“You found it at eighteen,” I point out.
“Yeah, but I always knew who I was going to end up with.” She laughs.
She has a point. She was in love with Toby as a young teenager, maybe even before that. Bishop was always a close friend to her, someone she grew up with, but she didn’t fall for him until they were in college. Still, they were in each other’s lives for a long time before they got together.
The only person I had feelings for that young hasn’t been in my life for a long time.
“Alright, let’s not make this depressing. Let’s get you something to eat. You’re eating for two now.”
We head to a little cafe down the street and order some breakfast. We sit and talk for an hour before Lilly has to work a shift at the bookstore. She co-owns it with our mom. I love how close the two of them are.
“Can you give this to Brody?” Lilly hands over a piece of paper.
“What is it?”
“It’s some things he needs to sign off for... for the bookstore. I’ve been meaning to come over myself, but with everything going on, you know, foggy brain.”
“Yeah. I’ll get him to sign it and bring it when I drop by the store tonight.”
“Thank you. And thank you for doing this. The kids are so excited.”
Lilly and Mom set up a reading program at the bookstore that starts this week. Pretty much every week, the kids who signed up will get a free book. We'll sit and read, talk about it, and make a whole book club thing out of it.
It’s supposed to promote reading and help inner-city kids. I couldn’t turn Lilly down when she asked me to help.
“Of course. I’m excited. It’s going to be great.”
Lilly drops me off at the hockey house. Grabbing my hockey bag, I throw it in the trunk of my car and head inside to grab my school bag.
School is... well, school. Nothing new and nothing exciting. I go about my day, do my work, have lunch with my best friend, Aria, and some of my teammates, head back for a few more classes, then swing by the football field to see my dad.
The football team has practice today, and normally, I try to avoid the football field as much as I can.
Papers in hand, I head toward my dad. He’s shouting something at the players, and I smile, chuckling as I shake my head. He’s a scary man to most people, but once you get to know him, he really is a big teddy bear.
“Hey!” I shout, getting his attention.
“Bennett.” He grins. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“I know.” I chuckle. “Not by my own free will.”
“Oh boy. Who sent you here? Mom?”