Make You Mine

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

“Oh my god. Seriously?” Bryn tossed her phone down on the bed with a huff. Biscuit lifted her head from the dog bed in the corner briefly before lowering it once more. “My sister is going to push me over the edge.”

“Is this about the wedding?”

“What else?” Bryn rolled her eyes.

I surveyed Bryn’s guest bedroom, grabbing a set of screws from the floor.

She sank down on the edge of the mattress, still in her scrubs.

Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, the wavy blond strands falling like silk over her shoulder.

She looked younger than her twenty-seven years, though she’d certainly been through a lot in the past eighteen months. We both had.

But life went on, whether we liked it or not.

It was strange to celebrate without Derek. First, it was a game the team had won. Then Christmas and New Year’s. Then his birthday. The end of the season. And now, Bryn’s sister’s wedding.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

If Bryn complained about her family, it was usually because they were so close that it was inevitable. And if they smothered her, it was only because they cared.

I got it. I was close to my own family. Or at least, I used to be. Now, our relationship was strained—and in some cases, nonexistent.

But my found family? They’d all rallied around us after Derek’s death. They and our friends, my current teammates, and even some former ones. Everyone had been hurting, but they’d stepped up to help Bryn. To support her—and, to a lesser extent, me—through the tragedy as best as they could.

“Allie said she feels like ‘the light’s gone out of me.’” Bryn used air quotes, rolling her eyes as she relayed her sister’s sentiment.

Oof. I winced.

“And what do you think?” I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from saying a few choice words about Bryn’s sister’s comment.

“I think that my husband died and my life got flipped upside down and I’m doing the best I can.”

I placed my hand on Bryn’s knee, our eyes locking. “You’re doing great.”

I understood that Allie was trying to help, and I knew it was coming from a place of love, but she wasn’t here day in and day out.

She was supportive, as much as she could be from afar.

But she hadn’t witnessed Bryn’s progress in the same way I had.

Allie didn’t see the good days and the bad days.

And as much as I hated seeing Bryn in pain, I was so fucking grateful that she allowed me to be there for her.

“Thank you.” Bryn dropped her head, gaze on the floor, before murmuring, “To be honest, most days, I’m just making it through.”

“Give yourself some credit,” I said, not willing to let her downplay what she’d survived or the progress she’d made. I gnashed my teeth. I could kill Allie for making Bryn doubt herself. “You’re healing.”

“Yeah,” Bryn acknowledged reluctantly. “Okay. Maybe I was just making it through before, and I still sometimes have days like that. But I’m doing better.”

I gave her knee a squeeze before releasing her. “What’s really bothering you?” I asked when she started gnawing on her lip.

“I think…” Bryn blew out a breath, calmer now. “I think my family is worried the wedding will remind me of everything I lost.”

Everything we’d both lost. My chest ached at the reminder.

Her husband. My best friend and former teammate. A talented hockey player and an even better man. It was still hard to believe Derek was gone. It just didn’t make sense—his sudden death. I wasn’t sure it ever would.

“She hasn’t said it, but I get the feeling that my sister feels guilty that she found her happily ever after when we all know how my love story ended,” Bryn continued, breaking me out of my thoughts. “But she shouldn’t. I’m thrilled for her.”

I knew that Bryn was genuinely happy for Allie.

But that didn’t mean Bryn couldn’t also be hurting.

If I’d learned anything over the past year and a half, it was that grief was complex.

It often required you to juggle two conflicting emotions simultaneously—anger and sadness.

Joy and heartbreak. And none of it was easy.

“Have you told her that?” I flipped my hat backward to keep my hair out of my face.

The length was starting to drive me nuts, but I’d been waiting for Georgia to come back from vacation. She was the team’s stylist, and I wouldn’t let anyone else touch my hair.

“Of course I have.” Bryn stood and started pacing. “But I feel like she’s not listening at all lately, and she’s not the only one.”

I arched one brow, not liking the sound of that. “What does that mean?”

“People keep trying to set me up on dates, despite my telling them I’m not interested. And I’m sick of it.”

I swallowed hard. What? I lifted my baseball cap, smoothing back my hair before shoving the hat on my head—again. Fuck.

“For the wedding, or in general?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. Even.

I hadn’t realized that Bryn was ready to date or even interested in the idea. She’d stopped wearing her wedding ring months ago, but… I shook my head. No. Surely she wasn’t…

Not that I was judging her. I just didn’t know what to make of it.

“For the wedding. My future. They love to tell me what Derek would want.” She scoffed. “Derek would want you to be happy. Derek wouldn’t want you to be alone.” She affected a different tone, as if to mimic another woman’s voice. “Even Derek’s mom told me that.”

I didn’t disagree with the sentiment, but I also knew that Bryn had to do what felt best for her. Sure, maybe she needed a push. But we also had to know when to give her space. It was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to grapple with.

“And it’s not just them. One of my coworkers has been trying to set me up with someone.” She shook her head. “They say it’s about what Derek would want, but it’s about them. They don’t want me to be alone.”

I gnashed my teeth, annoyed they were overstepping.

Be honest, a little voice said. That’s not the only reason you’re annoyed. But I shoved it away. She’d been married to my best friend. And despite how I felt…it didn’t matter. I needed to focus on Bryn—what she wanted, what she needed.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“A time machine,” she answered bluntly, though it didn’t escape my notice that she’d avoided my question.

“Bryn,” I sighed. “If I could buy you one, I would.”

“Thanks, Bear. I just…” She sighed. “I don’t want to be the center of so much attention for something so awful anymore. Especially not on a day that should be a celebration. I’m tired of the pitying looks, the curious whispers. I’m tired of being treated like I’m made of glass.”

Losing your spouse had to be painful enough, but to have her greatest tragedy become national news? To have to grieve his loss so publicly? And yet to show so much strength and grace was a testament to her character.

I honestly didn’t know how she did it. As Derek’s best friend and teammate, I’d certainly been asked my fair share of invasive questions about the man, his loss, his legacy. But she’d been his wife.

Many times, I’d wanted to punch someone in the face solely for asking a question about Derek. Yet anytime Bryn spoke about Derek, she was full of poise, representing Derek’s legacy with grace.

Bryn leaned back on her hands and stared up at the ceiling.

And as always, she took my breath away. She had been to hell and back, and she was one of the strongest people I knew.

And that was saying something, considering my teammates were some of the most elite athletes in the league, in the nation.

When her attention turned to me, I glanced down, hoping she hadn’t noticed me staring. How could I not? She was gorgeous—blond hair, blue eyes, dark lashes, pouty lips.

But it wasn’t just about her looks. She was also wicked smart. She assisted doctors who performed literal brain surgery. On children. That took guts. And mental strength.

She cared about her patients, going above and beyond.

Most of them sent her holiday cards long after they’d been discharged because she’d made such a positive impact on their lives.

Hell, I’d seen her comfort Derek’s fans when they should’ve been consoling her.

She cared about everyone. Sometimes I wondered if she cared too much.

“You could skip it.” I was joking, mostly. If skipping her sister’s wedding would protect Bryn’s mental peace, then I was all for it.

Bryn gave me a flat look. “She’s my sister. And I’m a bridesmaid. Though, thank god, I’m not the maid—” She furrowed her brow. “Matron? Of honor. At least I don’t have to plan the bachelorette party, the bridal shower. All I have to do is show up, and even that sounds like too much effort.”

I shrugged, trying to act calm when all I wanted was to wrap her up in my arms and protect her. “Feign illness at the last minute.”

“That would definitely ruin Allie’s day. And I want to be there for her. Of course I do. But, ugh…” She flopped back on the bed, and I didn’t look away fast enough. Now I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

Even in her cornflower-blue scrubs, I could see the outline of her curves.

Her breasts and hips were fuller now that she’d gained back some of the weight she’d lost after Derek’s death.

That was a relief. But she was still thinner than she’d been.

I was just grateful she was eating, even if she lacked the passion she used to have for food.

Bryn was still talking, and I caught back on at the tail end, just as she said, “And then I just had to tell her I had a date to the wedding.”

The idea of Bryn with another man had my gut tightening, the air being squeezed from my lungs.

“Who?” My voice came out as a growl.

“That’s just it.” Bryn rolled to her side, propping her head up on her hand. She blew out a breath, pink tingeing her cheekbones. “I lied.”

A dark chuckle threaded through me, along with a potent dose of relief. Thank. Fuck.