Chapter 22 The Family Room #2
While I didn’t want to be a jerk to the kids, I was desperate to talk to Ali. I watched as Piper’s hand went to Ali’s stomach, and I was instantly punched with jealousy. I wanted to—
Something smacked me hard in the cheek, cutting off my thoughts. “Ow, f—” I stopped myself from swearing and looked around.
“That was your fault!” A little boy with ice cream stains all over his face and shirt pointed his mini-stick at me. By the look of his pale blonde hair, I figured he was probably one of Andersson’s five kids. “You weren’t looking! You suck, McQuaid!”
Kappy and Colt both laughed loudly.
“Yeah, you suck, McQuaid,” Kappy teased while picking his mini-stick to resume playing with the kids.
Scowling and rubbing my cheek, I turned on my heel to walk over to our girls.
From across the room, all three women gave me very different reactions.
As soon as Mer spotted me, her eyes immediately darted around in search for Colt.
When Ali met my gaze, she gave a small, awkward wave.
Beside her, Piper’s eyes narrowed to slits, reminding me of why we used to call her ‘Piper the Viper.’ I actually turned to see if maybe Piper was upset with someone behind me, but nope. She was full-on glaring at me.
With about ten feet left until finally making it to Ali, Piper marched forward. I tried to step around her, but she was determined to block my path.
“Yes?” I questioned, craning my neck to see Ali.
“You better not hurt her,” Piper said, jabbing her long finger into my chest. “I want her to stay here in Chicago with us.”
“What?” My eyes darted from her finger practically piercing my chest, back to her cold eyes. “Why would I hurt her? I want that too.”
In a swift move, she lifted her heel and jammed it onto my toes, making pain blind my vision.
“That”—Piper wagged her finger in my face—“is for what you did back in July, you little fuck boy.”
I blanched at her in pain. “I am not a fuck boy.” I looked to Ali for help, but Piper blocked her from my view.
“Let’s think about this,” Piper drawled. “You sought her out, convinced her to be with you, acted like you wanted her for real, but as soon as you slept with her and got what you wanted, your little story completely changed, and then you dipped. What’s that sound like?”
My mouth went dry. “What? No, no, I apologized, but it’s way more complicated than that, Piper.”
“Not to me.” She put her fingers up to her eyes, then speared them toward mine. “I’m watching you, buddy boy.” Piper gave me one last glare before making her way over to Kappy.
I held my breath for a full five seconds, willing the pain in my foot to go away, but it wasn’t working. Blowing out a frustrated breath, I slowly limped toward Ali, who was now giggling at my expense. Looking a little caught, she tried but failed to stop laughing.
“Good game,” she offered with a sweet smile.
“Thanks.”
As soon as I was close enough, she leaned slightly into my side and patted my chest, making all the tension drain from my body. It was such a simple, light touch, but it had me craving more. I instantly missed the cruise ship when we had no barriers between us.
A little ball flew into the corner of my vision, and I instantly snatched it before it smacked Ali right in the face.
“Good catch,” the little blond boy with the ice cream stains said as he grabbed his ball back. “That time, ya bender,” he snickered while running away.
“Did you hear that?” I whipped my neck around to Ali. “Tell me you heard that.” I shook my head. “Where’s Andersson? I think I need to talk to him about his evil spawn.”
Ali just giggled.
“I really hope we’re having a girl,” I muttered.
Ali blinked, like something just occurred to her, but I couldn’t quite decipher her emotions.
“Hey, you okay?”
A sweet smile grew on her face as her eyes slightly watered.
“I’m sorry,” I automatically blurted out, because I’d been saying all the wrong things lately. Actually, I’d been saying the wrong things ever since that last day of the cruise.
Still smiling, she gave a little shake of her head and cleared a tear from the corner of her eye.
“How are you feeling? That was quite the fight. Is your jaw okay?” Her hand darted out like she was going to touch me, but she changed her mind at the last second and dropped it, making my heart drop a little.
I rolled my shoulders back. “It wasn’t bad. I’m fine. I think Piper just hurt me worse with her stupid heel. Who wears those to a hockey game anyway?” I shifted my weight off my injured foot. “She called me a fuck boy.”
Ali let out a little laugh. Noticing my furrowed eyebrows, she rolled her lips together. “I don’t know,” she mused. “She kinda has a point.”
My eyes flashed to hers in horror. “You don’t really think that, do you?”
The little kids all erupted in loud cheers, distracting us.
Turning, it was clear the cheers were for the rookies.
They burst into the room like rambunctious puppies and started playing a round of suey with the kids.
Zukes picked up one of Andersson’s kids and held him under his arm as he kicked the soccer ball.
Nilsson had another little tyke on his shoulders as he passed the ball back.
Niko kicked the ball to Lucy. When she returned it, he gave her a high-five, and I suddenly felt a little betrayed.
“So, Mer said they were having a bonfire at their house after this.” Ali tucked the front strands of her hair back. “Can you drive me there? All my stuff is still at their house,” she explained. “And I was planning on sleeping there.”
“Oh, okay.” My voice came out too high and I had to cough to clear it. “Sure,” I said, while my heart splattered on the floor. “Just for tonight?”
“Or for… the time being.” Her eyes darted around my face, trying to read me. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad, JP. I just need some space to think about things.”
I racked my brain, trying to come up with a way to convince her to stay with me. I just needed time to show her that I was here to stay, that I wasn’t some fuck boy, that I wasn’t—
Someone came up from behind me and slapped my shoulder, making me wince. “McQuaid,” Niko said, giving me a tight smile, then he turned to Ali and paused. “Howdy, ma’am.” He gave her a bright grin.
Ali’s eyes bounced from mine to his, sensing the awkwardness. Her lips quirked up into an amused smile. “Hi?”
Niko smoothed back his flowy dark hair back and his face went serious. “I don’t think you’re right for him.”
I reeled back to face him. “What’d you just say?”
“You don’t?” Ali laughed, her eyebrows shooting up in amusement. “Why not?”
Niko gave her a wicked grin. “Because I’m here now, sweetheart.” He took her hand and kissed it, his loverboy eyes never leaving her face.
Ali looked flustered. And was that… was that a blush on her face?
“Okay, enough.” I shoved Niko away from Ali, making him laugh. “I apologized, you got me back. We’re even, now get lost.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Niko waved me off, then focused back on Ali. “I’m serious about this. Can I get your number?”
Ali laughed again as she reached for her phone in her jacket pocket.
“Ali?” I choked out, shocked this was happening. “You’re not actually serious about this? His birth year starts with a two.” My eyes darted back to him. “How old are you anyway?”
“Twenty-five, plenty old enough.” He wagged his eyebrows at me, making my anger boil over.
I ran my tongue over my teeth and turned on him, ready to—
“All right,” Colt interrupted, pulling Niko away from me before I could do anything stupid. “Settle down or daddy’s gonna get mad,” he told the rookie.
“Daddy?” Niko pulled a grossed out face.
Ali pointed to her abdomen, then to me. “Daddy,” she said with a sigh.
I stared at her. Was that a disappointed sigh? What the hell was going on here?
“Oh shit, are you guys together?” Niko asked her.
“Nope,” Ali said at the same time I said, “Yupp.”
Ali scrunched her nose as she looked up at me. “He’s too busy with hockey for that,” she drawled, giving me a pat on the chest. “We’re just friends.”
My jaw dropped, making her laugh.
Niko grinned. “Perfect, then the offer still stands, blondie.”
Colt laughed as he patted Niko on the back. “You have a death wish, don’t ya, kid?”
Yeah, he fuckin’ does, I thought.
Battling her own grin, Ali started rattling off her phone number. I listened closely, figuring she’d give him a wrong number, but nope. She gave him all ten correct digits.
“You’re not serious,” I deadpanned.
“I think she is.” Niko grinned proudly. He wrapped his arm around my neck and whispered, “Who’s your daddy?”
Murder. I was going to murder him.
But the little shit ran away too fast, laughing loudly as he went. “Let’s go boys!” he yelled to his two buddies. “Call ya later, blondie!” He winked at Ali right before leaving the family room.
That little shit.
With her eyes still on his invisible wake, Ali laughed. “He’s funny.”
Yupp. I was going to murder the kid.