Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ethan
“I’m really sorry about this,” Jackson says, running a hand through his hair. “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.”
“It’s okay,” I say reassuringly.
Jackson called an hour ago, asking if I wouldn’t mind looking after his kids for a couple of hours. He was traded to the Thunder back in February to be closer to his parents following an amicable divorce, and I’ve kind of taken him under my wing ever since. I don’t like seeing people struggle.
Plus, his kids are pretty cool, so I have no problem with him dropping them off with me.
“Take as much time as you need. I don’t have anything planned today, so it’s fine.”
Jackson rubs his face with his hand. He looks exhausted, but I guess becoming a single dad while still playing professional hockey will do that to you.
“Thank you,” he answers with a grateful smile. He turns to speak to the kids. “Be good for Ethan, okay? Do what he says. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay, Dad.” Ryan waves, then takes his little sister’s hand. “I’ll look after Izzy.”
She wiggles her hand free from his and clings to my leg like a koala. “I want Ethan.”
Ryan rolls his eyes. “Whatever, Izzy.” He looks up at me. “Ethan, can I watch Sports Network?”
“Sure.” I barely have time to nod before he runs off into the living room and jumps onto the couch.
Jackson hesitates at the door. “Call me if they give you any trouble.”
“I’m sure they won’t, but I’ll call you if there’s an emergency.”
“Bye, Daddy!” Isabela sings, waving her hand so hard her entire body shakes.
Jackson sighs, gives another small smile, and nods. “Okay, bye. See you later.”
The door clicks shut behind him, and I look down at the little curly blonde girl hanging off my leg.
“So, what do you wanna do?”
She shrugs. “Color?”
“Uh, yeah, okay.”
She takes my hand—or more like she grabs hold of my fingers—and drags me into the living room, where she’s dumped her pink backpack.
She empties the contents out on the floor and collects an assortment of colored pens.
I sit down next to Ryan, who’s engrossed in the hockey game highlights showing on the screen, his eyes wide.
“How’s hockey camp going, Ryan?” I ask.
He nods slowly, not taking his eyes off the TV. “Good. ”
“Did you go this morning?”
He nods again. “Yeah, scored two goals.”
“That’s awesome, dude.”
He aimlessly sticks his thumb up at me, making me laugh. I don’t think he’s blinked once since he’s sat down. He’s following in his dad’s hockey footsteps, and from what Jackson has told me, he seems to be thriving in the U8’s.
It’s wild to think he’s now the same age I was when my dad left.
Isabela climbs onto the couch next to me and settles on her knees, popping the lid from one of her pens before starting to color one of my tattoos.
My brows furrow in concern.
“Uh, Isabela, are those permanent markers?”
“What’s perm-an-ent mean?” She looks up at me curiously.
“Like, this will come off, right?”
“Dunno.” She shrugs, then continues to color, completely unfazed.
I turn to her brother. “Ryan? Do you know if these pens wash off?”
“I think so.” He shrugs too. What’s with these kids shrugging all the damn time? “Can we have snacks?”
I look down at where Isabela is holding my wrist with one hand while she concentrates on coloring with the other. Her tongue peeks out of the corner of her mouth, just like Elliot’s when I walked in on them making bracelets.
“Sure, yeah, go help yourself.”
Ryan jumps off the couch and sprints into the kitchen, returning minutes later with a big bag of chips .
I guess he found the stash I keep for whenever Elliot raids the pantry.
“Don’t eat them all or your dad will go crazy on me.”
“Yeah, okay.” He shoves a handful into his mouth, laughing when the presenter shows fight highlights from last season.
Considering I’m unable to move, I relax back on the couch and allow myself to imagine my life like this. Sitting in front of the TV, watching the world go by outside the window as I watch the kids doing their stuff and just being there with them.
Would I stay downtown or get a house in the suburbs?
Would Jacob want kids?
Fuck. I’m getting ahead of myself. I told him we'd take things slowly, and here I am, jumping feet first into a possible house with possible kids.
It’s been a few days since our mini-date to the zoo, and I tried to give him space. I sent him a couple of texts, called a couple of times, and it seems fine.
Except I want more. But at the same time, I understand his fears completely.
Hell, I deserve it.
It’s going to take time for him to see I’m serious about us and that I won't leave him behind as soon as the season starts.
No matter what it takes, I’ll make him see I want to be with him.
I’m not sure how much time has passed when the door buzzer sounds. Slowly prying myself out of Isabela’s hold, I ignore her pouting frown and get up to head to the intercom .
“Hey, what’s up?” I say as I answer.
“Hello, Mr. Parkes. I have Mr. Lowry here to see you,” Andrew, my doorman, responds.
My heart squeezes.
Jacob’s here?
“Please send him up. I'll leave the door open,” I say quickly. “Also, please add him to my approved visitors’ list.”
“Of course, Mr. Parkes.”
I hang up and turn around to see Isabela standing next to me. She holds her arms up, doing a grabby motion with her hands, and because I can’t say no to her, I pick her up. She curls her hand around the back of my neck and plays with the hair there.
“Who that?” she asks timidly as we watch the door for Jacob to appear.
I tilt my head to look at her.
“A man who is very special to me.” The man I’m in love with. “Are you going to be nice to him?”
She pouts again. “I nice. I get stickers school.”
I laugh under my breath.
A moment later, the door opens, and Jacob peeks his head around the door.
“Hello? Ethan?” he calls out.
The second I see him, it’s like a rush of warmth fills my body. He’s dressed in some faded jeans and a light gray V-neck t-shirt, and his hair is perfectly styled. When those blue eyes land on me, my breath hitches slightly.
He’s so fucking beautiful.
“Hey.” I smile.
“Hey,” he replies, his eyes flicking to Isabela and then back to me. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were busy. Blaine said you needed my help with something.”
Oh, did he now? The sneaky little asshole.
I manage to swallow my laugh at my teammate’s meddling antics.
“I’m just looking after Jackson’s kids for a few hours while he’s at a meeting. This is Isabela,” I introduce her. She gives him a shy smile and waves before hiding her face in my neck, her fingers still twirling the hair on the back of my head. “Ryan’s watching TV. Can I get you a drink?”
He shakes his head, rolling his lips inward as if he’s unsure. I don’t like how guarded he’s become around me. It’s like we’ve gone back to when we first met. When he was hesitant and unsure around me. When he didn’t trust me.
This is all on me.
My behavior and my actions caused this, and I fucking hate that I’ve dimmed the light of my sunshine.
“No, I’m fine, thanks.”
Leading him into the living room, Isabela still hanging onto me, I carefully sit down, pulling her into my lap. I glance down and see she’s eyeing Jacob.
“She’s adorable.” Jacob smiles, causing her to go all shy again and hide her face in my neck.
“Yeah, she is. I don’t know why she’s taken to me the way she has.”
He looks startled. “Why wouldn’t she?”
I shrug. Clearly, the Wilde shrugging has rubbed off on me. “I don’t know. I didn’t grow up around kids, so I don’t really know what I’m doing most of the time.”
“She probably knew you secretly had a fun side behind that grumpy exterior,” he grins .
“Maybe,” I grumble. “She’s a big fan of Elliot too.”
At the sound of his name, Isabela raises her head. “We see Elliot?”
I chuckle. “I don’t know if he’s home.”
She huffs, her shyness suddenly disappearing and Jacob laughs.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” he proclaims.
“What do you mean?”
He motions between me and Isabela. “You said you weren’t sure whether you would make a good father. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. You’re a natural.”
I glance down at the little girl in my arms. Her big, brown eyes shift from Jacob to look up at me. She instantly liked me when we first met, and she was the first kid who ever did that. She seemed nervous and shy around everyone except me and Elliot.
Ryan was a little…startled at first, and he kept asking Jackson if I was really me, but as soon as he realized that I was just a regular guy, he relaxed. Now I always try to join Jackson on their scrimmage, and I’ve kind of taken on the Uncle role.
I guess I never really noticed how easily that happened or how much I like it.
“Do you mind just keeping an eye on them for a minute while I try and wash this off?” I point to my arm.
He eyes the colorful ink, his lips twitching. “How did that happen?”
I point a finger at Isabela. “ She happened. She decided her coloring books weren’t good enough. ”
“You have pictures?” She asks Jacob, pointing to his arm.
“No, I don’t.” He shakes his head. “But I think you’ve done a beautiful job coloring in Ethan’s pictures.”
She giggles and slides off my lap, immediately grabbing hold of her coloring book and pens and climbing back onto the couch next to Jacob. She shoves a pen in his hand and points at an empty page.
“Help?”
Knowing she’s in good hands, I get up, ruffling Ryan’s hair as I pass on my way to the bathroom. I fill the sink with some soapy water, and I’m scrubbing my arm hard with a washcloth when Jacob calls out.
“Ethan?”
His voice sounds weird, so I head back out into the kitchen with my arm still wet. I notice there’s a carton of orange juice on the side, along with the plastic cups I keep here for the kids, but my eyes lock on him. He’s holding a piece of paper, his brows are furrowed in confusion.
Oh. Shit.
“What’s this?” he asks, his voice cracking slightly.