Chapter 20
TWENTY
JJ
“Enjoy your last weekend of freedom. See you on Sunday for game one,” Aiden calls as he heads out of the locker room.
“Who’s coming out tonight?” Bobby rubs his hands together, his lips kicked up on one side.
Royal Bombardier, a winger, nods as he tugs a clean shirt out of his locker. “I’m down.”
One of our defensemen, Maxim Lube shrugs and says “I go” in a thick Russian accent.
When all eyes turn to me, I hold up my hands. “Sorry, I’ve got Aves.”
“Don’t you have a sitter for her?” Bobby whines. For a grown man, he can be such a child.
“Yeah, who watches her all day. And when the season starts will be with her more than I will be. So yeah, I’m going home to my kid.”
Bray saunters out of the showers with a towel wrapped around his waist, his tattoos on display.
“What about you, Cap? Gonna come out with us? Or do you have some lame excuse about another tattoo client?”
Bray looks my way, the lack of interest in going out there in his eyes.
So I clear my throat and take a step forward. “Bray’s hanging with Aves and me. Sorry, guys.”
Bray shrugs. That’s as close as he gets to smiling. “Yeah. Sorry, guys.”
“You suck,” Bobby says. “Come on, boys. Let’s go enjoy our last weekend of freedom.”
The three of them disappear, rounding up other teammates as they go. Fuck, I don’t envy our head of PR. I’m sure she works overtime cleaning up their messes.
“I’ll, uh, see you Sunday?” Bray says as he tugs on a pair of boxers.
Chuckling, I close my locker and turn around. “Nope.”
He stares at me, mouth turned down. “What?”
“You’re coming to my place. You know I never lie.”
He scoffs. “Terrible habit of yours.”
“Absolutely awful.” I zip my bag up and sling it over my shoulder.
“Fine, I’ll hang with you and Aves, but only because she’s so much cooler than you.”
“Obviously.” I pull my phone out of my pocket and check the time, wondering if Adeline has already left. She’s been avoiding me since I fell asleep with my pinky linked around hers.
Fuck, my heart trips over itself at the damn thought of the innocent moment. How is it that holding her pinky is now the highlight of my fucking love life?
It’s been three days, and I can’t wait any longer to talk to her.
We missed our chance years ago, and I won’t let that happen again.
If there’s even the slightest possibility that she feels the same, that she could ever be interested in a relationship with me, then I can’t let fear keep me from speaking up. Not again.
“Meet you at your house?” Bray asks.
“Yeah, you going to ride that ridiculous death rocket over?”
Letting out a low laugh, he snags his wallet and his keys from his stall. “It’s called a Harley. You seriously need to stop being such a dad.”
“I am a dad.” I flip my phone in my hand with a chuckle, then head for the door.
“We’re all aware,” he mutters.
Adeline’s office is empty when I pass it on the way to the garage, so I head home. There’s a good chance I’ll see her there at some point tonight. As my phone connects to the Bluetooth in my car, I discover I have a text from Vivi.
Vivi: is it okay if Winnie and I take Avery to dinner and a movie tonight?
Hmm. A little thrill zips through me at the prospect.
This could definitely work to my advantage.
Maybe it’ll give me a chance to talk to Adeline alone.
And if I show up with Brayden, she’s less likely to hide from me.
Then, when I find a convenient way to get rid of Bray, I can invite her to dinner.
Yeah. This could totally work.
I dig my phone from my pocket and respond.
Me: If you’re sure you don’t mind. I know she’d love it. I’ll Venmo you for the tickets etc.
Vivi: Stop! Winnie’s paying anyway.
I laugh. Of course she is. I’ll Venmo her, then.
Me: Thanks, Vivi. I appreciate it. Tell Avey girl if she needs me to just give me a call. I’ll be around.
Vivi: Take the night off. You don’t always have to be such a dad.
I huff out a laugh. I’m seeing a pattern here. But Jesus, I’m the only parent Avery’s got at the moment. I haven’t heard a word from her mother in weeks. For me, that’s a positive thing. The less I have to do with Tabitha, the better. But for Avery, it’s awful.
Still, maybe I should take their advice. Maybe, just for a few hours, I can focus on the other most important woman in my life.
I pull up to the brownstone as Bray is parking his motorcycle.
“Good news,” I tell him as he sets his helmet on the back of his bike.
Bray runs a hand through his dark hair, shaking it out. “What’s that?”
I clap once, the sound loud on the quiet street. “I’m kid free for a few hours.”
With a laugh, he shakes his head. “Fuck, maybe we should meet the guys out for a drink.”
I head for the door, pulling my house key from my pocket. “Let’s see if Adeline is home. Maybe she wants to join us.”
“You mean Coach Langfield?”
I scoff as I unlock the door. “Here, she’s Adeline.”
“Right, but to you, she should always be Coach Langfield,” he says, voice low and full of warning.
“Oh my gosh, do not check that box,” Adeline screams, the sound reverberating off the walls.
Brayden and I share a confused look, then stride to the kitchen.
“Whatever.” The tease is followed by a loud, raspy laugh. “If you’re going to answer this thing, at least answer it honestly. You can’t tell me you don’t want to get boned at least twice a week.”
“Boned?” Brayden scowls as we discover Josie, Adeline, and Savannah hanging in the kitchen.
“What are you doing here?” Josie shrieks and rushes toward her brother. Her strawberry blond hair sways and her face is lit up with joy. She’s wearing a long purple fringy dress with beading that makes clicking sounds with every step she takes and as she throws her arms around her brother’s neck.
Sighing, Brayden pats her back. It’s as close as he gets to excitement. “JJ conned me into a night in.”
“Oh, I always knew you’d find your way to the other side,” she teases. “I can’t believe Tabs turned you off women completely, though,” she says to me. “Then again, if there was ever a woman who’d send a man running for dick—”
“Oh my god.” Adeline huffs. “Could you at least try to go five freaking seconds without talking about sex?”
Savannah sidles up next to Josie and pulls her in for a hug. “No, and that’s why we love her so very much.”
Savannah is a shit stirrer. I’ve only met her a few times, but the more time I spend with her, the more I like her. She’s good for Adeline. She’s outgoing and loud and not at all concerned about what others think.
Josie winks at her. “Right back at you, babe.”
Brayden pulls out a stool and scans the papers laid out on the counter. “What are you guys doing?”
Adeline scoops them up quickly, shuffling them together. “Nothing.”
A hint of unease seeps into my veins. “Why are you acting weird?”
“I’m not acting weird. You’re acting weird.”
I cough out a laugh. “Okay.” I study her again quickly, then the girls to her left who are both doing a terrible job hiding their smiles. “Bray and I were going to grab dinner. You want to come?”
Savannah and Josie shake their heads. “No can do.”
“Sure we can,” Adeline says.
“No, I need these answers by tonight so we can enter them,” Savannah says, snatching the papers from her. “And we still have”—she riffles through them, her long red hair falling forward—“ten pages to get through.”
Adeline groans. “Why do you need seven thousand questions to set me up on a date?”
My stomach bottoms out. A what, now?
Brayden’s the one who asks the question, though. “A date?”
Josie’s eyes flick my way, and then she grins at her big brother. “Yup, Adeline is the next girl for our New Romantics campaign.”
“The what?” I frown at Adeline, who refuses to meet my eye.
“It’s the column I write for Jolie,” Savannah tells me.
“You know, the magazine your mother runs,” Bray deadpans.
I glare at him. “I’m aware. I just—”
How do I diplomatically explain that I don’t read my mother’s magazine because while I am extremely proud of her, she’s always popping in with editor’s columns, and I’ve learned far too much about my parents’ sex life that way.
I fight a shudder and focus instead on the questionnaire Adeline is holding. “So what’s the role?”
“The point of the column,” Josie explains, “is to follow our leading lady, Adeline, on dates until she meets the one. Then Savannah will tell the love story all the way through a happily ever after.”
Lungs seizing up, I blink at Adeline. “And you signed up for this?”
For maybe the first time since I walked into the kitchen, her dark eyes land on mine. “Yeah, I’m not getting any younger.” It’s a quiet admission, but a pointed one. Like she wants me to accept this without question. Like she’s telling me it’s none of my business.
I might have an aneurysm.
I hold her gaze, trying to figure out what this is about, but Savannah claps once, stealing her attention. “Let’s get these questions answered. You really don’t want to say four or five times a week? Camden works me over at least that many times a day.”
Bray scowls. “What kind of questions are these?”
I grind my teeth hard, grasping for all the control I possess.
“Important ones,” Josie says. “Sex is an important component of any relationship, and though our little Addie is quite virginal, we don’t want her to stay that way forever.”
“I’m not a virgin,” Adeline grits out.
“Christ,” I mutter, clutching the back of my neck. I’m going to throw up. “Can I talk to you alone?” I ask her.
“No,” all three of the women say at the same time.
“Come on.” Brayden grasps my arm. “We’re going to grab dinner. Girls, have a great time. Jose, I’ll see you at Mom and Dad’s tomorrow?”
She blows him a kiss. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Coach,” Bray says with a dip of his head. “This is cool. Good luck.”
Adeline’s eyes light up. “Thanks, Bray.”
My best friend drags me out of the kitchen.
The second we step out into the fresh air and the door shuts behind us, I turn on him. “What the fuck was that?”
“What the fuck was what?” he parrots, brow arched.
“You just told Adeline that you think what she’s doing is a good idea. It’s an awful idea.”
Jaw working, he gives me a pointed look. “You can’t be with her. What about that don’t you understand? She’s your coach and you’re married. It doesn’t get more off limits than that.”
I can barely catch my breath. I’m too angry. And so damn scared. Because it’s happening again. I’m going to lose her if I don’t stop this. I can’t lose her.