Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
JESSIE
I t’s a big risk, picking Mia up outside her dorm, but I’m so fucking tired of her taking taxis and buses whenever we meet up. I should be able to treat her in a way that demonstrates what she means to me—everything.
If I didn’t think it would affect Mia directly, I’d call Graham right now, tell him I was dating his daughter, and explain there was fuck all he could do about it. But I need to follow her lead on this.
Sitting outside her building reminds me of all the times I picked her up from her dad’s place. Back then, my Mustang had tinted windows because it was cool. Discretion, unfortunately, wasn’t at the top of my priority list when I bought my red BMW X6 last year and then stuck a vanity plate on it.
A few students pass by my window, no doubt on their way to the bars, and I duck my head down, lowering my baseball cap.
Come on, Mia.
Me
I’m outside and trying to avoid detection. You ready?
S
Trying to explain to Tara why I’m dressed up to go out, but not with her. Down in a second.
I’m going to need more details on this outfit …
Well, you’ll see it in a minute.
Thank fuck.
Don’t get smart with me, Callaghan. Only good boys get rewarded.
And also caught. Tell Tara you’ll fill her in on the details later.
P.S. And you best believe I’m cashing in on my good-boy reward.
Five minutes later, Mia emerges from her building just as a couple of guys who look like seniors pass by, heading in the opposite direction.
“Keep walking, fucker,” I mumble to myself as the dark-haired dude checks her out from over his shoulder.
Her little black dress sits mid-thigh, and combined with a cropped leather jacket and black ankle boots, I can’t exactly blame the guy for looking. I know I’d have done exactly the same in college.
Too bad she’s taken.
Pulling my cap as low as it can go, I step out of my car when she approaches and head around to the passenger door, pulling it open for her.
“Am I overdressed?” She winces, looking down at herself. “I can head back up and change.”
There’s no one around when I step forward and press her up against my car, bringing my knee up and between her thighs, feeling her heat radiate through my jeans. “Now that I’ve seen you in that dress, there’s absolutely no way you’re taking it off.” I press my knee into her center, and she grinds down on me, a whimper leaving her pink-stained lips. “That is until I peel it off you later.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Fucking right it is, Miss Jenkins.” My lips hover over hers as a couple passes along the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. I lean down and press a kiss behind her ear. “I’ve never been a jealous kind of guy, but it isn’t just Leo who appreciates what I have.” I nod at the open door. “Now, get in my car and let me keep you all to myself.”
The front door to Zach and Luna’s double-fronted house swings open as soon as we pull into their driveway, the gravel crunching beneath my tires.
“That’s Luna, right?” Mia turns to me, her eyes lit with excitement.
Picking up our joined hands, I press a kiss along her knuckles. “Yep.” I point at the boy she’s holding with matching auburn hair. “That’s Aster. He’s a month younger than June and Will, but he sure makes up for it.”
Mia’s lips twist to the side. “What do you mean?”
“Once you get to know his mom, you’ll know exactly what I mean.” I chuckle. “Despite being older, the twins and Aster had very similar due dates, it’s just that June and Will came early. So Kate and Luna agreed they would celebrate their first birthdays jointly. Aster and the twins are inseparable; could’ve been triplets,” I muse, a pang of sadness hitting when I think about how close I would’ve been to Will if he’d survived.
Mia hesitates for a second, her brow creasing like she wants to say something, but knows I need this moment to sit with my thoughts.
A beat later, Luna waves at us, pulling us back to reality and encouraging Aster to wave along with her.
“She looks like pure sunshine,” Mia says.
“She absolutely is,” I reply, pushing my car door open. “And I think you’ll love her.”
“It’s so great to meet you!” Luna coos, bouncing on the balls of her feet as Mia and I climb the porch steps of their huge new home.
“So good to meet you too.” Mia looks at her son, who’s fighting to break free from Luna’s arms. “And you must be little Aster?”
“He’s a bit wiggly. Are you okay with that?” Luna asks.
She flips her hands toward herself, and I watch as my girlfriend takes him into her arms and balances him on her hip. She flicks her eyes up to mine and then back down to Aster.
I look across at Luna, who stands at the entrance to her house, and her gaze is locked on me, the corner of her upper lip tipping up.
What? I mouth.
She doesn’t say anything; she simply winks at me in response.
“Okay, let’s not heat the street,” she announces, clapping her hands together. “Zach and Jon have spent all day in the kitchen, prepping food together, and the new knife set we recently bought has looked increasingly tempting to use the more time I’ve spent around them. So, I need you all to head inside and rescue me from an impending custodial sentence.” Stepping aside, she motions through the door.
We find everyone else gathered around the white marble island set in the center of their grand kitchen.
“That’s not what I said, Zachary.” Jon huffs at his closest friend as they both peer over the counter with their backs to us. “Shortcrust pastry has to be rolled once chilled. You clearly rolled this at room temperature.”
Zach props his hands on his hips and motions to whatever they’re looking at. “Why the fuck would it make a difference?”
Jon drags a palm down his face. “Like I told you, it makes the pastry lighter in texture. This looks like you could anchor a fucking ship with it.”
Throwing his apron on the side, Zach points at Jon. “You always have to get smart.” He motions to what I can now see is a vegetable quiche. “Just take it out of its pastry casing, and you’ve essentially got a frittata. Boom.”
“Daddy can’t make those either. Can he, baby?” Luna plants a kiss on Aster’s forehead, who’s still in Mia’s arms.
Zach pins his fiancée with a glare and pulls out his phone. “I’m ordering pizza. You can have everything else we made alongside it.”
“I’ll eat the spider plant in the bathroom if I don’t get something soon,” Jensen announces, walking into the kitchen, June and Will balancing on each shoulder, an arm wrapped around each of them. “Mia, hi,” he says, stopping in his tracks.
“Mama,” June says, pointing at Mia.
I watch as Mia’s cheeks flush a cute pink.
“Oh, no, baby. I’m M-I-A. Not Mama.”
Bringing a glass of water to her lips, Luna smiles around the rim at me. I know what she’s thinking—babies.
“Pizza will be twenty minutes,” Zach announces, pocketing his phone and rejoining the conversation. When he scans the room, he clocks Mia, and his eyes flare wide. “Sorry, Mia. Got sidetracked by my jackass teammates.” He chuckles and crosses the kitchen, holding out a hand to greet her. “Zach Evans.”
As he takes Aster from her in one arm, Jon hugs Mia into his side with the other. “Welcome to the family. My wife has told me a lot about you.”
“That I have.” A British voice filters into the kitchen.
When Jon releases Mia, Zach stands awkwardly for a second, and in response, Mia holds out her arms to him, offering a hug too.
“Bring it in, Zachary.”
Throwing my head back, I burst out laughing, and when I finally refocus my attention on the group, I notice the way Kate observes me, a soft smile tracing her lips.
“Can we get you a drink? We have wines, cocktails, beers …” Kate asks Mia, pushing off the doorframe toward the fridge.
Mia pins her lip between her teeth, her eyes flashing to mine for a brief second. “I guess I could have a wine.”
I grab a soda from the side and unscrew the lid.
“You’re not driving home tonight, right?” Jon asks me, tipping his beer bottle in my direction.
I shake my head. “Nah, I’m just staying off alcohol for now.”
Zach’s hand lands on my shoulder as he looks over at Jon. “Found his form and trying to keep it.”
“I saw, like, three times.” Jon shakes his head at me in awe. “That game against my former team? You blew Colorado out of the water.”
“You watched the footage three times over?” Jensen asks, stepping forward into the conversation, June and Will still perched like parrots.
It’s at that point I notice the girls, now with drinks in hand, retreat out of the kitchen, Mia following as Felicity takes Aster from Jon. I throw a quick smile at Mia as she glances over her shoulder at me on the way out of the room.
“Yep,” Jon replies, taking another sip of his beer. “Once live, the second and third time with Jack. He wanted to watch the best player to ever grace the ice.” He shrugs a casual shoulder at me. “I told him he already retired.”
Zach chuckles from where he’s setting out plates and napkins.
“How’s he doing?” I ask Jon.
For what I thought was a straightforward question, my former captain suddenly appears uncomfortable as he looks down and shifts his weight from one leg to the other, and silence falls across our group.
Jensen looks over at me, raising his brows in question.
I shrug in response.
“What’s the score, buddy?” Jensen finally breaks the silence.
Jon sets his bottle down and drums his fingers lightly on the counter in thought.
“Things are going … well for him. There’s a bunch of NDAs in force right now, but my former agent, now his, has just entered into negotiations with a couple of teams.”
Jensen’s eyes bug out. “An opportunity in the AHL? Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. He was impressive when we came to watch.”
Jon clears his throat. “Yeah. Maybe for a season. I’m confident after that, he’ll be offered pro terms if he keeps his game up.”
“Holy fu—” I stop myself at the last second, glancing up at June and Will.
Jon’s lips tip up, pride written all over him. “Kid’s awesome. Not only has he been killing it in the NCAA, but his grades have been insane too. He’s always found studies to be difficult, but everything is going his way, and he deserves it all. He’ll likely graduate near the top of his class. Felicity is so damn proud.”
“So, why do I get the feeling there’s another part to this story?” Jensen asks, addressing the elephant in the room.
Running his tongue across his bottom lip, Jon scratches at the back of his neck. “Well, that’s where the NDAs come in. I can’t say any more than that right now.”
“Do you know any more?” Jensen turns to Zach, the twins now playing with his hair.
“Nope,” Zach answers, eyeing Jon. “Won’t tell me a damn thing.”
“Well, whatever it is,” I say, screwing the cap onto my soda bottle, “sounds awesome.”
Jon nods. “Speaking of awesome …” He tips his head over his shoulder. “Felicity filled me in on the details. At first, I thought you were insane to go after Graham Jenkins’s daughter—not just once, but twice. But now that I’ve met her, I get it.”
“She’s pretty amazing,” I reply, already missing her.
“She’s definitely out of his league.” Jensen chuckles. “Only took him four years to get his sh—izzle together.”
I throw him a death glare. “Says the guy whose girl wouldn’t even look at him for the first eighteen months.”
He smirks and steps forward, casting his eyes up to June and Will. “And now, I have the bling and the babies.”
Jon’s eyes grow wide as he turns to Zach. “Bling. That reminds me. We need to talk about?—”
“No.”