Chapter 29 Jordan
JORDAN
“We’ll get married in the spring,” Darcy says after dinner as we sit around our table.
She smiles up at Hayden and he tucks a lock of lavender hair behind her ear, a gesture so loaded with affection and familiarity that my heart gives a sharp tug.
“Under the cherry blossoms,” she admits to the table. “They remind us of falling in love.”
On her left hand, her engagement ring sparkles—a cluster of pink lab-grown diamonds set to look like cherry blossoms.
“Darce, I was in love with you long before that,” Hayden reminds her, and she blushes as he kisses her cheek.
“Aw.” Rory grins at them before putting his arm around Hazel and pressing his lips to her temple.
Georgia sighs happily and Alexei slips his palm into hers. Jamie looks down at Pippa and gives her the serious, tiny smile he reserves for her.
“We’ll do the honeymoon in the summer,” Hayden adds. “And we were thinking of making it another group trip. Maybe Italy, since you two love it so much there.” He nods at Georgia and Alexei, who have a summer home in Tuscany.
Georgia lights up. “We’re in.”
“Same,” Pippa chirps, squeezing Jamie’s hand.
Darcy looks at me with an expectant expression. “You too, Jordan, Tate. You need to be there.”
I give her a hesitant half-smile. “Maybe.”
“I’m honored,” Tate says with warmth. “I’ll have to see how it works out with Bea’s schedule.”
“Bea’s welcome to join. We’d love to have her.”
Two people at the table are noticeably quiet—Rory and Hazel. They’re looking at each other with loaded expressions, having a silent conversation.
Hayden gives them a baffled look. “You two have to be there.”
Rory raises his eyebrows with a question, Hazel smiles and nods, and he takes a deep breath, nerves flashing over his features.
So they’re finally going to tell everyone. A curious energy ripples around the table.
Rory takes another deep breath. “We can’t travel this summer because . . . Hazel’s due in July.”
Everyone falls silent.
Hayden’s expression turns confused. “Huh?”
“Due.” Pippa covers her face with her hands, eyes wide and focused on Hazel, who’s smiling. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”
“Oh my god,” Georgia echoes softly, smiling at Hazel, and there’s a tiny flip of something pleasant in my stomach.
I expected them to all find out before me.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Luca asks.
“As in due date?” Pippa asks her sister. “Did I hear that right?”
Hazel smiles again, nodding. Pippa lets out an exuberant yelp, leaping up and throwing her arms around Hazel’s neck.
“Due date for what?” Hayden asks Darcy.
She smiles at him. “A baby. Hazel’s pregnant.”
A moment of silence—before the table explodes with noise.
“HOLY SHIT!” Luca yells, grabbing his head with both hands.
People from other tables look over. Beside me, Tate sits back, folding his arms over his chest, smiling.
“A baby,” Hayden howls, melting. “You two are having a baby?” He jostles Rory by the shoulders while Rory laughs. “Holy shit, Miller.”
“I know.” Rory rakes his hair back with a baffled expression. “I still can’t believe it.”
“You’re going to be a father?” Jamie asks across the table with a serious expression.
Rory sobers. “I am.”
Jamie gets up, rounds the table, and holds his arms out. “Happy for you, man. You’re going to be a great dad.”
Rory stands and the two best friends embrace in that tight, back-slapping way men hug.
“Thanks, buddy. You’re going to be a great uncle.” Rory blinks, and his eyes shine with tears.
“Oh my god.” Hazel rolls her eyes, smiling. “You’re crying again? You’re such a sap.”
Rory laughs, wiping his eyes. “Over the child we’re going to have? Yeah, Hartley, I’m crying again.” He pulls her close and kisses her temple. “It’s blowing my mind.”
“Mine, too,” she admits, looking up at him with bright hope in her eyes.
Hayden sniffles, and Darcy rubs his arm with an amused, affectionate smile.
“I’m not crying,” he tells her.
She nods in an understanding way. “I know, baby.”
At my side, Tate gives me an amused sidelong look and I think about the closet, where he told me it’s okay to cry. I look away fast.
Georgia and Darcy take turns hugging Hazel, and Alexei gives Rory a hug and discreetly wipes the corner of his eyes, clearing his throat roughly.
When Hazel meets my eyes, I give her a wink. Congratulations, I mouth with a smile.
Thank you, she mouths back with her own.
“Congratulations, you two,” Tate tells them. “Your life is about to change in the best way.”
“Thanks, Tate.” Hazel gives Rory a look full of excitement and nerves.
“Thanks, Coach.” Rory claps him on the shoulder. “I’m going to be knocking on your door for advice.”
Tate gives him a warm, patient smile, and for once, I don’t find it irritating. “My door’s always open, but you don’t need it. You two will be amazing parents.”
My heart flips over, because it’s true, and it’s kind and encouraging of Tate to say it. Between this and the safeword that made me laugh, I’m wondering if Tate Ward is the kind of person who always knows the right thing to say.
“So, yeah, we don’t want to travel after playoffs in case Hazel has a plane baby,” Rory explains.
“Do you know what you’re having yet?” Pippa asks, but Hazel shakes her head.
“Too early. We’ll know at the twenty-week ultrasound.”
My heart squeezes again. Hazel and Rory are good people.
Hazel’s strong and doesn’t take anyone’s bullshit, probably what attracted Rory to her when they were in high school, and she has dedicated her career to empowering people of all body types to find movement and exercise.
Rory supports her no matter what, and, as a captain, cares about the well-being of his team. They’re going to have one lucky kid.
Rory sighs, sitting back in his chair with his arm around Hazel. “I’m going to be such a DILF.”
Hazel throws her napkin at him and they both start laughing. The conversation around the table turns to baby names—Luca’s suggestion: Luca—and Hayden suggests several names from the fantasy romance series he and Darcy love.
“You knew she was pregnant,” Tate says quietly to me.
How can he tell? “She’d order drinks at the bar and switch them with Rory’s when no one was looking. She stopped eating meat. And she was tired all the time.”
He nods to himself, with a low humming noise in his chest.
“Did you know?” Something tells me he did.
He presses his lips together. “I caught her snoozing at her desk the other week.”
I chuckle, and he smiles. Side by side, we survey the table of people talking and laughing, excited about the upcoming member of the Storm family.
Until it hits me, and my smile fades. If I fail at this deal I’ve struck with my dad, this could be so much worse.
“Yep,” Tate murmurs, like he just figured it out, too.
Rory needs to stay in Vancouver. Hazel needs to stay here because of her business, and it would kill him to be away from her and the baby.
Tate’s eyes linger on mine, the tip of his tongue brushing against his canine as he studies me, looking like he wants to say something.
“We need that Cup more than ever, Jordan.”