Chapter 1 #2
Loud music—that’s certainly not coming from my speakers—rattles my SUV, and I look in the rearview mirror just in time to see Keller stop his Audi R8 inches from my bumper.
When he catches me looking, he flips me off before flinging his door open.
I meet him outside just as he pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head.
“You almost owed me a new AMG,” I say as a greeting.
“Please, I had plenty of time to stop. I’m still young with good reflexes, old man.”
There’s no smile. Not even a hint of one. But if I listen closely enough, I can hear the teasing in his voice.
“Whitlocke,” he says with a nod, even though I haven’t seen him since the exit interviews after we lost in the conference finals.
Some guys stick around and do more training, some head home for the summer and train there.
Others go on extended vacations. I went up north, and he went wherever it is he runs off to.
“Keller,” I return.
Then, against his will, I haul him into a hug, which he reluctantly returns with a single pat on my back.
“Good summer?”
He shrugs, looking off into the distance. “Was fine.”
Leave it to him not to reveal too much. He’s always been that way, always keeps his cards close to his chest and never lets anyone know what he’s truly feeling. I envy him sometimes. I wish I could be that detached and not give a shit, but it’s never been in my nature.
I blame my parents for that. They always forced us kids to share our feelings and talk about things. That’s not a bad thing, but sometimes…I don’t know. Sometimes I just want to shut it all off and let loose. Have fun. Not give a fuck.
It’d be an excellent trick for the ice, too. Maybe even improve my game, and everyone knows I could stand to get a little quicker. Could stick handle a little better. Check harder. Do all the little things just a bit better to keep myself in the league for at least a few more years.
“My summer was good, too. Thanks for asking.”
His lips twitch at my sarcasm, and it’s as close to a smile as Keller gets. There’s a commotion behind us, and we turn in time to see Lawson sprinting out the door, his girlfriend, Rory, attempting to hold him back.
It’s useless. He slips out of her grip, then charges right toward us, his arms wide open.
“My boys!”
He barrels into me, folding me into a hug that could rival that of a gorilla before quickly shoving me away. He grins right at Keller, who is already glaring.
“Don’t even fucking think about it, Lawsy.”
“Kells…” he says, tipping his head to the side, his smile widening. He takes a step toward our grumpiest teammate, who takes a step back.
“I’m so serious, Lawson. I will punch.”
“You won’t.”
“I fucking will,” he promises.
Lawson is either stupid or…well, stupid, because he launches toward Keller anyway.
The latter bolts, making a run for it, and it takes Lawson all of two seconds to catch on and chase after him.
I stand in disbelief, watching my teammates chase each other around the front lawn like a bunch of six-year-olds playing a game of tag at recess, only this game will likely end in violence.
Even Hutch, Auden, Fox, and Lilah stumble out of the house to watch the debacle unfold. Finally, after what feels like forever, Lawson catches Keller, throwing his arms around him and hugging him close.
“I got you! I got you! Now love me, you fucker!”
“Never!” Keller yells back, fighting him off easily. He then turns around and socks Lawson right in the gut, as promised.
“Hey!” Rory yells, already marching off the porch toward the two like she will be the one to stop this.
Her twin sister grabs her. “Let the boys play, Rory.”
“But he’s beating up my boyfriend,” she pouts to Auden.
“To be fair, he probably deserves it. I bet Keller even told him he’d get punched.”
“He did,” I confirm, going to stand by them as Lawson tries yet again to hug Keller. I give Hutch a quick hug. “Good to see you.”
“You too, man. Feels like forever. We hoped you’d stick around Seattle a bit this summer, maybe have a few grill sessions.”
“I told you he’d spend the whole time in Vancouver,” Auden says, poking Hutch playfully in the ribs before pushing her way between us and wrapping me in a hug—or a semi-hug. It’s the best she can do with such a big belly at this late stage in her pregnancy. “Good to see you, Locke.”
“You, too.” I look down at her stomach. “How’s it going? Everything as it should be?”
She grins, running her hand over her bump. “I hate every minute of it and cannot wait to get this baby out of me, but other than that, it’s wonderful. Everything is growing appropriately, and with any luck, I’ll deliver in the next week or so.”
“Launching a company and having a baby in the same week?”
“She’s superhuman, huh?” says her best friend Lilah, softly nudging Auden out of the way to hug me. “Good to see you again, Locke.”
“Congratulations on the business, Lilah. I’m so happy for you.”
“Happy enough to be a client of ours?” She raises her brows at me as she pulls away.
“Bet his nieces and nephews would love a pool too,” Fox says, elbowing his way in next. He wraps me in a hug that can only be described as warm and accepting before pulling away, patting my cheek with a proud grin. “Missed you, bud.”
It feels like a family reunion, complete with that one crotchety member who never wants to be touched.
I nod at Rory, whom I know better than to try to hug.
It will never cease to amaze me how she and Lawson ended up together, especially since they’re total opposites.
I grin at her, then look back at the lawn, Lawson still running after Keller.
Hayes pulls into the driveway with a quizzical look on his face as he enters the scene. He steps out of his SUV and lets out a loud whistle that would have even the unruliest kids listening.
“Enough!” he hollers, sounding every bit like the dad he is, and they come to a halt, both leaning over to catch their breath.
We all snicker. Nobody ever expected Hayes, known for being a bit of a wild card, to settle down with his own family, but that’s precisely what he has done after getting guardianship of his niece.
Quinn climbs out of the other side, Flora coming to stand beside her, Pickles by her feet as I suspected she would be.
“Are they playing tag? Can I play too, Just Quinn?”
I grin at the nickname Flora hasn’t let up on. Apparently, it was a sarcastic moment that turned into an inside joke, and it has continued since.
“Sure. Go on. Try to catch Uncle Keller and give him lots of huggies. He loves those.”
“Roger that!” she shouts as she takes off toward the grown men.
Once they spot her, they take off as well, trying to catch her as she giggles and darts away. It’s adorable, and maybe the most animated I’ve ever seen Keller.
It makes me miss my nieces and nephews instantly.
As much chaos as they are, they’re so fun to be around, and I hated having to leave them and the rest of my family behind.
Even though I love hockey and can’t imagine doing anything else with my life, I don’t exactly love the instability it can bring, which is part of why I’ve never bothered to settle down.
I don’t want to put that burden on my partner, having to figure out shit like moving during a school year or missing all those little moments with my kid.
First steps and first words. Kindergarten graduation and recitals.
If I’m going to have a family of my own, I want to be present for all of it, not just some of it. So, until I hang up my skates—something I don’t plan to do for quite a while—single is what I’ll remain.
Everyone laughs, pulling my attention back to what’s happening on Hutch’s front lawn, and I look just in time to see Flora skid to a stop, turning the tide on Lawson and Keller as she begins chasing them .
The guys play along, letting her “catch” them, and I swear I see Keller actually smile.
It’s brief, but it happens, and it’s kind of unsettling.
Just as quick as it comes, it’s gone, and they’re all three trudging back to the porch, out of breath as Lawson carries Flora on his shoulders.
“I gave Uncle Keller lots of huggies like you said, Just Quinn!” the little girl announces with a big grin.
She snickers, either ignoring or not caring about the glare the hockey player throws her way.
She just reaches up and high-fives the kid before we all head into the house.
Everyone gathers in the expansive kitchen except Flora, who scampers off to chase Pickles around.
Lilah passes out flutes of champagne as everyone chatters about their summer.
Hutch and Auden obviously got engaged and have been planning for the baby.
Hayes and Quinn talk about spending time with Flora, and Lawson goes on a ten-minute diatribe about how much he learned about dogs and their anal glands…
again . His fascination is concerning, but Rory just looks at him like he’s the most amazing man in the world.
Keller says nothing, which is no surprise to anyone.
“Let me guess—family time for you, Locke?” Lawson says.
“Yep. Spent my time in Vancouver, except when we went to Disneyland. Might have overspent a bit. When’s hockey starting again?”
We all laugh, but I’m only slightly joking.
It’s what I do, though. Each offseason, I always take my nieces and nephews on a vacation of their choosing.
I figure it’s the least I can do since I can’t be there for them during the season.
I’m always exhausted afterward and spend far too much money, but it’s well worth it.
Those are memories they’re going to cherish for a long damn time to come.
“Well?” Auden says, looking at her best friend. “Shall we?”
Lilah smiles nervously, reaching for Fox for reassurance. I’m not even sure if she realizes she’s doing it, but the goalie is right there in an instant, wrapping his arm around her waist, and soothing away all her worries.
“I’m ready,” she says, her concern nowhere to be found.
We move to the dining room where a laptop sits open in front of an It’s a girl banner that’s been crossed out and replaced with It’s a Maddison Sinclair Designs! in some of the worst handwriting I’ve ever seen. I’m guessing that was all Fox and Hutch’s doing.
We gather around, Lilah and Auden in the middle. They both take a deep breath.
“Three, two, one!” Lilah counts down, then slams her thumb down on the space bar, and just like that, they’ve launched their luxury design company that caters to building you the perfect home from the ground up, including the interior.
Everyone cheers, with Hayes, Quinn, and Flora blowing into noisemakers. Where did those come from? Even Keller claps, seeming semi-enthused. Of course, Fox and Lilah start to make out to the point that Lawson has to pull them apart.
“Okay, break it up, break it up,” he says, pulling our goalie away from his girlfriend. “This is a party, not your sex den. Let’s celebrate!” He picks up a red cup and holds it in the air. “To Lilah!”
“Hey!” we all say, holding our flutes up as well.
“To Auden!”
“Hey!” we cheer again.
“And to Hutch’s inability to pull out, which means we’re getting a second generation! Long live the Serpents Singles group chat!”
“What’s pull out mean?” Flora asks, sending everyone who is not Hayes or Quinn into a fit of laughter.
Hutch smacks Lawson on the back of the head, making me laugh harder.
The doorbell chimes, and Lawson races off toward it like he lives here or something.
“Anyone else think he’s getting extra exhausting lately?” Hayes asks.
“He’s always extra exhausting. It’s like you people never listen to me,” Keller grouses.
“That’s because you hate everyone and everything. You don’t count,” I say.
Keller shrugs.
“Uh, Hutchy?” Lawson calls, walking back into the room.
“Yeah?” our captain answers.
“Someone’s at the door for you.”
“Who the hell is it?” Hutch growls, irritated by Lawson’s vagueness.
“Was hoping you’d tell us.”
Our star forward steps aside, revealing a tiny blonde woman standing behind him.
Everything inside me freezes, but only for a moment, because it suddenly thaws, and I’m vibrating, from my fucking head right down to my toes tucked tight into my shoes.
Every damn inch of me is shaking with…well, I’m not entirely sure what.
Someone gasps, but not even that pulls my attention.
I am too focused on the woman clutching her bag tightly.
Too fixated on the blonde locks I know feel like fucking silk.
Too damn engrossed in the way she drags her tongue across her bottom lip, the one that tasted like pink and cherries.
I didn’t even know it was possible to taste colors, but I swear, if that one had a flavor, it would be her lips.
I am just too fucking distracted to pay attention to anyone else right now. Anyone other than her .
“Uh, who is that?” Lawson asks. I’d laugh at his piss-poor attempt to whisper, but I’m still too busy staring.
Hayes answers with, “I think that’s his sister.”
“ Step sister,” Hutch corrects. “What are you doing here, Vanessa?”
Vanessa.
I haven’t heard that name in… I guess technically I haven’t heard it at all. She wasn’t Vanessa to me. She was someone else. She was Nessa.
“Sorry, I…I didn’t mean to intrude.” She pushes her hair behind her ear. “It looks like you’re having a party. I just…”
Her dark green eyes find me, and I hold my breath. I’ve waited months to see her look at me again, but there’s nothing. Not a smile. No spark. Not even a flicker of recognition. Not a single hint of the night we spent together in a New York hotel room.
There’s emptiness, and it hurts. Almost as badly as knowing the last person I felt something for…is my captain’s stepsister.
And she is completely off-limits.