25. Chapter Twenty-Five #3
Watching Tiago with Shy, seeing the almost fierce satisfaction in his eyes, put another dent in my ideas about permanence. The word had never applied to my parents, or any relationship really. Outside of Shy, I’d never counted on anyone. Nothing lasted. If parents couldn’t be trusted…
But when I wasn’t looking, Tiago and his brother had snuck into our family. And now Hannah bounced between us all, still favoring Shy but not pulling away when I settled beside her.
“Tomorrow we’ll hit the gym in town then check in with Hoss.” I focused on my daughter, chest tight with determination. “He’s coordinating the players again this year. Last Christmas, I drove a golf cart, and I’m angling for that again. You can be my co-pilot, yeah?”
She nodded.
“Yeah,” she said. “As long as we get to see the Killbillies, too.”
“Absolutely.” That warmth swept over me again.
Hannah, perched beside me on the golf cart as I chauffeured folks from the parking lot to the square.
There’d be no hiding from the town, folks that’d known me since birth.
They’d be curious, but I had nothing to hide.
I darted another look at my amazing daughter and straightened my shoulders.
I’d knock their heads off if anyone dared say anything in her hearing. Just see if I didn’t.
My daughter’s easy acceptance of this makeshift family sparked hope in my chest. If Hannah could learn to trust after being dropped into a stranger’s life, maybe Merri could trust that I was different from Cale. No more playing it safe. No more treating relationships like games to win or lose.
And watching Hannah steal a pickle from Mateo’s plate, seeing her finally comfortable enough to be playful—it sparked something in my chest. A certainty. I’d learned how to be there for my daughter. Now it was time to show Merri I could be there for her too.
A week without seeing Merri and my fingers developed an annoying twitch that had me curling them into a fist. I shoved through the door leading into the Renegade Ice building and only just stopped myself from breaking into a jog as I made my way toward Merri’s office.
I’d enjoyed the break, spending time with my daughter.
We’d needed the time to focus, without the distractions of games and travel and the rest of the hassle that came with being a professional hockey player.
None of which had ever bothered me in the past. But then, I’d never had anyone waiting at home for me, either.
Beyond the time bonding with Hannah, I’d seen a side of Shy I’d not seen before, either.
She and Tiago were tight. They were in sync in a way I’d never let penetrate before.
They took care of one another, like they acted on pure, inherent instinct.
No push, no demand. The attention, the love, just flowed between them as naturally as the Henry flowing into the Atlantic.
Every cell in my body demanded I be the protective older brother, but I’d have to shoulder Tiago out of the way and he was already doing a damn fine job taking care of my sister. Making her happy. Smoothing her path however he could.
It made me feel a little superfluous, but grateful, all the same. I didn’t need to worry about Shy. As that certainty grew in my head, images of Merri filled the vacancy.
From day one, I’d enjoyed our games. The competition, the spark between us.
Maybe it was the holiday giving me too much optimism. A little too much rum punch or Santa-shaped sugar cookies.
Maybe watching Hannah learn to trust me shifted something fundamental in my chest.
I’d bet Merri’d love some Santa-shaped sugar cookies. They’d soften her right up, make her forget about the team’s lame no fraternization rule.
Then she wouldn’t bolt home in a panic after a night with me.
I snorted. As if sugar cookies could change Merri’s worry. They were some mighty fine cookies, but I didn’t think all the magic in Sugar Squared, in all of Three Corners, would be enough to change her thinking.
Only I could do that. If I wanted to take on another project. I already had Hannah and the fatherhood gig to work on.
A grimace twisted my lips. No more thinking about the people I cared for as projects to rush to a finish. Projects had beginnings and ends and due dates and deadlines. Hannah would be my daughter forever. And Merri… I wanted forever with her too.
The memory of her warm skin under my palm, her perfect breasts against my chest, sent heat through my veins. But more than that, I craved her sass, her brilliant mind, the way she challenged me to be better.
I’d wake her with soft kisses, earn that sleepy smile. She’d fill my loft with yellow dresses and analytics talk, make it a real home. Take all my sharp edges and smooth them into something worth keeping.
My steps quickened. The idea of permanence used to send me running. Now it drew me forward, toward Merri’s office, toward the future I wanted to build.
Tiago had shown me how to take care of someone’s heart. Hannah had taught me I was capable of real love, real commitment. Time to show Merri I could be the man she deserved. Someone who’d protect her career as fiercely as he protected her heart.