CHAPTER NINE
In life, there are things that happen that are out of your control and things that happen that are within your control. It’s not about fighting against or for something that determines the path your life goes down. It’s all about how you play the hand you’re dealt.
~Text from Cara to Cade~
Cade
We’ve been home almost a month since our trip to Vegas.
Both families were excited to hear we’re engaged.
No one knows that, in fact, our engagement lasted all of an hour and a half before we got married.
I was definitely shocked when Hanna suggested it, but I have to admit it felt right.
I knew without a doubt it was the thing to do.
Later that night, we were lying in bed, sharing some dessert from room service, just being together, when my wife made a confession that sealed the deal and confirmed in my mind that if anyone ever finds out that we still did the right thing.
She’d just taken a sip of champagne and leaned into me, the sheet pulled up covering her chest.
“I’m glad you went along with my wild idea.
It really was mostly because I want the world to know you’re taken too…
but…but if I’m really honest, my sight is getting worse every day for the last few months and I’m scared that if we planned a wedding for a few months from now that I might not be able to look you in the eyes and see you looking back when we said our vows.
” I let her continue and fought my damnedest not to wipe her tears away and tell her it was all going to be okay, because this was not something I could fix.
She sighed and continued sharing her thoughts.
“I’ve known almost my whole life that this was most likely inevitable and that I’m lucky I made it to my age while still having a decent amount of sight.
I also know that the vision I’ve lost is never coming back, and I can keep losing it this fast, or it might slow down, but this…
this…this wasn’t something I was prepared to lose.
Even if I get worse and lose the ability to see anything, I can have this memory and my condition can never take that from me. ”
I knew from that moment that we’d done the right thing.
I also knew Hanna needed to be heard and not placated.
I also told myself that I’d go toe-to-toe with anyone who tried to say our decision was wrong or selfish.
Our vows were for us, between us. The party and all that stuff? That’s for everyone else.
It’s the next-to-last match of the season today.
We’ve secured a berth in the playoff tournament.
It’s the first time in almost ten years for the Axemen.
There’s a buzz around the team that is freaking awesome.
We’re playing Butte today. We can never take them for granted, even though the odds are in our favor.
Dustin’s back from injury, and Carter’s knee seems to be doing better.
The only weak spot we have is the one that’s been there all season.
Zack’s still not getting the memo that this is a fucking team sport and that he needs to work with us and not just for himself and his stats line.
My parents are coming out next weekend to see the last match of the regular season and to help Hanna and her parents with some wedding plans.
Hanna wants to do it at her parents’ place.
She said Asher and Logan’s wedding was there, and she thought it was beautiful and had enough space for everyone we want to invite.
I know I should get out of bed and get the day started, but it’s comfortable, and I have my beautiful wife in my arms. I know I have about fifteen minutes before my alarm goes off, but before I can pull Hanna closer to me, a hairy fur ball of energy interrupts my actions.
Golden retriever hair flies all over as Tucker jumps on the bed and dives between the two of us.
He’s been in our lives a little over two weeks, and he’s overall a wonderful dog. He does great at helping Hanna and is definitely protective of her, which I love. Because of that, I guess I’ll have to live with the occasional cockblock from him.
He nuzzles in, and I hear Hanna giving him kisses. “Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy? Do you need to go outside and have your nummies?” I am not jealous of our dog. I am not jealous of our dog. Fuck, yes, I am.
Hanna gets up, and I get up and follow behind her and Tucker.
“You get the coffee going, beautiful, and I’ll let him out and get his food.
” Hanna nods and moves to the kitchen while I get to the back door and let him out.
Within minutes, he’s back inside eating his breakfast as we enjoy the first cups of coffee.
I’m about to ask Hanna a question when Tucker barks like crazy and runs to the front door.
He’s only done this one other time, and it was the second day he was here.
In fact, that was the last day that I got a weird package delivered.
I’ve had two more notes at the clubhouse, but neither of them was as bad as the one threatening Hanna.
I look through the peephole and only see our regular delivery driver pulling out of the driveway. I see a box sitting on the welcome mat, and I pick it up, but the address label makes me pause.
Cade and the future Mrs. Evanich
There’s been no public announcement about our engagement. Our family, friends, and most of my teammates know, so who the hell is leaving this shit? It’s not some random stranger, and that makes it even creepier.
I bring the box inside, and Tucker follows me.
I let him sniff it, not sure what that will do, but he just checks it out and goes back to his food bowl.
I set it on the table. Hanna moves next to me, looks at the package, and then back up to me.
“You think it’s from the creep who keeps leaving things and notes for you, don’t you? ”
I shrug my shoulders. “I dunno, but I feel like if it was someone who wanted us to know who it was, there would be a return address label. Again, like the others, this one doesn’t have it, but I’m gonna open it and see what’s inside.”
I open the box and look inside. There’s a note, a rugby ball, a pair of blue lace panties, and artificial black rose petals strewn about the bottom of the box.
Hanna voices my exact thoughts. “What the hell? Who the hell are those? Wait...” She pulls them out and studies the panties, and her face loses its color. She looks up at me.
“These are mine. Kierstie got me and Kinsley some when she got married. She said they would be for our something blue when we one day got married. I’ve never worn them, but that means someone was in our home.
They were in here.” I feel a combination of rage and worry I’ve never felt before.
Someone was in our home. We could have been home.
Hell, Hanna could’ve been home alone when some fucker was in here.
I open the note to see what it says before I lose my shit completely.
Maybe you need to marry the woman who knows how to be a player’s wife instead of a fat bitch who can’t see and will only bring you down. The one you’ve been looking at all along is the one who’s meant for you. Get rid of the pig, or I’ll have to help you see the error of your ways.
The note is typed and has no signature or any indication as to who it could be.
This shit is enough. I feel Hanna start shaking next to me.
I quickly pull her into my arms and hug her to me.
“No one is going to hurt you. This ends now. Time to take care of shit.” I pull out my phone, take a pic of the note and the package.
I set the phone on the table, hit the speaker button, and make a call while keeping Hanna in my arms.
The phone rings once before it’s answered, and Ethan’s voice comes over the speaker. “Little early this morning for a call, Evanich. You aren’t calling out sick, are you?” I don’t even answer his question but go straight to the reason for my call.
“I just got another fucking weird package at the door, but they put a note in it threatening Hanna.”
Hanna, not one to be quiet, adds more information for Ethan to absorb. “They’ve been in our house. They included a pair of my panties, which means they came in and took them.”
I’m pretty sure there was a growl on the other end of the phone, then Ethan spoke with the kind of voice that could put fear into someone and have a submissive on their knees in seconds.
“I’m going to call the cops and try and get the one who took the first report to come out to your place.
This shit has crossed a line that’s not okay.
I know you have connections with your club.
Call them, get the tech guys on this, and beef up your security system.
I’m gonna make a couple of calls to some contacts I have.
Between them all, we’re gonna get to the bottom of this as soon as possible because I won’t stand by and let you be scared in your own home, you get me, darlin’? ”
Hanna nods and answers Ethan, “I get you. We were gonna go up to my parents’ after today’s match to do some wedding planning, and maybe we’ll come back with some of the brothers so they can put up more cameras.
” She pauses. Even with the fear of what’s going on, my girl can’t help herself, and she smiles.
“Never thought I’d hear your Dom voice, Ethan.
I can see why you’ve got guys dying to be on their knees in front of you. ”
Experiencing hot coffee up my nose was not something I needed.
Then again, hearing my wife talk about another man’s dominant voice wasn’t something I needed to hear either, let alone the fact that she knows he might be one.
That will be a discussion for another moment, most definitely.
But if it’s possible to hear someone blush over the phone, I think that’s what happens as Ethan sputters, trying to find words to respond to Hanna.