Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
WYATT
We pulled up in front of a large A-frame cabin with windows overlooking the forest. The trees were frosted with snow that fell in clumps as the sun peeked out from the heavy clouds.
It had been a long time since I had seen snow.
And even longer since I had done anything like this.
Come to think of it, I had never done anything like this.
Julian put the car in park. “Are you ready?”
“Are you?” We were the last two to get here thanks to us oversleeping. Julian had been on edge last night. After sex, he went down to the gym and ran ten miles and lifted for a couple of hours. He said it had nothing to do with me. But I wasn’t sure. This was a big step for both of us.
“Last night wasn’t about you.”
“Are you sure?” Snow slid from the roof and landed with a wet thump. I had to admit I was also having second thoughts. How were we going to handle the whole how-did-you-meet conversation? Or what I did for a living?
Julian took my hand. “I’m sure.” He ducked to look out the front window. “Don’t hold these assholes against me. Okay?”
“They can’t be that bad.” I got out of the car. The air was humid, making it feel colder than thirty-three. The silence was almost deafening. Even the car door slamming was dampened by all the snow.
He looked at the trucks parked in the driveway. “Yes, they can. Maybe we can find a hotel in town.”
I wrapped my arm around his waist. “Are you that embarrassed by me?” I teased, trying to lighten the mood. “I promised to use utensils.”
“Yeah, but they might not,” Julian mumbled, stomping the snow off his boots as the front door flung open.
“Wyatt, it’s about time you got here.” Teigen pulled me into a hug. “Anders wanted to send out a search party.” She moved to hug Julian. “Hey, Jules. How was the drive?”
Julian stepped into the house. “It was fine. We overslept.”
“I bet you did, fucker. It’s about time you got here.” Anders pulled Julian into a one-armed hug. “Hey, Wyatt.” Anders hugged me quickly. “You know the rules. Last one here gets the room.”
“Is that Julie? ’Bout time that fucker got here.” A tall, blond-haired guy walked into the entryway. He had a glass of clear liquid in one hand and a drink straw in his mouth. “Holy shit, she is a girl and not ugly. Tyler King, but my friends call me Ty.” He stuck out his hand.
“Wyatt, and my friends call me that too?”
“Good to know. Julie, you fucker, you didn’t tell us she was hot.” Tyler shoved Julian in the shoulder. “Mason, you were right, she’s hot,” Tyler called over his shoulder.
Teigen rolled her eyes. “Ignore him. He’s the only one that isn’t housebroken.
Come on, I’ll introduce you to the rest.” Teigen looped her arm into mine as if we had been friends for years.
Julian, Tyler, and Anders went out to get our luggage.
This was another thing I hadn’t done in a long time. Spend time with other women.
“Hannah is the only one you have to worry about. She knows everything about everyone and every player. She’s been around the longest. You don’t have to worry about Ray. She’s more like us,” Teigen whispered as we walked into the large open room.
“Everyone, this is Wyatt, and yes, she’s a girl.” Teigen rolled her eyes. “That one over there is Mason Tremblay or Trembles.”
“Hi.” I nodded to the dark-haired man standing by the sink.
“And he’s with Hannah.” She pointed to two blonde girls sitting on the couch. “And that’s Raylee. She’s with Walker, who is in the shower.” They both lifted their wine glasses.
“The only rules you need to know are clean up after yourself and Julian. Sorry. Don’t drink the last beer. We take turns cooking and cleaning up. I think that’s it. You want something to drink? We have wine, vodka, champagne.” Teigen walked over to the fridge. “Or beer.”
“Water would be great.”
“So,” blonde number one said, walking over to Mason. “I didn’t know Julian was seeing anyone.”
“Surprise.” I couldn’t remember if she was Hannah or Raylee. Her eyes roamed over me. I waited for her to say more. She was assessing me. Trying to figure out where I fit in.
“Yes, it is a surprise.” She smiled and put her arm around Mason. “I wonder why he didn’t mention it last week when we had dinner?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I’m not his keeper.” She was letting me know where I fit.
“Hannah, don’t start.” The other blonde walked over. “Raylee. My friends call me Ray. I’m sure he didn’t mention you either, Hannah, when they had dinner last night. Stop being so territorial.”
“I’m not. Julian is a friend, and I know that he’s had a—”
“Hannah, she just got here,” Raylee warned. “Don’t start. Plus, it’s the holidays. Sorry.” Raylee rolled her eyes.
“Here.” Teigen handed me a bottle of water. “Let me show you to your room.” She led me from the room and toward the stairs as a shirtless man was bouncing down them.
“Ray, where is my hoo—” He stopped. “Is this Wyatt, as in Jules’s Wyatt? Fucking Anders. Walker Hanson.” He stuck out his hand. “You look nothing like Kurt Russell.”
“Good to know.” I stepped past Walker, following Teigen. “What did Anders say about me?”
She rolled her eyes. “He said that no one should be surprised by what you look like. Then asked everyone if they watched the movie Tombstone and to be nice because Julian is going through a stage,” Teigen said over her shoulder as she walked up the stairs.
“It was meant as more of an insult to Julian than you.”
“Right.” I followed her down the hall. There were two doors on each side of the hall and one at the end.
The room was beautiful and bright with the afternoon light.
It had a large stone fireplace sitting between the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on a small pond.
There was a private deck that would be a nice place to have coffee and watch either the sunset or sunrise.
“Sorry, rules are the last one here gets this room. Anders and I had it last year.”
“Why doesn’t anyone want this room?”
“Because at six a.m., those windows let in all the light,” Julian said as he carried in a large bag and two hockey sticks. “Tee, Anders is looking for his skates,” he said, letting the bag drop.
“Of course he is.” She pulled me into a hug. “I’m glad you came.” She left as Anders called for her.
“So, what do you think?” he asked, dragging a large bag further in the room and leaning the hockey sticks against the wall.
“Did you bring hockey sticks?” I asked, walking further into the room.
“And helmet, pads, and skates. I don’t travel without them.”
“Right, you never know when an emergency hockey game will break out.” I scanned the rest of the room. It was pretty standard: a couple nightstands, some mass-produced artwork on the walls. In one corner there was a chair and couch and in the other, the door for the deck and a… “Is that a toilet?”
Julian looked over at it. “Yep. That’s a toilet.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“What, you don’t want to wake up to this in the morning?” He walked over and sat on the toilet.
“No.” I laughed at the fact that he was fully clothed, sitting on a toilet. “No, please, no.”
“Come on, nothing says we’re that couple like shitting in front of one another.” He stood, looking down at it. “The best part is this room has two toilets. There is one in the en suite. So there’s no need to fight over one.”
“Why is there a toilet by the door?”
Julian shrugged. “According to the owners, there used to be a hot tub on the deck, and to keep the bedroom dry, they installed a toilet next to the door. When the owners turned this into a rental, they removed the hot tub. There was something with removing the toilet and code. I don’t know.”
“Just don’t use it.”
“Deal.”
I lay back on the bed, looking up at the vaulted ceiling.
Julian lay down next to me. “So? Regrets yet?”
“Well, Anders told everyone I looked like Kurt Russell. I don’t think Hannah trusts me, and there is a toilet in our room.”
“There is still time to get a hotel.” He rolled closer to me.
“No.” I twisted the string from his hoodie around my finger. “These people care about you, and they mean a lot to you. I’m glad I came.” I would get to see a different side of Julian.
“Me too.” He kissed me on the nose.
“Jules, you dressed?” Anders didn’t wait for an answer before busting into the room. He had a hockey helmet on and a stick in his hand.
“What if he wasn’t?” I asked.
“I’ve seen it all before. All of it.” Anders frowned. “Let’s get some ice time before dinner. This isn’t your honeymoon.”
“Did you tell everyone I looked like Kurt Russell?” I asked, sitting up.
“No. I asked if anyone had seen Tombstone. That’s the story about Wyatt Earp, right? I can’t help it if they jumped to conclusions. Now let’s go.”
“Anders, you need AA, and I need better friends.” Julian flopped back on the bed.