Chapter 20 #2
“Fine.” I didn’t sound fine, so I forced myself to take a deep breath. “Tonight was good until about ten minutes ago.”
Frankie patted me on the back. “You looked good. You were on that puck like a raccoon on an unattended casserole.”
“Well, that’s quite the picture,” Logan said as he dropped into the seat across from us. “What kind of casserole are we talking? I’m starving.”
The two of them went back and forth, the conversation turning outrageous as I pulled my phone from my pocket.
Shannon
Made it to the room. Leena went right down.
A picture of Leena passed out asleep in the crib was right below it, the soft light from the nightlight we’d brought with us glowing against her chubby cheek. Her moose was in one hand, a new duck in the other.
I clicked on it to enlarge it, then swiped my thumb across the screen, scrolling back through all of the other pictures Shannon had sent me today.
Leena eating a bagel in Central Park.
The video of Leena dancing in the bookstore, quacking like a duck.
And then the last one—a selfie of the two of them in front of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.
I held my thumb down on it, watching the same two-second live photo loop like I had all afternoon.
“Smile!” Shannon said, then kissed Leena’s cheek when she did.
Both of them looked so happy, I couldn’t help but smile.
Before I could watch it again, a text message popped up on the screen.
Logan Parrish renamed the group chat Snow Monkeys
Logan
Come out of retirement Conway
Beckett
Snow monkeys?
Logan
I mean, what is a Yeti if not a snow monkey?
Beckett
Probably more of an ape, I’d say.
Logan
Okay, Mr. Smarty Pants. You retire and now you’re a thesaurus?
Beckett
That was more of an Encyclopedia answer.
Logan
Well, what does the Encyclopedia say about Mikko watching a clip of his wife on repeat? Because I think it means he’s down bad.
Beckett
You sound like my kids.
Logan
Dude. You should see the way this guy high-knees it out of the locker room to get home lately. And don’t even get me started on the moon-eyes.
Beckett Conway added Emmy Hudson to the chat
Beckett
Saving myself from having to repeat all of this word for word.
Go on…
Mikko
There are no moon eyes. What does that even mean?
Logan
It means you want to fuck her brains out, that’s what it means.
Beckett Conway removed Emmy Hudson from the chat
Beckett
On second thought, maybe this conversation is for the boys.
Logan
We all know you’re going to let her read it later.
Beckett
Correct. Continue.
Mikko
I hate you both.
Logan
That sounds like a man down bad to me, eh?
Beckett
Let’s see this picture he keeps staring at.
Logan leaned over to take a picture of my screen, but I clicked my phone off before he got one. Unfortunately, my lock screen was the picture of the girls on the plane, and Logan’s laugh rang out over the bus as he sent it in the group chat.
Beckett
… a lock screen. That’s serious.
Logan
It’s making me feel left out that there’s not a woman waiting in my bed for me. Maybe you boys have the right idea.
Beckett
Good game tonight, Meeks. Glad whatever you guys are doing is working.
Mikko
Thanks.
Beckett
Emmy wants you to know Shannon had a great day today. Their group chat has been blowing up about it all afternoon. That was REALLY important for me to tell you.
Logan
Why?
Beckett
IDK. I don’t understand women. I just like them.
I chuckled, then clicked off my phone as we pulled up to the hotel lobby.
The team piled out, Logan and a bunch of my teammates walking over to the bar where a dozen beautiful women lingered. I walked straight by them, headed for the elevators instead. Carter stood there with me, ready to be done with this day.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Carter said when the elevator doors closed. “Having them here.”
I glanced over to see him smiling to himself.
“Nolan’s been flying with us for years, but every road trip before that was the same. Hockey, hotel, hockey, hotel.” He shrugged. “Now I actually look forward to getting back here.”
“I know what you mean.”
The elevator chimed, and he stepped out. “Enjoy your girls.”
A moment later, the doors slid open on the twenty-third floor, and I stepped into the hallway.
The suite was quiet when I unlocked the door, exactly how I’d hoped to find it. I dropped my bag beside the entryway before crossing the living room to the portable crib. Leena was sprawled on her back with one arm above her head, her stuffed animals thrown to the side.
Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight, pikku.”
She sighed but stayed asleep.
I headed toward the bedroom, already looking forward to hearing the parts of Shannon’s day she hadn’t told me about before the game. The room was dark, only a bedside lamp illuminating the space, but the bathroom light glowed underneath the door.
Reaching behind me, I grabbed the neck of my hoodie and tugged it over my head as I walked into the room. Instead of moving forward, I smacked against something.
“Oof.”
Shannon let out a squeak, and I put out my free hand to steady her. Her skin was damp beneath my fingers, fresh out of the shower.
“Don’t look!” she whisper shouted.
But she was a half-second too slow—I had already tugged my hoodie the rest of the way off to make sure I hadn’t hurt her. I don’t know what I expected to find, but my wife standing in the middle of the room wet and naked wasn’t it.
Shannon’s hands flew up instinctively, one arm crossing over her chest, the other dropping lower while her towel puddled at her feet.
It was too late.
I’d already seen everything.
She stood there, skin glowing under the bedside lamp.
Her long black hair clung to her pale shoulders and back in wet strands, water still tracing slow paths down her skin.
Her body was beautifully real with soft hips, a gentle waist, and skin so fair it looked almost luminous.
Dark grey eyes met mine, wide and uncertain, with no makeup to hide behind.
I brushed a hand over my mouth, stunned silent as my gaze moved over her.
The rose tattoos on her arms were vivid against all that pale skin—delicate blooms I’d only glimpsed at the edges before.
There were more I’d never seen, curling along her collarbone and disappearing onto her back.
And her nipples… small gold bars peaked through her fingers and caught the light with every quick breath she took.
But I couldn’t look past where her wedding ring glinted, still right where it belonged.
“Shannon…” The word came out rough. I swallowed, trying to steady myself, but my body was already reacting. My cock stirred, thickening the longer I stood there.
But I couldn’t look away, not when my wife was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.