Chapter 9
ALLY
“Breathe. It’s going to be fine,” Penny said, linking her arm through mine.
“Easy for you to say. Ethan was unhinged out there,” I muttered.
“Yeah, he’s sleeping on the couch tonight,” she said. “But he knows that the only thing that matters is your happiness, even if he’s been a butthead about it.”
“I hope so,” I said with a sigh. Tonight had definitely not played out like I anticipated. I was annoyed with myself for not just telling Ethan that Dom was the father way back when. On the other hand, it shouldn’t matter to him because it was my damn life.
“I already asked Bugsy if we could use one of the offices to talk,” Penny said.
“I didn’t want this to be a big deal,” I grumbled, grateful that she didn’t state the obvious. It was a big deal, I guess. Not that hockey was tabloid material for the most part, but getting knocked up by my brother’s teammate definitely had clickbait potential. Ugh, at least my parents weren’t at this game. I knew I had to fill them in, too, I’d just been avoiding it.
“Tell Dom to meet us in the second office. It’s away from the media room and will hopefully be out of the way,” Penny said. “I’m going to check on Mr. Obstinate.”
My chuckle sounded strangled. “Thanks, Penny.”
“Of course. You’re my sister-in-law and my friend. And your brother is being an ass.” Then she gave me a smile and walked toward the Strikers’ locker room. I heard a few reporters call out her name, but I couldn’t hear what she said back. Hopefully, it wasn’t about me.
I easily found the empty office and then pulled out my phone to let Dom know where I was.
Dom: Give me ten, and I’ll be there. Just getting dressed.
I did not need that last bit of info because now I was thinking about him in a towel. I hadn’t been with anyone since Dom, and these pregnancy hormones were no freaking joke and were getting stronger by the day.
Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Dom walked in. It was overwhelming to have him standing in front of me.
The perfect fit of his game day suit wasn’t helping matters. His hair was still wet, and he tucked a longish strand behind his ear. My fingers itched to touch him. Stupid damn hormones.
“Hi,” he said with a smile.
My heart started to flutter, as did Baby Girl. I instinctually put my hand on my belly.
“Is she moving?” he asked, stepping closer to me. I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. His brown eyes twinkled, and my brain shorted out, my senses on overload.
“Can I?” His hand started to reach for me before he pulled back. “Sorry. Is it okay?”
“Um, yeah.” My voice was breathless.
And then his large hands framed my bump, his thumbs meeting at the center as he cupped it.
“Is that her?” he asked, his voice filled with awe.
My heart raced, my senses taking in everything as he kept his hands in place, and our daughter fluttered under his touch.
“She’s been very active tonight,” I said when I finally found my voice.
He grinned, squatting down in front of me so he was eye level with my belly. “Because she knew I was trying to get all the goals for her tonight, didn’t you, Baby Girl?”
Dammit. Why was that the sweetest thing?
“Sorry about the loss,” I said. “And my brother.”
He rubbed his thumb softly over my shirt as he looked up at me, and I shoved away the totally inappropriate thoughts I was having about him in this position.
“You cold?” he asked, standing up.
“Uh. No.”
“You just shuddered. Do you want my jacket?”
“I’m fine,” I muttered. Heat flooded my cheeks. If he only knew what I was thinking at that moment.
“Can I hug you?” he asked.
Why was his apprehension endearing right now?
“What?” It was a weird request.
“Never mind. I just feel like we’ve gotten to know each other better, and we’re doing this co-parenting thing, and we’re becoming better friends, and I want to hug you.”
Do not melt.
“Um, sure,” I said.
And then I was enveloped in his warmth. His spicy scent surrounded me, and I sank into his hold. It should have felt weird. The only time we’d touched each other in the past was when we were ripping each other’s clothes off and spreading out onto a bed. Or a couch. Or a table.
Dammit.
“Stop touching her.” Ethan’s harsh voice cut through the moment. I peeked around Dom’s arm and saw my brother glaring at us just as Penny smacked him in the back of the head.
“What?” he barked, looking at his wife.
“We talked about this. Don’t be a dick.”
I bit back a chuckle.
Dom turned to face Ethan with me still in his arms. I should’ve stepped free, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that.
“You’re supposed to be on my side,” Ethan grumbled at her while continuing to glare at Dom.
“I’m on both Ally’s side and your side. When you’re being smart, that is,” she said. “Hi, Dom. Good to see you.”
“It is not good to see him. I should’ve punched him harder tonight.”
“Hi, Penny. Good to see you. Look, Harty, I know you’re pissed, but this is about me and Ally and our daughter.”
“Now you want to be involved?” Ethan sneered. He was really laying it on thick, and I rolled my eyes at his theatrics.
“To be fair, I just told him when I was in Denver last month,” I said, standing tall and moving out of Dom’s hold. It was better this way. I needed to have all my wits present, and they appeared to vacate me when Dom was touching me.
“Doesn’t matter. He was supposed to leave you alone,” Ethan said.
I scoffed. “I’m a grown woman, Ethan. This warning Dom away thing is getting old. And it’s clearly unsuccessful.” I gestured at my belly, trying not to smile when Penny smirked.
“So you’re a couple now? How’s that going to work?”
“No, we’re not. We’re still figuring everything out and taking it one day at a time. It’s a lot for all of us, and I’d appreciate your support.”
His face softened. “I’ll always support you, Ally. You know that. And I’m going to support my little niece without question. But him? He’s a player, Ally, always has been. He’s just going to end up hurting you like he did last time.”
“Ugh. You’re being an idiot. He never hurt me. We had fun and went our separate ways. We were both super young, and that was it. But I don’t have to justify any of this to you. Yeah, I should’ve told you Dom was the father before you got on the ice with him again, but I knew you’d freak out, so I was trying to find the right time.” Not that I was sure I ever would’ve found the perfect moment anyway.
“I’m sorry, Ally,” Dom said, looking wary when I turned my gaze on him.
“You should be,” Ethan muttered.
“Stop it,” I said, surprised that Dom hadn’t tried to defend himself against Ethan’s words.
“I’m not sorry that she’s having my baby. I’m not sorry that I’ve spent the last month getting to know her while we figured out what our next steps were. I knew she was amazing and so far out of my league from the very beginning,” he said.
“No shit,” Ethan cut in.
“Enough out of you.” Penny swatted his head again. “Dom’s the one being an adult and trying here, and you’re acting like a twelve-year-old child.”
“He knocked up my sister,” Ethan said, outraged.
“Yeah. I was there, too. This isn’t anyone’s fault, so quit acting like my kid is a mistake or fault of anything.” I would not shout at my brother, but it was tempting. “This isn’t about you and your feelings right now, Ethan.”
My brother had the decency to actually look a little chagrined, but he was clearly still pissed.
Dom’s words had hit me hard. There was a sweetness I hadn’t expected from him. I couldn’t help but wonder if we would have been an actual couple at this point if we’d pursued more than just a fuck-buddy relationship from the start.
No.
I had to stop thinking that way. My priority was navigating co-parenting for my daughter. That was my sole focus.
“Look, Harty, I know my reputation. But that doesn’t matter right now. I’m here for Ally in whatever capacity she wants me, and I’m going to be here for my daughter too. Since you’re her uncle, you’re going to have to deal with me a lot more, so maybe stop trying to ram me into the boards every time we’re on the ice.”
“I make no promises,” he groused, but I swear I saw a glimmer of approval.
It was a start. I still rolled my eyes at my brother’s posturing. He was so over the top.
“So, how exactly will this work since you don’t live here?” Ethan asked.
“That’s something Ally and I are still working out, but I was hoping that she might consider moving to Denver,” Dom said.
“What?” I asked. Ethan and Penny echoed the same thing. “What are you talking about?”
“Her family is here,” my brother said before I could even think about responding.
Dom and I had not discussed this. Yes, I’d mentioned my job allowed me to work from anywhere, but I wasn’t moving away from my family. It pissed me off that he would blurt this out without talking to me first.
“I realize that, but I’m in Denver for the season, and Ally’s going to give birth in a few months. I want to be there to help out as much as I can. You know what our schedules are like, Harty.”
“She’s not just going to pick up and move in with you, Dom. She’s super pregnant,” my brother said.
“And she’s in the room,” I said, raising my voice, my anger bubbling up. How the hell could Dom think I was going to move in with him? I felt like I was getting steamrolled right now, that Dom and my brother both were just assuming what I needed instead of actually asking me.
Dom turned away from Ethan and faced me. I crossed my arms when he reached for my hand.
“I’ve been thinking about this a lot since we started talking again, and it makes sense. You could move in with me so I can be around to help, so we can co-parent together and figure everything out. It’ll be harder for me to help during the season if you’re still in San Francisco.”
“You can’t be serious,” I said through clenched teeth. “You’re not even home for half of the time.”
“I know that, but I’m very serious. Think about it, Ally. I have the space, and you can work anywhere. She’ll be here in two months, right in the middle of the season. When the season ends, we can figure out what to do. It’s like a trial run to see if you don’t kill me,” he said, that charming smile back in place.
“Or I could just do that now,” my brother muttered.
I glared at him. “Stop.” I turned back to Dom. “And no, I can’t move to Denver. That’s just crazy. We have been thrown into this situation that neither of us expected, and we aren’t a couple, Dom. Living together would make it weird.”
“Or we could act like we’re roommates raising a baby. I have two bedrooms and plenty of space. I know asking you to pick up and relocate is a lot, but just think about it, okay?”
He’d clearly thought about this without running anything by me.
It would be insane to agree to this.
Wouldn’t it?
DOM
I hadn’t been completely lying to her.
Getting her to move to Denver had crossed my mind more than once, but I had not gone into this conversation with the intention of blurting that out. It was out there now, and as crazy as it was, it also made sense, letting me be involved in person and help. We had logistics to figure out, but in the end, this would make it easier for all of us. Yeah, it was a great solution.
Panic bubbled in my chest at the thought of becoming a father in a few short months, just as it always had since she’d told me she was pregnant, but I wanted to do the right thing, be as helpful as possible. And that meant convincing Ally to relocate, if only until the season ended, and then we could decide what came next.
“You cannot seriously be considering this,” Harty said, still glaring at me.
I respected the guy a lot and hated how he was currently viewing me, but what the fuck, man? I was trying. Couldn’t he see that?
Couldn’t Ally see that? She was the one that I cared about the most, but I’d spent my entire career looking up to Harty, and while his reaction was somewhat warranted, it still stung.
“There is a bit of sense to the plan,” Penny remarked.
I flashed her a smile.
“Don’t try charming my wife, Dom,” Harty bit out. “And no, there isn’t.”
Penny rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You’re being ridiculous, Ethan.”
He sighed. “I know that. I’m just annoyed and irritated with him. Ally shouldn’t have to drop everything just because he wants to be involved now.”
“Ugh. Would you stop? I only told him a month ago. He hasn’t had months and months to process this like we have,” Ally said. “And I didn’t say I was going to move. That just seems rash.”
I internally cheered at her support until her last comment. Shit. I was going to have to work on convincing her.
“You’re right. It is rash. You know exactly what the hockey schedule is like and how little help he’ll be,” Harty said. Fuck. I wanted to punch him right now.
“Okay. That’s enough out of you. We’re going to go and let you two figure everything out. He’s being a grouch, but you know that we’ll help in whatever way you both need,” Penny said, and Harty muttered again.
She smacked his arm. “Stop it, or I really will make you sleep on the couch tonight.”
“He caused the drama,” Harty said, pointing to me. “Why am I getting punished?”
“Because you’re acting like a child. Now say good night to Dom and your sister,” Penny said.
“Fine,” Harty said. Then he stepped up in front of my face. “If you hurt her, a few hits into the boards will be the least of your concerns.”
“All right, tough guy. You feel better now?” Penny said, and I bit back my smirk.
“Nope,” Ethan said, the P popping in my face.
“Look, I know you’re pissed at me, but I’m not going to hurt Ally. I just want to be there for her and our daughter. I’m not that punk rookie anymore, okay?” I said, keeping my calm. Yeah, I’d been a just-here-for-a-good-time guy for years, but the good times had always been mutual decisions. I wasn’t out breaking hearts or anything.
“We’ll see,” Harty said. Then he turned to his sister. “You don’t have to move, okay? But I’ll support you any way I can.” He tugged her in for a hug, and she ducked her head into his shoulder.
“Thanks,” she said, pulling back. “And no matter what happens, you need to be nicer to Dom. He’s not going anywhere.”
My chest warmed at her words.
“Fine. But I don’t have to like it. Call if you need anything, okay?”
She stepped away from him. “I will.”
He gave me one last glare as Penny and Ally hugged, then left with his wife.
“Well, at least that’s over,” I said with a sigh.
Ally spun on me, her cheeks flushed. “I cannot believe you asked me to move in with you in front of him. Before we’d even discussed it. And how the hell did all this slip out on the ice anyway? Ugh. I know I should’ve just told him before you got here, but what the hell, Dom?”
It’s not like I expected her to fall into my arms when they left, but damn, I didn’t want her yelling at me, either.
“Want to sit?” I asked, gesturing toward the comfy-looking chair in the corner. “Or we could head back to my hotel or your place and talk things out?”
She threw up her hands at me. “Fine. Yeah. I don’t really want to do this here, and you promised me a late dinner. I’m not that hungry, but I have ice cream in my freezer. This conversation would probably be better with some B and J.”
I made a choking sound.
“Oh my god. I mean Ben and Jerry’s. Not a BJ. After tonight, that’s definitely not happening any time soon. I mean, not that it was on the table before tonight, but just. Ugh. Just no,” she said, her cheeks flushed.
My stupid cock hardened. I would never not want this woman.
Not tonight, buddy.
“Sorry. I’m just remembering—”
“Seriously, just stop,” she interrupted, poking me in the chest.
I grabbed her hand and tugged her into me. Fucking hell, I loved having her in my arms. She was glaring at me. Shit. I was making a mess of this, but she’d said B and J, and my brain had short-circuited.
“You’re all flushed and gorgeous, and of course, my thoughts went there. We always did have fun hooking up.” I was digging myself a bigger hole, but I couldn’t help myself when it came to Ally.
She sucked in a breath, her glare still in place. “I’m flushed because you’re annoying the hell out of me right now, and don’t try to weasel out of explaining what happened tonight.”
“I swear I’m not.”
“If you can control yourself, we can go back to my place. For ice cream and an explanation.” She drew out the last part.
I chuckled, and she punched me in the biceps.
“Ouch,” I said. She got me right where Harty had drilled me into the boards more than once.
“What? Oh yeah, my stupid brother. Come on. Let’s go,” she said, pulling out her phone. A few taps later, she added, “A car will be here in four minutes.”
I linked my fingers with hers, refusing to let go as we made our way out of my old arena. It was still weird walking these halls as a visitor, let alone with Ally and our daughter.
The car ride to her place was relatively quick and mostly silent. I wasn’t sure how to read her. And since my dick had taken over my brain for a moment back in the arena, I figured keeping quiet would benefit both of us.
Not that I was even sure what to say to her. But the idea of having her move to Denver had settled firmly in my chest and I was going to do everything I had to convince her it was the best plan. How would I figure out how to be a good father if I barely got to spend time with my daughter as soon as she arrived? And I knew that it shouldn’t be all about me, but I wanted to have Ally and our daughter close. I wanted to develop that bond from day one. I just had to convince Ally that it made sense for her to move in with me, and so far, I wasn’t doing a good job at that.
When the car pulled to a stop in front of her building, she was out of the vehicle before I could even unbuckle my seat belt and get to her side to hold the door open.
“Ally, wait,” I called out as she made her way up the walkway to the front door.
I swear I heard her mutter, “I have to pee,” and I swallowed my chuckle. I’d read that babies liked hanging out on their mother’s bladders, especially later in the pregnancy.
I hadn’t lied to her. I was reading everything I could to understand what she was going through and to prepare myself for having a child. I might’ve had shitty examples growing up, but I was determined not to fall back on that as a reason to be a clueless father. Ally and our daughter deserved better than that.
I followed her into the building and up to her apartment.
“Be right back,” she said, disappearing down the hall and into the bathroom. It’d been a while since I’d been here—since March, to be exact.
Since conception.
So fucking weird to think about it like that.
Making myself useful would go a long way in showing her that I would be there for her and that I could anticipate her needs, so I walked into her kitchen and opened the freezer. Holy shit, there was a lot of Ben and Jerry’s in here. There were a handful of flavors, but multiple pints of Vanilla Caramel Fudge, so I pulled out one of them, assuming it was her favorite. Grabbing two spoons, I moved to the living room and sat down on the couch to wait for her.
“Don’t think I’m sharing,” she said when she took the seat next to me on the couch. She grabbed the pint from my hand and shifted it away from me.
I chuckled and ducked my spoon around her arm to grab some ice cream.
“Rude,” she mumbled, taking a bite. Then she sighed. “That’s so much better.”
I shifted, trying to ignore my hardening cock. Her breathy little sigh twisted me up.
Focus.
“Okay. Start talking,” she said and took another bite, her tongue darting out to lick the spoon.
I tried to tamp down my groan, but her eyes widened, and I knew she’d heard it.
“What? You’re making sexy sounds, and I’m having flashbacks to fucking you.”
“Dom,” she huffed.
“What? I’m just being honest. Obviously, we know what it sounds like when we’re having sex,” I said, gesturing toward her belly.
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m eating ice cream, idiot.” Then she licked the damn spoon again and held my gaze.
I shifted in my seat. “Dammit. I’m trying to be on my best behavior over here.”