Chapter 47
LIAM
Waiting for Garrett today, I was honestly more nervous than I’d been any other time.
He needed things to go well with his daughter. There was no telling if they would or not, but my God, he needed it to go right.
While I waited, I wandered my house, restless and desperate for something to pass the time. I checked my phone constantly, sure I’d missed a text somehow. Though I wasn’t much for praying, I sent up a few whispers into the ether, hoping somebody heard me and came through for Garrett.
The rumble of my garage door opener had me damn near sprinting up the hall from the laundry room. Heart thumping, I opened the kitchen door as he was getting out of his car.
He looked absolutely wrung out and exhausted, but that tired smile was the brightest thing I’d ever seen. It reminded me a little of how he’d looked after his grandson was born—utterly wiped out but flying high at the same time.
He declined my offer of coffee, though, and we moved into the living room, where he sank onto the couch and slung his arm across the back. As I settled against him, he exhaled hard.
“So, I take it things went well?” I asked.
Garrett laughed softly, his arm closing gently around my shoulders. “Yeah. It was a tough conversation, but we got there.” He paused, and his voice cracked as he said, “She hugged me.”
“That’s great.” I leaned in closer, holding him to me. “That’s really great.”
“It is. It’s still going to take some time. Stuff like this—it doesn’t go away overnight.” He blew out a breath and wiped a hand over his face. As he let his hand fall to his thigh, he said, “But man, today was a lot of progress.”
“Good. Is she in town for long?”
“A few days. I, um…” He turned to me, brow creased. “I’d love to have you meet her. If you want to grab dinner one night or something.”
“Sure, yeah. That would be great.” I paused. “Does she want to meet me?”
Garrett smiled and brought up my hand to kiss my palm. “She does. I guess Chris raved about you, and she’s followed his career enough to know who you are.” He chuckled. “She’s willing to give you a chance as Dad’s boyfriend.”
I laughed. “No pressure, right?”
“None.” He sobered a little. “I’m the one she was staying away from, not you. Meeting my boyfriend is her taking a step closer to letting me back into her life. So… the pressure’s on me.”
“Okay, true.” I clasped our fingers together. “Well, I’ll follow your lead. I’m happy to meet her or—okay, I’ve met your other kids, but as your boyfriend this time.”
Garrett grinned. “The next Phantoms’ family skate could be interesting.”
“True. The one after that, too, since, I mean, I’ll be there as a family member myself. Not a player.”
He straightened. “Oh. You’re right. You—and you’re still sure about that? Retiring?”
I was nodding before he finished the question. “I’m ready. I want to live my life on my terms now. And maybe not beat my body to a pulp any more than I already have.”
Garrett smirked. “Does that mean we have to go easier in bed?”
“Pfft. Absolutely not.” I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him in close. “In fact, it means fewer nights where I have to go easy in bed.” Grinning, I added, “Imagine all the things we’ll be able to do when I’m not beat all to shit from hockey.”
He returned my grin, making my toes curl, and he slid a hand up into my hair. “Is it wrong that I suddenly can’t wait for the off season?”
I chuckled. “I mean, I’m hoping we make a run for the Cup, but otherwise… same.”
We both laughed, and then he claimed my mouth.
I didn’t know if we’d end up in bed—he was probably still drained from meeting with his daughter—but this was enough.
This was more than enough. Just holding him close, sharing this moment of affection…
I didn’t care if it segued into sex or if we fell asleep like this. I was too happy to care.
This was the life that waited for me after I retired. This was the start of the future I hadn’t been able to envision until very, very recently.
I knew to my bones that I would miss hockey, and that my last game would be heart-wrenching.
But these days, I was looking forward to my post-hockey life in ways I never imagined I would.