Another Epilogue
THE DOUBLE WAG
Trina
A year later, I’m torn.
This is seriously hard. I’m in the VIP suite, wearing my special jersey, nibbling on avocado bruschetta but feeling like I’m being ripped in half.
“Nobody in my throuple support group warned me about this,” I joke to Aubrey, but I’m not really joking.
Loving two players from two teams does a number on your sports loyalties. Mine have shot sky high in the last year since I’ve gone from hockey hater to hockey lover.
The year hasn’t been all smooth skating. Like my two men, I’ve been subjected to a fair amount of scrutiny from the media—but we take it all in stride, and most of it is behind us now. All that’s important to me is that my guys are happy, and that our families accept us—which they do.
Besides, what goes on behind closed doors isn’t anyone’s business but our own—and the stuff that does go on behind closed doors? It’s all so very worth it. Everything with them is because I love Ryker and Chase, and they love me.
But I don’t just love my guys. I fell hard for the game too. I dare anyone to claim it’s not the best sport there is. But right now, the score is tied in the game as the Sea Dogs and Avengers vie against each other on the ice.
“What do I do?” I ask. But it’s a question for the universe. An unknowable one.
“Well, obviously blow both of them regardless,” Aubrey deadpans.
“That’s a given, but still,” I say, staring down at the ice as the guys fly by at rocket speed. But when there’s a media time-out, I pull my focus from the rink and turn it straight to my friend.
She’d been telling me about a new guy in her life and how very complicated the situation is. I listen, then give her my best advice, hoping it’s as good as the advice she gave me when I desperately needed it a year ago.
The last year has been a good one for many, many reasons. The book club has tripled in size. Business at the store is terrific. We raised a good amount of money for Nacho’s rescue with the jerseys. And my boy won his most recent agility competition.
He’s seriously the best dog ever. He’s also cut way down on his underwear snacks.
Oh, and also, Selena-slash-Abby was exposed. At first, I’d thought some industrious reporter had tracked her down. Then I’d thought maybe the book club had put their clever heads together and found out who she was. Because they could do that with their big brains.
Finally, I’d imagined the guys on the Avengers or the Sea Dogs had exposed her.
But nope. I was wrong on all three guesses. It was my sister. Cassie put her determination to use and found out who The Stuntwoman was.
Pretty sure it’ll be hard for the boys’ ex to pull off her tricks now—on anyone—now that everyone knows her name, and her face, and her voice.
Such a shame.
As for Jasper, I heard through the book club grapevine that he keeps getting on the apps, and getting shut down once women learn who he is—the guy who cheated on his girlfriend in front of her dog.
It’s the kiss of death, it seems.
Good.
I’m just glad he never came around again, and I haven’t seen him once at a game.
Well, I have excellent seats at both arenas. Perks of being a double WAG.
* * *
Later, when the game ends, I wait in the corridor for my boyfriends, watching as they stride down the hall in their suits to take me out for a VIP night on the town.
These two have been the best part of the past year.
I don’t see them every day or even every night, and coordinating two hockey schedules with my own is like a game of Jenga.
But it’s worth it. When we’re together we make the best of it, playing poker with Ryker’s grandmother, having lunches with their moms, visiting my family for the holidays, where my mom finally got to say This is my daughter Trina and her two boyfriends.
I’m pretty sure every one of my extended family looked at us thinking at the same time?
But no one said it.
Now, it’s only me and my guys tonight, just the way I like it. “Want to play pool?”
Ryker groans. “So you can crush us?”
“Exactly,” I say.
Chase shakes his head, sighing deeply. “Never should have taught you. Now you’re way better than we are.”
They carried through on their first night promise and taught me the game. They even bought me a pool table for Christmas so I could work on my skills.
Though mostly, I think they got it for, ahem, other reasons.
“C’mon hockey guys, take me on.”
And they do. They take me on at our home that night on the pool table.
We don’t talk about who won or lost the hockey game.
Because, really, we all won.
THE END