Chapter 52
fifty-two
LOGAN
“Pay up,” Griffin crows, palm out as we get changed after practice.
“What?” I glare at him, but it only makes my friend laugh.
Maddox shakes his head but digs in his wallet. He slaps a hundred into Griffin’s waiting palm with a frown. “I can’t fucking believe you were right.”
“Never should have bet against you,” Ryder says. He lets out a big sigh as he also hands over a hundred dollars.
I turn to Bash, but the goalie shakes his head. “Don’t look at me. I don’t make bets about my friends’ love lives.”
“I told you guys he’d ask her to move in before they had their six-month anniversary. But this is earlier than even I thought it would be.”
“You guys are the worst.” I hold my hand out. “Now give me my cut, since I was the subject of your bet.”
“Hell no!” Griffin shoves his winnings down his boxer briefs. Right next to his dick. “You’ll have to come and get it.”
“You’re so fucking gross. You have no idea where that’s been.”
“In Mira,” Griffin croons.
“Dude. How many times do I have to tell you not to make sex jokes about my little sister when I’m in the room?” Maddox punches his brother-in-law in the shoulder, a look of pure disgust twisting his features.
“She’s my wife, bro. You gotta know we’re doing it all the time. Hell, she’s hornier than I am.”
“I’m going to kill you.” Maddox takes an ominous step toward Griffin, who sidesteps him with a giggle—an honest-to-god giggle—before hiding behind Sebastian.
“Save me, Bashy.”
“Children. Can we focus? We’re supposed to be figuring out when we can all help move Blair and Reed.” Ever the levelheaded one, Bash wrangles everyone back into some semblance of control. Or, at least, controlled chaos.
“Thanks, man. Obviously they’ll need a few days to pack, and we have that away series at the end of the week, so I was hoping you could all make Sunday work? I know we’ll be tired from traveling home, but I don’t want Blair and Reed to miss work or school.”
“It’s still weird to hear you talk about not wanting a kid to miss school like it’s a normal, everyday part of your life,” Ryder says. “It suits you, though.”
“We can make Sunday work,” Maddox says. “And I agree with Handsome. I’ve never seen you this happy.”
“I’d be happier if we didn’t have some unhinged stalker making threats against Blair and Reed, but thanks, guys. I really appreciate you stepping up to help.”
“That’s what family does,” Griffin replies, lifting one shoulder in a shrug.
Not mine. I’m thankful as hell that these guys have spent the last ten years showing me what family should look like and how they should behave. If they hadn’t, I never would have ended up with Blair.
Clearing my throat, I clap Griffin on the shoulder. “Thanks for being my family.” I shift my attention to each of them in turn, making sure they see how much I care about them. How much they mean to me. “I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”
“Well, you never have to find out.” Bash tugs on his coat and drags a beanie over his still-damp hair. “Why don’t we grab a beer? It’s been a while since we’ve had a guys’ night. Or afternoon. We can plan over lunch.”
“I’m in,” Ryder says. “Just let me text Lex.”
“Isla’s still teaching, so I’m good.” Maddox turns to Griffin. “Mira’s working on that big new project, right? She shouldn’t mind.”
“Yep. I’ll let her know, but she gets so deep in the flow of her work, she probably won’t see my text until I’m home, anyway.”
“And I don’t have anyone to check in with, so…” Sebastian’s lips twist into a grimace before he wrestles them into a fake-as-shit smile.
“You will, bud.” Griffin wraps an arm around his shoulder and presses a kiss to Bash’s temple, earning an eye roll from the goalie. “Your perfect girl is out there somewhere. You’ll find her soon, I know it.”
Bash sighs but doesn’t shake off Griffin’s arm. “I wish I believed that, but I’m starting to think she’s hiding from me.”
Before, I would have rolled my eyes at a statement like that.
I mean, seriously, we’re standing around the locker room talking about finding true love.
What the hell has happened to all of us?
But now? Now I know how fucking amazing it is to find your person.
To have them in your corner. To fall asleep with them in your arms and wake up to their squinty smiles. And I think Bash wants that.
He’s been sick of the one-night-stand game for a while, and I thought maybe it was just boredom or that the chase had lost its thrill for him.
But now I’m not so sure. Now, I wonder if, every time Bash scans a crowded bar or the stands before a game, he’s looking for someone specific.
I wonder if he ever even notices the women who fight for his attention?
Or if he’s completely blind to anyone but whoever the woman is that’s got him all twisted up inside.
For the first time, I get it, if that’s the case. Because ever since Blair came blowing into my life with her snarky comments and steel spine, I don’t really see other women. Not like that, anyway.
“Come on. I think Bash could use a beer just as much as me.”
We spill out of the building, all laughing and talking over each other.
Despite the frosty temperatures, we walk to Chasers because there’s no point in trying to find parking when it’s only about a ten-minute walk from the arena.
I’ve been so stressed out with this whole stalker situation, so it’s nice to let loose with the teammates who are as close as brothers.
“I could have a brother soon.” I don’t even realize I’ve said it out loud until Maddox glances at me.
“What’s that, man?”
“Oh. I just… I was thinking about how you guys are like my brothers, and then I realized that if I ever ask Blair to marry me, I’ll have a brother.” I shove my hands into my coat pockets and shrug. “I always wanted a brother.”
“Are you thinking about asking her to marry you?” Maddox asks.
“I don’t know? Not yet or anything, but I guess with the threats and the shit my stalker said about Reed, it has me thinking.
If something happened to Blair, and we weren’t married, would they let me keep him?
Like, I don’t even want to think about any of this, but if—god forbid—something happened and she couldn’t take care of him, and we’re not married, I don’t have any legal right to demand to be his guardian.
” I blow out a breath, staring at the sidewalk in front of me because I can’t bear to look at my teammates right now.
“And of course, that’s not the only reason I’ve been thinking about marrying her. I fucking love her, you know? And marriage is important to her. She doesn’t have the same hangups as me, and it’s made me reevaluate mine.” Fuck, how are my palms sweaty when it’s barely ten degrees out?
“I guess what I’m saying is that I want to be with her. I want the three of us to be a family. And it feels like we already are, but the safest way for them is if we make it all legal and official, you know?”
“Wow, man.” Ryder, out of all of them, probably gets my desire for family the most. Like Blair and Reed, he lost both his parents way too young. Before Lexi, he didn’t have anyone cheering him on in the seats, either.
And yeah, my dad occasionally shows up to some games. But not to cheer me on. To relive his glory days and give me shit.
Having Blair and Reed in the seats, cheering for me… It’s everything.
The rookie’s voice is understanding when he speaks again. “So you’re going to talk to her about being added as one of Reed’s legal guardians?”
Shit. Yeah, I guess I am. “I mean, at some point. Not right now. It’s too soon for that, and I have no idea what goes into something like that, or if either of them would even consider it. But yeah, I guess I do plan to talk to her about it.”
“I’m really happy for you, man.”
I finally allow myself to look up at my teammates. Every single one of them is looking at me like they’re proud dads or something. I’m not a super emotional guy, but there’s a lump the size of Minnesota in my throat.
“We all are,” Bash agrees.
“Thanks, guys.” I clear my throat, and they all pretend they didn’t just hear my voice crack.
I sigh in relief when we step inside Chasers.
Compared to the almost single-digit temps outside, it feels damn near balmy in here.
Everyone close to the door looks our way when we enter, but that’s probably more because of the blast of arctic air that hits them than because of who we are.
A few of the patrons nod at us in recognition, a handful look like they’re trying to place us, and few women at the bar eye the five of us with hungry expressions, but all in all, we settle into our booth without any commotion.
With my mind firmly on family and everything it’s starting to mean to me, I jolt when my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Dad
I have tickets to your next game in Boston. Bring something nice to wear to dinner. There are some people I’d like you to meet.
Normally, a text like this from my dad would tie me up in knots. It would hurt. Because the asshole can’t even say hi. But now? Nothing he says can touch me.
Me
I don’t think so.
Dad
Excuse me?
I’m not interested in meeting anyone. Especially not if it’s a new stepmom.
Don’t take that tone with me, son. And you will attend this dinner. One of my former teammates wants to introduce you to his daughter.
A spike of rage pulses through me, but it dissipates quickly because, for the first time, I don’t give a single shit what he wants or thinks. I don’t need his approval. Hell, I don’t even need him to like Blair.
I’m happy, and nothing he says or does can touch that.
Me
Not interested. I have a girlfriend. She and her brother are moving in with me. If you can’t be happy that I’m happy, we have nothing more to say.
Dad
The woman from the game?
Yes. The woman you hit on. Blair. The love of my fucking life.
Don’t be rash.
Goodbye, Dad.
Logan.