My phone vibrates as I’m tucking it away, and I die a little at Jennie’s picture: just a red popsicle, her pink lips circling it.
I don’t have time to appreciate it. Carter curses loudly, and I jump, slamming my phone to my chest. This is it. It’s my time to go.
Carter frowns at his phone. “Ollie’s been feeling the baby move so much, but I can’t feel anything. He’s been moving all night, apparently.”
My heart restarts and I force myself to focus on my skate laces, formulating an answer, and breathing. “What is she now? Five months? I couldn’t feel my sisters consistently ’til my mom hit the third trimester. Soon you’ll be able to see the baby move, too, which is cool but also creepy.”
“And you keep saying him,” Adam points out. “Baby Beckett might be a girl.”
Carter grunts, rolling his hockey socks into a ball. “Nope. I saw a penis.”
Emmett sighs. “I’ve told you a thousand times: that was an arm. Your baby does not have a gigantic penis.”
“His daddy does,” is Carter’s smug response.
I hesitantly peel my vibrating phone from my chest, sighing when I see it’s just an email from Levi’s. Apparently, I have three pairs of ladies’ jeans arriving in five-to-seven business days.
I type out a quick text to the perpetrator.
Me: Funny, when I gave u my credit card info, I thought u were only gonna replace the jeans I ruined.
Sunshine: Funny, I thought you’d respect my outfit choices rather than ripping them off my body.
Me: I’m gonna disrespect the fuck outta your body just for that.
Sunshine: J–1, G–0
God. Damn. Genius.
I wonder how long this will last. Jennie’s smart, strong, sassy, and sexy—all the very best S’s. It’s only a matter of time before somebody else realizes, and I’ll be forced to let her go. I’m also not sure how far we can push our luck with the oblivious man in front of me, propping his phone up on one of the cubby shelves.
“Garrett, come do this dance with me.”
I yank off my skates. “I’m not doing another one of your fuckin’ TokToks, Carter.”
“TikToks. C’mon. I got so many likes on the last one you were in. All the girls think you’re cute when you dance. Riley!” He catches Jaxon on his way to the showers. “I’ll teach you the dance real quick.”
Jaxon flings an arm out, free hand covering his junk. “I’m naked!”
“Great for ratings,” Carter mumbles. He props his fists on his hips and starts barking out orders. With the entire team lined up, he turns his stare on me, brows lifting. “Garrett.”
“No. Fuck that. I’m not doing your damn dance.”
Famous last words. An hour later, I’m sitting at our hotel bar, watching our team do some ridiculous trend that has an entire team of NHL players dropping it low before they spin around and shake their asses for the camera. Most of us are half-dressed in equipment. Jaxon is less fortunate, covering his dick with a hand towel. The video already has over a hundred thousand views. Carter’s only ever looked prouder when Olivia said I do.
There’s a fuckton of girls here tonight, swarming the team. Jaxon’s already made out with one, Adam keeps trying to swat away the fingers trying to twine around his curls, and when a leggy brunette slides her hand along my shoulders, I start panicking, shrugging away from her touch.
“Uh, no thanks. No, thank you. Thanks.”
Emmett arches a brow as she walks away. “No, thank you? A month ago you were bitching about us stopping you from getting laid. No one’s stopping you now.”
I bury my deflection behind a handful of nachos.
Emmett waits for me to swallow. “What?”
“Uh…” I scratch my jaw as my gaze coasts the table, landing on Adam as he politely lets another girl down, explaining they don’t want the same things. “Netflix and chill,” I blurt, then backtrack. “I think I’m growing out of this scene. I’d rather hang out at home with someone who makes me laugh.” Not a lie. “Netflix and chill,” I repeat. “Or whatever.”
Adam grins. “So you want to date.”
“Garrett wants a girrrlfriend,” Carter sings, sucking a chicken wing clean. “I’m sure you’ll find someone.”
“It can’t be all that hard. You did it.”
His bone clatters to his plate, hardened gaze slowly rising. “I’m a catch, jerk.”
I snicker. “Yeah, Ollie’s lucky she didn’t catch a disease.”
“Fucker.” Carter reaches across the table, and a game of slapsies quickly ensues as our hands fly, before Dad gets in the middle of it.
Dad is Adam. Emmett is the bad uncle who sits in the corner, egging us on. Jaxon’s the drunk aunt making out with a random.
“We should let natural selection take care of you,” Emmett says when we disengage. “Only the toughest survives.”
Carter flexes a bicep before kissing it. “That’s me.”
“As if.” I stretch my arms out, veins popping when I make two fists. “I’m tough as fuck.”
“Whatever. My sister could bring you to your knees.”
She absolutely can, already has, and I’ll gladly get down on them a thousand more times to taste the sweet spot between her thighs while she yanks my hair and chants my name, begging for more.
I try to recenter my thoughts and focus on the new conversation at hand, which is the additional time Adam’s been spending at the children’s home.
“I found my family in a home just like this one, but I know not everyone is that lucky. To think some of those kids have been sitting there for years, waiting for someone to take a chance on them…” He shakes his head, frowning. “It’s heartbreaking.”
“I think it’s great you’re using your own experience with the foster system to help other kids,” I tell him.
“You’re adopted?” Jaxon asks now that his mouth is free.
Adam nods, and Carter adds, “His dad is Deacon Lockwood.”
Jaxon’s brows jump. “Deacon Lockwood, retired quarterback for the Denver Broncos and five-time Superbowl champ, Deacon Lockwood?”
Adam chuckles. “He was so bummed when I chose hockey over football. Really, though, I couldn’t have asked for a better family. Sometimes you’re not born to them; you find them.”
Jaxon claps a hand to his shoulder, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I haven’t warmed to him yet. “Glad you found your crew, bud.”
“I’ve been thinking about fostering, but it’s impossible with my schedule. They’ve been through enough, and they need consistency, someone who can show up every day for them.” He shrugs. “Maybe in the future, if I ever get married.”
Emmett laughs softly. “You’re gonna meet someone incredible and have an amazing family together, in whatever way you decide to make it.”
“What happened with Courtney was shit,” I chime in, “and I wish you hadn’t gotten hurt. But you deserve so much better than what she was giving you. I’m not sure you would’ve walked away if she hadn’t given you a reason.”