Page 56

CALLIOPE

W e’d been back in Boston for a couple of weeks. The start of hockey season coincided with the baseball playoffs. Here I was, someone where these two events meant more than what was playing on TV. It had become what drove my life.

Being in Boston, watching Tom play on the local channels wasn’t the easiest. I had quietly invested in a streaming service to watch every game that played and nearly tossed my iPad when I realized that the local team’s broadcasting company blacked out other games while the Bears were playing.

As expected, Kelsey gave me far more time off than necessary or wanted, so I took advantage of my free time and wrote my ass off. I completed the lyrics for at least three songs and was close to finishing the music, just trying to perfect the melody.

Tom and I talked twice daily and texted as often as his schedule allowed.

I was counting down the days until I met him in Vancouver.

During our calls, he occasionally let me see his emotional strain, but when I was lucky enough to watch him play, his game was just as fierce as always.

I knew from our late-night chats that the game was his sole focus when he was on the ice.

I envied him a bit for that. I loved performing, but I was very much aware that I was performing.

There wasn’t a switch that went on and off.

I couldn’t play music and block out the world.

I was headed down to the kitchen where Sam, Kelsey, and Crew were eating breakfast.

“Dada kissed Kiwi,” Crew announced.

I stopped short when I heard Crew outing us.

Fuck. We hadn’t been careful enough around him, and he’d walked in on us more than a few times.

I thought we’d covered it up well enough.

I slowly backed down the hallway, trying not to eavesdrop and wanting to escape before they realized I was there.

I could not have this conversation before I talked to Tom.

“Did he?” Sam asked.

“Ya. Lots. They kissed lots.”

Oh buddy, I plead silently. Please, not now. We’re not ready yet.

“He’s been saying that all week,” Kelsey told Sam.

Ohp. He saw and wanted them to know.

I backed up further and headed back to my room on the third floor just as a text from Mariana popped up.

Mariana: Hey, I know it’s not my place, but can you slip away for a couple of days?

Me: What’s wrong?

I immediately panicked. If Mariana was asking me to travel, something had happened.

Mariana: I just think Tom needs a friendly face.

What wasn’t she saying? And what reason did I have to be here right now? Ugh, and Crew just outed us. My brain was spinning fast, and while I didn’t want to deal with the possibility of being outed to my bosses, I knew I needed to lay eyes on Tom.

Fuck it. He was more important than a paycheck. This was more than a job.

I typed out a text to Monica.

Me: How quickly can you get me on a flight to Florida?

Monica: You know, I could get you there in less than five hours. When can you be at Logan?

Me: In an hour. Wish me luck. We’ve been outed by Crew. I’m useless here. And I can think of absolutely zero reasons not to crawl into bed with my guy tonight.

Monica: Oh fuck. Okay. I’m on it, but you gotta tell Sam and Kelsey.

Me: Got it. Wish me luck.

Kelsey and Sam both stared at me when I barreled into the kitchen.

“Hi, Kiwi!” The cutest little traitor yelled from his seat.

I ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head before I turned my attention to Sam and Kelsey.

“I need to go to Florida,” I said. Two sets of eyes turned full focus on me.

“Is Tom okay?” Kelsey asked, immediately understanding why I needed to go.

“He is, but it’s the first long stretch. And, well, it’s not like you guys really need a nanny.”

The two of them had an entire conversation with just their eyes, both nodding before Sam responded. “You can be back here in two weeks to travel with Crew to Vancouver?”

I nodded, “Of course.”

“Okay. We’ll see you in two weeks,” Kelsey said.

“Thank you,” I said before turning and heading to the stairs to pack my bags.

“Hey, Callie,” Sam called.

“Yeah?”

“Be good to him. He deserves to be happy.”

My chest squeezed hard, almost painfully.

“Yes, he does,” I said, my eyes welling up as I took off to my bedroom to pack.

Damn, that went so much better than I expected.

I had just finished packing when an airline ticket itinerary and a ticket to tonight’s game arrived in my e-mail inbox. The timing was tight, but I should just be able to make it there by puck drop.

Me: I’m on my way. Don’t tell anyone.

Mariana:

And no, I didn’t read on the plane. But I did splurge on WiFi once more and send some bullshit texts to Tom about the fall weather in Boston. His responses were one to two words tops.

He was miserable, not even pretending anymore.

When I landed in Florida, Monica had already added my name to Tom’s hotel room, and I dropped my bags off in the room, took a quick shower, and changed for the game.

I took a quick look around the hotel room, my heart clenching at the thought of Tom spending the last few weeks in these lifeless rooms by himself.

After tonight, they were back in Denver for the last stretch until we had planned to meet him in Vancouver, and I wasn’t leaving until the last possible moment to go get Crew.

I missed the puck drop. But Monica sat me behind the glass near their bench, and he spotted me just as he got off the ice after his first shift. He flipped his helmet, blinked twice, and fucking beamed at me.

“Are you for real?” he shouted, and I nodded. My smile plastered painfully on my face. He then flipped his helmet back on and focused on the game.

One by one, the guys recognized me and smacked the glass in front of me to say hello. The Blizzards were up two to nothing at the end of the first period. I usually wouldn’t hear from Tom during a game, but he must have snuck his cell phone out between periods.

Tom: Hey, I need to get you a key to the hotel room.

Me: Already done…Monica.

Tom: Damn, she’s efficient. How’d you get here?

Me: Crew outed us. I was useless there. I needed to be here. Okay by you?

Tom: Yeah, baby.

Tom: Fuck, yeah.

Me: Put your phone away and play the damn game.

The Blizzards ended up winning the game, bolstered by a goal by Tom and a shutout by Alex. Tom mouthed for me to meet him at the hotel, and I found an Uber outside the rink. I arrived ahead of him and waited patiently for him to finish up his post-game conditioning and shower.

I jumped up from the bed, where I had been trying to distract myself with my Kindle, when I heard the beep signaling his arrival as he unlocked the door with his keycard.

He dropped his bag, letting the door shut behind him, and slammed into me, sweeping me off my feet.

I wrapped my legs around him, and his lips crushed mine in a bruising kiss.

“Fuck! I needed this,” he said, tearing his mouth from mine. “When do you have to be back?”

“I’ll fly out to bring Crew to Vancouver, but I’m staying with you until then.”

Tom buried his face in my neck and let out a huge sigh. “I can’t believe you came all the way here for me.”

It was then that I realized that everything he’d done the last year had been for his son. No one was watching out for him. He was no one’s priority. Even his personal assistant was more loyal to Kelsey and Sam, and I could say this as her best friend.

“I decided something on the flight here and while I waited for you,” I said, sucking his bottom lip into my mouth and capturing his mouth for another searing kiss.

“I’m quitting as your nanny.”

His eyes met mine, and a brief shock of fear struck him. “You can’t quit,” he sputtered.

“Oh, I’ll travel anywhere with that little boy. But I’ll be doing it as your girlfriend.”

“Is that right?” He asked, his voice gruff, eyes wide and watery.

“Yes. It wasn’t a long flight, but it was enough time for me to gain a bit of clarity.

You see, at some point, some NHL hockey player shared one of my TikTok videos, and it went viral.

I’m officially a creator. And while I’m not making a ton of money, I’ve had some interest in my original work.

That’s the long-winded way of me saying I don’t need your damn job.

“I also realized that while you employ me, we’re not going to be able to see this thing through properly.

So, while I’m quitting, I’m also throwing myself at your mercy with the hopes that you’d be willing to feed me and shelter me until I figure out how to carry my own weight. What do you think of that?”

Tom buried his face in my shoulders, his chest heaving from emotion. And when his eyes met mine, I knew everything I had decided was the right move.

“Fuck yes, Callie. Does this mean you’re staying with me? Am I understanding you correctly?”

“Yes, I’m here if you’ll have me.”

He captured my mouth hard and fast, pulling away and staring at me in disbelief as if he wasn’t sure I was real.

“My God, Callie, I can’t tell you how badly I needed you today. How’d you know?”

“Honestly? Mariana reached out. But her text was well-timed with the little guy exposing us to Sam and Kelsey.”

His face searched mine, “How did that all go down? Is that why you decided to quit?”

“It went far better than I expected. I left with what felt like their blessing and a stern warning not to hurt you,” I said.

“Huh. I guess I never realized that would matter to them.”

My hands squeezed his face, “Look at me, Tom. You matter to us. You matter to your son. You matter to Sam and Kelsey. And you matter to me. Stop acting like you’re the side character in everyone else’s story.”

“Shit, baby. Where were you a year ago?”

“I was playing a secondary character in someone else’s story myself. But now I’m here, and I’m ready. You want to do main character shit with me?”

And then he kissed me, our mouths frantic, as he backed me towards the bed. He set me on the bed and stood back up, pulling his shirt over his shoulders. I drank in his broad shoulders and tapered waist.

“For fucks sake, Tom. Did you develop another set of ab muscles in the last few weeks?”

He smirked, “Guess my summer layer is gone. That’s what happens in the season.”

I leaned forward, tracing the lines of his abdominal muscles with my tongue and unbuckling his belt to reveal the v, which was undoubtedly my second favorite part of his body.

“That’s one positive to the hockey season.”

When I slipped his jeans down, he pushed me back on the bed and took over, helping me rid myself of my clothes. The patience I had shown earlier while I dumped my plans was entirely gone; our hands were frantically covering every inch of each other’s body, greedy and filled with need.

Tom paused momentarily, his eyes connecting with mine as he sunk into me, filling and stretching me.

“Callie, baby. Shit, this feels so right,” he rushed out, his body still.

My head dropped back, and my hips arched into him, seeking friction. An involuntary groan emitted from deep inside me. And then he unleashed, taking me hard and fast, my body meeting his with every thrust. His eyes not leaving mine.

Did I know you could fuck hard and make love at the same time?

Nope. But fuck it if that wasn’t exactly what we were doing.

I vaguely registered the sound of the hotel headboard as it rhythmically hit the wall, our moans and cries sounding muted because our sense of touch was in control of us right now.

Both of us climbing and building towards our release together.

“Tom!” I shouted as I began to pulse around him, my orgasm ripping through me, drawing out his release.

And as he lay collapsed on top of me, the pounding and cheers from the other side of the wall started. He buried his face in my shoulder once more and started to laugh.

“They caught us again,” I said. But no, I had no shame about what I had just done with Tom.

“Well, that was payback for last night. Cooper and Jackson had Lexi in town last night. And those three can and do go all night.”

We lay there quietly for a bit before I spoke. I was still working through everything I had worked through on the plane ride here.

“I want to clarify something I said earlier. I said that I would travel anywhere with Crew. But I have a few limits. While Kelsey is pregnant, I will fly with him to see her and bring him back to you. But I won’t bring him away from you once she has the baby.

I can’t do that. I can’t take him from you. It just feels so fucking wrong.”

“You love him, don’t you?” He asked.

“Oh, without a doubt, Tom. But I fucking love you, too. And I can’t be the one responsible for causing you that pain. Not now, not ever.”

Tom looked at me, incredulous. “Did you just say you loved me?”

And in that moment, I hated that woman who left him when he learned he was a dad for making him feel that he wasn’t worth it, but I also thanked her. Because of her, he was right here waiting for me at a time when I was ready for him.

I nodded. “Yup, I do. That was also a realization I had on the flight here. I had planned to keep it to myself a little longer, though,” I shrugged unapologetically.

“Look at me, Calliope,” he demanded. And when our eyes met, I could see it; I didn’t need to hear it because I could see it reflecting back at me and how he held me.

“I love you too.”