Page 90 of Don't Puck Up

“Well, now you know he’d be up for it, Keeley,” Cara teased. “You know what they say about getting back on the horse.”

“Never going to happen. I have Hannah now.”

“Having a kid doesn’t mean you have to swear off sex,” Carina pointed out. “We still have plenty.”

“Muuum,” Cara groaned playfully. “You’re supposed to warn me about that. Innocent ears, remember. I don’t want to hear about you and your guys’ sexy times.”

“So innocent.” Carina rolled her eyes and grinned. “I’ll just ask your men how innocent you are, shall I?”

Cara’s cheeks turned scarlet, and Monroe chuckled. “C’mere, sweet girl. I’ve got you.” Cara danced around the group and sat between Monroe’s legs.

Her gentle silver fox wrapped her in his arms and nuzzled her nape before pressing a line of kisses up her throat to her ear. She hummed, and I heard him whisper teasingly, “Not so innocent.”

***

Dinner was finished, and the night had officially moved on to drinks and s’mores around the firepits. I was leaning against the glass railing on the deck, my back to the spectacular view behind me. San Diego’s lights stretched out below us, curving around the bay, and beyond that, the dark waters of the Pacific. Instead, I was looking at our family—the ones we’d found and who’d proven to be there for us through thick and thin even though we’d never asked it of them.

Toasts for Hewitt rang out. This was his second retirement party. We’d already had a get-together for him after the team returned from their final game last season. The Seals had won against the Maple Leafs but missed out on going through to the playoffs. That game had been a goodsend-off for Hewitt—he’d managed a goal, an assist, and some stellar passes. It was one of the best performances he’d had all last season. He’d struggled for most of it, exhaustion and niggling injuries playing havoc with his confidence. He’d made the decision to retire right around the time Chris had come out but held off announcing it publicly until after that last game. Keeley had notified all of us partners, and we’d scrambled to organize a celebration for him. That one had been at Skyline. This one was a whole lot more personal even though the guest list was twice as large.

Things were changing. Everything was different. But it was all for the better.

Two years ago, my life had been upended. I thought my marriage was over. We’d lost Hux. I’d never felt more alone.

Now I had everything I could ever have dreamed of and more.

Locke was incredible. He loved hard and so fiercely that we were never in any doubt about the depth of his feelings for us. It was in everything he did, the little things as much as the big ones.

I hadn’t ever seen Chris smile as much as he did now. He’d lost his parents and brothers. He thought he’d lost his nieces and nephews, too, but the older ones had reached out to him, keeping the lines of contact open. James’s son, Junior, had his baby sister sit in on every call, and William, Martin, and Josh set up weekly video chats with the other cousins. Chris was determined not to lose them too.

As awful as his coming out had been, Chris firmly believed he was better off because of what happened. He was free now.

His father and brothers pleaded guilty and got a slap on the wrist. It kept their case largely out of the media, and as much as I wanted to use the way the media clung to our every move to bury them, Chris had refused. He just wanted to move on.

I cut off all contact with my mother too. The fallout from that weekend was catastrophic. Mom and Dad split. She sided with Chris's family and couldn’t understand why Dad disagreed. Her vitriol made it impossible for Dad to stay. My sister got angry and blamed me, never really forgiving me for what went down. She and Dad don’t talk much anymore either.

But we’d all decided to focus on the good things that had come out of it. Dad would be arriving in San Diego as soon as the house closed. He was looking forward to enjoying the milder falls and winters in his retirement.

We all paid a heavy price, but we had to believe it was worth it.

Locke was worth it. Our happiness was too.

My changes had been more subtle. I’d regained my trust in Chris, the stress of that mistrust floating away on the wind. He’d more than redeemed every one of his faults in my eyes, and our marriage and relationship with Locke was stronger than ever. I felt like myself again, but… more. I was settled and content now, the wake up in the morning, stretch, and smile kind of happiness that had me floating throughout each day. I was busy doing what I loved, and during my time off, I spent every moment with people I loved.

I watched as Locke walked over to me with a bottle of water. I took it gratefully from him and murmured, “Thank you, V.” He flashed me that shy smile I loved so much and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I snuggled into him, enjoying the feel of him in my arms.

The three of us had been inseparable for the whole summer. Those few months in Vancouver were glorious. We spent every spare moment together, including walking those same nine miles through Stanley Park, remaking those memories as ours. We’d visited every tourist attraction within a day’s drive, and when Locke had a few days off, we’d chartered a flight to Juneau and hopped on a private yacht to see Alaska’s Glacier Bay and the humpback whales. It was magical.

Carina looked in my direction and smiled. She, Jacques, Travis, and Rusty were the worst-kept secret on the team. They’d never officially come out, and from the limited conversations I’d had with her, never would. But they’d made it obvious to us the day Charlie was born. Having two “roommates” in the delivery room and giving them a say on your daughter’s name wasn’t exactly the norm. But more than that, they acted like a unit, solid, unrufflable, and filled with a deep love and respect for one another.

In the twelve months I’d known Carina, she’d become the sister I’d lost. Cara and I had worked on our relationship too. Hux and Chris acted like brothers, best friends who had a deep affection for each other. Monroe had kept his word as well, being there for Chris when he’d needed family. Their bond really was beautiful to witness. Monroe was a father at heart, and taking Chris under his wing had been the best thing that could have happened to both of them. They became great friends, and Chris had blossomed under Monroe’s praise and open acceptance. The team really was our family.

Chris had grown so much. He faced every day with a confidence he’d never had before. I hadn’t realized how much he’d been suffering, watering down everything about himself so he could hide. Now, he didn’t hesitate, going with the groove and reveling in his newfound freedom.

Of course, freedom was relative. The media storm after Chris's coming out and our relationship announcement with Locke was crazy. Our neighbors had complained so much, we’d been forced to move into a gated community with security that was a far cry from our suburban street’s neighborhood watch. The cameras in our faces were alot, but our trip to Vancouver had pressed Pause on a lot of it. The focus shifted from us to Locke’s movie.

Now we just had to find a place that was perfect for the three of us.

All the issues, all the challenges we’d faced, were just that. They didn’t matter in the long run. They were just hurdles we needed to jump over, and we had and would. There was no way I was giving my men up; I was happier than I ever thought I could be.