Page 14

Chapter fourteen

Abby

I can’t stop thinking about Beck.

Ever since the VIP event, my mind keeps drifting back—not to my usual fears or reasons to keep my guard up—but to how it felt being around him.

It’s… easy.

Beck fits into our world effortlessly, like he’d always been there. Jake is happy, laughing more than I’d seen in months. And Beck? He isn’t just patient and kind with Jake—he is all in. Every smile, every encouraging word, every playful nudge is genuine.

And for once… I’m not scared.

I’m not analyzing every interaction or trying to convince myself that it is safer to keep him at a distance. Instead, I’m doing something I haven’t done in a long time.

I’m yearning.

Yearning for more nights where Jake’s laughter echoes through the house. Yearning for Beck’s easy smile over dinner. Yearning for the way he looks at me—like I am someone worth taking a chance on.

And that’s what terrifies me now.

Because I don’t just want Beck.

I’m starting to need him.

***

The next morning, I wake up with a decision I can’t ignore.

I’m done waiting.

For three years, I’ve hidden behind my grief and fear. I’ve kept my heart locked up so tight that no one could get close—not even someone as good as Beck. But after everything he’s done… everything he’s shown me…

Maybe it’s time I stop protecting my heart and start listening to it.

So, instead of overthinking it, I grab my keys and tell Jake we’re taking a detour before school.

Beck is on the ice when we get to the rink, running through drills with the team. Jake’s eyes light up when he sees him, but this time…

This time, it’s not just about Jake.

I lean against the boards, my heart pounding as I watch Beck glide across the ice. He moves with such effortless grace, his body perfectly in tune with the rhythm of the game. But it’s not just his skill that catches my breath.

It’s the way his eyes find Jake immediately, lighting up with warmth.

And then… they find me.

For a moment, Beck’s movements falter, his focus slipping as our eyes lock.

And that’s when I know.

I’m done hiding.

We watch as the practice winds down.

“Mom, can I go see Griffin?” Jake asks the second Beck skates off the ice. That was sure a perfectly timed surprise.

“Sure, sweetheart.” I agree and watch him race toward the locker room.

Beck skates toward me, his hair damp, his smile tentative. “Didn’t expect to see you two here this morning.”

“Surprise,” I murmur, my lips tugging up at the corners.

His smile grows, but there’s a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. “Everything okay?”

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding louder than it should. “Actually… I was wondering if you’d like to come to dinner tonight.”

Beck blinks, his expression shifting from surprise to something softer… hopeful.

“Dinner?” His voice is careful, but I see the way his eyes search mine.

“Yeah.” I glance down, suddenly shy. “Just us. Jake’s at a sleepover tonight. And Spotty’s staying with Quinn.”

Beck’s grin spreads slowly, his eyes twinkling with something that makes my pulse quicken. “No interruptions?”

“None.”

For the first time, I see something shift in Beck’s expression—like he’s been waiting for this moment.

“Abby.” His voice is low, his gaze never leaves mine. “I’d love that.”

***

The evening feels different from the start.

Beck shows up at my door, casual but still ridiculously handsome in a dark sweater and jeans that fit just right. His broad shoulders and the slightly long blonde hair are enough to make me swoon, no matter how many times I’ve seen him. His smile is easy, but there’s a quiet intensity in his eyes that makes my breath catch.

“Come on in,” I say softly, stepping aside.

The house feels… different … without Jake and Spotty here. Quieter. More intimate.

I lead Beck into the kitchen, where I’ve set the table with candles that flicker softly, casting a warm glow.

“You didn’t have to go all out,” Beck murmurs, his voice close behind me.

“I wanted to.” I glance up at him, and for a moment, everything else fades.

"His eyes find mine, and the world seems to fade as something unspoken lingers between us."

“Abby?” His voice is barely a whisper.

“Sit,” I say softly, breaking the moment before I lose all control. “Before the food gets cold.”

Dinner is warm and comfortable—too comfortable.

We talk about Jake, about hockey, about life. But as the night stretches on, the conversation shifts…

Beck grows quiet, his gaze distant. And I can feel it—the weight of something unsaid.

“Beck,” I say gently, reaching across the table to cover his hand with mine. “What is it?”

He hesitates, his jaw tightening for a brief moment before he exhales slowly.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

My heart skips. Oh no, another life, a WIFE?

But I just say: “Okay.”

He looks down, his thumb brushing absently over the back of my hand.

“I haven’t been completely honest with you.” His voice is low, almost hesitant. It’s a tone I’ve never heard from Beck before.

I feel my chest tightening. Oh no, a wife somewhere? Another family? “About what?”

“My… situation.” He lifts his eyes to meet mine, and for the first time, I see vulnerability there. “Abby… I’m not just a hockey player.”

“I know,” I whisper, my throat dry, “you’re so much more.”

He swallows; his jaw clenched tight. “No, I don’t think you understand. I’m also… I own a lot of businesses. Investments. Real estate. I’ve built a lot outside of hockey.”

My heart pounds as realization dawns. It’s not about a wife or a family or anything that would keep us from having a relationship. I’m shocked, but so relieved.

“I’ve got a lot of money, Abby. I’m a billionaire.” His words hang between us, heavy and filled with uncertainty. “And I didn’t tell you because… I was afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“Afraid that you wouldn’t want to be part of that world. That it would scare you away. Or worse…” His voice softens. “That you’d think I was keeping it from you because I didn’t trust you.”

I blink, and my throat tightens. “Beck, I begin …”

“I just…” He shakes his head while interrupting me, his eyes pleading. “I didn’t want that to come between us.”

For a moment, I don’t speak. I just feel.

I feel the weight of his words. His fear. His honesty.

And in that moment… my heart softens.

“I don’t care about any money you have, Beck.” My voice is barely above a whisper. “I care about you.”

His shoulders sag with relief, and for the first time all night, I see the tension leave his body.

“Abby…”

Our conversation continues and we both share more. I feel I know the real Beckett Hayes, more than ever. Then he tells me more.

“I didn’t grow up with money,” Beck starts, his voice soft but steady. “My parents worked hard to give me and my brother a good life, but we weren’t wealthy. My dad worked nights at the post office, and my mom ran a small catering business out of our house. She also cleaned houses – at least four or five each week. Everything I’ve built… it didn’t come from family money.”

My initial contract as a professional hockey player gave me my first real financial cushion. “I got a pretty big sign-on bonus, so instead of a fancy car or house I began to plan for when my knees or shoulders would begin to give out.

I knew hockey wouldn’t last forever,” he says, his gaze locked on Abby’s. “So, I started investing. First in real estate—small properties that I flipped or rented out. Then, I expanded into commercial real estate and started branching out into tech startups.”

“My investments took off, and with the right partnerships, I quickly turned my earnings into something far bigger than I ever imagined. I own several companies now,” he admits, almost reluctantly. “Tech firms. Real estate developments. Even a couple of international ventures.”

I have a private investment firm, Hayes Capital, which manages portfolios for athletes and other high-profile clients, helping them grow their wealth responsibly.

“But I didn’t want all this success to just be about money,” he says softly. “So, I put a lot of it back into causes I care about—youth hockey programs, education, and shelters that support underprivileged kids.”

Beck’s voice grows quieter as he confesses his biggest fear.

“I didn’t tell you all this before because… I was afraid. Afraid that once you knew, it would change how you saw me.”

“Abby, this is who I am, really. And now… I just need to know if you’re okay with stepping into that world.”

It takes me a minute or so to take this all in. I think Beck is about to jump out of his seat before I finally find my voice.

“Ok, I have a few things, Mr. Hayes.” And I see him gulp. Good! Deep breath, Abs.

“First, why do you think I would tag you as money and not Beckett Hayes, the man?”

“Second, I’ve never had much money either, but what makes you think I wouldn’t enjoy an occasional shopping spree? … maybe at a car dealer?” That one is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but I don’t think he gets it as a joke yet. He’s still too afraid.

“Third, you do wonderful things with your money, I can already see that. I’m not blind, Beck. I know that you were and probably still are, the biggest donor to the kids’ day event and more.”

“And finally, brother? You have a brother? I think we need to keep that conversation for another day.”

I end with a megawatt smile, and he pulls me tight. The pooling tears in his eyes are overflowing to his cheeks. I finally have met the Actual and True Beckett Hayes.

***

After dinner, I clear the plates, but Beck’s not far behind me.

“You don’t have to do that,” I murmur as I rinse the dishes.

“Abby…” His voice is softer now, closer.

I feel him before I turn—his warmth, his nearness. And when I finally face him, the intensity in his gaze steals my breath.

“Yes …”

“Tell me to stop,” he whispers, his lips so close I can feel the heat radiating off him.

But I don’t.

Because I don’t want him to stop.

Instead, I tilt my head, and his lips brush mine—soft, tentative, but filled with something that makes my knees weak.

And then…

The dam breaks.

Beck’s hands slide into my hair, tilting my head as he deepens the kiss, his mouth claiming mine with a heat that sends a shiver down my spine.

I press closer, my fingers tangling in his sweater as his arms tighten around me, pulling me flush against him.

The kiss is slow, deep, and filled with pent-up longing. His hands skim down my back, igniting a heat that spreads through me like wildfire.

I don’t want this to stop.

Not tonight.

But just when the kiss edges toward something more—when my body starts begging for more—I pull back.

Not because I’m scared.

But because…

I want to savor this.

As I rest my forehead against his, our breaths mingling, I feel the shift inside me.

I’m not running this time.

I’m not hiding.

“I’m ready, Beck,” I whisper, my heart pounding as I finally let the truth settle in. “I’m ready to find out where this can take us, if we are truly meant to be together, to be a family.”

And this time…

I mean it.