Page 15

This woman gets me all twisted up. I probably freaked her the fuck out. Honestly, it’s better than what I could have said. I could have told her what I was really thinking. Feeling. Wanting.

Yeah, you’re my wife. But I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with you, and I have been since I first felt your lips on mine, and I can’t fucking wait to get you into my bed so I can show you properly how much I need you.

If she’s freaked by me telling her our impromptu marriage isn’t fake to me, she’ll probably hyperventilate if I tell her I’m in love with her. I’m just gonna lock those thoughts up in the Jax vault for now.

“Do we need to rent a car?” Becca asks quietly as we wait for our baggage.

“No, the team sent a car service,” I murmur, pulling my beanie further down onto my head. I sure am glad I didn’t wear my favorite cowboy hat on this trip, because I’d really stand out then. A couple of people have noticed me. I’d rather word not get out that I’m at the airport, instead of with the team, and the game has already started. Honestly, I’m surprised the douche from the plane didn’t comment on it, since he obviously knew I was a hockey player. I’m in a suit, knowing we’d most likely head straight from the airport to the arena, but I know I’m recognizable. Because of the circumstances, Becca is wearing a dress, and she explained that her family always expected it. I’m not complaining, as she looks absolutely captivating. My wife is a knockout.

I feel Becca’s hand tentatively sliding into mine. “Do you want to go outside? I can get the bags.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Jacob,” she says softly, waiting until she gets my eyes. “I know you’re uncomfortable. You helped me so much this week. Let me return the favor.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone,” I finally grit out, bending so I can rest my forehead against hers. “Someone might harass you. Your brother —”

“Is not here,” she interrupts. “Go find the car. I see my bag, and I’m sure yours is right behind it. I’ll be fine.”

I warily let go of her hand and trudge outside, immediately finding the car service Coach told me to look for. Honestly, he’s been incredibly accommodating this week. It probably also helps that I haven’t so much as missed a game, or practice, in his entire tenure as head coach, and he knows it won’t be repeated. I honor my obligations.

“See? I told you it would be fine. Look at me, I’m being a grown up,” Becca says, huffing as she drags our suitcases behind her. “What the hell is in this thing? It weighs a ton.”

“I’m an over-packer,” I tell her with a grin. I like shoes, and I know I travel with too many. I make a mental note to message the pet sitter who checks in on my girls while I’m on away trips, to see if she wants to make some extra cash. I’ve spread out in my walk-in closet, and I’ll need to make room for Becca. I’m sure she’s going to fight me on moving in, but this is one area where I will not make concessions. I don’t trust her brother … and I want to be close to her.

After throwing the bags in the trunk, I open the back door with a flourish. Gesturing to her to get in first, I say, “after you, my lady.”

Once settled, Becca turns to me. “Are we going to the game, or a hotel?”

“Game. I’d rather not piss off Coach.”

“Is it bad that you weren’t here earlier?”

“Yes and no. He knew we’d be late, and it’s unusual for me to be off schedule in any way. But I also don’t like to deviate from things, especially on a game day.”

“I’m nervous,” she admits.

“Why?”

She gives me a shy smile. “They’re your family.”

I love that she recognizes how important my hockey family is to me. Levi already told me he got a good first impression after our failed double date, and he’s rarely wrong about people. But Becca doesn’t know that yet. “They’re going to love you.”

“Are there any other wives or girlfriends there? Do any others travel with the team?”

“Sometimes. It’s more likely when they’re from that city. I don’t think anyone from the team is from Cleveland, though. Had I traveled from Indianapolis, I’d know more. I’m nosy when I’m bored,” I tell her.

Becca giggles lightly. “I don’t find that hard to believe at all.”

I do the old move of stretching my arms up, then sliding one around her shoulders. “Just wait until I start sending you tons of memes and videos.”

“Oh, you’re that guy?” she laughs.

“Only for my wife.”

I don’t miss the subtle shiver that dances down her spine. Yes, wife. I like calling you that as well.

Becca has an absolute death grip on my hand as we walk through the halls of the Cleveland arena. She’s been completely silent since we pulled into downtown, and I haven’t forced her to talk. I’m a pretty patient guy, and something tells me I need to let Becca work through things in her own time.

“Why are there pictures of basketball guys on the wall?” she whispers, making me chuckle quietly. “Are we in the right place?”

“They share the facility with the professional basketball team, just like we do in Denver,” I explain. When she doesn’t respond, I say, “I’m guessing you didn’t know that either.”

“It didn’t occur to me, but now I feel like a dummy, because I’ve been to both kinds of games, and I never realized they were at the same place,” she admits, her cheeks turning pink.

“You’re not a dummy. I think at least half the population assumes every sports team has their own space, but in reality, most hockey and basketball teams share the same arena.”

“I should know more about Denver, I guess,” she says somewhat sullenly.

“Why?” I ask as we’re led past the locker rooms. A dull roar begins to increase the closer we get to the ice, and even out of uniform, I can feel my blood begin to pump. If Coach let me dress, I’d get on the ice right now.

Becca shrugs. “I’m an introvert, and I don’t do the nightlife scene. My idea of a fun night is reading on the couch. I love my job, but I think I live in my own bubble while there. I should know more about what my co-workers report on, for crying out loud.”

“Well, I don’t think you should feel forced to learn about things you have no interest in just because you think it’s expected of you. If you don’t like sports, why would you know about the teams, or where they play?” A Wolves employee sees me, and I tip my chin to him. “Let me go talk to this guy and see where we need to go. Stay right here.”

“Wait, uh, Jacob?” Becca says, tugging me back to her as I begin to walk away. “Is my makeup okay?”

“Yeah, why?” I ask.

She looks embarrassed as she explains very quietly, “I don’t want people to see where my brother hit me.”

Fuck. No wonder she’s apprehensive about meeting the team. I reach up, cupping her cheek softly. “You look absolutely breathtaking, darlin’.”

Becca leans into my touch, her eyes softening almost imperceptibly. “Really?”

“Really.”

“You wouldn’t lie about that, right?”

I step closer to her, letting my hand slide down to bracket her neck. “I will never lie to you, Becca. I promise.”

“Okay,” she replies, giving me a cute smile. Satisfied, I walk away.

“Sup, Jax.” Tim, a physical therapist who often travels with the team, greets me. “Coach said you’d be getting here at some point.”

“Yeah, our flight was delayed.”

“That the new missus?” Tim gestures toward Becca.

“That’s her.”

“You’re all everyone talked about during warm ups. Team seems pretty stoked to be welcoming a new WAG.”

I roll my eyes. “I haven’t even explained the WAG mentality to her. Not too many are worthy of meeting.”

“I know. Dunner’s girlfriend had the audacity to ask me to get her a drink at the last event. She couldn’t grasp the concept of me being an employee and not hired help.” Gavin Dunn’s girlfriend, Avery, became social media famous a few years ago, and nabbing a hockey boyfriend made her think even more highly of herself. After one interaction with her, I knew immediately she wasn’t someone I wanted to be around. Fortunately, I think her boyfriend is a piece of trash too.

“She’s the first person I’ll be warning my wife to steer clear of,” I tell Tim. God, I fucking love calling Becca my wife. “I’m not sure where we should go. Does Coach want me on the bench? Back here? In the stands? What period are we in?”

“Just about to finish the first period,” Tim replies.

“Seriously? That’s a long-ass first period.”

“Way too many penalties, and a lengthy delay because of an injury to a defenseman for Cleveland.”

“Oh, shit,” I say. I never want to hear about injuries, no matter what team the player is on. Most injuries are simple things like bloody noses or minor cuts. We get stitched up, and we’re back on the ice. Rarely, there are injuries that involve a lot more care.

“Yeah. He got slammed into the boards pretty hard. Completely knocked out. Took a while to get him secured and off the ice. At the same time there was a fight, and all those penalties took time to sort out as well. Honestly, it was a mess.”

A buzzer sounds, alerting us to the end of the period. Knowing how my team exits the ice, I nod at Tim before going back to Becca’s side. My teammates are likely to bum-rush her in their haste to get back to the locker room, and I don’t want her to get frightened or hurt.

Levi is the first through the doorway, and he immediately throws both arms around us. “Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell!”

“Oh, wow, that smell,” Becca blurts out, making both Levi and me laugh. He pounds me lightly on the back as he continues toward the locker room. Each of my teammates walks past with a nod to me, and most acknowledge Becca as well. Gabe Dawson stops to introduce himself, telling Becca he can’t wait for her to meet his wife, Cassie. Becca will love Cassie, as well as their daughter, Mackenzie.

“Jaxy boy! Thanks for bringing me a present,” Grant says loudly, whipping off his gloves as he takes Becca’s hand in his. “Hello, beautiful.”

“Uh, hi?” Becca says, confusion laced in her tone. As Grant brings her hand to his lips, my immediate frown turns to an amused smile when Becca yanks her hand away from Grant. “I don’t think so.”

“What?” Grant asks innocently. “I figured you’d want to upgrade from Mitchell here.”

Becca burrows into my side. “No, thank you.”

Grant cocks his head to the side, glancing at me as I proudly slide my arm around Becca. “Huh. Found yourself a keeper, I think.”

“Nally, move it along!” Coach Davenport barks from behind him. Grant winks at me as he strides past us. “Jax. Fashionably late.”

“I do like to make an entrance,” I joke, making Coach crack a smile. “Coach Davenport, allow me to introduce you to my wife, Becca Stephens. Uh, Mitchell. Becca Mitchell? Becca Stephens-Mitchell. Shit. We haven’t discussed the name thing yet.”

Becca giggles as Coach extends a hand. “Hello, Becca. My wife is a huge fan.”

“Really?” Becca asks incredulously.

“She’s a quintessential nerd, as she puts it. She loves the long-term forecasts you put out every year. Tells me all about La Nina, the polar vortex, and all of that stuff. Every conversation we have includes weather in some form,” Coach says with a smile.

“Awe, I love that. Tell her I’d love to meet her. Would she like a tour of the studio, do you think?”

“She’d fucking love that. Her name is Elsie. I’ll tell her to email you.” Coach looks at me. “If I had known you’d be here with two full periods to play, I wouldn’t have left you off the official roster for tonight, Jax. The NHL is pretty damn specific about repercussions for giving what they refer to as false statements, so I can’t let you dress and play.”

“I didn’t expect to play. I’m happy to be here and support the team in any way I can.”

“Go watch from the box. I’m sure your wife will have questions about the game,” Coach says with a smirk. He shakes Becca’s hand again. “Welcome to the team, Becca. You’re part of the family now.”

As he strides away, Becca turns to me wide-eyed. “I think I blacked out. Did they all greet me?”

“Pretty much.” Well, except for Gavin Dunn. Fucking asshat.

“Except that one gremlin-looking guy,” Becca snorts, then gasps. “Oh my God, that was so mean. Is he your friend? Please tell me he’s not your friend.”

I throw back my head in raucous laughter. “He is absolutely not my friend. Also his girlfriend is heinous, so be advised when you meet her.”

She frowns, a look of distaste crossing her face. “Do I have to meet her? My poker face is pretty nonexistent. She’ll immediately know how I feel.”

“You’ll meet her at some point. It’s bound to happen. We have team events where the wives and girlfriends attend. She likes to size up the newbies, acting like she’s the queen bee of the group. She’ll probably make it her mission to seek you out and put you in your place.”

“I’m so out of my element,” Becca mutters. Grabbing her hand, I pull her to walk beside me as we head toward the elevators.

“I’ll introduce you to people I know you’ll like. The gremlin-looking guy, as you called him, is Gavin Dunn. His hockey nickname is Dunner, and his girlfriend is Avery. Once Avery realizes you aren’t going to cower, she’ll leave you alone.”

“But I am a cowerer. And I’m one hundred percent okay with cowering. You know what I don’t like? Confrontations. She can very much be the queen bee, and I’ll stay hiding in the corner where I’m very comfortable.”

Arriving at the elevator, I push the button, before looking down at Becca. She chews on her lower lip nervously, and I resist the urge to pull her lip from between her teeth with my mouth. Instead, I gently grab her chin between my thumb and forefinger, tilting her head up to look at me. “I am totally a fan of confrontations. You cool if I do the confronting? Then I’ll join you in your comfy corner.”

Becca gives me a relieved smile. “You’re gonna fight for me?”

“Darlin’, there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for you.”