Page 16

THEO

One week later…

INDIE: Choke me and tell me I’m pretty.

I ndie hadn’t stopped her relentless onslaught of sass and torture since we became ‘engaged’.

If anything, the little minx had ratcheted up her efforts.

That particular text had made my dick’s day this morning, and all it wanted was to be down her throat.

The day of the proposal, Trav ended coming home sick, so any promises made at BB&L took second place to watching over my son.

Indie clutched the book I gave her the entire ride home, and when we picked up Travis, he snuggled up against her and fell asleep in the SUV. She handed the book over to me with the promise that I would treat it as ‘the treasure it was’ and put it on her bedside while she carried him inside.

Entering Indie’s room without her felt like the combination of creeping around to find clues about the woman she had become and stalking. I had read enough stalker and dark romances to know how rummaging or even seeing a girl’s bedroom hit that tone.

Even if Indie had told me to, it still had that edge to it.

Of course, those guys were usually unhealthily obsessed.

Me? Only mildly so. Ok, fine. Maybe a little more than mildly.

Either way, as I set the book on her bedside, I noticed the drawer not being closed all the way.

And like any curious asshole, I opened it.

And found Indie’s favorite toys. Or what I assumed were.

And it all came rushing back. The sounds she made, how her pussy felt clenching around my dick as she came. Her eyes in the mirror.

Until she called from downstairs.

We spent the night, sitting on the couch, watching Travis’ favorite movie until he fell asleep again.

And went into our separate rooms after putting him to bed.

The next six days were hell, between everyone congratulating us on our engagement and the playoffs.

Not to mention Isaac finally getting to somewhere with a signal and telling me we had to ‘talk about what the fuck was going on with Indie’ when he was in town next week.

Yeah, really looking forward to that conversation.

Lie, and let him think it’s true, or tell him the truth and still have him want to kick my ass.

Every morning, Indie took Travis to school if I couldn’t, and with practice, that meant most days it was all on her. But she didn’t complain.

The texts, however, were getting more and more…bratty. Fuck if I didn’t want to take her over my knee again. Or maybe tie her up and fuck her until she couldn’t sass off and make my hard on so painful practice sucked.

We won the last three games in our first round series, and we were up three to two. Tonight’s game was away, and Indie was traveling to the game with Eden.

Two nights of not lurking outside her door, hoping to hear her get off with the toys I found in her drawer and I was strung fucking tighter than I’d ever been.

“If you don’t fuck Indie before the game, I’ll kick your ass,” Cole muttered as we finished up the morning skate. The rest of the guys made their way off the iced, but Cole and Noah lingered behind.

Noah put his arm around me as we neared the opening in the boards. “Ghost hockey daddy protocol demands that we make sure all of the pack are ready to go.”

Walker skated by us and growled under his breath. “Fucking goalies.” He turned and pointed a gloved hand at us. “Once again, we are not a wolf pack, LeCav.”

The goalie waved him off as the defensive lineman shook his head and stepped off the ice. “He’s just adapting after being on his own for so long. He’ll come around, Just been alone too long.”

“LeCav,” Walker called out the warning as he made his way down the tunnel.

“It’ll be okay, Wolfie,” Noah called back.

“You know he’s going to kick your ass one of these days, right?” Cole turned and skated backward and stopped at the opening and stepped through. “And I am not stopping him. His little sister might be your best friend and dating the coach, but I doubt that alone will save you.”

Walker might be the veteran player on the team, but his closed off behavior when we weren’t on the ice together or at practice had been slowly chipped away at by the goalie who decided we were not only the #GHOSTHOCKEYDADDIES but a pack since Walker’s nickname was Wolf.

“He’s melting. Plus, our chemistry is off the charts. You don’t fuck with that. Especially now. But seriously, you need to get laid.”

I snorted. “This from the guy who snuck his girl into the locker room and used taped last night to-”

“What can I say? I love tape. And Quinn. I’m a goner for her. And speaking of Quinn, she really loved that book Indie gave her. So did I, which is why I think if we all get la-”

“For fuck’s sake, focus, LeCav. You don’t have to juggle a kid. This might be the only chance-”

“Can we stop talking about…everything?”

Noah released me as I shrugged him off so we could fit down the tunnel together.

“What? I thought Hunter’s girl and yours were coming with Eden, too, which was why he took off so quick, and you’d be running off with him?

” His eyes widened as we entered the locker room and started peeling off our gear.

He stopped, wearing only his hockey pants and threw his hands through his hair.

“Don’t tell me there’s trouble in paradise?

I knew not having Travis come to the away game would fuck things up. ”

Cole rolled his eyes and headed toward the showers as Noah started pacing and muttering. He pointed at me as if to say, he’s all yours.

“Travis will be there tomorrow if we don’t clinch tonight. It’ll be fine.”

“Don’t say that! What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“LeCav. Be real.”

“IF?”

“Fine, when we clinch tonight, you can FaceTime with him, deal?”

Noah glared as the rest of the guys that were still getting changed either shared his freak out or laughed at him. “Deal. But little man comes to the next series. Every game. Or else.”

“Planned on it. The butterflies should all be hatched by then, so we’re good.”

Yep. My kiddo loved feeding the butterflies when they emerged or whatever they did from the chrysalis. That’s all Indie and I had heard about the past few days. I smiled, still fucking amazed at how far he had come since I found out he was mine.

An hour later, showered and ready to meet Indie and, in a strange twist, her brother, who hadn’t been to a hockey game since he tore his ACL and had to stop playing eight years ago, for dinner.

Indie texted me a picture of the Sharpies she brought with her.

It had become our ritual, that what I had thought was a silly stipulation, before each game.

But then I found her one morning, doodling in her notebook before I took off, and it all made sense.

Indie had always loved her journals. And though I would never tell her, I fucking loved how she warred with glaring at me, and the way her nose scrunched up as she drew on me.

The way she shivered when I did the same was my second favorite part of the ritual.

The Indian fusion place Indie found, because of course she would, was packed for dinner, but I spotted Indie and Isaac in a back corner facing the window.

She waved with a nervous smile on her face, which immediately caused worry to sneak into my being.

Then Isaac stood, and, yep, made sense. I hadn’t seen my best friend in over a year.

Between his job and Travis and hockey, we’d both been busy.

We emailed each other or texted at least once a week, but the last three months, he’d been in an area without service. Or so he said.

His hair was longer, and there were lines around his eyes. He seemed leaner, but at the same time, like he could still kick ass if he suited up and hit the ice.

And right now, he looked like he wanted to hit me.

I didn’t blame him.

Our conversation from the summer before Indie want off to college replayed in my head…

“Promise me you’ll look after her while I’m away.

” Isaac nursed his beer. When he called me and asked if I could meet him, I agreed right away.

Considering that I was living our dream that he had lost, Isaac usually stayed away from me during hockey season unless we were in the same town.

“This job…it’s going to take me away. A lot.

And Indie gets into trouble,” he laughed.

“That’s why I call her that,” I muttered. “But she does pretty well taking care of herself, man.

He nodded. “I know. But there’s no one I trust to make sure no one messes with her other than you. And I know you won’t cross any lines.”

He was right. Isaac and I had been through a lot and when his injury took him out, even though it fucked with his head, he had pushed me in ways he could of just walked away from, and never looked back. But he didn’t.

“Promise. I’ll watch over her.”

Which was why I had to walk away from her that night and break her heart.

As I neared, Isaac sized me up, but still stuck his hand out. I took it, and he pulled me in for a hug. “Might kick your ass later, but I promised Indie no dickhead moves before or after dinner. You have a game to play, and she said she wouldn’t be the reason you fuck up.”

I grinned, because leave it to Indie to make sure she got her dinner. But…”You’re not coming to the game, right?”

Isaac sighed as we all sat down. “I think it’s time I did. After all, my baby sister is engaged to my best friend. Plus, win win. You do good, I cheer. You get checked, I cheer.” He laughed as Indie elbowed him.

“How have you grown more insufferable?”

“It’s my thing. Now order. I’m sure #hockeydaddy is starving over there.”

I grimaced. “You heard?”

“I know all, my man. I know all.”

***

Indie’s hand grasped mine in hers, and she bit her lip as she drew the pink heart on me.

“What?”

“It’s stupid.” She refused to meet my gaze. She continued to carefully draw the heart, as if the world depended on it being perfect.

“Tell me.”

“I am not feeding that ego of yours anymore. Get any bigger and you’ll really be a pain.”

I shifted as she finished and handed me the other marker. The ring I gave her a few days ago sparkled in the lighting. A perfectly flawless heart shaped diamond on a platinum band. Indie had freaked out when I gave it to her, but I lied and said it was lab created and silver plated.

Spoiler alert. It wasn’t.

But I couldn’t give her anything but the best after the way she helped Travis come out of his shell. I took her hand in mine, and started to write on her, slowly, savoring the feel of her hand in mine.

She shifted, and cleared her throat. I stopped and looked up at her. “Indie.”

She huffed out a breath. “Fine. As dumb as it might be, if this whole thing got Isaac to come to a game with me, I’d do it all over again. Even as much as I hate you.”

I grinned. “You sure you still hate me?”

She opened her mouth, but then she noticed her hand.

I added a smaller version of the heart she drew on me. Eyes wide, she didn’t say a word for a few moments. Then she leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Absolutely. Now go win.”

I might be the guy she thought she hated, but there was nothing I wouldn’t give her. Even if she didn’t realize it yet.

So, I worked my ass off for that win.