Page 74 of If You Claim Me

“Well, I’m happy for you, man. It looks like Toronto has been a good move.”

“Yeah, it’s working out.” Better than I could have imagined, at least for now.

Quinn steps in to give Kodiak a brotherly hug, followed by my teammates. The ass kicking we took tonight has stayed on the ice, where it belongs.

Some of my former NY teammates come over to congratulate me. I wonder if this is how Flip feels all the time. Accepted. Included.

Dallas hands me a shot, and then another and another. I down them, but make a trip to the bar to grab a water. Tristan is leaning against the rail, his phone in his hand. He finishes his message and slides the device into his pocket.

“Everything good?” I ask.

“Yeah, just checking on the wife. She’s in cooking mode with Essie.”

I nod. “Mildred’s bachelorette party is tomorrow.” It’s in her calendar, marked with celebration emojis. All the events in her calendar have an emoji beside them.

He rolls his empty beer bottle between his hands. “Those ladies always show up for each other when it matters—kind of like this team will, if you let them.”

“Flip organized this for Mildred, not me,” I argue.

“I mean, yes and no. Dred is special.”

“I know.” I thought it would be easy enough to bring her into my world, get her to spend time with Meems and make my grandmother happy. I meant to give her space and just be on the periphery. But I haven’t, and I don’t want to. It’s selfish, but I can’t seem to stop myself. “She means a lot to a lot of people.”

The bartender hands him a beer.

I ask for a water, and a scotch on the rocks.

“She does, and she brings the good out in people.” He glances over his shoulder. “Flip, uh, he made some choices that weren’t great for him for a while.”

Everyone’s heard the rumors about Flip Madden. But since I’ve been on the team, the guy has pretty much taken on monk status. Before that, he was constantly on the hockey sites. Notthat it’s anyone’s business what he gets up to behind closed doors, but he didn’t try to hide it, and the media ate it up.

“It’s easy to get accustomed to being used in this career. We can be leveraged by our own coaches for better trades, the media likes to shine a spotlight on us to get more clicks, and fans want a piece.” Tristan shakes his head. “It can be a vicious cycle, and for a while, Flip fed the beast. But then Dred came into his life and taught him what it means to be a friend who doesn’t want to fuck him—literally or figuratively. She became his nonjudgmental sounding board. He’s a loyal guy, and he’s especially loyal to her. So he’ll support her exactly the same way she’s supported him these past few years, no questions asked. Flip made some big mistakes when Bea and I started dating. He doesn’t want to repeat them with Dred.”

“They love each other.” I wish I could say that without sounding jealous.

“They do. In a completely platonic way. They’re like siblings.”

“Is that hard for Rix?” My sisters are close to each other, but they’re not particularly close with me. Rix and Flip are tight, though.

“She has the same kind of friendship with Essie, so she gets it. But there’s no chemistry between Dred and Flip.” He side-eyes me. “Unlike the two of you.”

I glance at him. “She’s smart and kind and perceptive and beautiful.” And a million other things that make her alluring. Every time I look at Mildred, I want to feel the softness of her lips against mine.

“All good reasons to marry her,” he says pointedly, then takes a long swig of his beer. “A big part of Flip helping Bowman put this together is to show Dred he’s on your side.” He rubs his bottom lip. “You and I know how hard family can be, but Dred, she made her own. And if you want, it can be yours, too.”

Everything I’m being given—feeling like I’m part of something—will disappear when this thing with Mildred ends.Getting in tight with her people will only make it harder for her in the end. But I don’t say any of that. I just nod. “Thanks, man. It means a lot.”

“Finish your water, Grace. It’s time for more shots!” Flip slides between us and slings an arm around our shoulders.

“Aren’t you always telling the girls shots are a bad idea?”

“Yup, but bachelor parties are the exception.”

We take our shots, and I order another water—because exception or not, I don’t want to yak on the flight tomorrow.

The party rolls on, and I manage to eat some food along the way to help soak up the alcohol. It’s closing in on one in the morning when Kodiak’s wife, Lavender, shows up with another blonde. Kodiak rushes his wife, folding his huge arms around her and picking her up. He shoves his face into her neck like an excited puppy.

Quinn’s eyes light up as he and the blonde move toward each other. He scoops her into a hug, and his eyes fall closed as he turns his head into her hair. Whoever she is, there’s history between them.