Page 29

Marty

There’s a two-hour time difference between Los Angeles and Nashville, so I wait a couple of hours before I call. We’re still at the party, but I excuse myself and go out to my SUV. I try to call before bedtime most nights, so this isn’t out of the blue, but I don’t give Brenna a chance to put them on when she answers.

“What the fuck did you do?” I demand.

“I did what was necessary to protect my children,” she says calmly.

“Is that so?” I mentally count to ten, reminding myself she doesn’t respond well to raised voices or anger. She does understand revenge, though. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be doing this.

“Marty, I know she’s beautiful, and I’m sure she’s a great lay, but seriously—have you done the research on her? Seen her for who she really is? There’s a reason two men left her at the altar and the third tried to kill her. I don’t like to victim blame, but?—”

“But that’s exactly what you’re doing,” I interrupt. “And here’s the thing, Brenna. Two can play this game. You want me to get a restraining order on Phil? Because I can. Has he told you about the fight at that bar in Ottawa? Where he pulled a knife on a minor league player? I mean, it’s not that hard to find dirt on anyone leading a public life.”

She sucks in a sharp breath. “I’m trying to protect them!”

“You’re jealous,” I snap. “Because Stevie is younger, prettier, and more successful.”

“That’s mean,” she says in a tight voice.

“And you’re not? This is a classic case of you not wanting me but you don’t want anyone else to have me either. California may be a no-fault divorce state, but there is absolutely fault when it comes to the kids. And I will dig up every time you so much as raised your voice in church if you don’t drop this restraining order bullshit.”

“You can’t do that!” she grinds out angrily. “You can’t!”

“I can and I will. Go ahead and test me, Brenna. Now put the kids on so I can say good night.”

“I’m not letting you talk to them!” She disconnects with a huff but I just smile.

She knows I’m serious and she also knows Phil doesn’t have a lily-white reputation either. If I’m honest, there’s probably less to find on him than on Stevie, but Stevie was young when she did all the crazy things I saw in the press. All of Phil’s transgressions, such that they are, are much more recent.

I don’t know what’s going to happen but I’ll be damned if I let her attempt to drive a wedge between me and Stevie by getting some bullshit TRO.

That’s all this is.

Misplaced jealousy and possibly…regret?

Realizing she’s made a mistake?

The hockey rumor mill is pretty active, and I have friends across lots of organizations. Rumor has it that Philippe isn’t thrilled to have a girlfriend with kids, and that he’s been bitching about how much of Brenna’s time they take up. That’s probably the only reason she let me have them for so long in the off-season. Now that she has them back, she has to do something to…what?

That’s the part I can’t figure out.

Is she trying to get me back or at least feel things out? In her mind, she probably figures there’s no way I’m leaving my young, hot supermodel girlfriend for my soon-to-be ex-wife, so her first step would be to break us up.

What she doesn’t realize is that I don’t love her anymore.

I’ll always care about her as the mother of my children, but the love we once had died the day I saw the nude photos of her on Phil’s phone. She broke our relationship that day in a way that isn’t fixable. She can come between every single woman I meet, between now and when I die, and I still won’t love her again.

And my feelings for Stevie go way beyond the fact that she’s some hot, young supermodel. Yes, she’s breathtaking on the outside. I won’t even pretend that I don’t notice or that she’s probably way out of my league in the looks department. But on the inside? She’s sweet and caring, kind and vulnerable, a kindred spirit who needs me as much as I need her.

She makes me smile every day.

She surprises me too.

I didn’t know she can cook, didn’t know she loves baseball, and had no idea she plays piano—I found out the last thing today.

Every day we’re together our bond strengthens, and though I know she worries about not being able to have more children, I’m starting to realize there’s more to family than a bunch of kids. I always thought that having four or five of them meant I’d have it all.

Now I know having it all means having the right people, the right woman, at my side. The children I already have are perfect. There’s no reason for more, and I know Stevie will be the best stepmother ever. I see how good she is with Ally, who’s a pain in the ass on her best days. Yet Stevie is kind and patient and loving with her, but also firm or stern if she has to be.

That’s how she’ll be with my kids in a few years, as they become pre-teens and teens.

And I can picture it.

I know she’s the right woman for me.

For us.

I don’t need a babysitter—I can afford nannies from now until doomsday.

All I need is Stevie.

And I’ll be damned if I let Brenna fuck this up for me.

* * *

The meeting with my attorney is annoying as hell but I don’t waver in my determination to protect Stevie. The kids aren’t even with me right now, so this is bullshit and we both know it.

“On paper, she’s problematic, Marty.” My attorney, Luke Johansen, has represented several of my teammates and is supposed to be one of the best for pro athletes getting divorced.

“I don’t care what it looks like on paper, I’m telling you she’s a good woman. A thousand times better than Brenna.”

“That may be, but a judge is going to look at this—” He waves the stack of papers on his desk—the ones highlighting all of Stevie’s issues over the years. “—and he could rule in Brenna’s favor.”

“And I’m paying you a fuck ton of money to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“I specialize in divorce, not restraining orders for kids. This is actually my first time coming across this.”

“Are you telling me to find another lawyer?” I ask bluntly.

He blinks, as if surprised I’d even suggest it.

“You won’t find a better lawyer than me,” he says.

“Then act like it. Stevie just found out her sister was fucking her fiancé.” I point to the article on top. “She lost her temper but no one was hurt. She broke some glassware, made a nuisance of herself, and then left. She paid for all the damage to the club. The only person who was hurt that night was Stevie.”

He sighs. “I understand all that but?—”

“Apparently, you don’t.” I stand up and put both my hands down on the desk. “I love her. She’s the most important thing in the world to me other than my kids. And I’m not trading one for the other because Brenna is jealous that I’m dating a supermodel. Either make this go away or I will find someone who can.”

He stares and for a second I’m afraid we’re going to have a pissing contest.

But then he backs down.

Apparently, his hefty hourly fee is enough to get him back on board.

“All right. What do you want to do?”

“I’ll get Stevie to give you details, in writing, on every one of these incidents. And you will spend your time researching all of this.” I dump a folder on his desk. “That’s all my research—which, by the way, you should have done but I saved myself some money—on Philippe Lilleberg. Including the names and numbers of players in the league who are willing to go on the record about his off-ice temper.”

“I see.” He looks surprised as he thumbs through it. “I didn’t know about this stuff.”

“I’m not fucking around here, Luke.”

“I see that.” He pauses, his voice suddenly softer, his gaze friendlier. “You love her? Plan to marry her? Make her a stepmom to your kids? It’s a big step, Marty.”

“Absolutely.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Don’t ask me again.”

He’s back to all business. “Right. So, let me work on this, and we’ll get before a judge in a couple of days. My understanding is that Brenna is flying in with her attorney.”

“I don’t give a fuck. Make this go away.”

He nods. “I’ll do my best.”

“I’ve already put in a call to Madeline Aronson,” I say, dropping her name because I know the impact it will have. She’s not a divorce lawyer, but she’s the number one celebrity lawyer in the country. If you’re in the public eye and have a legal problem, she’s who you call. She also has a years-long waiting list.

He has no way of knowing I couldn’t actually reach her.

I did leave a message, though, so that part is true.

And if I have to, I will call in every favor ever owed to me to get her to take my case. No matter how much it costs.

Harper told us when she took over the team at the beginning of last season that we could go to her with anything—personal or professional. She’s a billionaire with ties to all kinds of people. And not only is she my boss, her husband is one of my closest friends. That’s the only reason I haven’t reached out to her yet. I don’t want to muddy our friendship with stuff like this, but I will.

It’s a last resort but it’s the wild card I’ve kept close to the vest.

I don’t want to play dirty because of my kids, but I absolutely will to protect them—and Stevie.