Page 15

THIRTEEN

DANIEL

Is it weird that I wanted it to be positive? That I felt this ridiculous pressure in the center of my chest as I leaned forward, knowing with complete certainty that I was ready for this?

Yes. That’s probably delusional. And there’s no way in hell I’ll mention a word of it to Hannah. It’s clear from her expression that she does not feel that way.

Not at all.

“We’re what?” She pulls herself from her stupor and jumps up, reaching for the test. “Are you sure you read it right?”

The word pregnant in the little window is a pretty good indication that I did, in fact, read it right, but I won’t be a dick about it. She’s freaking out, and she has every right to. I give her a few seconds to digest the knowledge as she gapes at the most life-changing string of letters in the English language.

“Holy shit,” she whispers.

I cough out a laugh. “Yeah, looks like there’s more than one hockey daddy on the team now.”

Eyes flashing, she snaps her head up, her jaw still hanging open.

Okay, maybe that joke didn’t land. But I can’t help it. Might as well ride it out. Uncomfortable, I grin. “Can I call you mommy?”

“ Daniel .” The word is chock full of exasperation.

Yeah, I get it. Clearly, I should shut up.

With a step closer, I grasp her hip, and when she sucks in a breath in response, I waggle my brows, all tease. “I’ve heard pregnancy sex is fantastic.”

The air escapes her in a whoosh.

Oops. Shoot me now. Please. Put me out of my misery. Why I am I like this? Why, when I get uncomfortable, does my mouth take over and say stupid shit? Shit that makes Hannah look at me like I’m nuts.

“I’m sorry.” I dip my head so we’re eye to eye. “I’m just trying to make you smile.”

She bites her lip, attention drifting down and to one side. “Because you’re freaking out, right?”

I shake my head. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s focus on you. This is happening to you . So what can I do to make this better? Besides woo you with my awesome jokes.”

“Maybe tell less of them,” she says, her voice quiet and a little too serious for my liking. Slowly, she pulls away from me and paces to the other side of her room.

“So we’re having a baby,” she says as she strides back my way. Though if I had to guess, she’s not talking to me. It’s more like she’s talking about me. “You’re a hockey player, and I run PR for a baseball team. Neither of us has a job that allows us a whole lot of free time?—”

“ Hannah .”

“I’ve got five dads—” she turns around and looks at me, finally . “Did you know that?”

“Did I know that you have five dads? Um, no, I wasn’t aware.” Who the fuck has five dads? And how is that possible? Those words swirl in my head very, very quietly, just in case she can read minds. I have no intention of making this worse for her.

Her gaze roves the room, never settling. “One mom who didn’t want to be one and five dads. I’m close with four of them.” Her eyes finally flit to mine. “You’re close with your dad, right?”

I dip my chin. “Yeah. He’s my best friend.”

Shoulders lowering a fraction, she nods a little manically. “Good. That’s good.” Then she shakes her head, her lips turning down. “Actually, Millie always talks about how fucked up your family is.”

I grip my neck, my stomach twisting. “More like inappropriate. Dad is married to my brother’s ex. Millie is married to our dad’s best friend. That’s the extent of it, really.”

She nods. “Now her twin has knocked up an older woman he barely knows.”

My heart sinks. So that’s what this is about. I walk across the room, and when she turns to pace in my direction, I’m there to catch her by the arms. “We don’t have to figure it all out tonight.”

She bites her lip, but focuses on something over my shoulder. “Right. It’s just kind of what I do. I solve the crisis.”

Gently, I grasp her chin and tip it up until she’s forced to meet my eye. “This isn’t a crisis.”

Her lip wobbles, and a vulnerable side of Hannah I never knew existed peeks out. The woman who normally taunts and laughs loudly has the softest center. I knew it. It’s endearing as fuck. “You can’t really mean that.”

Unable to stop myself, I swipe my thumb across her bottom lip. “My dad always says things look better in the morning.”

“That’s because he wakes up next to a sexy woman half his age.” Finally, she laughs.

I can’t help but join in, but the moment I do, the sound coming from her turns into a groan.

Forehead pressed against my chest, she sighs. “I’m sorry I’m being crazy right now.”

I wrap my arms around her and squeeze. “Not crazy. Overwhelmed. Completely reasonable. Why don’t I turn the shower on? You’ll feel better after, and then you can get some rest.”

Hannah tips her head up and eyes me. “Yeah, you probably want to get out of here.”

My chest constricts at the idea. “Can I stay?”

She frowns. “You don’t have to?—”

“Please, Han. I want to. I know today has been stressful, and I can guarantee I won’t say anything right, but maybe if I sit quietly, I could at least be here. We could…I don’t know, deal with this together.”

I hold my breath. Please say yes . She may not need me, but fuck, do I need her. I have to get on a plane tomorrow for our next game. The idea of leaving this room, let alone the state, has me digging in my heels and wishing the season was over. And I never feel that way.

Blue eyes search mine like she can’t quite figure me out. But I luck out. She must see the truth there somewhere, that I want to be here, because she finally relents. “Yeah, I guess that would be nice.”

“Coffee. I want coffee, and I can’t even have it,” Hannah whimpers as I press kisses to her collarbone. I woke up cold, so I rolled so I’m half on top of her for warmth. Apparently my girl’s a cover hog. Figures.

She hasn’t even opened her eyes, but already she’s complaining.

“Want me to get you decaf?”

Dark lashes flutter, and I finally get a glimpse of her crystalline irises. “Are you offering to pick up breakfast?”

Propped on one elbow, I grin down at her. “Will that make you smile?”

She purses her lips like she’s trying to hold one back right now. “It’s a start.”

My cock is rock hard between us, but I keep my hips away from hers, hoping she doesn’t feel it. I’m not sure what we’re doing here, and I don’t want her to think I stayed over with the intention of having sex. Not that I’d turn down a little morning action. Especially with my dream girl.

“What else would make you smile?”

She drags her fingers down the center of my chest, sending sparks of desire through me. Abs tensing, I let out a slow moan. Maybe we are going in this direction. Okay, I can get on board.

With a smile playing on her lips, she pushes me off her. “A blueberry muffin and a fruit cup.”

I groan at the loss of her warmth and any hope of getting laid. “You’re evil.”

She laughs, pulling the sheet up to her chin. “Go. Quickly. I’m hungry.”

Once I’ve pulled my pants on, I head for her bathroom. Unfortunately, I’ll be wearing my game day suit while I run out for breakfast. If photos of me out buying pregnancy tests last night aren’t already circulating, this will give them something to talk about. When I come out of her bathroom, buttoning up my shirt, she’s still lying in bed. “Take another test while I’m gone. I heard you get the most accurate results in the morning.”

She rolls her eyes, the action one I’ve seen at least a thousand times since I’ve known her. “You know too much.”

As if it’s routine, I hover over her and press a kiss to her mouth. No second-guessing, no hesitation. Her lips are soft against mine, and fuck, I forgot how good she tasted. She moans as I lick at her lips, cradling her head, needing more. With a knee on one side of her, I adjust my weight, ready to straddle her and make this morning even more perfect.

Before I get any farther, she pushes back, face flushed and lit up with sleepy joy. “Breakfast, Baby Hall.”

I dart in and bite her lip, then soothe it with another kiss. “Fine. But take the test. And do the one that estimates how far along you are.”

She laughs. “We only slept together that one time. I can do the math.”

“Do you have a smart-ass comeback for everything?” I call as I open her bedroom door. Her raspy, happy laugh follows me out, lighting me up from the inside as I head for the front door.

I’ve just disengaged the dead bolt when a male voice behind me has my heart thundering. “Hey, Han. Now that your boy toy is gone, are you hungry?”

I spin, chest tight, and find Noah walking toward Hannah’s bedroom in nothing but a towel.

“The fuck?”

Noah freezes, his back straightening, and tilts his head. “Hall?”

“Harrison.”

With a laugh, he rubs a hand down his face. “I’m going to go put on clothes. When I get back, I’m guessing you’ll be gone.” He nods and spins on his heel. “See you on the plane.” With that, he’s gone, disappearing into the second bedroom.

Hands clenched into fists, I stomp right back into Hannah’s room.

“Please tell me you don’t live with fucking Noah Harrison,” I grit out as I throw the door open with a little too much force.

Her room is empty and the bathroom door is closed.

“Hannah.” I say her name again, because apparently, I’ve lost all control.

She steps out of the darkened room in nothing but a purple silk robe and frowns. “That was quick.”

“Are you dating Noah Harrison?” I grit out.

Her face pinches. “Ew, no.”

My chest squeezes tighter. Shit. Is this what a heart attack feels like? “What do you mean ‘ew, no’?”

“I mean, ew, no. He’s like my brother.”

I clutch at the front of my shirt, my pulse haywire. “You fucked your brother?”

She stomps across the room and plants her hands on her hips. “ No . He’s my stepbrother. We’re not blood related. And I never fucked him.”

My stomach churns. “Oh my god, that’s so much worse.”

“How is that worse?” She tilts forward, eyes narrowed in a look that should have me cupping my balls and backing away.

Instead, I glare right back. “Now I’m a brother fucker.”

Her brows knit together, her arms falling to her sides. “You fucked my brother?”

“No.” I pull at my hair. “I fucked your brother’s sister.”

“You fucked—” She tilts her head, lips pursed. “Wait, Noah doesn’t have a sister.”

“No.” I cough out a strangled sound. “I fucked you. I’m a brother fucker.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t think you’re saying this right.”

I pace to the window. “Brother fucker. Brother fucker. Brother fucker.” When I spin back in her direction, I lace my hands on top of my head. “He’s going to kill me.”

She shrugs. “Eh. He knows I’ve had sex. And we all know you have sex with everyone. It won’t really be a surprise.” She smiles. “And it wasn’t even good sex.”

My heart lurches. “Let’s not lead with that.”

With a roll of her eyes, she shuffles back toward the bathroom. “Let’s not lead with any of it. None of it matters. I certainly don’t intend to tell anyone I had bad sex.”

“Last night wasn’t bad sex,” I call after her.

She comes back into view holding another pregnancy test, and all my anger dissolves. “Well, the bad sex is what made us three-plus weeks pregnant,” she says, her smile wry as she tilts the stick in my direction.

On autopilot, I stalk across the room and snatch it from her hand. Like last night, it’s positive. She listened to me and took the one that estimates how far along she is. Three-plus weeks. Fuck. We’re pregnant. This is real. We’re really having a baby.

“Should I take another one?” she says almost too quietly.

I look into her blue eyes, noting the uncertainty and the fear swimming in their depths, and all the energy fueling my anxiety drains from my body. It drains from her too.

“We’re going to be parents,” I murmur.

She shrugs. “Yup.”

“I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

With a light laugh, she does that damn eye roll thing again. I’m beginning to realize it’s a defense mechanism. She’s uncomfortable or unsure. There’s a story there, and one day I’ll get her to tell me. One day I’ll get all the answers. But not today. “It’s okay. I didn’t realize you didn’t know who Noah was to me.”

“Are you guys close?”

She smiles. “Yeah. I’m close with all my stepbrothers, but Noah’s dad was married to my mom when I was in high school, so we lived together during my teenage years. That quintessential time when everything just felt like more, ya know?”

I nod. Until Mills moved to Paris a couple of years ago, she and I had spent our entire lives nearly attached to one another. And since she came back to Boston, we live in the same building, and she travels with the team quite a bit, so though she’s got a family, we’re still damn close.

“Is he really going to kill me?”

An adorable little snort escapes her. “Not if you pick up breakfast for me.”

“Should I get him something?”

She shakes her head. “You know what? I’d actually rather not do the whole meet-the-family thing this morning. Give me five, and I’ll come with you.”

I nod. That’s good. Great even. Because yeah, I may be ready for almost everything that’s been thrown at me, but given the bullshit that keeps flowing from my mouth, the last thing I need to do is have a conversation with Noah this morning.