Page 24

TWENTY

DANIEL

I haven’t seen Hannah in two weeks, and I’m going out of my mind. Fuck. If this is how the guys’ wives feel all season, I’m shocked any of them stick around. I’ve never been the one at home waiting—and I sure as shit have never had someone at home waiting for me—and I never want to do it again.

She’s good about responding to my texts, though she never initiates them. I don’t hold it against her. She’s the one carrying my baby. I’m the one who should be checking on her. It’s just—I want her to want to talk to me. I wish she felt the same emotions that are bubbling inside me, threatening to burst out at all times.

Night after night, I use all the restraint I possess to keep from picking up the phone and calling her. When I’m watching a funny show on TV, I want to text her about it. When I find a great pregnancy article or a vlog that really hits home, I want to watch it with her.

But are we even friends? We may be having a baby, but if her lack of interest in communicating is anything to go by, that might be the extent of our relationship. So I don’t know how to act. I don’t want to push too hard—come on too strong—and risk causing her to shut things down before I even have a chance. A chance to get her to fall, a chance to give our child a family.

Obviously, we’ll be a family whether we’re together or not, but the last thing I want for this kid is to grow up tethered to two parents who kind of hate each other the way my parents did. The way my mom hated my father, at least. My dad was indifferent to her.

So I don’t know how to act.

Which is why I’m rereading our last string of texts, wondering if enough time has passed to ask her how she’s feeling.

According to the timestamps, it’s been a whopping four hours since the last time I asked.

“You going to join the party?” Millie settles beside me on the outdoor couch at Beckett Langfield’s house and peers over my shoulder. “Who’s dream girl?”

I flip my phone over on my thigh and shoot her a glare. “Nosy much? How would you like it if I looked at your texts with Gavin?”

A laugh bursts out of her. “Would you want to look at my texts with your coach?”

A shudder rolls through me. Unfortunately I’m aware of how kinky my sister and Gavin are, so no, I absolutely want nothing to do with her phone, her texts, or any of the intricacies of her marriage.

Eyes dancing, she flicks my cheek. “That’s what I thought. So as I said, who’s dream girl? Is that Hannah? Are you guys still talking?”

I planned to tell Millie about the baby today. Later. With fewer people around.

But here we are, surrounded by almost everyone we know. Beckett’s family is here, along with all his brothers and their women. War and his family are in attendance too. Apparently Beckett is close friends with Ava. I was included because my sister is married to Gavin.

Secretly, I’d hoped Hannah would show up to the barbecue so we could casually run into each other and I could get a read on how she’ll act around our friends.

But she’s yet to show up, and I’m too in my head to ask if she’s coming.

Last week, she gave me the go-ahead to tell my family about the baby. The guys too. So she won’t be mad if I break the news. I just wish she were here for it.

I got an idea from one of the dad vlogs and ran with it, knowing the guys will get a kick out of it. Pretty sure Millie will too.

“I gotta run to my car real quick.” I pat her leg and hop up before she can continue with her questions and skirt around the guys gathered around the grill, laughing and chatting.

It takes me all of one minute to locate what I’m looking for. But then I’m staring at the T-shirts, wondering if they’ll really react the way I think they will.

“Fuck it.” I slip mine over my head and straighten it, then snatch the bag and stroll back through the gate.

Aiden is the first to spot me. Head tilted, he mouths the words emblazoned on my chest in Bolts blue. Eyes going wide, he smacks Brooks with the back of his hand. One by one, my guys notice. None of them move. Only my sister heads my way, arms pumping and her tiny legs moving faster than I’ve ever seen.

“ Daddy Hall?” she screeches. “That should say Danny , right?” With far more force than she should possess, she pokes my chest.

With a grimace, I pull back and rub at the ache.

“Daniel,” she grounds out.

I can’t help but smirk. “From now on, you can all call me Daddy.”

My sister shudders and gags. “Oh god, I knew this day was coming. Who did you knock up?”

The boys have now made their way over, and from the way War is grinning, he knows precisely who the mother of my child is.

My heart takes off at a joyful pace. “My dream girl.”

Millie’s face scrunches in confusion. “Who?”

Aiden whoops, startling my twin and me at the same time. “Hannah’s pregnant?”

My sister smacks my chest. Once, twice, three times. “You knocked up my friend.” Another smack. Her little hands are surprisingly effective weapons.

Thankfully her husband grabs her by the hips and pulls her against his chest. “Stop beating up your brother and let him speak.”

She whips around, hands on her hips. “Are you forgetting how he almost punched you when he found out you were dating me?”

I straighten and run a hand down my shirt. “That was justified.”

Gavin cuts me a stern look

“What?” I throw my arms out. “I’m not wrong. It’s obvious now that you’re the only person who can deal with her kind of crazy, but at the time, you were my dad’s best friend and my coach. How should I have reacted?”

Gavin only grumbles in response.

Beckett barks out a laugh. “Imagine if Vivi came home with a guy twenty years older than her.”

The grumble turns into a growl. “She’s not even two. What is wrong with you?”

Hands in his pockets, Beckett shrugs. “I’m just saying.”

“Say less.” Gavin turns back to me. “I’m not sure how this got turned on me, but did you say you’re having a baby?”

Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I grin. “Yeah. Hannah and I are having a baby. Don’t worry, I got you all matching T-shirts because you’re going to be the best damn uncles around.” I toss Gavin his shirt.

He’s the first to tug me in for a hug. Then, one by one, I give the other guys their shirts and accept their congrats.

When my sister appears in front of me again, I reach into my bag and grab the hat I bought her. It says World’s Best Auntie .

Instantly, the shock on her face melts away and her eyes go misty. “Why are you being so cute about this?” Finally, she throws her arms around me.

With her still in my arms, I look down at her. “Because this is literally the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I get to raise a baby with Hannah. My literal dream girl.”

“So, are the two of you together?” She sounds almost hurt, like she thinks we’ve been sneaking around behind her back.

As much as it pains me to admit it, I tell her the truth. “No. Not that I wouldn’t like that, but I’m not sure she’s ready for all of this.” I drop my arms and motion to myself.

My sister coughs out a laugh through her tears.

“Congrats,” Beckett says, bringing over a handful of cigars.

With a dip of my chin, I take one from him. “Sorry I didn’t make you a shirt.”

He shrugs. “I probably deserve one more than most of these guys.” He nods at the group who have all pulled their World’s Best Uncle shirts on. “But it’s fine. I don’t need a shirt to prove I’m the reason you’re having a baby.”

Aiden steps up beside his oldest brother and rubs his hands together. “Oh this will be good. How did you make this happen?”

Beckett smirks. “I made Arizona happen.”

Frowning, Gavin brings his drink to his lips. “What does Arizona have to do with it?”

Beckett’s focus remains entirely on me. “That’s when the baby was conceived, right?”

“Pretty sure Hannah would prefer her employer not know that,” Liv points out, her brow raised like she’s daring her husband to continue.

He shrugs. “I know what I know.”

“Even if that were true,” Gavin says, his eyes cutting to mine. “How are you to thank for that?”

“Because I made the schedule.”

Gavin’s loud laugh startles Vivi, who’s clutching at his leg like she wants him to pick her up. “Nice try. The NHL and MLB make the schedule.”

The way the oldest Langfield brother looks back at him like he’s an imbecile makes the entire group of us go quiet.

“You have input into the schedule?” Gavin whisper-hisses, brows furrowed.

Beckett merely shrugs, gaze cutting to me. “You’re welcome.”

“Is she coming tonight?” I ask him.

Liv smirks. “Her response to the invite was ‘and spend more time with Beckett than I have over the last two weeks? No thanks.’”

Everyone laughs, even me, though disappointment settles in my stomach. I was really hoping to see her today.

Millie snuggles beside me on the outdoor couch again as the rest of the group falls back into conversation. “Why not text her and tell her you miss her?”

I frown down at my sister. “Am I that obvious?”

“You’re my twin. I can sense these things. I’ve never seen you like this.” She glances at the words on my chest again, and her lips curl into a smile. “You seem really happy about the baby.”

“I am.” For the next several minutes, I tell her how the last few weeks have been and how I didn’t freak out when I found out I was going to be a dad.

“That’s how I felt the moment I met Vivi.”

Vivi was left on Gavin’s doorstep as an infant, and Gavin and Millie officially adopted her last year. She’s their entire world.

“But you had Gavin. The two of you—” I shake my head. For as much shit as I give her, it’s more than obvious they’re soulmates. The way they look at one another, the way they rally and support each other, it’s rare. All the guys here tonight have that. Hannah and I are constantly surrounded by a group of inspiring couples.

“You don’t think you could have that with Hannah?” My sister pulls back and studies me.

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “I think if she gave me a chance, we could be amazing. I’m just not sure how to get her to give me that chance.”

Millie sighs. “You’ll figure it out. God, I can’t believe you’re going to be a dad.”

She throws her arms around me, and I allow my twin to ease some of the tension I’ve been feeling. Maybe she’s right. I’ll figure it out somehow.

“How did you get Liv to fall for you?”

It’s after eight, and the backyard is aglow with twinkling lights. War and Ava took their kids home, but the rest of the women have disappeared inside for dessert while the guys are gathered around Beckett’s fire pit with cigars and glasses of whiskey.

Beckett leans forward. “You’re looking for ways to woo Hannah?”

“Oh no,” Gavin grumbles. “You woke the beast.”

Aiden swats at him. “Come on, it’s fun to watch Beckett work his magic.”

Gavin groans. “Stop feeding his ego.”

“It’s about little things and the big gestures,” Beckett says, ignoring his brother.

I straighten, elbows on the armrests of my chair. “What kind of little things did you do?”

Gavin chuckles. “He got her drunk and conned her into marrying him.”

Beckett grunts. “Then I bought a case of the wine we were drinking that night and made sure we have enough bottles to last us a lifetime. The little things like that are what keep a woman happy.”

“I kept Millie plenty happy when I bought out the bar we were in so we could have some privacy,” Gavin says, brow arched.

“You did?” I lean back in my chair and bring my cigar to my lips. “That’s romantic. Did she think it was romantic?” Millie didn’t tell me this story, though when it comes to the interactions between the two of them, less information is always best.

Gavin wipes at his smile. “Sure. I think she was satisfied by the gesture.”

I nod. “Okay, small things and big gestures. I think I can work with that.”

“Brooks cut off all his hair.” Aiden dips his chin in his next oldest brother’s direction.

Our goalie just laughs and shakes his head. “A small thing.”

“That stunt led to the NHL raising millions of dollars for a charity that was important to your fiancée,” Beckett points out. “Not such a small thing.”

“I cloned Lex’s phone and read along with her, then acted out her favorite spicy scenes,” Aiden says, chest puffed out proudly.

Gavin covers his face. “You’ve got to stop telling everyone that. Millie has talked to me about some of the books she reads, and now I can’t look your wife in the eye.”

Aiden licks his lips. “My wife is filthy, and I love it.”

“Okay, so presents, dinner, big gestures, and light stalking. Got it.”

Gavin throws his head back and laughs loudly at my summation.

Beckett, on the other hand, studies me as he takes another slow drag from his cigar. “How’s Hannah handling the pregnancy news?”

In the space of a breath, I go from hopeful to filled with dread. Because I just told her boss that she’s having a baby before she broke the news. Fuck . I clear my throat. “She’s, uh, she’s good. You know she’s dedicated to her job, so that’s her focus.”

Beckett nods. “Yes. But that changes now. Kids change everything.” He leans forward. “Family changes everything.”

I force a smile, certain that I’ll never have the ability to do it again once Hannah finds out what I did.