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FORTY-THREE

DANIEL

There are few things I enjoy more in life than hockey. I can say without a doubt that a year ago, hockey was my number one priority, the thing that mattered most, and very few things came close to competing. It was my entire existence. Hockey was my identity and the one thing that brought me true joy. I spent all my time on the ice or hanging out with my friends who were also hockey players. The reason women wanted to date me? It was hockey.

Not a moment of tonight had anything to do with hockey. Not even a flicker of the spotlight flashed my way. It was all about my girl, and yet it was easily one of the best nights of my life. Hockey doesn’t hold a candle to her. If I had to choose between my career and hers, it’d be a no-brainer. I’d gladly stay home with our son and support her in every way I could.

I’m not sure when it happened, or even how the hell it happened, but it’s the god’s honest truth. Fortunately for me, Hannah doesn’t want me to choose. She seems genuinely excited to stay home and enjoy our son while following her passion, and I get to play hockey and spend time with my family when I’m in Boston and maybe even bring them along when I travel sometimes.

When we got home, I started a bath so Hannah could relax. I’m doing the same, waiting for her in bed, looking through all the photos our friends tagged her in on Instagram.

She is gorgeous in every picture. Her tight black cotton dress hugged her perfectly, and her red-painted lips were always tipped up in a smile.

When a FaceTime request from Camden pops up on my screen, I smile and tap Accept.

“Hey! We missed you tonight?—”

When his expression registers, I snap my mouth shut. His eyes are red and glassy, his face pinched in pain.

“What the hell happened?”

“I saw Tara.” The words come out gruff and slurred. He rarely speaks her name, like it hurts to form the word. Tara was his high school girlfriend. His sister’s best friend.

“Shit.”

“Bound to happen,” he slurs, head lolling to one side.

“Where are you?”

Is he in public? If so, I need to make some calls and get him home. Or is he home? If that’s the case, should I find someone to stop in and check on him? I’ve got contact info for a few of his teammates, so I could probably figure something out.

“She has a daughter. Did I tell you that?” He leans against a wall, eyes drooping.

My chest pinches. Fuck, his heart’s gotta hurt right now. “Yeah, Cam, you told me. Where are you?”

“Thought it was my kid for a minute. Could have been.” He breathes heavily.

He’s known for a long time that Tara’s daughter isn’t his. Turns out she belongs to his former best friend. When Cam caught Tara and that asshole together, they admitted to having been cheating for a long time.

To make matters worse, his best friend was dating Cam’s sister at the time. The four of them had been inseparable for years. He was devastated, but he kept his knowledge of the affair to himself. Eventually, Cam’s sister found out. She packed up and left Vegas and never came back. When she discovered that he knew and hadn’t told her, she cut off all contact.

That’s why Camden never went back home during the offseason. And why I was shocked when he chose to return to the area that haunted him. But unlike me, he’s got nothing but hockey. I guess the belief that he could be something more there outweighed the concern he had for the demons he’d have to face. Until now, that is.

“She’s not yours, Cam. You had the DNA test. Where are you right now?”

“You should have a DNA test done.”

My heart fucking stops when his garbled words register. “’Scuse me?”

“Make sure the baby is yours,” he says, clearly not picking up on my anger. “Don’t want to be like me and get your hopes up, only to find out you’re wrong. I mean, are you sure she didn’t hook up with fucking Jasper Quinn?” He stares at the screen, his bloodshot eyes unfocused.

Blood boiling, I focus on keeping my breathing steady. He’s fucking lucky we aren’t talking face to face.

“Ya said she’s always running when he calls?—”

“I’m going to say this once,” I grit out. “You’re goddamn lucky I don’t tell you to go fuck yourself, then block your number. If you weren’t hurting so bad right now, you better believe I wouldn’t hesitate. But if you ever say a damn word about the mother of my child—” I suck in a breath, tempering my anger, and blow it out again in one long gust. “She’s the love of my life. Say something negative about her again, and you and I are done.”

Camden’s silent, his eyes momentarily clear, his breathing heavy. “I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

“Yeah, you were.” The words tear at my throat like glass. “Get your life together. You have a real shot to make something of yourself out there. If you can’t handle being in Vegas, then come back home. We’d all understand if this is too much.”

He angles away from the screen, his face crumpled. “Vegas was my home.”

“Yeah, but we both know Boston is now. Come back, dude. Smiles’s attitude sucks. You and me, we could be gods together here .”

He blinks, his attention floating to something beyond his phone. Or maybe the ghosts are keeping him company. “I gotta go. But I’ll think about what you said.”

He hangs up before I can respond.

I toss the phone down, still vibrating with anger over his comments.

“Hey.” Hannah’s voice startles me. Heart still pumping, I look up and find her standing in the doorway of the bathroom, her belly peeking out from beneath the belt of her gray silk robe.

“Hey, c’mere.” I hold out an arm. “How much did you hear of that?”

She settles on my lap, as close as she can get, lips twisting. “Pretty much the whole thing.”

Fuck.

Stomach clenching, I stroke her damp hair. “He didn’t mean it.”

She gives me a soft smile. “He did. And he’s not wrong. You should have questioned whether the baby is yours. Can you imagine the money I could have taken you for?” She’s teasing me, I know this, but I don’t like the way she’s talking.

“Hannah.”

“You’re a big, famous hockey player, and I’m just?—”

I tug on the ends of her hair. “A big, famous author.”

She snorts. “Not quite.”

“Did you see yourself today? Did you see the line of people who showed up to see you? That all want to read your books? Don’t get me started on all the social media hype.”

Her lashes flutter in acknowledgment. She’s got nothing to say. I know she’s proud of herself, and I’m bursting with pride for her.

“Also,” I say, angling her face so she’s completely focused on me, “it wouldn’t have mattered if he wasn’t mine.”

“ Daniel .” Her voice is chiding.

God dammit. She should know by now that tone only makes me hard.

“I’m serious. You could have told me you weren’t sure or that you were sure and he wasn’t mine, and I still would have said I’m in this if you’ll have me. I’ve wanted you for so goddamn long, Hannah. My feelings for you have nothing to do with the baby. He just came along and made all my dreams come true a little earlier than expected.”

Tears coat her lashes. “You say that now, but what if?—”

I shut her up with a kiss. “I look forward to all your what-ifs, dream girl. Just gives me more opportunities to prove you wrong.”

Her unshed tears make her blue eyes brighter than usual. “You do love a challenge.”

I cup her cheek and bring my face close to hers. The air between is charged. Wrought with emotion. “No, I love you . The challenges are fun. These adventures and the bucket list, it’s all been fun. But you— ” I stroke the smooth skin of her cheek with my thumb. “You’re the reason I keep fighting. If it wasn’t with you, I wouldn’t enjoy it. So like I said, with or without this baby, I would have loved you. I just would have had a harder time getting you to give me a chance.”

“I always liked you.” She presses her lips together, gathering her thoughts.

I slide a thumb across the straight line of them, urging her to keep talking to me. When she sighs in defeat, or maybe relief, her warm breath tickles my face. “I didn’t think you’d be like this. I had no idea what I was missing.”

“You are getting smarter,” I tease. “People change. Priorities change. Bucket lists change .”

Like her new additions. The secret ones.

Marriage and a house. A book signing.

One brow arched, she eyes me. “How long have you known?”

“Known what?”

“That I’m Calliope.”

I grin. “Since the bad sex column.”

Hands covering her face, she flops back on the mattress and laughs. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”

I lie down beside her and grasp her wrists. “It’s okay, baby. It was like a little peek into what you were thinking for all those months when I had no idea how to get you to open up to me.”

“That’s kind of cheating,” she says, her light tone belying the criticism.

“I’m not above cheating if it means you’re the prize. Besides, someone has to keep you wild.”

She takes a swing at me.

Dodging the attempt, I catch her wrist and kiss the back of her hand. “Not cheating on you. Cheating for you. Like I promised you before, you keep me safe, and I’ll keep you wild.”

“What if I need you to keep me safe too?” she says in that tone that reminds me of just how vulnerable my girl can be. It’s the tone that speaks of all the people who have let her down in the past.

I won’t be one of them.

“You’re safe with me, Hannah. Your heart, your body, and your future.”

She smiles. “Are you going to ask me to marry you one day?”

I nod.

Her eyes dance back and forth between them.

“But not right now,” I tell her. “Today we crossed off one more bucket list item. Book signing. We’ll get to marriage and a house. I promise .”

She rolls into me and hides her face in my chest, groaning in what sounds in mortification.

Yeah, my girl really just asked me to ask her to marry me. While she may be embarrassed, I’m fucking elated.

I’ll do it soon. But today is about her books, and I’m not taking a damn thing away from that.