Page 32 of Power Play Daddies (Miami Icemen #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Beau

The sound of the skates scraping against the ice fills the air as I move to the edge of the rink, the cold air hitting my face like a slap.

I’m not even sure if I’m focused on the drills right now, but I can’t help it. I need to make sure Daisy’s okay. Kieran’s voice cuts through my thoughts.

“You talked to her, right? She hasn’t replied to any of the messages in the group chat,” he says, glancing at me between drills.

“I did,” I reply, trying not to sound like I’m hiding something. “Talked to Mason, too. He said brunch was fine, but she said she was tired and went to rest.”

Kieran raises an eyebrow. “That was yesterday, man.”

“Yeah,” I say, dragging my fingers through my hair. “Something’s definitely wrong.”

He’s watching me carefully. “What time’s her check-up?”

“At noon.” I can feel the worry bubbling up in my gut. “It’s ten. I think I should go check up on her.”

“You sure you don’t want me to go with her?”

I shake my head, the decision already made. “Nah. I’ll go with her. You stay here. Let Mason know.”

“All right, man. Let me know how she is,” Kieran says, pulling his helmet on.

I skate off the rink and head straight for Coach Ace, but as soon as I get close, I can feel my stomach tighten. “Coach, I gotta run. Got a meeting with a realtor today.”

Coach looks at me for a second, the lines on his face deepening. “Actually, Blaze, we need to talk.”

I freeze. Shit. What now?

He waves me over, motioning for me to walk with him. I follow, trying not to let the nerves show.

“Listen, I got some concerns about Daisy,” he says, voice low.

My pulse spikes. “What concerns?”

He pauses, rubbing the back of his neck. “Can’t really say. But you need to keep an eye on her. Something’s not right, Blaze. Trust me on this.”

My stomach drops, but I nod, trying not to let the worry slip into my voice. “All right, Coach. I got it.”

He pats me on the back and walks off, leaving me to contemplate what he just said. I thought she had told him about our fun little foursome, but he would not be talking to me if that was it.

Something’s definitely off. I don’t know what, but I’m about to find out.

I leave the rink and drive straight to her place, barely even thinking about the road as I focus on what could be wrong.

I park and knock on her door, my knuckles rapping against the wood. A few seconds pass before the door creaks open, and I’m met with Daisy standing in front of me, wearing a simple white dress that hugs her curves just right.

“Beau?” she says, her voice confused—but not pissed, so that’s a win.

I pull her into a hug without even thinking about it. She tenses, her body stiffening for a second before she relaxes.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, pulling back just enough to look up at me.

I give her a grin. “You were supposed to go to the gynecologist today. I thought I’d tag along. You okay?”

She blinks, clearly not expecting me to show up. “I thought you said you had practice.”

“We did,” I say, my hand brushing through my hair, “but I got away for a bit.”

I watch her, taking in the way she avoids eye contact, the way her shoulders are pulled tight. She’s definitely hiding something.

“C’mon, talk to me,” I say, stepping closer. “Something’s bothering you. Are you… are you rethinking the baby?”

“What?” She blinks once. “No, I want the baby.”

“Then what is it? Are you rethinking us? Was the other night too much for you?”

She shakes her head.

I tug her to me again, not letting her pull away, and this time she doesn’t resist. But she doesn’t say anything, either.

I pull her into my lap, sitting on the couch with her curled up against me. My hands run up and down her back in slow, reassuring strokes, but I need her to open up.

“Come on, Daisy,” I murmur, leaning close to her ear. “Even Coach is worried about you. You gotta tell me what’s going on. We can’t help if you don’t let us.”

She bites her lip, like she’s trying to decide if she should say something. Finally, she speaks, her voice is barely above a whisper, but I hear every word. “I’m not a gold digger.”

My brain stops for a second. “What the hell?” I pull back, looking at her like she’s lost her mind. “Daisy, I know you’re not a gold digger. What makes you think I’d think that?”

She swallows hard, and her eyes flick to the floor, not meeting mine. “Because Mason’s mom told me the timing was bad, that I’d distract him from his career, that I’d harm my own. She basically said I was only after him for his money.”

I feel my blood start to boil. “She said what?” My voice cracks with frustration. “Why didn’t Mason defend you? He should’ve fucking said something.”

That bastard should have at least told us, too.

She shakes her head quickly. “He doesn’t know. And I don’t want him to know. I don’t want him to think… I don’t want him to hate me.”

I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. “Daisy, listen to me. No one— no one —gets to talk to you like that. And I know Mason would not have let her say that to you.”

“But she’s his mom…”

“And you are his girlfriend. You’re our girlfriend. He would have defended you. I don’t care what anyone else says. He cares about you. I care about you.”

She doesn’t say anything at first, and I can see the tears welling up in her eyes. It kills me.

“I’m here. I care about you, Daisy. I’m in love with you. You don’t have to go through this alone. If something is bothering you, you can talk to us. That’s why you have three boyfriends, baby. If one of us fucks up, you have two to talk to.”

She leans in then, pressing her lips to mine, and I kiss her hard, giving everything I have to show her just how much I mean it. She responds immediately, her body melting into mine.

Everything else falls away—Mason’s mom, the bullshit, the confusion—it’s just her and me, and I need her to know that she’s not alone.

When we finally pull away, I can see the relief in her eyes. I stroke her cheek, making sure she knows I’m serious.

“I love you, Daisy.”

She smiles as she kisses me once more. “I love you, too, Beau.”

I sit there in the waiting room, the sound of the clock ticking louder than my thoughts. Daisy’s in the back, changing into one of those paper gowns. This whole thing is new for me.

I’ve never been to an OB-GYN before. Never thought I’d be here. But here I am.

I’m trying not to look too nervous, but hell, it’s not every day you sit in a doctor’s office and wait to find out about your baby. My fingers tap against my leg, my foot bouncing, because I can’t sit still.

A door creaks open, and the doctor steps in—tall guy, late forties, a bit graying at the temples.

He has that calm, professional vibe. He smiles at us like he’s seen it all.

“Beau, right?” he asks, giving me a nod. “I’m Dr. Ross.”

I manage a smile, trying to look cool. “Yeah, that’s me.”

He looks over at Daisy, now still sitting on the table, her legs hanging off the edge. “And you must be Daisy?”

“Yeah,” she says, her voice a little softer than usual. She’s nervous. I can tell. I move to her side, just to be close.

“All right, so,” Dr. Ross says, turning his attention back to me, “are you the father?”

I can’t help it—I smirk. “One of ’em,” I joke.

He laughs, a short chuckle that feels like it helps take some of the tension out of the room. “Fair enough. All right, Daisy. How are we doing today?”

She shifts on the table, looking a little uncomfortable. “Morning sickness… a lot of it. It’s been tough.”

Dr. Ross jots something down on his clipboard. “That’s pretty common, especially in the first trimester. I’d recommend ginger or a little peppermint tea to settle your stomach. And definitely keep hydrated.”

“Okay.” Daisy nods, looking relieved that it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

“Now, let’s check on your little one.” He looks over at me, giving me a knowing look before he steps closer. “Ready for the ultrasound?”

“Yeah,” Daisy says, her voice a little wobbly. “I’m ready.”

The doctor does his thing, and all I manage to do is stand beside her, trying to keep my hands to myself but struggling.

My heart races just a little. I didn’t think I’d be this nervous.

Then we see it—the screen lights up, and I swear I could hear my own breath stop. There’s a tiny flicker, like a pulsing light on the monitor.

I lean in, not sure what I’m looking at, and then the doctor points to the screen.

“You see that?” he says. “There’s one heartbeat.”

I nod, trying to wrap my mind around it. But then he moves the wand a little and—holy shit. There’s another heartbeat.

“Two?” I breathe. “Are you?—”

The doctor laughs. “Yep. Congratulations, you two. You’re having twins.”

Daisy’s eyes widen. She looks at me, and I can see the disbelief on her face. “Twins?”

I just stare at the screen. Holy fuck. Twins.

“Twins,” I repeat, my voice still stuck in my throat.

The doctor is still talking, but all I can hear is the sound of my own heartbeat. Twins. This shit just got real.