Page 38 of Power Play (Titans Hockey #2)

Chapter thirty-five

Garrett

T here's a knock at my hotel room door and I look at the time, curiously. It's nine o'clock. Most of us are in bed. I look to Ben who gives me the same quizzical look back. Clearly, he's not expecting anyone either.

I swing the door open to see Lacey, in her pajamas, bouncing from side to side. Her belly is really starting to show and there's a part of me that fucking loves it.

"Marry me," she says.

"What?" I reply, intelligently.

"Marry me. At the little White Chapel. We can even put your name as the father of one of these babies. I don't care. It's all just paperwork."

I'm stunned. In three sentences she's sacrificed everything for me so that I can secure my mother's legacy.

With no benefit to herself. She'd marry me, put my name on the birth certificate of one of her babies, just so my dad doesn't reap the benefits of my mother's hard work.

She'd sacrifice so that I could be happy.

I've never met a woman like her.

Ben steps up behind me, and her eyes reach his.

"You... you'd really do that for me?"

"We're a unit, so we'd have to talk to the other boys first, but yeah.

" She looks at Ben, fear that he'll be hurt evident on her face.

But she's strong, and she pleads her case.

"You're a good guy, and I'm sorry you've been treated like trash for so long.

We'd have to talk to Ben and Scott, but I'm happy to play your wife and put your name on a birth certificate if it means you get to keep your mom's legacy out of that asshole's hands. "

What I'm not expecting is how moved I am by her sacrifice.

I'm well aware it may not happen. Ben could say fuck no, and I'm pretty sure she would side with him, but the fact that she's willing already has done things to my heart.

I reach down, cup her face in my hands, and kiss her.

I try to transmit all the love and appreciation and adoration I have for her into that kiss.

Holy shit. I love her.

This feeling I've never known.... I think it's called love. This deep need and appreciation and attraction I have for her is love.

It's not the right time to tell her, in a hotel hallway with Ben looking over my shoulder. But I know without a shadow of a doubt that I love this woman.

I pull back slightly, to study her eyes and make sure there's no hesitation there.

"Do you want this, Garrett?" she asks softly. She’d asked me that in the quiet of our bedroom, but I hadn’t answered her. I hadn’t been sure. I knew I wanted to try, but I hadn’t known I wanted them.

But I know now.

"At first, no. I wasn’t sure that I did.

Because I didn't know what it meant for me, personally and professionally.

I feel like I've failed everyone my entire life, so the idea of failing a little baby, or two, or you, was too much for me.

But now...now that I've had a minute to think about it, and the guys' help, I can't wait to do right everything my dad did wrong.

If you let me, I'll love the shit out of these kids.

There won't be a baby who was more loved. "

She holds the sides of my face.

"You'll make an amazing father," she says, and fuck if it doesn't heal some part of me that was terrified to ever create another life because of how shitty my father was.

"So, are we doing this? You asking me to marry you?" I tease, needing to lighten the situation.

"We have to consult with the other two, but yeah, I'm on board."

She looks at Ben, standing behind me and apologetically speaks. "I know you wanted our happily ever after. Would you hate me forever if I marry Garrett on paper? So he can save his mother's legacy?"

I watch Ben's face carefully, a million emotions flitting across his face, before he settles on contentment.

"No, pretty girl. You and I never talked about marriage, and I know why. But..." he pauses, drawing out my fucking emotions. Lacey's put a silver platter in front of me and Ben might take it away.

"But?" she asks, licking her lips nervously.

"But...I get to be your maid of honor."

Lacey laughs and it's a sound that sets my chest on fire.

In an instant she's relaxed and happy.

"Bro of honor? Boyfriend of honor? Best friend of honor? I can't call you maid of honor..."

He steps in close to her and kisses her. "I don't give a shit what you call me, I'm standing behind you when you get married."

The love that passes between them is palpable. All I can hope is that someday we have that.

Lacey pulls back. "We have to ask Scott. I won't marry you if it will upset him. "

But when I turn, Ben's already on the phone with Coach, having a hushed conversation between the two of them.

I stare at Lacey, my emotions swinging like a freaking pendulum. Hope. Then a wariness of hope. Gratitude. Then dread. Love. Then fear.

A few minutes later Coach, or Scott, is standing outside of our hotel room.

"How do you feel about marriage?" Lacey asks, all carefree and willy-nilly.

My chest constricts, as this is where I feel like our happily ever after gets snagged.

"Fucking hate it. Never again," he says with a smile, as if he knows something I don't. I don't know what Ben told him on the phone, but it looks like they're all on board.

"So, you wouldn't mind if I married Garrett?"

Coach looks at me, then Ben, then Lacey. "And these fools?"

"Totally on board. Ben's my maid of honor."

Coach claps his hands together. "Then lets fucking do this." He clasps a large hand over my shoulder. "I'll be your best man."

"Are you all fucking serious right now?!

" I ask incredulously. No one has ever stuck their neck out for me.

No one has ever gone to bat for me. I knew Lacey believed in me.

Whether she was misguided in doing so or not.

But the idea that three people are willing to sacrifice for me is moving. I blink back emotional tears.

Instead, I kiss the shit out of Lacey. It's easy being the outcast, the fuck up, the bully, whatever teams want to call me. But this feeling of acceptance, or approval, or God forbid love is new territory .

And at some point, I'm going to have to tell my father that I'm married with a kid on the way. And that's a whole other fucking problem.

First, I have to get married.