Page 55 of Something Reckless

EASTON

A fter breakfast, Alba went with me to the short session I had scheduled with some of the professionals on the Saints team staff. They poked me and and they prodded me until they were satisfied. Then they put me in skates and sent me out on the ice.

All in all, things went really well, and having Alba standing behind the plexiglass with that hopeful look in her eyes, only encouraged me to put my all into it. The team’s professionals repeated what they confirmed to me weeks ago—I’ll be back in the game at the start of the season.

When all is said and done, I stroll out of the building with Alba’s hand clasped in mine and conflicting thoughts warring inside my head.

It’s official. I’m back on the team’s roster for next season. I’ll be hitting the ice with the Saints again, and I should be over the moon. But I don’t know what that means for the life I’ve started to build in Fairy Bush.

We’re both quiet as we get onto the hotel elevator. In fact, Alba’s been quiet since we got into the shower earlier .

Pulling her into my arms, I collapse against the elevator wall. “You okay?” I twirl a red curl around my index finger.

She nods weakly. “I’m…I’m okay.” Her gaze drops to the floor.

She’s lying to me and I want to question her about it, but right then, the doors slide open. Not looking back, she hustles off the lift. With a swipe of my key card, I unlock the hotel room door and we step inside the room.

“I’m gonna start packing up to leave.” She kisses my cheek and I feel a little bit better. Still, I know I’ll need to get to the bottom of what’s bothering her. So I can fix it.

Together, we pack our luggage in silence, which is an anomaly for us. Usually when Alba and I are alone, we have so much to yap about. But apparently, we’re both deep in thought at the moment.

I’m snapped out of my gloom when I glance over my shoulder and find Alba, head down, legs spread wide, and bouncing her butt around on top of her overstuffed suitcase as she tries to yank the zipper closed.

“You need a hand with that?” I suppress a chuckle as I stroll to where she’s practically humping the poor suitcase on the other side of the room.

“Yes, please.” She grins endearingly at me as she wipes the sweat from her brow. “Looks like we went a little overboard on the shopping.” She shrugs.

I crouch down alongside her, cupping her cheek and kissing her softly. “No such thing. Now, let me.” I pick her up and playfully toss her on the mattress, my heart lighting up as her giggles fill the room. I easily manage to close the suitcase without breaking the zipper.

Once our bags are all packed, we do a final check of the room and head out.

As we wait at the elevator, Alba surprises me by coming up from behind me and wrapping her arms around my middle. “I forgot to tell you something important last night…” she whispers in my ear. “I love you, too.”

I swear my heart explodes inside my chest. I’m fucking ecstatic to hear those words from her lips. I spin around, drop the bags and swallow her gasp in a kiss.

“Fuck, I love you. I love you so much, Alba.” I eagerly plant wet kisses all over her face.

She giggles in my arms. “So, what happens now?”

“That’s the million dollar question,” I mutter against her mouth.

And it’s one that I don’t have an answer to, because I’m supposed to pack up and leave Fairy Bush when the hockey season starts.

Sunlight peeks through the windshield as we hit the road for the hour-long drive back to Fairy Bush. We spend the time mapping out what life could be like with all three of us together. Balancing my job with Jagger’s school and Alba’s impending career in real estate.

We move the jigsaw pieces around, trying to find a way to make everything fit. It’s difficult, but it’s exciting. And though we don’t find the magic formula immediately, I’m convinced that we’ll figure out how to make it all work, so that each of us gets what we need.

Halfway into the drive, we’re running low on gas and I pull into the nearest gas station. As I’m filling up at the pump, Alba jumps out of the passenger seat. “I’m feeling snack-y,” she calls out. “You need anything?”

Overhead, storm clouds begin gathering quickly. “All I need is to get you home and spread out beneath me again. ASAP.” I smirk like a devil. “Hurry up that sexy butt of yours.”

She rolls her eyes and makes sure to put an extra little sway in her hips as she prances toward the convenience store.

With a chuckle, I watch after her. After she disappears, my free hand digs into my pocket for my phone. My smile lingers as I scroll through the emails stacking up in my inbox, filling up the tank with my other hand.

I spot a message that the Fairy Bush General Hospital sent me earlier in the day. Paternity test results the subject line announces. Without thinking, I tap to read the email.

When the attachment to the email opens, my eyes dash over the words on my screen. The report contains charts and tables and a whole bunch of statistics I don’t understand. So I let my gaze find the summary at the bottom of the page.

And my world falls off its axis.

No.

The gas nozzle slips from my hand, hitting the concrete pavement at my feet, together with my heart.

No.

My knees give out and I collapse against the side of the car.

No. No. No.

Footsteps slap the ground, scampering in my direction. Then, Alba is at my side. “Easton? What’s wrong?” She gently grips my arm.

Thunder sounds in the distance. I shake my head, feeling like I’m reliving a nightmare all over again.

“Easton?” Alba calls, her worry visibly mounting.

I squeeze my burning eyes shut as the words get clogged in my throat. My shoulders fall under the most crushing defeat I’ve ever known. “I’m not his father, Alba. The hospital says I’m not Jagger’s father.”