Page 8

CHAPTER 8

Matt

I guess I should have been prepared for all the questions I was going to get today when I showed up with Jayden. Josh already knows all of this, and Caleb is more observing and taking in information as Grayson peppers me with questions.

“So, who’s the mom? Where is she?”

“Some woman I was seeing casually a while ago. We called it off, and she never told me. She’s in Winnipeg with her family,” I say.

“Is she coming back?” Grayson asks.

I shrug. “I have no idea. I have no idea what it will mean if she does. I’ve been taking this all day by day. Not looking too far into the future past looking for a place to move. My place isn’t big enough for him to grow up in. I’ve been saving, and I think it’s time I look for a house.”

Caleb nods and says, “There are a few nice houses up for sale in our neighbourhood. I’m sure you could find one you like. We’re in a great school district. I can send you the listings tonight.”

“Thanks. That would be great.”

“Can you send them to me, too?” Josh adds, and I turn to look at him.

“You guys moving?”

He shrugs. “I know Olivia wants a backyard for when Cate is grown up and more space for kids. Our place works for now, but I get it, she’s always wanted to be more out of the city. We can’t fully escape the city right now because of me and the company, but we can get out of the heart of downtown. And what Olivia wants, she’ll get.”

Liv liked the way we grew up in a nice family-oriented neighbourhood, and I’m not surprised she wants the same for her kids. With them potentially trying for more soon, it does make sense for them to try to find a place now, and we all know that Josh, the CEO of his own company, can definitely afford it, even without selling his current place. He dotes on Liv and Cate, and I know he means it when he says whatever Liv wants, he’ll give her. It would be nice if we could find places in the same neighbourhood so our kids can grow up together.

We finish getting ready and head out to the ice to warm up before the game. Before I step on the ice, I make my way to Zoey and check on Jayden, who is perfectly content curled up against her chest. I smile as I lovingly run my finger over his nose. Zoey smiles and wishes me luck before I join the guys.

As we get ready at centre ice, I feel Zoey’s eyes on me. I turn my head slightly and see her soft smile from earlier still there. I’m not sure what comes over me, but I wink at her as I lower my upper body, ready to accept the puck from Josh if he wins the face off. The slight blush that filled her cheeks gives me a little more drive, and as the other team wins the face off, I’m driving towards their forward, vying for the puck. I check the one with possession into the boards, and Luke, one of our players, takes the free puck and makes his way through centre and towards the other team’s goal. He passes to Josh, who makes his way to the left and fakes the shot before quickly moving right and getting the puck just between the goalie’s left side and the post.

We gather around him and cheer before heading to the bench. Josh leads the line in fist bumps before we do a line change. The game is intense and physical, just the way I like it. I love using these games to process things I’m dealing with in a physical way. We barely scrape through with the win, 3-2.

When we skate off the ice, I immediately head to Zoey and Jayden. I feel drawn to both of them, this need to be close to them. Jayden is barely awake, offering me a weak smile when I brush my finger over his cheek and smile at him.

“He was good?” I ask Zoey.

She smiles down at him. “Yeah, he was gem. I’ve got him while you change.”

“Thanks, Zo.”

“Of course.”

I meet the guys back in the locker room, and Grayson grins at me as I sit.

“Someone played with a little extra pep in their step,” he says.

“Just working through some things,” I say, brushing it off.

“Felt more like you were trying to impress someone,” he pushes.

“No one to impress. My kid’s a little too young.”

“Mhhh, sure. Maybe a certain brunette who was holding that new kid of yours?”

“Zo? Why would I be trying to impress her?”

I avoid looking at any of the guys and focus on removing my gear, because I think he might have a bit of a point. Something lately has had me wanting to be closer to Zoey and maybe have her look at me differently. As more than just a friend. I know that’s crazy, though. I’ve got a kid now, and she’s my sister’s best friend. I’d never forgive myself if I ruined their relationship because a relationship with Zoey didn’t work out. I’m also not going to put Zoey into the position of taking on a parental role when that’s not something she’s signed up for.

“You tell me. Why don’t we start with why she was at your place the night before you found Jayden,” Grayson says.

I sigh. “Zo was out the night before on a date that didn’t end well and she got super drunk. I picked her up and she crashed on my couch. That’s all.”

“Why’d she call you?”

I look up and see all the guys in the room trying to look like they’re not paying attention to the grilling Grayson is doing right now, but they aren’t very subtle about it and Josh and Caleb do nothing to hide their interest.

“Because Liv has a baby at home and she didn’t want to bother her, same with Bailey having Charlie, Liz was out of town, and she figured since you and Hannah had the night off together, there was no point in trying to get ahold of your wife because you two would be occupied in other ways. She doesn’t like to call her brothers because she’s the youngest and has always felt bad that they took care of her so much when she was younger. I’m her friend and I always told Liv and her friends when we were growing up if they needed a safe ride home, they could always call me. They’ve each called me at least once in the last ten years.”

“Sure know a lot about Zoey,” Josh points out.

I shrug. “She’s Liv’s best friend. I’ve known her pretty much as long as I’ve known you.”

“Yeah, but I don’t remember you two being close back then.”

“We weren’t, but when Liv and Drew broke up and we needed you two idiots to see what was right in front of you, we spent more time together and we’ve grown close.”

He quirks a brow. “What exactly did the two of you do? I know you put the bug in my ear about Liv needing a place to live, but what else?”

I raise a brow back at him. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

I push up from the bench and head to the showers, making quick work before getting dressed to go get my boy. As I’m about to leave, Caleb calls my name. I turn back to him, and he addresses Josh, Grayson, and I.

“So, Bailey and I were hoping you guys could come for lunch at our place tomorrow.”

We exchange looks; Caleb doesn’t often ask us over for things. Before he met Bailey, we were only ever really at his place when it was his turn to host poker night. Bailey’s hosted a few group dinners, but they aren’t frequent. She knows Caleb enjoys having his space, and he lets her host us all from time to time because he knows how much she loves it, but they’re usually planned well in advance. A last-minute invite is not the norm for him.

We agree, and Caleb says he’ll text us the details.

I head upstairs to the restaurant in the rink we usually eat dinner at after Saturday games. Bailey and Hannah are deep in conversation at one end of the table while Charlie draws beside them, and Liv is making faces at Cate while talking to Zo. The second I see Jayden and Zoey, I break out into a smile. I take her in, the way she’s laughing with the girls while she sways and rubs her hand over Jayden’s back. Longing takes over me as images flash through my mind of what she’d look like in a couple of years with Jayden more grown while she’s pregnant and holding another baby. I stop in place, quickly shaking my head of the image. I don’t need shit like that filling my head, especially right now.

When I join them, Cate sees me and does grabby hands at me, and I take my niece from my sister. I pinch her chubby cheeks before burying my face in her tummy, and she giggles. I spend a few minutes with her before passing her back to Liv so I can take Jayden from Zo. When I turn to her, I see he’s completely passed out.

“I’ll take him,” I say and she shakes her head.

“I’ve got this little cutie-patootie. I’ll carry him to your car so you jostle him as little as possible.” She smiles lovingly at him, and it makes me instantly think about raising him without his mother. Not that I’d want to be in a relationship with Hazel, but to think my son won’t have that relationship hurts. I love the relationship I had with my mom growing up.

My parents were always a safe space for me, Liv, and Gi. We always knew no matter what, we could count on them. If we ever needed them, they’d be there, no questions asked. While some kids hated the father-daughter or the mother-son dance our schools would host, we always loved them. Our parents never went out of their ways to embarrass us or scold us in front of our friends. I remember the awkward feeling of being at a friend’s house in eighth grade when his mom reamed him out in the other room and we all had to sit there and hear it.

I felt comfortable going to Mom when I was interested in a girl and wanted her advice. I want Jayden to have that kind of relationship, too. A woman in his life he can always turn to.

Liv snaps her fingers in front of my face, and I give it a shake and focus on her. “Huh?”

“Earth to Matt,” she says.

“What’s up?”

“I was asking how it was leaving Jayden with Mom on Friday. She mentioned she took him for the day.”

I run my teeth over my bottom lip, memories of what I found in Zoey’s nightstand flashing through my mind. She had an impressive collection of toys and lube in there, but the one that really caught my attention was the unopened one just sitting beside the rest of them. Zo seemed flustered when she caught me staring at them, but while we were eating, she asked me straight up if I had questions, and if I’m being honest, the fact she was willing to have that conversation was hot. Her mentioning using them as teammates had images of her naked on her bed, legs wide open for me while I teased her with one of them flooding my mind. But the unopened one was the one that piqued my interest the most, bold white text at the bottom had me wondering just how she planned to use it.

I force a cough to stop my mind from wandering any further down this path.

“Um, it was fine. I dropped him off, ran some errands, and picked him up. Mom said he was good for her and she wants to schedule another day to take him.”

Liv nods but raises a brow. She’s paying way to close attention to me, and I need to move her focus so she doesn’t start asking questions I don’t want to answer.

“So, you and Josh heading to Caleb and Bailey’s tomorrow?” I ask.

She stares at me for a few seconds, well aware I’m moving the conversation along on purpose. “Yeah, we’ll be there.” She lowers her voice and leans in closer. “Do you know why they asked us to all come over? Bailey never asks last minute.”

I shrug. “No idea.”

Our food is delivered as the rest of the guys join us. Conversation fills the table as we eat, and it hits me how content I am sitting with my friends and enjoying a meal after playing a hockey game. I’ve got my son, my sister, and my best friends, the only thing missing is my person.