Page 12

Chapter Eleven

Jared

My phone lights up for the fifth time in ten minutes, Troy’s name flashing on the screen. Damn it. I tilt my phone to silence it, glancing around the boardroom as I do.

It’s just me and three executives from FlexPro Sports, the lead brand rep mid-sentence about why the Chicago Icebreakers should choose them for the new sponsorship line.

“Right, so imagine this…” he’s saying, a grin stretching over his face. “FlexPro high-performance gear, co-branded with the Icebreakers logo. Jerseys, exclusive training shoes, custom cleats. We want your players wearing FlexPro off the rink too—public workouts, promotional events, the whole package.”

I nod, doing my best to focus. I’ve worked hard to get this deal in the bag, and the terms are solid. FlexPro’s reach, their high-quality gear, and hell, even the numbers alone make it a win.

I feel another buzz in my pocket. Troy again . Jesus, what could possibly be that urgent? I clench my teeth and keep my focus.

I clear my throat. “We’re looking at a six-month exclusivity period, correct?”

The FlexPro rep nods. “Right. Six months to see how it’s performing on both ends. If it’s a hit, we extend.”

I keep my face cool, but inside I’m already seeing the banners, the campaigns, the Icebreakers players decked out in FlexPro. Could be huge for us.

“All right, deal. I’ll have our team draft up the final terms.”

We shake hands, the FlexPro team pleased and practically patting themselves on the back as they pack up. I reach to silence my phone one more time as they leave the room.

It’s over. Finally. I let out a breath and grab my phone, checking the screen. Seven missed calls from Troy.

“What the hell, man,” I mutter to myself, hitting redial. I press the phone to my ear as I head toward the elevator, loosening my tie.

It rings once before Troy picks up. “Jared? Jared, thank God.”

I frown, hearing the panic in his voice. “Hey, man. What’s going on? I’m seeing, what—seven missed calls?”

“Jared, I need you to come to my house. Right now.”

“What?” I stop dead in my tracks. “Slow down. What’s happening?”

Troy takes a deep breath, like he’s about to deliver some life-altering news. “Jared…I just got home and…there’s a baby. Some woman dropped it off with my cook.”

I blink, wondering if I heard him right. “A baby? Whose baby?”

He pauses, and I can practically hear him rubbing his temples. “I think…it’s mine and Jamie’s.”

“What the fuck, Troy?”

“I know, I know, but Jared—you gotta get here now. I don’t know what to do. I’m freaking out. Jamie’s out because he was supposed to pick up the new puppy we’re adopting tonight, and it’s just me, my cook, and…the baby. He’s…he’s really small, man.”

I sigh, already heading for my car. I say the only thing I can think of, “All right, shit. I’ll be there in fifteen. Don’t let him eat anything sharp.”

“Thanks, man.” He sounds shaky, like he’s hanging on by a thread. “Hurry, please.”

I hang up, climb into my car, and peel out of the lot. My mind’s spinning the whole way. Troy? With a kid? We just talked two days ago.

The guy was about to break down over a puppy the other day, worried about how much responsibility a pet was…and now he’s got an actual, live baby to worry about. This can’t be real.

I park and rush to his door, still trying to process this. The door swings open before I even knock, and there she is.

Savannah. Of all people, Savannah’s standing there in tiny shorts and a tank top, cradling a baby in her arms.

“Jared?” Her eyes widen. “What are you doing here?”

I feel the heat rush to my face, caught off guard by…well, everything. “What am I doing here? What the hell are you doing here?”

Troy appears behind her, looking about as panicked as I’ve ever seen him. “Wait—hold on. You two know each other?”

I don’t even know what to say. Savannah, here, with a baby in her arms? I thought I’d put her out of my mind for good, but here she is, looking…well, I’d forgotten how gorgeous she is. Now’s not the time, Jared.

I clear my throat. “It’s a long story,” I mutter, not taking my eyes off Savannah. “We’ll get to it later. Now…Troy, can you please explain what the hell is going on? Start from the top.”

He rubs his face, looking more wrecked by the second. “All right. I got home and…my cook tells me a baby was dropped off on my doorstep.”

“Savannah is your cook?”

“Yeah. She’ll be here for a few months maybe. Can you focus, Jared?”

I run a hand through my hair. “Sorry. Continue. So, does the baby have a name?”

“Noah. Noah Breaker…” Savannah replies. “There was a note in his belongings.”

“Breaker? As in the team’s name?” I ask.

Troy nods. “She just left him and then took off. Didn’t even leave her name. No explanation. Nothing.”

I shake my head. “And you think it’s yours?”

“I…I don’t know, man.” He looks at the baby, his face a mixture of fear and confusion. “But he looks…like Jamie. I mean, same dark hair, same little nose…”

Savannah steps forward, the baby still cradled in her arms. She gives me a quick, wary glance before focusing back on Troy. “He’s adorable. But I get it; this is…a lot.”

Troy nods, looking helpless. “Yeah. A lot.”

I glance down at the baby, my mind still racing. “And Jamie’s out?”

Troy groans, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. He left, right before…all this.”

“And he doesn’t know?”

“No. I haven’t called him yet. He’ll freak.”

“Right,” I say, barely able to keep up. “So, it’s just… you, Savannah, and this baby?”

He nods, his eyes flicking between me and the baby. “Jared, what the hell do I do?”

Savannah’s holding the baby close, looking far more relaxed than either of us. “Well, for starters, I think you should at least try to calm down. Panicking’s not gonna help.”

He throws her a look. “Easy for you to say—you’re not suddenly a parent.”

She raises an eyebrow, not looking the least bit intimidated. “Look, I may not be, but freaking out isn’t helping. He’s probably hungry or maybe needs his diaper changed. Basic stuff.”

I stifle a laugh. Troy’s staring at her like she’s speaking a foreign language. “You’re saying that like it’s just…normal.”

She shrugs. “I know a little about babies.” She glances back at me. “What about you, Jared? You ever held a baby before?”

I scoff. “I’m usually the one handing them back.”

She rolls her eyes, then looks at Troy. “All right, let’s start with the basics. We need baby formula.”

Troy looks lost. “Formula?”

“Yeah, you know—the stuff babies drink?”

“Uh…” He frowns, glancing at me as if I might have the answer. “I don’t know…should we order some?”

Savannah sighs, and I can tell she’s barely holding back a laugh. “Yes, that’s probably a good idea. And you might want to pick up some diapers, too. Like, now.”

I chuckle, shaking my head at the absurdity of this. “All right, let’s divide and conquer. Troy, why don’t you go pick up the essentials? We’ll keep an eye on…uh, what’s his name, again?”

“Noah,” they reply in unison.

“Okay…Noah. Savannah, do you think you can write down a list of everything Troy needs to get at the store? List anything you think Noah may need,” I tell her.

“Perfect. One of you is going to need to hold him, though,” she says.

Troy shakes his head vehemently. “No way. He is so small. I feel like I could drop him.”

Savannah turns her attention to me. I can feel myself sweating as I settle on the couch and then she is bending over and placing the little bundle in my arms. Noah stretches his little arms and then settles back against my chest, his eyes fluttering closed.

He is such an adorable sight.

Savannah heads to the kitchen to come up with the list, and that is when I turn my attention back to Troy. “So, man…any idea who the mother is?”

He wraps his hand behind his neck and squeezes. “No. The fact that the letter left was addressed to me and Jamie could mean that she’s one of the girls we have shared.”

I nod. “Do you think you could come up with a list?”

He shakes his head. “I think Jamie would be better equipped to know their names. They are mostly puck bunnies we pick up after games. Jesus,” Troy rubs his eyes furiously. “Jamie is going to freak out.”

“He really has no idea?”

“Nope. I was waiting on a puppy from Chase, so I asked him to go pick him up from the clinic.”

“I think it is better if we tell him when he gets here,” I say, stroking the baby’s soft hair. “So, have you told her about your little threesomes?” I ask, nodding towards the kitchen.

He shakes his head again. “But I think she is going to figure it out soon enough. Do you think we also need a DNA test?”

“That’s probably wise. We do need the baby to be taken care of tonight. Then maybe we can discuss it better tomorrow after the whole situation calms down,” I tell him. “Seeing as the woman decided to drop the kid here and bolt, I’m hoping that means that she’s not going to run to the media and talk…or worse, start selling the story for money.”

Troy collapses beside me, worry evident on his face. “Do you really think they would do that?”

I look down at Noah and say honestly, “You and Jamie are well-paid athletes. I could go into a whole rant about how you should be using protection to avoid such cases, but seeing as the baby is already here, it is way too late for all that I told you so nonsense. Just breathe. We will figure something out. Okay?”

Troy stares at the baby before nodding. “He’s such a handsome baby.”

“He is,” I repeat.

Just then, Savannah walks back from the kitchen. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and she has a pen between her teeth. She’s a fucking smoke show.

“List is done,” she says, passing it over to Troy. “We will need diapers, formula, a crib. Just the necessities. I think we will also need to take him to the hospital so we can figure out if he has allergies or something, so I can avoid all those triggers.”

I love how she has taken charge of the situation. This is a far cry from the girl who panics over turbulence on a plane or gets scared when the Uber driver forgets to use their turn signal.

“Okay,” Troy tells her.

“You’re in good hands,” I reassure him.

He glances at me pleadingly. “You’re staying, right?”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I’m staying. Now go. We’ll keep an eye on— Noah .”

Savannah leans in and takes the baby back in her arms, cooing softly at him.

Troy hesitates, but finally heads out, looking like he’s walking onto a battlefield.

The second he’s gone, the tension between me and Savannah settles thick in the air. She’s bouncing the baby lightly, not looking at me. I lean against the couch, folding my arms.

“So,” I say, unable to hold back a smirk. “This is…unexpected.”

She glances up, finally meeting my eyes. “You can say that again.”

There’s an awkward silence, but I can’t stop looking at her. Damn, she’s even more stunning than I remember. But that’s beside the point. I clear my throat, trying to keep it professional.

“So…what are you doing here?” I ask.

“Well, I found out that Chicago has con men...and women. I was scammed out of a place to live, but the woman I was interviewing for, Millie, told me about Troy, and somehow she got me a job as his live-in cook. We are still on a trial basis, though.”

“Interviewing? Millie? You mean Millie Taylor?”

She nods. “We went to high school together. How do you know Millie?”

“Long story. Millie is my sister Jade’s best friend. She’s also married to Declan and Finn who play on the team that I’m a lawyer for.”

“The Chicago Icebreakers?” she says excitedly.

“Yeah. And her other husband, Chase, he’s the vet Jamie is going to get the dog from.”

She swipes her tongue to lick at the corner of her mouth, and I hate how I feel that motion straight to my cock. “Huh. Small world.”

“Small world indeed,” I reply, remembering how good she had felt beneath me that night. What were the chances that this was how I was going to meet the woman of my dreams again?

“So, you’re actually a lawyer?” she says.

I nod. “And you’re actually a chef?”

She smirks at me. She opens her mouth to say something, but that’s when Noah burps and throws up all over her.