Page 30 of Unrivaled Love (D.C. Renegades #2)

Bryson

A Drive to the Vet

Seeing my teammates this morning was not on my bingo card. It wasn't even remotely a possibility as I followed Jo down the trail back to the house.

The plan was to come back, freshen up, and then walk to town so we could eat a real meal, hopefully charge our phones, and then call our families for help.

Before what we have is spoiled by the pressures of the outside world, I hoped to talk to her about what we could be, what was possible for us, how we would handle the overlap in our season and manage the distance.

Whatever started between us here is not going to end. I refuse to let it.

I'm a determined mother fucker.

"Why are you here?" I ask Felix as he finally releases me from a bear hug.

"We lost contact. You were MIA. So Operation Boba Tea commenced."

"How'd you even find the house?"

"Harper looked it up for us in the sales records."

"That's actually pretty smart." Jo says over Felix's shoulder and I see the moment he realizes he has ignored her flash across his face.

"Miss Hamilton, apologies for not introducing myself earlier," he decides to lay his French Canadian accent on a little thicker here. "I am Felix Fournier, captain of the D.C. Renegades Hockey Club. It is a pleasure to meet you. "

Jo's eyebrows have disbelief written all over them, like they're saying who is this guy and he's your captain all at once.

I’ll be the first to admit he's a little goofy but in the end he has the team and each man's best interests in mind and I couldn’t ask for a better captain.

"Hi Felix, you can call me Jo." She says as she extends her hand for a shake. Felix takes it and turns it to plant a kiss on the back of her hand. Jo’s eyes shoot to me and I have to bite back a laugh.

Slowly the others make their way to us. I greet them and introduce Jo and we make our way to the house.

Harper hands me the key and we all step inside.

"Since you guys have a couple of cars do you mind driving us to town?" I ask as we gather around the island.

"We can, but we also need to get you to Grand Junction today. The parade is tomorrow."

Shit, I completely forgot. I lost track of the days and let myself be consumed by Jo and being with her. A tightness builds in my chest at the idea of sitting on the back of some convertible holding The Stanley Cup up for the world to see. All eyes on me.

Jo studies my face which tells me my apprehension is showing and I work to school my features into the confident championship winning forward that I am. The fans don’t know the pressure on my shoulders to somehow surpass my performance last year. To beat myself.

"Well, pack up and let's get going!" Duncan claps and everyone shuffles around.

Jo heads downstairs and I head to my room to gather my things. She gives me a smile over her shoulder as she goes and already I hate leaving our bubble.

Reality came crashing down quickly and I'm not sure I'm ready to go back.

** *

The drive to Grand Junction feels like a funeral march.

Jo and I are in the backseat behind Harper and Aiden.

What started with a painful hour and a half of small talk about how beautiful Colorado is, how much Aiden would love to bike these switchbacks, and what Harper loved about Europe, turned into companionable silence.

Now in the quiet my thoughts wander to the parade and my mood sours with each mile we drive.

Jo smacks my thigh with the back of her hand so I snap my gaze to her instead of out the window.

“Ow. What the hell was that for?”

“You look like you’re being driven to the vet.”

“You do kind of have a sad puppy look today Bryson.” Harper says from the driver’s seat.

“I’m fine.” I mutter.

Jo laughs and rolls her eyes. “You’re being such a girl right now!”

“You clearly aren’t fine.” Harper adds and I don’t love being ganged up on here. Aiden just hides a smile behind his hand. Great, so they’re all laughing at me.

“Whatever.” I huff as I cross my arms and turn towards the window again.

“Are you being moody because your little sex-cation was cut short?” Harper asks.

Yes. But I’m not dignifying her teasing with an answer.

“Or is it that you had to be rescued like a damsel in distress?” Jo asks.

“You had to be rescued too.” I remind her and give her a look over my non-existent glasses .

“You’re right.” Ha! “But it wasn’t by my teammates and I wasn’t in my underwear.”

I narrow my eyes before turning to look out the window again.

“Are you worried about the parade?” Aiden asks after the girls get their giggles out.

“Why would you be worried about the parade?” Harper piles on.

I can feel Jo shift beside me and I think maybe she’s trying to hold my hand. I’m not having it. They’re staying firmly crossed against my chest. The only armor I have to protect my soft spots as this conversation turns to the real issue at hand because Aiden is a perceptive mother fucker.

“Bry?” Jo asks quietly.

With an audible exhale I turn back to her. “Don’t you ever get sick of the crowds and the attention?”

"Only after a loss." Jo says and I let out a sorry excuse for a laugh.

“I’ve always hated that. But, I dunno, after winning The Cup and being MVP, it was like the expectation of being the best hangs heavy on my shoulders. Like we’re all celebrating but I can’t enjoy it because now I’ve got to figure out how to come back and be just as good if not better next year.”

“You know it’s a team sport, right?” Aiden says as he turns in his seat to look at me.

“Yeah, but I was the guy who scored the goals.”

“Except for the last one.” Harper says with a smile. I know they’re teasing me to try and get me to loosen up. I'm just not in the mood to have my own antics turned on me.

“That was one hell of a goal.” Jo says and she reaches forward to pat Aiden on the shoulder.

“Game recognizes game.” He remarks and I do not like the smile on Jo’s face.

Not one bit .

They can’t gang up on me.

I can’t let their blatant efforts to cheer me up work.

The problem is, being grumpy and standoffish is not my natural state.

And that was a pretty good line from Young Gun.

I bite my tongue to keep from smiling but I can feel my resistance fading.

“It is really difficult to be the best there is, I suppose.” Harper ponders.

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Jo says.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Aiden adds with gravity.

“Shut up.” I grumble. “I know it sounds stupid.”

“It doesn’t,” Jo says and she finally wrangles my hand free. She squeezes it and the skin-to-skin contact is soothing. I’m starting to understand the power of a simple touch from your person. “Your feelings are totally valid and we’re only teasing because we love you.”

“A strong like, but yeah.” Aiden says and I roll my eyes.

“Do you know why I had to leave as soon as you got up to speak at that rally? I told your mom I had to get to practice but,” she pauses and tries to pull her hand away but I tighten my grip.

"I'm a big boy, I can take it."

"No, you’re a big boy and I can take it.

" She jokes and I resist the urge to ask Harper to pull over and let us out here so I can get her alone in the woods again.

"But, seriously, I saw you up there, celebrating your championship and I was jealous.

Actually sick with envy. I hated that you got the championship before I did. I hated that you won the rivalry."

“What rivalry?” I ask.

“The one I kept in my head all these years.”

“I never wanted to be your rival Jo. I was always in your corner. Always supporting you. Even when you wouldn’t let me.”

“I know.” She says but she can’t look at me. I want her green eyes on mine so she can see how sincere I am. I lean forward to get into her line of sight but get caught by the seat belt. “Fuck.” I grumble but it works .

Jo turns and her eyes search mine. I do everything I can to convey how with her I am.

Up in the front seat Aiden and Harper have linked their fingers together and are quietly giving us the space we need to have this conversation.

Thank goodness he’s such a perceptive mother fucker.

“We’ll figure it out.” I tell her.

“We will.” Jo smiles and then clears her throat. “Right after I get some new clothes.”

“What’s wrong with spending the rest of the week in my clothes?”

“Bryson, let the girl go shopping.” Harper says.

“Oh, I plan to.” I say with a wide smile on my face.