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September

“ U nwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield plays over the locker room speakers, and I can’t help the smile that steals my face as I think about my author sitting at home working on the rest of her unwritten novel.

Today is Dakota’s birthday, and I wanted nothing more than to skip our practice this morning so I could spend the whole day with her, but she refused to let me skip, which is probably for the best because I would’ve got my ass reamed by our captain and our newest alternate captain, Griff.

Speaking of the fucker, I turn to the locker stall beside me where he’s using his elbow pad as a makeshift microphone as he scream-sings the lyrics.

“You’re so off-key it’s actually pathetic,” I tease him.

“Oh fuck right off with that nonsense, Carsey. Let’s have the expert weigh in. I’m pretty good, right Jax?” Griff asks.

“Yeah. I bet your wife tells you you’re the next John Legend. Maybe you should sign up for America’s Got Talent ,” Jax suggests sarcastically.

For some reason, a dopey smile lights up Griff’s face. “I love hearing Kenna referred to as my wife. But the two of you both suck,” he says as he points to me and Jax.

Always the first on the ice and the last one off, Bennett walks into the locker room and turns off the music, and a hush falls over the room. The respect he commands is impressive and admirable as hell.

“We had a good practice this morning, fellas. Everyone worked their asses off. Let’s carry that momentum into our first preseason game tomorrow night.” The locker room erupts with our teammates clapping and hollering in agreement.

“Don’t forget the cookout at my place this evening. You’re all welcome to bring your families and significant others. It’s a good opportunity for everyone to get to know one another a bit more,” Bennett tacks on.

“What about the rocket I brought home last night that probably hasn’t left my bed yet?” our teammate, Pacer, asks.

Bennett shakes his head at one of our team’s playboys. “Let’s keep it to plus ones that you know the last names of, yeah?”

“You got it, Cap,” Pacer replies.

Starting the music back up, Benny goes to take a seat at his locker stall to strip out of his equipment. He’s been even more intense during this preseason training than he was last year, if that’s even possible. I wonder if it’s everything that went down with Carlisle’s daughter that has him so worked up.

I’m brought out of my thought spiral when Jax asks, “So, are you bringing Super Nanny to the cookout?”

“If you’re asking if I’m bringing my girlfriend, who now shares a home with me, to the team cookout on her birthday, the answer would be hell-fucking-yes.”

“You’re so fucking smug, slipping the fact that she’s officially moved in with you into your answer like that,” Jax quirks. “But I’m glad Dakota is coming tonight. She’s not going to want to miss the little team competition I have planned.”

“And what would that be?” Griff asks.

“A food-eating competition,” Jax answers with a sly smirk.

“Fuck that. Why would we get ourselves sick the night before a preseason game?” Griff questions.

“Let’s just say it won’t be your conventional food-eating competition,” Jax retorts.

Not willing to miss another minute more of Dakota’s birthday than I need to, I hang up the rest of my gear and rush through my shower so I can get home to my birthday girl.

“Happy birthday, Austen!” I shout as I walk into our house with her birthday surprise clinging to my chest.

“Thank—Carson, what is that?” she questions, staring at me wide-eyed.

“It’s our baby,” I inform her.

“Carson, that is not a baby,” she protests.

“You’re right. He’s our fur baby,” I correct myself.

“He looks like a lynx—he’s huge!” she exclaims.

“Takes after his dad that way,” I coo down at the little guy. “Don’t you, buddy? He’s a Maine Coon cat. A total badass, isn’t he?”

“Carson Warren Wilder, you cannot just bring home a cat and expect me not to have questions. Did you—” She cuts off, holding her hand to her forehead. “Did you steal him?”

I scoff at that. “Steal him? Dakota, do I look like I could steal anything? I saved him. He’s a rescue. We’re giving him a second chance. So what should we name him, Mama?”

Her face softens when I call her that, and I can see she’s about to crack from the puppy dog eyes I’m giving her.

“You crazy man. You’re not supposed to just bring home pets without discussing it with me first.” Her weak attempt to scold me is cute.

“We did talk about it. In Italy, remember?” I remind her.

“I don’t think I’d count that as agreeing to get a pet. We were talking about them in the future sense. You know, kind of like how we also talked about marriage, babies, and everything else.”

I bite my lip seductively, waggling my eyebrows at her. “Don’t tempt me, Austen. I’ll knock your sweet ass up right this minute.”

She nearly chokes on air at my suggestion. “Carson, oh my god!” she guffaws in exasperation.

“What?” I scoff as if she’s the one talking crazy. Looking down at our nameless fur babe, I point at him before finding her gaze on us. “I think our little guy is already getting lonely. We should consider siblings for him in the near future.”

“Not. Happening,” she grumbles.

“Alright . . . putting a pin in that for now. Got it. But, we do need to choose a name for our first baby, and I’m already feeling the pressure. It’s got to have a name that I can make nicknames out of that he’ll understand. You know that’s my love language. And this little guy needs all the love he can get. Can you believe someone left him in a dumpster?”

As if she is only now realizing I have a cat clinging to my chest, she approaches me and gives the big guy a kiss on his head.

“Hi there, handsome. Welcome home,” she coos.

Fucking hell. Watching her take a liking to a pet should not be a turn on or something to get jealous over, but I find myself feeling both of those things at the moment.

“What about Sirius? I know you love Harry Potter so much,” she suggests.

“Nah, Sirius was a black dog. What about Shadow?” I ask.

“That could work, but then what would his nickname be?”

“Good point. Hmm . . . what about Midnight and we can nickname him Night.”

“Is this an homage to Taylor Swift or because he’s a black cat?” she questions.

“Can’t it be both? I’m still not over that ‘Lavender Haze’ you put me under in Italy.”

“ Midnights is a great album. What do you think, buddy?” she asks the cat and looks at him as if he can understand her question. When he purrs at her, she takes that as his approval. “Midnight it is!” she exclaims, and when she does, her Texas drawl comes out just a bit more than usual.

“I love when I get to hear that Southern twang make an appearance. Now that we’re official, when are you going to take me home? I’ve got a bit of a break around Thanksgiving if you want to go back together.”

Dakota’s cheeks burn an adorable shade of pink at my suggestion. “I’d love that, Golden Boy,” she says as she grabs Midnight out of my arms. “Do you want the grand tour of your new home, Midnight?” She takes off around the house, showing our little guy his new home.

When we get to our bedroom, I cut her off. “This room is off-limits to you, Midnight. Daddy gets Mama all to himself when we’re in here.”

My remark makes Dakota start laughing so hard she snorts. “Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize I was living with someone so delusional.”

“If by delusional you meant deliriously in love with you, then yeah,” I say as I pull her in for a kiss on her forehead, which earns me a meow from Midnight.

“Carson, you can’t expect him to sleep all on his lonesome. Besides, he’s got to be my snuggle bud while his daddy is on the road,” she points out while he nuzzles into the crook of her neck. My cock springs to attention hearing her call me that.

“I’m not so sure I like how much he’s taken a liking to you already,” I point out. Looking down at Midnight I say, “We talked about this on the way home. We’ve got rules. Number one, I’m your favorite. Number two, no cock blocking, which means no sleeping in the same room while Daddy is home.” I waggle my brows at Dakota, giving her a wink when I catch her biting down on her bottom lip.

“You didn’t stand a chance being his favorite and you knew it, so I suppose your rules were just for fun.”

“If you want him to sleep in here, fine. I can never say no to you, Dream Girl.”

A blinding smile takes over her face as she kisses Midnight’s head before setting him down. She links her arms around my neck and I lift her up, wrapping her legs around my waist and kissing her deeply.

When she breaks the kiss, she says, “Thank you for the best birthday surprise. I love him already.”

“Well I’m glad you loved your first birthday surprise, because I’m a bit nervous about the second one,” I admit.

“Carson, our little guy is more than enough.”

I scoff at that. “Getting him was as much of a present for me as it was for you. Now that I think about it, the second one is sort of a gift for me too,” I tell her. And it totally is. She might kill me for it, but I wanted peace of mind that when I’m on the road, she’s not only safe in our home, but safe on the road too.

So when I guide her out the front door into the driveway, I’m not surprised to find her speechless as she stares at the white SUV with black rims that matches my truck.

“Surprise,” I singsong as I do jazz hands like an idiot. To add to my pathetic attempt to use humor to mask her fury, I continue in a Bob Barker voice. “For your twenty-ninth birthday, you get a brand new carrrr! This Acura MDX received the highest safety ranking two years in a row. While you’re driving this vehicle, you won’t find yourself spinning out on slick roads or getting stuck in a ditch in the dead of winter while your boyfriend is on the road.”

“Carson, I love how caring and thoughtful you are, but I can’t accept this gift,” Dakota says exasperatedly.

“Well, it’s a no-backsies gift from your brother and I. We both decided we’ll play better while I’m on the road knowing you’re driving a safe and reliable vehicle.”

“How dare you say Carol isn’t reliable. She’s been with me for over a decade—if that isn’t commitment, I don’t know what is.”

“And Carol can stay in the garage, where she belongs. She can be your summer car,” I suggest.

With her hands on her hips, she huffs out a response I can’t quite make out.

Desperate to have her not be mad at me, I pull out my phone and FaceTime Brody.

“Let me guess, she’s madder than a wet hen,” Brody says when he answers my call.

“I’m not even sure what that means, but yeah, she’s furious with us.”

Turning the phone toward Dakota, I approach her with caution.

“Hey, Dream Girl, look who called to wish his baby sister happy birthday.”

“Brody Garreth Meyer, what in Sam Hill were you thinking? You knew I wouldn’t accept a gift this extravagant.”

“I did, that’s why I told Carse that it should be from the both of us. See, it’s not that extravagant when it’s coming from two professional athletes, who just so happen to love you and want you to be safe.”

“Oh, ho ho. Y’all are good,” she says as she wags her pointer finger between me and the phone screen. “But what you perhaps forgot to remember is that Carol is a perfectly safe car.”

“Come on, Kota Lynn. You aren’t going to blow smoke up our asses with that statement. Accept the car, name it something ridiculous, and go have fun at Carse’s team cookout,” Brody tells her.

Dakota crosses her arms and lets out a huff as she rolls her eyes.

“Is that a ‘thank you so much, big bro’ eye roll?” he questions over the phone.

Sighing in defeat, she says, “It’s a ‘you’re both on my shit list’ eye roll and a reluctant thank you for the far too generous gift.”

I fist pump in the air. “We’ll take it!”

“Happy birthday, Kota. I hope you have the best day. Be sure to send me pics of my nephew later too, would ya?”

“Wait, how do you know about Midnight?” she presses.

Brody chuckles on the other end of the line. “Carse FaceTimed me when he was signing the adoption papers and introduced me to the nameless fella. So his name is Midnight, huh? Seems fitting.”

“He’s the cutest, isn’t he?” I gush as I turn the phone toward me.

Shaking his head at me, Brody responds, “That he is. Alright you two love birds, I’ve gotta get ready for practice.”

“Bye, Brodes,” I call out as Dakota grabs the phone from me.

“Bye, Bubba. Love you so big,” she tells him.

“Love you too, Kota Lynn. Bye now.”

Dakota hands me back my phone and lets out a huge sigh of defeat.

“Please tell me this was the last birthday surprise. I don’t think I can take any more.”

Telling her a teeny white lie, I reassure her that it is.

“Well, I know I didn’t initially say thank you because I was shocked and a bit upset,” she starts and I cut her off.

“Just a bit,” I deadpan.

“You know, I was going to suggest we take my birthday present for a spin while I give you road head to show my appreciation, but now I think I’ve changed my mind.”

My cock twitches in response. “Austen, don’t tease me. I’ve fantasized about getting road head from you hundreds of times since we first rode together in Italy. Why do you think I got the windows tinted?”

That earns me a laugh as she throws her arms around me and peppers kisses across my cheeks and along my jaw.

“We can take her for a spin when we go to Bennett’s house later. For now, let’s go christen the kitchen island. I just finished baking my mama’s famous peach cobbler for the cookout.”

I lift her up bridal style and run back into the house to properly wish her a happy birthday.