Page 169 of Power Play Rivals

“No! No! Fuck no! Dont you fucking say what I think you’re about to say!” He points a threatening finger at me.

“Caleb,” Piper sobs softly, grabbing hold of his hand.

“No… fuck no… don’t say it,” he starts to wail. “Fuck, Piper, don’t say it!”

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

I watch from the sidelines as Caleb’s whole world collapses on top of him while my protective woman holds onto him for dear life.

Piper was right.

After today, none of us will ever be the same again.

Chapter 30

Piper

Two months later.

“Okay, old man. You’re all packed and ready to go on your Texan adventure!” Trent teases Rex after he tapes the last box containing Rex’s most treasured possessions.

“Good job, son,” Rex pats Trent on the back proudly. “It only took you two weeks to do it, too. You had me worried that you didn’t want to see me go there for a second.”

“You’re the cheapskate that didn’t want to hire movers to do this for you,” Trent counters.

“Why would I when you got two perfectly good hands for the job?”

I just stand back and watch them bicker at each other, knowing it comes from a place of love. There’s no denying that the pair of men will miss each other immensely after Rex moves back to Texas, but neither one of them wants to be the first to admit it.

I’ve come to actually enjoy watching Trent and Rex’s little dance of avoiding talking about their feelings, trying to be all alpha and macho about it. But I think that Rex is right in thinking Trent took longer than needed to help him pack his things so he could delay Rex’s departure a little longer. I’m positive that the only reason Rex didn’t hire professional movers was because he wanted to spend as much time as he could with Trent, too.

Though Trent may have lost touch with his own father due to addiction, he gained one when Rex signed him as GM for the Guardians. And vice versa. Rex might have never had children of his own, but there’s no question in my mind that he loves Trent as his own flesh and blood.

Family is funny like that.

Sometimes, your strongest bonds are with the family you make along the way, instead of the one you were born into.

“At this rate, you’ll want me to fly to Texas to help you set everything up at the ranch, too, you cheapskate.”

“Well, now that you mention it…” Rex chuckles.

“Can you believe this old man, Piper? He just sold the club for nearly one-point-five billion dollars, and he’s still too cheap to hire help?” Trent laughs.

“Actually, I gave one billion away,” Rex shrugs shyly. “I promised Martha that I would take care of her charities, so I honored my promise.”

“You’re a good man, Rex. Martha would be proud,” I praise, giving his arm a little hug.

“You’re a sweet kid.” He pats my hand. “Thank God you came along when you did. I don’t think I could have left Trent to his own devices any other way. At least now I know you’ll be looking after him and making sure he stays out of trouble,” he adds, starting to get misty-eyed as he looks at a saddened Trent.

“Now, enough of that, you two,” I taunt. “You don’t want to waste your last few days together whimpering away.”

Trent clears his throat simultaneously with Rex, both squaring their shoulders as if they could bottle up their feelings like that.

“If you were really serious about needing some help at the ranch, I do have some time off before the team enters the playoff tournament for the Stanley Cup,” Trent says, kicking the air at his feet.

It’s true.

Against all odds, the Boston Guardians are a shoo-in for the playoffs since we’re the top team in the Eastern Conference. Even without our beloved captain and goalie, we’re expected to win the conference in the next few weeks. We have Nathan to thank for that, as he stepped into Jack’s shoes, albeit reluctantly, and led the rest of the players to a well-earned victory. Though if there was ever a year we needed a win, it’s this one.

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