Page 169 of Make the Play

The coffee has gone cold in the living room, and the city outside slowly wakes up. But here, inside this steamy shower, in this quiet condo with its rumpled sheets and unfinished confessions, everything feels exactly where it’s supposed to be.

Chapter thirty-two

We just witnessed a legally binding marriage and a prelude to murder

Zoe

The Storm might play like a team, but they brunch like a circus.

Jake and Charlie’s house is packed. There are too many hockey players in one kitchen, too many children underfoot, and baby Theo, barely a month old and dead asleep in Charlie’s arms as if this chaos doesn’t faze him.

I’m sitting sideways in Chase’s lap, legs draped over his, his arms looped around my waist. He keeps sneaking kisses to my shoulder like no one’s watching, but everyone is.

It’s just that no one cares, and I love that. I don’t have to be mindful of pretending I’m faking it too much, because they all think it’s real. No one’s going to rat us out to Pulse or Stormfor being too affectionate, because as far as they’re aware—apart from Charlie, of course—we’re completely legit. Which is both a blessing and a curse.

“Okay, but who the hell made this?” Logan holds up a slice of French toast with the awe of a man who’s never cooked in his life. “I wanna marry it.”

“I did,” Ryan says, smug as hell. “Ten outta ten, no notes.”

“That’s a lie,” Claire says, sipping her coffee. “You forgot the nutmeg again.”

“It’s brunch, babe,” Ryan says. “NotMasterChef.”

“Still,” Claire shrugs. “Nutmeg.”

“Just let me haveone win.”

“You did,” Reid says, deadpan. “You locked her down before she realized she could do better.”

Laughter rolls down the table, and Jake gestures with his fork. “Logan can’t marry the toast anyway. Meadow already proposed to him this morning.”

“She also tried to marry the blender,” Charlie adds, bouncing Theo on her shoulder. “She’s been super into wedding stuff since Jake proposed.”

As if summoned by the scent of chaos itself, Meadow suddenly appears. Curls askew, one sock half-on, dragging a sparkly tulle scarf behind her. She marches right up to Logan and plunks a plastic tiara on the table in front of him.

“Logan,” she announces. “We need to do the wedding.”

He blinks down at her. “The wedding?”

“Yeah, me and you and Lulu,” she replies, like it’s obvious.

“Uh…” Logan glances helplessly around. “Right. So I’m marryingyouand Lulu’s… what, the celebrant?”

“No,” Meadow says, exasperated. “You’re marryingLulu.I’m the sparkle boss.”

The entire table starts chuckling, and Reid seems to choke on his cinnamon roll. Eli is frozen mid-chew, staring at Meadow like she just set fire to the Stanley Cup.

I breathe out a laugh, feeling Chase’s grin on my neck. “Oh, this is gonna begood.”

Lulu, to her credit, leans her chin on her hand and smiles at Logan beside her, playing along. “Wow,” she says. “Didn’t even have to buy me a drink first.”

“I—what—no—” Logan’s ears go pink. “I’m not—I thought—”

Meadow interrupts, fully committed to the bit. “You guysmatch,” she explains. “You’re tall, and she’s pretty. It’s perfect!”

Charlie has to turn her face away to stop laughing as Meadow tries to stuff the tiara into Logan’s hair and then darts out of the room for more props.

Lulu doesn’t flinch. “Careful, don’t mess up your perfect side part.”

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