Page 35 of Man Advantage

In fact, why was he here? He wasn’t due to get the boys back until?—

Ooh. Right. He was here because he was banging one of Trev’s teammates.

Not an awkward state of affairs. Not at all.

As Bryan settled on the bench beside Zane, Zach came around and sat on his dad’s other side. I didn’t mind. I wasthe nanny. I would never begrudge either of them wanting to sit near one of their dads. Not even if Dad Bwasa complete douchewaffle in dire need of a visit from the Decent Personality Fairy.

My own catty thought amused me, and I pressed my lips together to suppress a laugh.

As the crowd on the ice thickened, Trev broke away, skating toward where we were sitting. When he held up a couple of pucks, the boys jumped to their feet and hurried down to the glass.

God, if there was one thing more beautiful than grownup Trev in hockey mode, it was Trev in Dad mode. The way his face lit up as he tossed pucks over to his sons was the sweetest thing ever.

Zach and Zane triumphantly held up their pucks, and Trev just smiled and smiled, fist-bumping them through the scuffed-up glass.

He was just about to skate away when another player came up and skidded to halt beside him. Trev turned, and the instant they made eye contact…

Holy shit. His expression went so dark so fast, it was like half the rink’s lights had blinked out.

My heart jumped into my throat. What the fuck?

Oblivious to Trev’s reaction, the other player tapped a stick—no, two sticks—against the glass. I hadn’t realized until that moment that he was carrying two.

Both boys bounced excitedly, and they squealed with delight as the guy carefully put the sticks over the ice. Bryan rose and helped them catch the handles so they didn’t get hit in the face or something. Then he and the other player exchanged smiles, the player tapped the glass with the back of his glove before he and Trev headed back toward their teammates, who were now gathering in front of a whiteboard.

As soon as the guy’s back was turned, I understood.

Across his shoulders:Chatsworth.

So that was Chats. Trev’s teammate and Bryan’s boyfriend.

And now he was trying to one-up Trev with the twins?

My dude, that islow.

The boys sat down again, each clutching a puck and a stick. Bryan was smiling like the dickbag he was, somehow managing to combine fatherly warmth with ex-husbandly smugness.

I could not roll my eyes hard enough.

I did at least turn away when I rolled them, though. Bryan was just conniving and petty enough to decide I was copping an attitude—uh-huh, guilty—and use that to convince a judge I wasn’t fit to take care of his sons.

Ugh. And Trev had beenmarriedto that piece of work? Fuckingwhy, man?

Okay, I was one to talk, given the years I’d pissed away partnered with Daniel. At least we’d never had kids together. Yikes. We’d talked about adopting but had never pulled the trigger, and thank Christ for that. Daniel probably would’ve found ways to be a worse co-parent than Bryan.

Bullet dodged.

Maybe I should’ve been grateful Trev hadn’t dodged that bullet. After all, even with all the hassles Bryan brought and kept in his world, I couldn’t imagine he’d trade his twins for anything.

And if Trev and Bryan hadn’t adopted the boys…

If they hadn’t had a messy divorce…

If Bryan hadn’t given Trev a bullshit ultimatum…

I’d still be living with my mom, unemployed and without Trev back in my life.

I guess every cloud—even a shitty-ex-husband-shaped one—really did have a silver lining.

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