Page 33 of Second-Rate Superstar
“If I know him, he’s giving them free tickets, too.” Natalie smiled.
What?
“Of course he is,” the nurse replied. “Didn’t you know having a baby on the same day makes them all best bros for life?”
The women laughed, and I was more confused than ever. Had I stepped into a parallel universe when I crossed the hospital threshold?
The nurse turned her uniquely pale green eyes on us, and they sparkled with recognition. “Hey! I know you!”
Stunned, I stared at the woman, having never seen her before in my life.
Braxton spoke beside me, “Hey, Liv.” Amusement colored his tone. “Have a fun day?”
Liv’s heavy exhale blew flyaways from her face. “Busy, that’s for sure. I didn’t wake up today thinking I’d be in the room for both Amy and Natalie when they delivered.”
With his hands full, Braxton tilted his head to the nurse, explaining, “Liv is Benji’s, one of our teammates, partner. If you haven’t guessed, it’s a tight-knit group.”
This woman was married to a hockey player?
She was pretty, but her pear shape was a stark contrast to the model-thin ladies you expected athletes to go for. My mom had put on some weightafter I was born, and I wondered if that was part of the reason my father had searched for alternative companionship.
Not only did Liv not look the part, but she was working? My brain was working overtime, trying to process how this brief glimpse into players’ private lives contradicted everything I knew about professional athletes.
Liv smiled at us, gesturing a hand. “So, how long have you two been together?”
I sputtered, “Oh . . . No, we’re not—”
Braxton cut me off. “We’re friends.”
Cheeks flushing, Liv smacked her forehead. “There I go again, putting my foot in my mouth. Seems to be all I can do lately. Sorry about that. You were wearing Braxton’s number on your sweatshirt, and I just assumed.”
Glancing down, I realized I was still wearing the hoodie Braxton had bought me at the rink. And damn, if it weren’t the softest material I’d ever felt against my skin.
“I’m helping Dakota with some research for her book,” Braxton told her. “We were at the rink when Jaxon texted about Max.”
Natalie’s brown eyes lit up. “You write books?”
I dropped my gaze to the floor. “Yeah.”
“Anything I might have read? Iloveto read.”
Peering up, I shook my head. “Probably not.”
Braxton explained, “This new one is about hockey. Or has hockey players in it? Either way, Dakota doesn’t know much about the sport, so I’m helping her out with the logistics.”
Liv and Natalie looked at each other, their lips turning up, and I could tell they knewexactlywhat kind of book I was writing.
“Hockey in fiction is all the rage right now,” Natalie mused with a smirk.
Braxton gawked at her. “Why? I still don’t get it!”
Laughter from the two women filled the air, and I couldn’t help but join in. Poor Braxton had no idea he was assisting me in objectifying men like him who played his sport. Thankfully, their spouses seemed to have a sense of humor about it.
“Is this some kind of girl-code thing?” he asked me.
I shrugged. “Something like that.”
Shaking his head, mischief slid over his features. “Challenge accepted. I’m going to figure it out.”
