Page 80 of Hot Puck
“And you’re okay with keeping it a secret?”
“Yes. But I think we should tell the twins you’re adopting them and Candace, and why. They’re old enough to understand.”
“They are and I agree, if we do that, they should know.”
“Good.” He pushes out of his seat, towers over my desk. “So, you’ll do whatever you need to for us to get married and you to adopt the girls?”
“I can. But don’t you want to do it? Make sure I’m not?—”
A bark of laughter cuts me off. “You’re the most capable and honest woman I’ve ever known, I don’t need to make sure of anything. Just do what needs to be done and tell me what I need to do.”
“I’ll find out and let you know.” He doesn’t need to know I already have the information or that I started the paperwork to make him and the girls my beneficiaries in the event something happens to me. “Are you getting Candace now?”
“No. I’ve got an extra session with Coach Watts and Kallan Larsson.”
“How’s he doing?” Kallan is the youngest member of the team. It’s how he got the nickname Young.
“Good. He’s training well and he’s getting out and exploring his new city. More than most of us actually.”
I study his frown. “Do we need to get out more?”
“Yeah, I think so. The girls should see more than school, the house, and the arena.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“We all enjoyed the day out in New Orleans with Whit the other week. Maybe we could do something like that again? Go somewhere different of course.” He shrugs. “I don’t know, this isn’t my hometown or state.”
“It isn’t mine either, but I can ask Oakley and Cami for suggestions.”
“I know the other guys’ kids are younger than the twins and Whit, but do you think we should organize something for the whole team? Some kind of outing for the guys with their families?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what we should do.” A team family day will help bring everyone together, remind them they aren’t in this alone. “Let me get together with the girls and work something out.”
“I know we’re heading into winter but maybe a barbecue?”
“Oakley could host one…” I say, the idea already taking shape in my head, Pa would love to have the team at his house.
“Not us?”
I have to bite back a sharp no. And he knows it.
“Right. Not us.”
“No one knows we live?—”
“Actually, they do. It’s the Rogues’ worst kept secret. Nobody has questioned me about it. It’s just accepted, and I think it’s because they know you’re helping with the girls. They know we’refriends.”
“Are we?”
“What the fuck, Gem?” His spine has straightened, and his fists are clenched at his sides.
“I don’t know. I’ve never had guy friends. Until Oakley and Blake got married, it was always just us four girls. Occasionally Blake’s brothers, but those times were less and less as Rogue sportswear took off.”
“Okay, but what do you think we are if not friends?”
I can see he genuinely wants to know what I think, but I don’t have an answer for him. In a few days, a week at most, he’ll be my husband. He’s already my partner in parenting his sisters. We share a house, so roommates?
Except I’m also his boss. He’s my employee. I might not tell him what to do day to day but I’m still in charge of the team he plays for. As GM and owner.
