by Toni Aleo
Bending down, Benji helped Lucy up as she grumbled, “I told you I suck at this.”
“Come on,” he said laughing, kissing her cheek before they skated together. He was patient and sweet, encouraging her. But she could see it in his eyes, he found this hilarious. As they skated, his big hands holding her, she decided she was okay with not being good. It meant he had to hold her, and she liked that a lot. Leaning into him as cheerful Christmas music played in the arena and children’s laughter was at every turn, Lucy couldn’t be happier.
But the nerves were back full force when he stopped where a group of women stood by the bench Baylor was sitting on. Lucy held on to the side as all the ladies looked over, their faces brightening as they called Benji’s name.
For a guy who claimed he wasn’t a ladies’ man, these Assassins wives sure did love her boyfriend.
And she would not be jealous of that.
Nope.
Okay, she was.
A little.
Just a smidge.
Elli Adler beamed. “Well, aren’t you two just absolutely adorable!”
Lucy smiled as she looked up at Benji, who was just grinning like a fool. “He is, isn’t he?”
“Wait? Are you two together?” one of the ladies asked. Lucy was pretty sure it was Piper Titov, Reese’s twin sister, who was Jude’s wife’s Claire’s aunt.
Wow, mouthful there.
“Yeah, Piper, we are,” he said, cuddling her closer as Piper squealed.
“About damn time!” she decided, smacking the boards. “Though, now I worry you won’t come cook for us.”
Benji laughed as Lucy smiled and offered, “You guys will have to come over for dinner, then.”
Hey, she was doing well! Go, Lucy, go!
Piper loved that as she nodded. “We would love to! Is that your darling girl, the one with my daughter, Katarina?”
Lucy looked out where Angie was on her knees, playing with a sweet little girl who had a spurt of hair on top of her head. “I think so.”
“Well, isn’t she just adorable?”
“Thank you, I was thinking the same of yours.”
Piper beamed as Benji cleared his throat. “Okay, let me introduce you to everyone,” he said, pointing to Elli. “You know, Adler, my boss. You know your sister-in-law. Now, Piper, who is married to Erik Titov. Then we’ve got her sister, Reese, but you know her because of Claire, Jude’s wife?”
Lucy smiled as Reese grinned over at her. “We do.”
“Okay, cool, then we have Audrey. You just met her—”
“And I love her,” Audrey decided, which made everyone laugh.
Lucy grinned as Benji nodded. “And then we have my boy Karson King’s wife, Lacey. She’s the one who owns the lingerie store, y’know, for breast cancer survivors?”
Lucy met Lacey’s gaze and nodded. “Yes, I love your work.”
“Well, I love your design for Reese’s house. I need your number for some changes to our house,” she said, moving her blond hair off her shoulders before rubbing her belly. She must have been pregnant, though, she didn’t look it. “Sorry, I’m queasy today. Found out we’re expecting.”
“Oh, congratulations!”
“Thanks,” she beamed as her lips quirked. “You have a lot of catching up to do once y’all marry and start. We average about three kids a family.”
“You guys are also insane,” Lucy said simply, and that had everyone chortling as Benji grinned. She wasn’t joking, but they had to be—not only for the number of kids, but hadn’t they just met her? How did they know she wanted kids and marriage with Benji?
“She’s funny, right?” he teased, skating over to a very tall and very muscular woman who was holding a baby on her hip. “Anyway, this is Kacey, my boy and roommate on the road, Jordie’s, wife and her little nugget, Ella. Let me see her,” he said, taking her and kissing her loudly on the cheek, which made her giggle adorably as all the women grinned back at him. “These are the core Assassins wives who run shit and the woman in charge of it all.”
“Basically,” Reese laughed as everyone agreed.
When Benji skated off, Lucy wanted to chase him, but knew she wouldn’t get far as Kacey said, “I guess I’m not getting my baby back.”
“Probably not,” Baylor replied as Benji skated.
“He just loves kids,” Piper added while everyone watched him. He was great, skating with Ella before handing her off to the really big mountain man she knew to be Jordie Thomas and then chasing after Angie.
“He does,” she found herself saying, and they all beamed back at her. “What?”
“You know he hasn’t dated anyone since we’ve known him,” Reese said, waggling her brows, and Lucy shrugged.
“I’ve heard.”
“You know that means you’re what he was waiting for,” Elli announced then as Audrey giggled happily beside her.
“For real. Benji always said he was waiting for the one,” Fallon said and Lucy hadn’t even realized she was sitting beside Baylor. “You’re the one.”
Lucy’s lips curved as she shrugged. “I’ve heard that too.”
That made all of them sigh dreamily before they turned to watch the guys skate with the kids. They were all big kids themselves. Shea Adler was riding on Jordie’s back as he raced down the ice against Karson and Lucas. Somehow, though, Benji had passed them with Jayden on his back while Tate watched with baby Ella in his arms, laughing.
Bunch of nuts.
“Good group we got. Great job, boss lady,” Fallon said then and Elli nodded.
“Yeah, I think so,” she said before turning to Baylor. “I need my girl, though. How’re you feeling?”
Baylor looked up and smiled, even though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I don’t know, boss. Not sure I’ll be back. It isn’t official, though.”
Elli looked sad but she nodded. “I know, honey. I hate that for you.”
“We all do,” Fallon said, wrapping her arm around Baylor as her youngest daughter took off out of the bench area. “Crazy ass,” she muttered before chasing after her as some of the ladies laughed.
“Yeah, I’m accepting it,” Baylor said, but Lucy knew she wasn’t. Very slowly, she moved into the bench area and sat beside Baylor, hugging her.
“Well, you’re a hero in my eyes,” she said and Baylor grinned over at her.
“I mean, I lived my dreams. I wish it would have lasted longer, but I think I’m gonna teach some kids, push girls to live their dreams. That they can make it.”
Kacey nodded her head. “Good idea. I mean, you did what I always wanted to do. You’ll always be my hero.”
Baylor’s face reddened as everyone agreed. Lucy hated this for her sister-in-law, but in a way, she was okay with it. Baylor could take it easy, and Jayden wouldn’t worry so much. That dude worried so much about everyone, and Lucy was convinced one day he’d have a heart attack. This was good—it sucked and she hated it—but it was good in the long run.
As they all fell into easy conversation, Lucy’s nerves were gone and she felt at home. Within seconds, she loved all the ladies and all of them wanted her to come over so they could cook for her, Angie, and Benji. It was just so easy. They all accepted her and Angie without a bat of an eye. She hated that she had thought they wouldn’t. That was the Assassins team. They were a family. Benji loved them, so they all loved him.
It was refreshing.
When people started going their separate ways to spend time with their families, Lucy soon found herself sitting alone with Baylor as she talked about the upcoming wedding. “I am sure I’m going to cry my eyes out.”
Lucy chuckled. “God, me too. I never thought I would want my mom to remarry after my dad, but I love River a lot.”
Baylor smiled as she nodded. “I love Autumn, always have, so it will be great.”
“It will,” she agreed as they watched Benji and Jayden play some intense two-on-two against Aiden and Lucas Brooks.
When Baylor cleared her throat, Lucy
looked over to find her looking at her. “I know we aren’t close—”
“What? I love you, Baylor,” Lucy said quickly, but her sister-in-law was right. They weren’t close like she and Avery were, but that was mostly because Baylor was so driven to succeed and Lucy was a bitch. She was too busy trying to not hate life that she had never had time for anyone else.
Baylor waved her off. “No, I know you do. But I mean, we aren’t really close, close, and I want to change that,” she said, looking up as Jayden threw his hands in the air after scoring a goal. “I want you to know that I’ve always loved you, but I really love who you are now. When I first met you, I was honestly scared of you. Jayden and the boys all talked so roughly about you, how you hated everyone. But all I saw was someone who needed to be loved, and Benji is that for you. We are all so happy for you. All Jayden ever wanted was someone to love his sister. You know how he worries like an old lady.”
Lucy smirked, nodding her head. “Yeah.”
“We’re just so happy for you, and I feel like now that I’m retiring and stuff, I want to have a closer relationship with you. I’ve always considered you a sister, Lucy,” she said awkwardly, her lips curving as she sighed. “I’m not good at girls.”
Lucy laughed. Baylor was right; she had been playing and growing up with guys her whole life. She didn’t have many female relationships, and while Lucy really didn’t bother with them either, she would for Baylor. It was easy to see that she needed a friend. “No, it’s fine. And, yeah, I would love to be closer to you. I just adore you.”
“Thanks,” she said, leaning into her. “Can I tell you something? No one knows.”
Lucy’s brow quirked. “Oh, so we are doing this now. Yeah,” she teased and Baylor smiled as Lucy chuckled. “Tell away.”
Looking down, Baylor bit into her lip. “The reason why I’m retiring and everything is not only because I have a bum leg—let’s be honest, I could rehab that and figure out a way to be okay with being just okay—but I found out yesterday that I’m pregnant.”
Lucy’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“I know, crazy, right?”
“But you just had surgery!”
“I know, and I told them I wasn’t pregnant. The chick said she did a pee test and it came up not pregnant. But when they got back my full blood work, they called me in and told me I was.”
“Oh my God, is the baby okay?” Lucy asked, her heart pounding and Baylor shrugged.
“They said they think I’m good. I didn’t actually take any of the meds, ’cause I’m that asshole who doesn’t think they need pain medication. So that’s good. We saw its heartbeat. I haven’t told Jayden yet. I don’t want to disappoint him if I lose it.”
Lucy could only blink. “So this is real life?”
She smiled. “I’m eight weeks.”
“What the fuck? You never knew?”
“My periods have always been wonky, and I thought I was sick from the pain. And even though I only had the surgery meds, it still scares me that they could have affected the baby. But the doctors are going to monitor everything, and they don’t seem too worried. Crazy, right?”
“Um, yeah,” Lucy said, her eyes wide.
“And the thing is, I wasn’t upset when I found out. I always thought I would be mad because it wasn’t something I wanted. But then I love seeing Jayden with Angie and Ashlyn, and I love Angie and Ashlyn. I don’t know, I kinda want this baby no matter what it means for my career. And if for some reason I lose it, I think I want to try again.”
Lucy was completely speechless, but then she was bursting with excitement. “This is happening?”
Baylor smiled. “It is.”
“Then, hell yeah, let’s do it!” Lucy gushed before wrapping her arms around her sister-in-law and hugging her tightly. It was crazy and Lucy prayed that the baby would be healthy, but she knew Baylor and Jayden would be wonderful parents.
“What are you two hugging about?” Jayden asked as he came up against the boards.
Pulling back, Lucy grinned and shook her head. “Nothing.”
Baylor smiled as she looked up at Jayden. “Girl stuff.”
His face contorted in horror. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
As he skated off, they laughed, and Lucy was convinced that life couldn’t get better. Especially when Angie had Benji acting as if they were figure skaters, frolicking around the ice. When he lifted her and she kicked her toes, Lucy shook her head.
Her big and little dorks.
Her family.
“What if he proposes? Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
Lucy leaned into the closest person, Avery, and groaned at her overzealous mother. “Mom, Benji isn’t proposing!”
“But y’all didn’t exchange gifts,” she pointed out as Claire did her makeup. Lucy rolled her eyes.
“Because we are doing it at home tonight with Angie, since you insisted that Santa came to your house,” she said, holding Ashlyn close to her. They had done their Christmas morning celebration that morning and it was wonderful. She loved being with her family, but what made it ten times better was that everyone loved Benji. They treated him just like family, and she couldn’t have been happier. While, yeah, she and Benji hadn’t exchanged gifts, and they were waiting to go home for Angie to open hers from them, she knew he wasn’t proposing.
It just wasn’t time.
Looking down at Ashlyn, she kissed her forehead. She was convinced her little niece was the prettiest baby ever. Such wide eyes and just adorable. She was wearing her little rose-colored flower girl dress with a big, huge, over-the-top rose bow. Both Lucy and Jace had protested the bow, but Avery and her mom loved it. Smiling at her, she decided it was pretty damn cute and popped her nose. “Pretty baby.”
“Because he’s gonna propose!”
Rolling her eyes, Avery grinned over at her, and Lucy shook her head as she took in her sister-in-law. Her hair was styled in a beautiful updo that had pieces falling along her shoulders, and her makeup had been applied by the amazing Claire to be soft and feminine. She was wearing the same rose-colored dress as Angie, Ashlyn, Baylor, and Claire, since her mom wanted everyone to match—except Lucy. Her dress was, in her opinion, way prettier, mostly because she had picked it. Instead of the lace and flowing style the other girls wore, hers was form-fitting with no lace, and it also made her boobs look great. She was sure Benji was going to just eat it up, if her mother would ever let them leave her sight. The woman was driving her bananas today! Angie was lucky to have escaped with Benji and the boys as soon as she was dressed.
“Don’t you think he’s a doll, girls?”
“I do. He’s really nice, Lucy,” Claire said, and Lucy was surprised how much that meant to her.
“I think he’s fantastic,” Avery announced, and Lucy smiled. Avery knew everything that had happened between her and Benji, so to have her finally meet him was really great. She got to see firsthand what Lucy got to see daily. “So really, though, you think he’s proposing?”
Lucy shook her head. “No. I’d know if he was. That dude can’t keep anything from me.”
Baylor smiled, glowing in her dress. It was funny how since Lucy had found out about her pregnancy, she saw her sister-in-law in a new light. Had she always been that glowy? She wasn’t sure, but man, she wanted to tell someone. It was killing her, but she kept her promise. Hadn’t even told Benji.
She felt she deserved cookies or something.
“It would be great if he did, wouldn’t it, Mom? All your kids married and happy,” Baylor said then and her mom beamed.
“Oh, I would be so full of love. Just need Lucy to bite the bullet and get it done.”
Lucy exhaled loudly. “Maybe I don’t want to get married again.”
That had everyone turning to look at her and she rolled her eyes. “God, yes, I want to, but I’m not rushing it! We’ve only been together a little over two months.”
“But it seems like forever. You guys are awesome together,” Bayl
or said and Lucy shot her a look.
“I know, but we aren’t ready.”
“I think you are,” Autumn said then and Lucy leaned back in the couch, Ashlyn cooing against her.
“I’m glad you know what I need, Mom.”
“Anytime.”
Frustrating woman, that Autumn Sinclair soon-to-be Moore was.
“Is he going to come down to Florida with you?”
Lucy nodded, running her finger along Ashlyn’s fat cheeks. “Yeah, unless he gets invited to play in the All-Star Game.”
“Oh, when do those invites go out?”
“The beginning of the month.”
“Fun! Well, hopefully, he can come. It will be nice to hang out.”
Lucy nodded. “I’m sure Jace will get invited.”
“Eh, we’ll see,” Avery said with a fond little grin on her face. She always got that look on her face when it came to Jace. “Any word from Rick? Has he called Angie for Christmas?”
Lucy let out a long breath and shook her head. “Nope, and what upsets me the most is that Angie hasn’t even asked. I mean, what father does that to his kid? Benji was so pissed and has been just so sweet to her all day. Not that he isn’t all the time, the girl has him wrapped around her finger, but still, he’s making sure her Christmas is extra nice.”
While it was wonderful that Benji was doing what he was doing and she loved him even more, she couldn’t believe Rick. Despite being a lowlife, he made a point to call her on her birthday and holidays if Lucy had her, and she did the same. She didn’t understand how he could be like that. But then, she really didn’t understand where he got off thinking he was going to get custody of their child. Who knew? The dude was borderline certifiable.
“So Benji is in this to win it, huh?” Claire asked, looking over at her. “Like legit, Angie is his kid, kind of thing?”
Lucy shrugged. “Yeah, I think so.”
“That’s so awesome. Because, let me tell you, no one ever wanted my mom because of me. Or maybe it was the kind of men she brought around. But no one ever looked at me the way Benji looks at Angie, until Phillip. That’s basically his kid.”
Lucy smiled as Autumn beamed. “Isn’t he just perfect? He loves that baby, and it just pleases me to no end. ’Cause Lord knows she needs a good man to love her momma and her.”