by Toni Aleo
Kacey sat up a bit straighter. “Why aren’t you married yet, Liam? You’re how old, thirty-three?”
He nodded which was good because, for a second there, she thought she was being a bit rude. “I got married young, twenty, but when I got drafted, she started cheating on me. I tried to make it work, but she didn’t want to be with me,” he said softly with a shrug. “Really sucked, but that was eons ago. Now, it’s hard to find a woman around my age who doesn’t have kids already. I don’t want to deal with baby daddy issues.”
“True that,” she said, tipping her drink to him.
“But also a woman who wants a long-term relationship with a hockey player. It’s tough being married to someone who’s gone most of the year.”
“I’m used to it,” she commented and he smiled. Man, he really was pretty. If only he would stimulate her more than her just wanting to bang him. Because, even though he was saying everything she wanted, she was bored. He was too clean-cut. That was the problem. She wanted to reach over and mess his hair up. Paint some tattoos on him and grow him a beard. Maybe have him cuss a bit more. He was just too nice.
“Yeah, I bet, growing up with hockey all your life.”
“Yeah, it’s in my blood.”
“Which is so awesome. I watched you in the Olympics, but I didn’t know how gorgeous you were,” he said and then he blushed.
Fucking blushed.
She wanted to sigh, but instead, she asked, “Are you nervous?”
His brow came up and he asked, “A little, why?”
She smiled sweetly, hoping that she didn’t come off as too much of a bitch, but she was sure she was about to. “Because you’re being kinda boring, not like you were at the party.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I guess I’m more nervous than I thought.”
“Sorry if that’s rude,” she said quickly at his defeated look.
“No, not at all,” he said, waving her off. “It’s just…well… Karson is my friend, and I asked him if it was okay—”
“You asked my brother if you could take me out?” she deadpanned.
She should think that was sweet. She should.
“Yeah, I mean, he’s your brother, my friend, and teammate. I don’t want bad blood between me and him if I started dating you without his permission.”
His permission? What the fuck?
“It doesn’t matter what he thinks though. He doesn’t control me, or own me, for that matter,” she added and he nodded.
“Oh, I know, but I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t gonna freak out on me.”
Yup, too clean-cut for her. She wanted a man who wanted her and didn’t care about anything else.
“You’re mad,” he observed and she looked up to meet his apologetic gaze.
“No,” she lied, tucking her hands in her lap to keep from clenching them. “I’ve always been Karson’s little sister, the girl no one wants to date because they are scared of him. It gets to be annoying.”
“Oh, I want to date you. I wasn’t lying when I said you are gorgeous, Kacey. But I did that for damage control. If he would have said no, then I probably still would have taken you out.”
That perked her interest. “Karson said yes?”
“Yeah, he was really for it, actually. Calmed my nerves a bit. But when I picked you up and, man, you’re really lovely, I guess my nerves got the best of me.”
Karson said yes? To a guy?
“You’re still mad.”
She was staring at him. Her brows were pulled together while she chewed on her lip.
Karson said yes?
“Sorry, I’m still caught up on the fact my brother said yes. He never agrees to anyone dating me.”
A dazzling grin curved Liam’s lips, and Kacey found herself breathless as he said, “He knows I’m a good guy and I won’t hurt you.”
She wanted to drop her face flat on the table and moan. She knew that too, so why was she fighting this? He wanted a dog, he was looking for a woman to marry him, and he was nice. Plus, he was nervous, so that was the reason he wasn’t as funny as she liked. Liam Kelly was a good guy. Karson thought so and she needed to trust that.
She needed to try.
Leaning on her hand, she smiled. “Good, ’cause I’m in the market for a good guy who won’t hurt me.”
Grinning ever so sinfully, he said, “Then I’m thinking I’m that guy.”
Matching his grin, she smiled up at him, and before she could say something along the lines of she hoped so, her phone rang. “Oh shit, sorry. I should have turned it off,” she said as she dug it out of her purse. She went to turn the ringer off but saw that it was Karson. She declined the call, but as she went to put it back in her purse, he called back. She eyed her phone and then looked across the table at Liam. “I’m sorry, let me make sure everything is okay.”
“Of course,” he said sweetly and she smiled as she answered the phone.
“Karson, I’m on a—”
“Lacey went into labor and we are at the hospital. Get your ass up here now,” he barked and then he hung up.
Stunned, she looked up at Liam and his eyes narrowed. “Everything okay?”
“No, Lacey went into labor. She’s early. I gotta go,” she said, throwing her phone in her purse and standing up. Then she realized that Liam had driven her. “Fuck, can you drive me to Vandy? If not, I’ll get a cab,” she said frantically.
“No, I got you. Let’s go,” he said, throwing a twenty on the table. As they started for the door, his hand fell to the middle of her back and he said, “Don’t worry, I’m sure everything will be fine.”
Nodding, she prayed he was right.
Looking down at the little bundle of pink, Kacey could hardly see her brand-spanking-new niece with her tear-filled eyes. As the baby looked up at her through her goo-filled brown eyes that had a slight blue tint around the middle, Kacey decided that Mena Jane King was by far the most gorgeous baby she had ever seen. Moving her finger down Mena Jane’s sweet curve of a cheek, a tear slowly rolled down her own cheek.
“Hello, my sweet Mena Jane. I’m your auntie, and I’m gonna be your best friend,” she said softly as she looked down at her, her eyes full of all the goodness in the world. The baby looked just like Karson, spitting image, with basically nothing of Lacey. But it was still early. Kacey was sure she would favor her momma in no time. Or the King genes were so strong that this was the product and, man, what a product. She was perfect, and Kacey wanted a little baby of her own so damn badly.
Glancing up at where Karson was moving Lacey’s hair behind her ears, looking at her like she’d just given him the world, which she had, his eyes were so full of love it hit Kacey square in the chest. She wanted that. She wanted all this. The birth was magical and her sister-in-law was a beast, that’s all she could say. Karson, ever the doting husband, was amazing during the birth, and Kacey prayed she gave some support too. Just from the grin on Lacey’s face as she met her gaze told her she did, or that the drugs were working very well. She was going to take her first assumption and run, though.
“She’s perfect, guys.”
“She is,” Lacey agreed as Karson still stared at her.
“You’re perfect. You did so great, baby,” he whispered against her cheek and Kacey smiled, looking back down at her sweet niece.
“I’m gonna make sure you are always protected,” Kacey whispered. “You have so many people who love you.”
Mena Jane just kept staring at her and it warmed her soul. This little girl had Kacey completely wrapped around her finger and nothing would ever hurt her. Not while her aunt was around.
“Sorry to pull you from your date,” Lacey said then and Kacey waved her off, cuddling Mena Jane closer to her.
“This was way more important,” she assured her, and then she glanced over at Karson. She knew this probably wasn’t the place for this, but she had to hear it from him. “You told Liam yes to dating me?”
Lacey smiled as Karson shrugged. “He’s a good dude
. He would be good for you.”
Hearing it from his mouth seemed almost as if he were speaking Klingon. “Really?”
He nodded. “He’s a supernice guy, Kace. Really.”
“He is,” Lacey agreed just as a knock came at the door. All three looked at the door as it opened and Liam poked his head in.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. But Liam wasn’t the devil, he was more an angel because in his hand was the biggest bouquet of yellow and pink roses she had ever seen.
“Company, okay?” he asked and Lacey nodded.
“Yes, come on in. You haven’t been waiting all this time have you?”
He smiled sheepishly as he nodded. “I wasn’t sure if Kacey would need to go home, and I was her ride,” he said as he carried the flowers to her little tray table and Kacey’s heart kicked up in speed a bit.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she called to him and he grinned.
“It’s no big deal. My phone lasted the whole six hours.”
She smiled as he shot her a playful grin before looking back over at Lacey. “These are for the momma,” he said before leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Congrats.”
“Aw, thank you, Liam.”
He grinned as he reached over, handing Karson a flask. “For Daddy.”
Karson laughed before taking a long pull. “Thanks, bro.”
Then he made his way to Kacey, pulling a single rose out from behind his back and handing it to her. “For the other birthing coach,” he said with a wink as she took it. Her heart was beating out of her chest as she grinned up at him, laying the rose beside her.
“Thank you.”
“Of course,” he said, looking closer at Mena Jane. “She’s beautiful, guys,” he called back at Lacey and Karson, but they were staring into each other’s eyes, not paying the least bit of attention. He then looked down at Kacey and smiled that sweet grin of his. “You look good with a baby in your arms.”
She smiled down at Mena Jane and then back up at him. Their eyes met and she prayed for the sparks, but they weren’t there. He was sweet and nice, he’d had no reason to wait for her or even get her a rose, but he did. He also was very interested in her. Not sex. Her. But did he want kids?
Holding his gaze, she said, “I can’t wait for my turn.”
He didn’t even hesitate; he nodded and said, “Yeah, I can’t wait to have some of my own too.”
Right there was what she needed to hear. He wanted what she wanted and he really was nice. Totally different from the douchebags she was used to. Yeah, there weren’t sparks or fireworks, but he wanted what she did and he liked her. You didn’t find men like Liam Kelly every day. She needed to take him and run. He was everything she needed.
What else could she ask for?
“So Jordie, how are you feeling?
Jordie looked up from where he was staring down at his hands, trying to forget everything that he had just heard. Jon, a defenseman from the Lightning, was battling some crazy cocaine addiction that sometimes Jordie wasn’t sure he would overcome. He had just been caught with his girl bringing some in, and they were six seconds away from kicking him out. Portia, the therapist, fought for him to stay though. She fought for everyone. She was a good girl. But every time Jon starting talking about his past, the things he’d done which really should have led to him being committed or arrested, it always made Jordie uncomfortable. He hated how much the guy suffered and, most of all, hated all the bad in the world. It was just shitty.
Nodding his head at Portia, Jordie smiled. “I’m good. No need for a drink at all.”
“Good,” she said with a grin. “Is the guitar playing helping with the late-night cravings?”
“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “A lot. Keeps my mind off everything.”
In the last week, they’d discovered that when he was alone with nothing to do was when he craved a drink the most. She suggested playing an instrument, and since he had some experience with the guitar, he chose that. He was happy he did too; he loved playing and it really did help him at night.
“I saw you in church this weekend. That was nice.”
He smiled sheepishly as most of the guys looked over at him. The whole time he had been there, he had fought tooth and nail about going to church. When he was a kid, religion was forced on him constantly by his mother, and he never really wanted anything to do with that. But Portia’s thing was to pray on it. It was easy to say that Jordie had been praying a lot and figured that going to church was the next step. He didn’t hate it, didn’t love it, but he went.
“I mean, don’t get ahead of yourself, Portia. I won’t be turning into some damn holy roller. I like sex and cussing way too much.”
She smiled as she shook her head. “Wouldn’t expect you to stop those things, of course.”
“Never,” he said with a wink.
“So you feel you need sex then?”
Ah, sneaky little shit. Rolling his eyes, he leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t need sex, I love it, and I’m damn good at it.”
A couple of the guys laughed while the others, who were holy rollers, rolled their eyes. Portia, still with a small grin on her face, asked, “When was the last time you had sexual intercourse?”
He grinned. He knew what she expected him to say and he wouldn’t lie, but he was excited to see her little face filled with shock once she heard his answer. The thing about Portia was she was a save-the-world kind of girl. She wanted to diagnose everyone and fix ’em. She’d had the inkling that Jordie was addicted to sex since he’d first gotten there. There was a huge difference between being addicted and just liking it. He was addicted to alcohol in some sense, in that he went for it to stop feeling what he was feeling. He had sex because he wanted to. Minus his trip to Louisiana, he had never had sex to get rid of what he was feeling. He’d tried to fuck his feelings for Kacey out of himself, which was very stupid, but the whole time he was drunk. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t have made a lot of those decisions if he hadn’t been drunk through it all.
“February was the last time.”
“February?!” she almost shrieked.
“Yup,” he said proudly, which really that wasn’t something to be proud of, but small victories, he guessed. “When I was in Louisiana.”
“Really? That surprises me, honestly,” she admitted and he grinned. “Why is that?”
“Sex means nothing to me anymore if it can’t be with the person I want it to be with,” he said slowly, avoiding eye contact. He felt the gazes of everyone on him, but he ignored them, sucking in a deep breath as flashes of Kacey’s gorgeous naked body appeared. As much as he wouldn’t mind plowing into a female at the moment, he wanted more. He wanted Kacey, and he was cleaning up to be the man she needed. Not just for him, but also for her and for Karson’s child. There was a huge possibility that she had moved on—he fully expected her to—but he needed something to get him through this fight. Knowing that he soon would be a man worthy of her love did that for him. It made him fight as hard as he could against his sickness.
“Not the answer I expected,” she said, and he looked up at her. “So your visitor, Natasha Gallagher?”
Where was she going with this? “Yeah?”
“Are you two in a relationship?”
Natasha, the doctor he’d slept with in Louisiana, had been visiting him since he was admitted. She was doing a work-study up in Colorado and she wanted to support him. He hadn’t expected her to, or even asked her; she just started coming every Saturday. If he was honest, it was nice to talk to someone who wasn’t trying to pry his head open and find out all the bad inside. Despite her offering her body to him every single time, their visits were the highlight of his week.
“No, she’s just a friend.”
“You don’t have friends.”
He grinned. “I have a few, but really, just a friend.”
“But you’ve slept with her?”
“Yup, she’s got killer tits,” he
said before laughing along with his group while Portia just stared at him.
“But not in the last six months?”
“No, it was a one-time deal.”
“But you stayed friends?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
She eyed him slowly and then shook her head. “You are a very confusing man, Mr. Thomas. One minute I think I have you pegged, but then you hit me with that. How is it that you don’t do relationships, but you are friends with a girl you’ve slept with? You aren’t having sex until it can be with someone you want it to be with, which is very uncharacteristic of your personality. You give off a very careless, playboy image that I have slowly but surely discovered is just an act that is covering the real you.”
Jordie grinned, sliding to the edge of his seat. “And that is, Ms. Portia?”
Portia smiled. “A very decent guy with a past that has you hiding yourself.”
She let that sink in as everyone watched for his next response, but there wasn’t one. He didn’t know what to say, and soon she was talking again.
“You want so badly to keep everyone at arm’s length so that they can’t hurt you, because you see no happiness in your life. You choose only the people you know won’t leave you. But, even with them, you don’t let them completely in on purpose. Yet, you want happiness. Just in this last week, you’ve opened up about wanting children and a part of you wants a wife. But I had seriously pegged you to be alone the rest of your life because you won’t allow anyone in. And then you say that—that you aren’t having sex because it means nothing if it can’t be with the person you want it to be with. So, Jordie, who is that person? I have a feeling you know her, but you’re scared to let her in. To trust her.”
His skin was clammy and his heart was pounding, but he never broke their intensely locked gazes. She was challenging him, something he noticed she did when she wanted a straight answer from him. In the short time he’d been there, she had figured him out. Normally that would make him want to run, but in some odd, twisted way, Jordie trusted Portia.
Something he didn’t do much.
But before he could answer her, the timer went off behind her, signaling that group was over and visiting hours had started. It was Saturday and he knew that Natasha was waiting for him, so he got up quickly and hightailed it out of there before Portia could stop him to probe him some more about Kacey. He heard her call his name and figured he was dooming himself for tomorrow, but he didn’t care. He had to adjust to the idea of talking about Kacey, and tomorrow, maybe.