by Lane Martin
Robin sat down and slid a cup in my direction. The action reminded me of Rhett, darn it. She took a sip and watched me over the rim with a raised brow. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you so out of sorts, Toots. Want to tell me what’s got you so ruffled?” Robin once told me, “You’ll never get a straight answer if you don’t ask a straight question.” It was one of the many things that made her so great at what she did. She was real. And one day I hoped to follow in her footsteps.
“A guy,” I offered and she chuckled.
“What’s so funny about that?” With so many of us around, there wasn’t much Robin and her husband hadn’t been through a time or twenty.
“I was starting to wonder if this conversation was ever going to happen with you.” Her green eyes twinkled with delight as I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat. She was enjoying this way too much.
“Because I’m twenty-two? Need I remind you; we had the birds and the bee’s convo when I was Callie’s age? And I have had boyfriends.”
She shook her head. “No, Eden.” Her voice turned serious and she placed her hand on top of mine. “This is different, and you know it. Yes, you’ve had men in your life—or should I say, in your bed?—but have you ever had one in here?” She placed her free hand over her heart. “We were starting to wonder if you would ever let anyone in.” Everyone in the family knew how hard it was for me to trust. Hell, they’d all experienced it firsthand. But I wasn’t the first stray Robin had brought home, so they were patient with me.
“I’m not that guarded.” I had come along way over the years. Studying to be a social worker had taught me a lot, and I was proud of the person I had become. Or should I say, of who I was becoming? I still had work to do. It was the reason I was there.
“I know, Pumpkin. Look how easily your friendship with Adelaide developed and now Kassie too. From the sound of it, you’re pretty comfortable around their hotties too. I told you it would get easier.”
I thought about my brand-new friends and couldn’t keep my lips from turning up. She was correct, as usual. Letting people into my life was getting easier. The look on Robin’s face told me she knew she was right. “So, what are you afraid of with this guy? He must be pretty special if he’s got you thinking so hard.”
“He’s a hockey player,” I blurted out before dramatically burying my head in my arms, which were folded on top of the kitchen table. The kitchen was quiet for so long, I began to wonder if somehow my mentor and surrogate mother had left me to wallow alone at the table, which was bananas. I knew she wouldn’t just leave me when I was pouring my guts out to her. I peeked up and found Robin patiently waiting for me to pull my head out of my ass.
“Are you done?” she asked, unimpressed.
I sat up straight. “Yep,” I replied, popping the “p” at the end. “I’m ready.”
“For what?” Robin scoffed before taking a sip of her coffee.
“For you to tell me some profound story about getting back up.” I shrugged. “About letting someone in, or about not missing out on something that could be great just because he plays on the ice.”
“Sounds like you already know all of that.” Damn, she was on point, and the smile on her face said she knew it.
“But—” I started.
“No buts, Eden. You’re here and you’re asking for help, which made my day. The problem is you’re asking the wrong person, and you know it. What’s this hockey player’s name?”
“Rhett. Rhett Crawford.” Just saying his name out loud made my insides do funny things.
“What position does he play?” Robin wouldn’t let this go. She wasn’t prying. She knew I was here because I wanted, no needed, to talk to her about him.
“He’s a goalie,” Kayden announced with a toothy grin as he came into the kitchen followed by Jenna and Skylar. I was surprised they had left us alone so long. Obviously, they hadn’t been far away and had been listening to our conversation, the little brats. I should have known better. Jenna was singing about Rhett and me sitting in a tree while Skylar was busy on her phone.
“He’s cute,” Skylar offered while holding her device out for Robin to inspect her findings. She nodded her head in agreement. With his short dark hair, ever-present five o’clock shadow, trimmed beard and bright white smile, Rhett was devastatingly handsome.
“Is anything sacred around here?” I laughed as Jenna, the youngest in the family, took a seat on my lap and made herself comfortable.
“Harry Potter,” she insisted as Silas entered the room and added the Broncos to the list before kissing the top of my head and taking the empty seat next to his wife. I couldn’t help but smile as I looked around the room at the family who surrounded me. In just a few hours, my phone would be going nuts with text messages and calls from the absent members of the clan, adding their two cents about Rhett and me. Everyone had an opinion, and it would be given whether I asked for it or not.
When I arrived back at my little apartment over the garage, I was full. My belly was stuffed with Robin’s famous chili and my heart overflowed with love and support from my family. My conversation with Robin weighed on me. She told me there was a reason I couldn’t get Rhett of my mind. Now it was time for me to find out why. I picked up my phone to get some answers.
Me: What house are you at Hogwarts?
Almost instantly, reply bubbles appeared on my screen. I didn’t have time to think about how I would respond if Rhett didn’t know what I was asking about.
Rhett: Hufflepuff. What are you?
Me: The best house.
My smile grew. Of course, he was. At that second, my phone started blowing up with text messages just like I’d predicted. News traveled fast in the family. At least they waited for me to get back to my place before the inquisition began.
Rhett: Gryffindor
Me: See. You agree.
I never would have imagined my geeky love for all things Harry Potter would be my opening with Eden. I had Beau to thank for it. My brother was eleven when my parents had a little oops that resulted in my birth. Don’t get me wrong; I was loved, just not expected. My entire world revolved around my big brother and some of my fondest memories of him where when we were wizarding. Most boys his age wouldn’t have had the time or patience to sit with me for hours reading, but Beau wasn’t like anyone else. It devastated me when he left to serve our country. Hell, it crushed us all. My brother was an amazing man. I hope I’m making his proud.
I was enjoying getting to know my brave-hearted Gryffindor. She was the kind of woman you took home to meet your parents. The thought alone made me want to puke, cry, and punch something simultaneously. Not because of her at all, but because of my parents. I hadn’t seen my mom in years and dad would probably never remember meeting Eden. Hell, he might not even recognize me the next time he saw me.
I looked forward to our daily text messages of “good morning” and “good night” and I longed for the chance to show her my magic wand. Wink. Wink. But I relished in her “this made me think of you” text messages with corresponding pictures or links and the sound of her voice when we talked on the phone even more. She told me all about her large family. I found it odd she called her parents by their first names, but who was I to question? She had so many siblings; I could hardly keep track of them all.
During each conversation, I asked Eden to attend the next game with me. Her answer was always the same, a resounding no. She claimed she needed to focus on her classes, and I needed to concentrate on the team and the game. I didn’t believe her. Eden had another reason for not wanting to go to the games with me. Whatever it was, she was keeping it from me.
I asked Barrett how he had come to know Eden and he was reluctant to tell me anything. On one hand I liked that he was so protective of her. On the other, it just pissed me off. I worried maybe she had dated someone on the team previously. After all, she was living in Barrett McGill’s house, and she was friends with his wife and Devin’s girlfriend, Kassie. I knew Eden wasn’t a puck
bunny. If anything, she was the complete opposite. She seemed to love that I was getting my teaching degree. I just hoped an ex-boyfriend wasn’t the reason Eden was so hesitant to join me at the games. Eden was a little lion, brave at heart and willing to stand up for what was right. She was also a little reckless. I often had to remind myself to be patient with her.
Eden was also passionate about her future. She wanted to make a difference in the lives of children, which was also a passion of mine. Her determination to make the world a better place one kid at a time only made me like her even more. Our plans for The Little Miners players were beginning to take shape. The program would not only teach the kids our sport but also give them real-life skills. The kids needed to have a strong educational base, emotional support in the form of personal and group counseling sessions, one-on-one mentorship opportunities with professional players, and lastly, hockey skills. We all agreed teaching them to play hockey without giving them help in other areas would be pointless. Sure, everyone wanted to be a pro, but the reality was most players never made it to the NHL. If they were lucky, they might have the opportunity to play at the college level.
Despite our daily text messages and phone calls, Eden did her best to avoid me in person. Our meetings with Kassie were the highlight of my week. That was, unless I managed to convince Barrett he needed me to go check up on Adelaide and the kids while he was out of town. Although he insisted Eden was off-limits, he also couldn’t help himself when it came to his family.
The team was on one of the longest away stretches of the season and Barrett didn’t like being away from his bride and little ones. Truth be told, I was going a little nuts too without the team. While I liked sitting in the stands watching them play, practicing with them and being in the big arena was way better than watching them play on television by myself at Niko’s and doing two-shot drills with an assistant at the practice facility. I knocked on the back door and held the box I had been asked to deliver.
“What are you doing here?” Eden’s shock at seeing me was written all over her face. She freaked out anytime I came over, which was ridiculous. Sure, Barrett had warned me off Eden, but it was clear Adelaide had no problem with me going after “the nanny.” She even encouraged it. Adelaide McGill’s previously sheltered life sometimes glared. It was cute. Subtlety wasn’t something she had yet mastered, but honestly, I didn’t really need Addie’s hints I should go for it with Eden. I was a goalie; I knew Eden Snow was a shot worth taking. I planned on it from the second I saw her standing in the McGill kitchen with her short blonde hair and mesmerizing blue eyes. I just had to wait for the right time.
I cyber-stalked Eden the first chance I had. She had surprisingly little online presence. I sometimes wondered if I had missed something about the connection between Eden and Adelaide. They didn’t act like a boss and an employee. They were more like friends, but the odd couple type. They couldn’t have been more different. Eden didn’t come across as sheltered as Adelaide did. In fact, she seemed quite the opposite, like she was older in spirit than she was in years. I got the distinct feeling that, like me, Eden had seen a lot of ugliness in her life. I was missing something. Eden had a family, so it was unlikely the two had met at the home for girls where Adelaide was raised before marrying into an ultra-religious family just after becoming legal.
Eden tried her best not to cuss in front of the kids, but I had seen her drop more than a few dollars in the swear jar, and she sure didn’t dress like a church girl. The outfit she’d answered the door in was both sinful and sweet, like the rest of her. She wore strategically ripped jeans that hugged every delectable curve and a t-shirt that read, “My Patronus is a Unicorn.” The thought of riding her unicorn had the Dementor in me coming out. I had to remind myself to be good. Children were present.
“Well, good afternoon to you too. I come bearing gifts.” I made my way around her in the doorway. It was a tight fit with my massive frame, and I unnecessarily stopped while we were sandwiched together and took a second to enjoy the moment. Her hair was pushed behind her ear, showing off her multiple piercings. God, how I wanted to lick her there. Who knew earlobes were such a turn on? Her breath hitched as I leaned in and whispered, “Lostus Manifestus.” She remained frozen in the doorway while I grinned and stepped further into the chaotic house. I knew the spell wouldn’t work. I was a long way away from being the naive boy who used to spend hours on the hocus-pocus, but I still couldn’t help but wish she would be led to whatever she was looking for.
Levi, who was almost two, came barreling toward me. I swear the kid had grown since the last time I’d seen him. His face fell when he realized I wasn’t Barret. The cupcakes in the box I carried were for Adelaide, but I was glad to have them if it distracted Levi for even a second. The little guy sure loved his daddy.
“He’ll be back soon, Levi,” Eden soothed as she picked-up the whimpering child. She patted his back and told him, “You’re okay, buddy.” She turned and glared at me. “But you… You better tell me what that means, or I’ll fight you.” Dang, she was cute when she was riled up. I couldn’t help but laugh. She was just about as menacing as Neville himself.
“Oh hi, Ford.”
Jeez, not Adelaide with the nickname too.
She entered the room with Ivy on her hip. For a moment I imagined Eden holding our little girl, which was insane because I was never having kids. Ever. Don’t get me wrong; I loved kids. I wanted to help them in any way I could. I just didn’t want any of my own. I had seen firsthand what losing a child could do to a person. Hell, I lived through it with my brother. I wouldn’t survive it again. So, kids of my own were never going to happen.
“Are those Devine Dee’s?” Adelaide asked, making a beeline toward me, or rather the box in my hand.
“A gift from Barrett,” I confirmed as I handed it to her. “He misses you and thought you could use a little sugar from your sugar. His words, not mine.” She beamed as she opened the box. Yes, cupcakes were like rainbows and unicorns: they had magical healing powers that made just about anything better.
Before digging into the treat box, Adelaide came close to me and cautiously kissed me on the cheek. “You can tell him I was so happy, I kissed you.” She must have read my response on my face because she started to laugh. I may have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night. Barrett McGill wouldn’t just beat my ass; he would kill me if he thought I was anywhere near his wife. They would never find my body. I shuttered the thought and Addie giggled.
“Thanks for taking my girl the treats and for hanging out with my little buddy the other day. I think he needed some guy time.” My team captain slapped me on the back of the shoulder. The team had just returned from an extended road trip and Coach Perkins had called a meeting at the practice facility before the team headed home.
“Yeah, when I got there, he and his mom were just about to have a tea party with those pink feather things and white lace gloves.” Devin doubled over in laughter at my comment. The image was absurd because Levi was all boy. I’d never seen so many trucks and balls in one place before I scoped out his toy room.
“You’ve got to be shittin’ me.” Barrett looked at me with horror in his eyes, and I couldn’t keep a straight face any longer. “Oh, thank God. I mean, it’s fine if he wants to play with dolls or whatever but come on. I worry about the little man being surrounded by nothing but women while I’m away. We need to even out the numbers.” For a second I thought my team captain was about to start beating on his chest.
“All right. All right. Settle down. I know you’re all anxious to get home.” The room went still as Coach stood in front of us with his arms raised. “With the way you are playing, this is going to be another drawn-out season.” The pride he had in his team was apparent. As the defending cup champs, the pressure was on, and so far—knock on wood—the Miners were living up to the title. The room erupted in high fives and hell yeahs. Coach continued, “Go home. Get some rest. I don’t want to see your ugly faces until Saturday a
fternoon.” It was Thursday. The room erupted again.
Truth be told, I was a little disappointed. I needed some ice time with the team. I was ahead in my work on my certificate program and plans for The Little Miners were going well. And now that Barrett was home, I was out of excuses for showing up at his house unannounced. The room began to clear, but the only move Barrett made was to get out his phone. I knew it was wrong, but I listened in to his side of the conversation.
“Was that your folks?” I asked once he ended the call and started searching for something on his phone.
“Yeah, I’m having them go over to the house and pick up the kids.” Weird, since he had a live-in nanny and I knew Eden didn’t have any classes for the rest of the week. Why wouldn’t he just have her watch the kids? It was her job.
“What are you and Adelaide going to do?”
He lifted his phone to his ear and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Yes, I’d like to reserve the honeymoon suite.” A plan formed in my head while he made his reservations. I took out my phone and sent a text.
Eden: Still want to know what Lostus Manifestus means?
Me: You know I do
Eden hadn’t stopped asking me.
Me: Be ready at 8
At first, I was unsure if having Rhett come here to pick me up was a smart idea. After all, Addie didn’t want me having guys over here. She had made it very clear when I moved in. On the other hand, it was clear she liked Rhett, since she kept singing his praises to me. I should have just talked to her. Having gotten to know her better, I should have just spoken to her about her rules. If I had learned one thing about my benefactor, it was that above anything she wanted everyone to be as happy as she was, and Rhett always put a smile on my face. I didn’t want him to be my dirty little secret, but at the same time, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted him to be. Sure, I was attracted to him. I would be off my rocker not to be. The man was sexy and smart, but even more than that he was sweet and funny.