“Well,” he pulled her close, his cold nose touching her neck made her giggle. “You can if it will make you feel better. She won’t tell anyone. And she’s a great listener.”
Paige nodded. She was sure Tyler had already talked to her about things, but she didn’t know all of what he disclosed.
“Would you feel better if we didn’t talk about this anymore tonight?”
Again, she nodded.
“We don’t have to talk at all if you don’t want.” He said in a low, bedroom voice.
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” Her husband was always the best medicine for anything that ailed her.
And after the cranky mood she had been in all day, a nice evening with her husband was the best medicine. His warm touch made all her sadness and concerns disappear. All she wanted to focus on was being wrapped up in his arms.
Tyler pushed her hair to the side and began softly kissing her neck.
She closed her eyes, getting lost in him. His cologne, a mixture of Cedar and Bergamot, swirled around her, driving her as crazy as his touch.
Tyler never lied when he claimed to be good with his hands. Those same hands ran along her body, causing her heart rate to speed up and her breathing to quicken. Nothing else mattered in this moment except him.
He pulled off her shirt, dropping it to the tile floor. Hiking her up on to his hips, his intense kiss heightened her senses so every taste, and every touch had her body humming.
“You are the best thing that ever happened to me; and I want you so bad right now.”
“Here?” she asked, amused. Already knowing the answer.
Tyler nodded to the living room couch with a sexy smirk. He let out a groan and rolled his eyes dramatically. “Okay, fine. The bedroom will be much more efficient anyway. Even though I don’t plan on getting much sleep tonight.”
Paige squealed in delight as Tyler carried her up the steps to their bedroom.
Chapter Ten
TYLER
By the time practice was over this morning, Paige was already in meetings. He offered to wait around and take her to lunch, but she didn’t know how long she’d be and agreed to meet him at home.
He took the free time to go talk to his sister.
“Where’s Sam at?” Tyler looked around the living room.
“He’s running errands. He said something about wanting a new grill for the summer and he’s comparing prices. He even left with a list. This could take all day.” She rolled her eyes as she laughed.
“Uncle Ty, want to play dance party with me?” Willow asked with a hopeful look on her face. She made sure to give Belle, the Siberian Husky who was curled up in the corner, out of the way of foot traffic, a pet on her head.
Tyler’s niece, Willow, loved to play dance party. She was an adorable little princess, so much like her mother and his sister, Trina, but with the never-give-up attitude of her father, Sam.
Being a little selfish, he had high hopes that this little cutie would soon be out on the ice hitting around pucks with him and her dad. She might be Morris by name, but she was still part Kidd, and that meant the girl had skills in her genes.
“Sweetie,” Tyler shook his head. “I have to tell you a secret.”
Willow moved closer to him; her eyes wide. “A secret?” she whispered.
Doing his best to stifle his laughter, Tyler shook his head. “I am a terrible dancer.”
“Oh. Really?” Willow gasped as if it was the most horrific thing she had heard in her life. Yes, in addition to being adorable, Willow also had her mother’s ability to be overdramatic.
“Baby Girl, you know what’s even worse than that?” Trina added, knowingly fueling the fire. “Uncle Ty is really bad at singing.”
“Really?” Willow scrunched her face up.
“Yeah.” Tyler nodded but throwing his sister a sarcastic glare. He never thought he was that bad, but apparently his sister thought otherwise. “The one thing I’m really good at is hockey.”
“And ice skating. You are very good at ice skating.” Willow added.
Tyler held back a chuckle. “Yeah, you’re right. I am pretty awesome at ice skating. Speaking of ice skating, when are you going to get out on the ice with me and your daddy for a little pick-up game?”
“A pick-up game?” Willow scrunched her nose up in confusion. “What’s that?”
“A pick-up game is just a fun and friendly little game of hockey.” Trina said.
“Oh. Uncle Ty, I don’t know how to play hockey yet. But daddy says he’s going to teach me soon.” Willow cooed. “And mommy said I can learn to ice skate dance if I want.”
“Ice dancing.” Trina corrected.
Tyler couldn’t help but curl his lip up at her ice dancing comment. But he’d let it slide, because the second she picked up an ice hockey stick, he was sure she’d be hooked– and even if she wasn’t, he’d leave the discouraging of ice dancing and the encouraging of ice hockey to her dad.
“Just remember, your Uncle Ty is the captain of the team, and the best player in the league, and I’m always willing to help teach you.”
“You are the goat!” Willow cheered.
“Oh, lordy, did you teach her that?” Trina laughed way too loud at the goat comment. “Don’t get him started, Willow. Ty, you want to be able to still fit through the doorway when you leave.”
“Ha ha.” Tyler turned his attention back to his sister. “Real funny, sis.”
Trina shrugged, innocently. “I’ve seen it happen.”
“S’cuse me. I’m still here.” Willow called as she put her hand on her hip and sighed, putting the attention back on her. “Well, if you aren’t going to sing or dance, then I’m going upstairs to play with my dolls.”
“Alright, sweetie. But don’t wake up Hank.” Trina barely finished her sentence before Willow ran up the stairs towards her room with Toby, the golden Lab at her heels. Turning back to Tyler, Trina continued. “Willow is in the stage right now where she gets bored really quick. But at least she is good at keeping herself entertained.”
Tyler couldn’t help but chuckle. “I doubt that girl ever runs out of ideas.”
“She sure doesn’t.” Trina laughed too, then grew serious. “So, Ty, are you ready for a few of your own?”
Tyler shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Sure, he’d been asked that question more than once since Willow was born. He was the obvious next in line for kids, but he never understood why when one sibling started to have kids, that people felt the need to pressure the others about when they would be ready.
As far as he was concerned, they were their own little family already.
“You and Paige have been married long enough, isn’t it time for a few little ones?” Trina pressed.
“Mama!” Willow called from her room. “Hank is awake and crawling out of his crib!”
Trina rolled her eyes with an amused smile. “Of course he is. We aren’t finished with this discussion, bro. I’ll be right back with the rug rats, and we’ll pick up right where we left off.”
While his sister was upstairs tending to her children, Tyler looked around the living room. Admittedly, he was a neat freak. He always assumed toys scattered on the floor, along with strewn sippy cups would make his OCD kick in. He’s been guilty of micro-managing his own household even when Willow and Hank are over, but especially when Trina and Sam used to bring the dogs. He couldn’t stand the dog fur everywhere even though he enjoyed having the pups around.
But never once, being in his sister’s home, did he feel the need to straighten things up. Regardless of the scattered toys and books.
When Tyler came to visit, he was always the first one on the floor with the kids, playing Legos or dolls. He’d even joined in on a tea party with Willow hosting, and himself and Sam as her guests. He adored his niece and nephew and would literally do anything for them.
He liked to think of himself as the “fun uncle”. If Harrison, his new brother-in-law, knew he dubbed
himself that, he’d surely give him a run for the title. Apparently, the Kidd women carried on the tradition of not liking to lose by marrying men who were just as competitive as Tyler himself was.
Trina liked to joke that Tyler would never allow his house to be filled with toys tossed here and there, but that was farthest from the truth. In his heart of hearts, he knew that if he ever had a child of his own, the child would want for nothing, and would have him wrapped around their little finger.
“So?” Trina said as if they never were interrupted.
Her voice shaking him out of his own thoughts but leaving a heavy feeling in his chest as he looked up at her with baby Hank on her hip. His big blue eyes full of wonder, his chubby cheeks, drool running down his chin, and that sweet smile hitting him straight in the gut.
Yeah, he did want this, more than she would ever know.
Trina plopped little Hank down in his playpen and returned to the couch.
“I do think it’s time you start thinking about it. You aren’t getting any younger you know.” Trina pressed.
“I didn’t realize there was a time limit for having kids. Paige and I haven’t been married for that long. Can’t we just enjoy being a newly married couple for a while? And I’m not that old.” He was only twenty-eight, he had plenty of time to have a family.
Something in his gut had him worried if he was ready for kids, after how bad his heart hurt at the news of Cody, would he be a good enough father to his own baby?
“So – no kids then?” Trina fished for an answer.
“Not yet. I mean, yeah, someday I want a few. But I’m sort of busy at the moment – you know, with this hockey thing?”
There was something about her questioning. Like any sister, she liked to pester him about pretty much everything, but there was something about this particular question that bugged him.
Finally, he asked, “Why are you being so weird about this?”
“First of all, you wouldn’t be the one taking the time off, Paige would be. So, there would be no interruption to your precious hockey. And, plenty of guys on the team have a family already. They all manage just fine.” Trina pointed at Willow who was now back in front of the television, singing and dancing to a kid’s music channel, and little Hank who was keeping himself busy in the pack-and-play. “And the honeymoon phase is wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but this phase is pretty awesome too.”
“All right, Tri, I get it...” She wasn’t wrong.
Trina and Sam had two children, Kris and Kat had one, and Kaden and Ali had one. It wasn’t impossible, but he wasn’t ready. At least he didn’t think he was ready. But the ache that was left in his heart when he looked at Willow and Hank made him second guess that. “But you didn’t answer my question.”
Trina stared at him with a wicked smile on her face. “See, I got you thinking, didn’t I?”
He knew he could be a wonderful uncle to these kids, he had so much to teach them, and so much love to give them. But he also wanted to do all of that for a child of his own.
“Fine.” Trina shook her head, annoyed. “I picked up on a vibe the other night at dinner. Paige had that fake smile plastered on her face– and before you tell me I’m wrong, I know a fake smile when I see it. Just trust me on this.”
“Tri, can we not do this, please?” Tyler rubbed at the back of his neck. He never minded being the face of the Renegades, nor did he mind being their leader. He could think on his feet like no one else, and the media had put him on the spot more often than not. But when it came to his own sister putting him on the spot about this subject, he squirmed like a child in the principal’s office. “I don’t know if I should be talking about this.”
“I already tried to confront your wife. She looked like she wanted to tell me something but chose not to. She looked sad. I can only assume you guys have been trying with no results.”
Did she have the ability to read minds? Tyler never imagined he would be having this conversation with his sister. The feelings he had about this he wasn’t sure if there were words invented yet to describe it.
“Were you guys tested?” she asked bluntly.
“What?” Tyler deadpanned. He squirmed in his seat. This was getting worse with every minute that went by.
“Sorry, you don’t have to answer that. I know this must seem weird, talking to me about this. I just want some nieces and nephews!”
“Don’t forget about Morgan!” Willow called to her mother, without turning away from the television.
Morgan was Sam’s teenage niece. “Right, of course, baby. I didn’t forget about Morgan.” Trina corrected herself for Willow.
“Yeah, see, you have a niece already.” Tyler agreed with little Willow.
“A niece who is a pre-teen who lives on the beach and is way too cool to hang out with us boring old people in Pittsburgh.”
“True.”
“And you know that I meant babies that I can dote on. So, stop changing the subject.”
“I wasn’t the one who changed the subject!” Tyler said with a laugh, even though he was glad Willow interjected. It made an awkward moment better.
Tyler loved these kids and spent the day with them any chance he got. Spoiling them had also become his new favorite pastime. Thanks to Trina, he now knows that it is much more fun spending your money on little mini people than on yourself.
Trina sighed. “Talia is tired of me bugging her for a baby, so it’s your turn, bro.”
Talia their older sister, was turning forty next week, and had already made it clear that she had no interest in having any babies at this point in her life. Plus, her and Harrison were actual newlyweds.
“But I’ve seen that look in Harrison’s eyes, he wants kids. I can tell. Just like I can tell with you, little brother.” Trina pushed on.
“I don’t know if it’s in the cards for Paige and I.” Tyler mumbled.
“What about IVF? Or a surrogate? I might be willing to consider helping with that if you needed me to.”
His sister came up with the most off the wall things. And this was definitely one of them. Tyler was secretly glad he was the one tackling these weird and super awkward questions from Trina and not his wife.
“What?” He shook his head to make sure he heard her correctly. Ignoring her last comment, he kept on with the original topic. “Anyway... Speaking of Talia, I talked to her this morning and she’s pretty sick. She thinks that she picked up some kind of virus.”
“Yeah, she looked bad at Willow’s party. She said it was food poisoning.” Trina shrugged her shoulders.
“Uncle Ty! Uncle Ty!” Willow barreled toward him and jumped into his arms.
“You’re getting big! Already five. And that was one awesome party. But, it’s cranky ol’ Aunt Tally who doesn’t want a birthday party. She is turning the big 4 – 0. She’s getting bor-ing. It must be the old age.”
Trina wagged her finger at Tyler. “Watch your mouth, Ty. Willow, you know that Uncle Tyler is just being silly, right? Aunt Tally isn’t cranky or boring.”
“Of course she isn’t! Aunt Tally is awesome.” Willow laughed and shrugged her shoulders. She turned her attention to Tyler. “And, Uncle Ty, Aunt Tally isn’t old. She’s perfect.”
He chuckled at his niece’s words. Little Willow was simply adorable. “Yep, kiddo, she’s perfect, alright.”
Willow hopped off his lap and ran upstairs singing.
“Tri, what are you telling that kid?” Tyler joked.
“Don’t look at me, that’s all our sister’s doing.” Trina laughed.
“Then your kid is spending too much time with Talia.” Tyler responded. He was joking of course. Talia was the oldest of the three siblings and more like a mother figure. Perfect might be a stretch, but Talia was a wonderful big sister.
“Look who’s talking! You have her calling you the goat!” Trina rebutted.
Suddenly, Willow’s little face peered around the corner. Her little voice asked, “Uncle Ty?”
�
�Yes sweetheart?” he cooed back.
Her voice was tiny, and almost inaudible. “You are awesome too.”
A smile filled his face at her words. “Thanks, kiddo. You are pretty awesome as well.”
Willow giggled before she ran back upstairs. But not before her words warmed his heart.
“Okay, so maybe you’re doing something right.” Tyler couldn’t help himself.
Trina rolled her eyes at him. “Gee, thanks, bro. I am always glad when my motherhood skills benefit you.”
“Please tell Paige if she ever wants to talk, I’m here. And if you want it, go for it. And I know you, Ty, you’re not one for letting things get in your way.”
Maybe his sister’s words were getting to him. He would never admit it to her though. But his little niece’s compliment stayed in his brain for the rest of the day, and so did the warm feeling in his heart.
Chapter Eleven
PAIGE
Trina refilled everyone’s glasses with wine while Sam served seconds of his lasagna. “I’m so glad you all could come over for dinner tonight.”
“And I’m glad our children went to bed on time without any fuss.” Sam added with a grin. “I love those munchkins, but, Ty, could you really dance to another song with Willow? She had you dance with her to like a half-dozen.”
Tyler shook his head with a chuckle. Because that was after Willow gave him a crash course in how to dance. “You know, I really don’t mind hanging with that kid. She’s so darn cute. And I have some sweet moves, if I do say so myself.”
“Well, you are the only one that says so.” Trina chimed in.
“Ha, ha, very funny, sis.” Tyler responded. “I’m awesome, remember?”
“Oh, I remember.” Trina said. “But she said that Aunt Tally was pretty awesome too.”
“Obviously.” Talia wiped an invisible something off her shoulder. “She is very smart.”
“Are you sure you don’t want any wine, Talia?” Trina asked, holding the bottle, and waiting for a response.
“No!” Talia said with a bit of panic in her voice. She covered her glass with her hand. Clearing her throat she said in a calmer voice, “Just water please.”
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