Shot at Love

by Melody Heck Gatto

  Sam only responded with flipping Luc the bird. He continued to sing and dance until the rap song was over. Once the song changed to one with more of a dance beat, Luc turned to her.

  “Hey Supergirl, wanna dance with a real superhero?” Luc smirked at her with half-lidded eyes. He held out his hand to her, and pulled her away from the others, who were still laughing and drinking.

  She remembered how hot their prior dancing situations got. This time she was all his. He didn’t have to worry about any other guy dancing with her. He pulled her to the dance floor. The heavy bass pounded through the speakers, leading their movements. Luc towered over her, and she could feel the heat radiating off him as their bodies molded together in a sensual rhythm.

  Kassie forgot all about the other people and whatever Quinn was doing now. The only thing that mattered at that moment was Luc. This was turning out to be a great night. Anything she did with Luc always ended up amazing. Maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe it was the alcohol from earlier, but she danced closer and closer to Luc, their bodies against one another like they did that night in the club.

  Luc moved his lips close to her ear. His breath was hot and it tickled her ear. “Sweets, what do you say we get out of he—”

  “Marcella!” Sam called as he hurried towards them, interrupting the dirty dancing they’d just started. Sam was out of breath, and he was gasping for air.

  “Uh, you okay, dude?” Luc asked, as he continued to dance with Kassie.

  “No. I mean, yes. Uh… I don’t even know! Trina’s in labor! Apparently, she’s been having contractions on and off all evening, but she figured they were just Braxton Hicks because she’s not due for another month.”

  “Braxton who?” Luc stopped dancing and tilted his head in confusion.

  Sam ignored him, and rushed on. “We’ve been through this before, yet I’m still a damn mess! Dude, you’ve got to help me out, tell me what I need to do first. My brain is like swiss cheese!”

  “You’re looking to me for directions?” Luc frowned. “Wait, now? Are you sure?”

  “Braxton Hicks contractions,” Kassie said. “Women get them when they’re in the final stages of pregnancy.” Ali had gotten them a few times when she was pregnant with Kaleb. Kassie learned the hard way that they were normal and not the actual labor. She made Ali go to the hospital once while the team was out of town, only to be utterly embarrassed to find out they were just Braxton Hicks. “She’s sure they aren’t?”

  “She’s sure. Her water broke! We’re leaving for the hospital now.” Sam ran around with no purpose until he grabbed hold of his wife.

  “Good luck, man. You got this!” Luc shook his hand before Sam rushed Trina to the door.

  “We’re right behind you, Tri!” Tyler called, as he and Paige followed closely behind the soon-to-be new parents. The party quieted down a bit, with some of the guys busy talking about Trina and Sam now.

  She saw the look of concern on Luc’s face as Sam and Trina hurried out. “You okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, sure. People have babies every day.” Luc waved her off. “But she’s not due for another month. She’ll be okay, right?”

  Kassie tilted her head to the side. “She’ll be fine. I know you’re concerned. Do you want to go to the hospital and wait? We could sit with Tyler and his wife. They ran out right after Sam and Trina.”

  “Uh, I don’t know. Do people do that? I mean, other than the people having the baby?”

  Luc’s words were so cute; he had no idea how this went. Obviously, he had never cared enough about someone to be there for them during something like this before.

  “Do people wait at the hospital? Sometimes, sure. I mean, we could be there for a long time though. Some babies are born quickly, and some take hours. I’m talking like ten to twenty hours.”

  “Ten to twenty hours? Holy shit.” Luc twisted his face up.

  “Tyler will be there, so we can always sit with him. If you want to go, that is. We don’t have to.” She really wasn’t sure which way he was leaning. Luc had been there for Sam when he needed him during his injury last season, and there was no reason he wouldn’t want to be there for him now.

  “But the party?”

  “It’s almost over, isn’t it?” Kassie asked. They had been here for four hours, mingled with the entire team, did all the important things like eat, dance, drink, and party. It did look like some of these guys could party for four more hours, though.

  “Yeah, Kassie, I’d like to go support Sam and Trina. But first, one more picture. Kris? Could you get a picture of us?” Luc waved Lafleur over to where they were standing.

  “Don’t you think you’ve taken enough pictures of us?” Kassie asked.

  Luc had been snapping selfies and getting people to take their picture all night, not to mention all the other people that were taking pictures.

  But Kris took the phone from Luc. “Okay you two, say Happy Halloween!”

  Luc took the phone back and did a few things on the screen before he finally looked up at her.

  “What are you doing? Every time you take a picture, you’re messing around on your phone.” Her voice wavered as she tried to hide the annoyance. His hands had been over her all night, and she should just be happy about that. Except what was he doing on his phone?

  “Relax, sweets. I’m not playing on my phone. I’ve been posting our photos on social media.” Luc smiled, very satisfied with himself.

  “What? Why?”

  “Because I like to show you off.”

  “Show me off? What does that even mean?”

  “I’ll show you.” Luc pulled up his Twitter account and scrolled through his posts. There were all the photos of them tonight. In each post, he tagged her and added the words, “My Love.” He put his phone back in his pocket and smiled. “I think we’ll head over to the hospital. Ready, sweets?”

  “Uh, yeah. I guess.” She was still reeling from knowing about all the photos that he’d posted. Luc was proving to her and anyone who would listen, that she was his one and only. There would be no doubt in anyone’s mind after seeing his posts. My hockey boy is stepping up his game. And she liked it.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Luc

  Luc arrived with Kassie to find Tyler and Paige already sitting in the hospital waiting room. There was no news as yet, so they took the seats beside them to wait. Whenever anyone passed by, Luc noticed their eyes widen. At first, he assumed they were getting so many strange looks because they were Renegades players. Then it dawned on him. They were all still in Halloween costumes, since they had come directly from the party. So, people were staring at a sexy Dorothy and a Cowardly Lion, Superman, and Supergirl.

  Maybe if it was actually Halloween night it wouldn’t have been so odd for them to be at the hospital in costume, but it was a few days after Halloween. The decorations were still up, but no one else was dressed up.

  Tyler slid the hood of his costume off. “I feel like an idiot. Only my sister would go into labor during our Halloween party.” He looked down at his full-body lion costume. He spoke again as he began to peel off the getup. “The only good thing is that I’m fully clothed under here. Unlike Superboy over there in his cute tights.”

  Luc was jealous of Tyler at that moment. “You know what? Now that I think about it, I do have a set of clothes in my gym bag in the car. Kass, do you mind staying here with Tyler and Paige while I run to the car? I really don’t want to hang around the hospital in blue tights if I can help it.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “Do you want me to see if I have anything in the car you can put on?” He was sure there’d be something for her.

  “Just a jacket or hoodie would be great.”

  “Yo, Marcella. I have one in my car if you want it.” Tyler tossed Luc his keys.

  Luc hurried down to the garage, wishing he would’ve thought of this before they made the walk all the way up here. Ironically, it was easy to forget they had costumes on.

 
; He was right. His bag was in the backseat, and thank goodness there was a pair of blue jeans in there, and a t-shirt. He could work with that. And there was a hooded sweatshirt for Kassie. He checked Tyler’s car and grabbed his sweatshirt in case Paige wanted it. On his way through the parking garage, he realized that Kaden would be there soon.

  They were on good terms, but this was still going to be awkward, sitting in a little room together. Taking a deep breath, he hurried back up to the waiting room, not wanting Kassie to be stuck there too long by herself. He didn’t think Kaden would start anything, because he was trying to accept the way things were, but he didn’t want to take that chance.

  When he got back, Kaden wasn’t there yet, but Dom and Hailee had arrived. So now they had Superman and Supergirl, a sexy Dorothy, and two characters from the Suicide Squad.

  “Sweets, here’s my hoodie. Paige, I brought Ty’s for you.” Luc tossed the sweatshirt to Paige and his to Kassie. “I’m going to find a restroom and change.”

  “Anyone want anything? I really could use some coffee.” Kassie quickly stood up, holding the hooded sweatshirt, and grabbed his arm.

  “Yeah, I’ll take a coffee if you don’t mind, Kassie,” Tyler said, handing her some money.

  Luc and Kassie walked arm-in-arm down the hallway, searching for a public bathroom and a coffee machine. “You okay, sweets?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Dom told me that Kaden and Ali are on their way. They stopped to check on Kaleb.”

  “And you didn’t want to be there when he showed up?”

  Kassie shrugged.

  “It’s fine. I’d rather have you on my arm, anyway.” Luc hugged his girl. Everything just seemed so much more enjoyable and easier now that their secret was out.

  Kassie nodded as she snuggled closer and brushed her lips against his. “Well, there’s a restroom, and here’s a coffee machine.” She placed another quick kiss on his lips and slid off his arm.

  “Catch you on the flip side, Supergirl.” Luc winked at her before closing and locking the restroom door. He still wasn’t sure if they should be here or not. But Sam was the closest thing he had to a brother, so he felt this was the right decision.

  After he changed out of his costume, he rejoined Kassie, who was happily drinking a hot coffee, and was now wearing his sweatshirt. She looked adorable in the hoodie and her blue Supergirl leggings and boots.

  “If you put on a pair of dark-framed glasses, you could totally be Superman’s alter ego.” Kassie ran her hand across Luc’s cheek with a sexy grin on her face.

  “And you’d like that? Hmm, I’ll have to keep that in mind.” The look in her eyes, as she squinted at his face, imagining what he’d look like in glasses, made him hard. Definitely tucking that bit of info away for later.

  Kassie’s cheeks turned pink, and she got a little shy before she changed the subject. “Want to check out the gift shop? Maybe we can find something for the new baby, or maybe something to give Willow.”

  “Oh? Do you think someone will bring Willow in?” Luc asked. He hadn’t thought about that. And Kassie was right; he should have something to give her. Willow was becoming a big sister, and that was a big deal.

  Kassie shrugged. “Yeah, I would think so.”

  Not knowing about Willow, and wanting to be prepared for his little buddy if she did show up, he texted Tyler to be sure. “I just checked with Ty, and you’re right. The babysitter will bring her in after the baby is born, and then Ty and Paige will take her home with them.”

  “Do you know what Trina is having?”

  “A boy.” Kassie’s question got him thinking about what he was going to get for the new parents. “Let’s detour into the gift shop.”

  Luc searched through everything, looking for something for Willow. After a few minutes of looking, Kassie found a princess crown that said “Big Sister.”

  “You think she’d like that?”

  “Absolutely! What little girl wouldn’t like a princess crown?”

  He agreed, and also grabbed a stuffed unicorn and a multi-colored lollipop.

  “You really like to spoil their little girl, huh?” Kassie looked at him, her head tilted to the side and a sweet smile on her face.

  “Yeah, I do.” He shrugged. “I spend a lot of time with Sam, and over at their house. Sunday dinners, cookouts, pizza night. Not having any family here in Pittsburgh, that’s who I spend my time with. Willow is part of that package. I’m the cool, fun uncle.”

  “But isn’t Tyler her uncle?”

  “Yeah. But, like I said, I’m the cool, fun one,” Luc said with a chuckle.

  Once they were back with the group, he sat with Kassie leaning against him, and searched the internet for somewhere that would same day deliver a gift for the Morris family.

  He found a place that would deliver a balloon arrangement the same day, and he added a stuffed teddy bear and a box of chocolates. He’d have a case of beer delivered to Sam’s house for when they went home, and maybe something Trina would enjoy.

  “That’s so sweet,” Kassie fussed after Luc ordered the gifts.

  “What’s sweet?” Tyler looked up.

  “Luc ordered something for the new parents,” Kassie said before Luc could.

  “Oh? Well, Trina is my sister and the kid will be my nephew. No way you’re showing me up, Rock-Star.” Tyler frantically searched his phone, and Paige helped as if this was some kind of contest.

  Not long after, Kris and Kat showed up, so now they had a gangster and a flapper sitting in the group, too. They, along with Dom and Hailee, joined in the online shopping for the new parents. It was a team thing. The guys always needed to outdo each other.

  “Hey, Rock-Star,” Tyler called, breaking the silence.

  “What?”

  “What’s in the bag?” Tyler asked, nodding at the bag from the gift shop.

  Before Luc could tell Tyler to mind his own business, the way teammates do, Kassie answered for him. “A gift for the new big sister.” She saw the look on Tyler’s face, and then the look on Luc’s face. “Oh, was I not supposed to say anything?”

  “No, that was perfect, Kassie. And thank you.” Tyler grinned at Luc as he quietly went back to his phone, typing away. Paige was pointing and nodding to things, and shaking her head to others.

  “Whoops,” Kassie said, with an apologetic look on her face.

  Luc didn’t want her to feel bad. It was their stupid little rivalry and had nothing to do with her. Putting his arm around her, he pulled her close. She was so cuddly in his sweatshirt. “It’s fine. No big deal.” Tyler was probably now going to buy something outrageous for Willow, but that was the fun of their little game.

  It was a few hours before anyone came out to update them. And still no Kaden and Ali yet. Kassie got a text message, letting her know that they had stopped at home and that the babysitter couldn’t stay. So, they took some time to get changed and wash off their Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein makeup. Then they were waiting for Ali’s mom to come over to stay with Kaleb.

  “Maybe the other guys had the right idea, staying at the party and just waiting for word?” Dom suggested. But Hailee didn’t look so convinced with the way she was shaking her head.

  Finally, after about two more hours, Sam came out into the waiting room. Kassie was resting on Luc’s shoulder, and he had to nudge her awake.

  “Wow, I can’t believe all you guys are here!” Sam exclaimed, a big smile on his face. He still had a blue hospital gown draped over his clothes. “We have a boy! Baby and mom are doing just fine. They’re both healthy, happy. And the little guy is ready to meet his hockey family.”

  “Congrats, bro!” Luc jumped up and stuck out his hand for a handshake, but turned it into a man hug. “I’m so happy for you and Tri.”

  The rest of the crew jumped up and hugged or shook Sam’s hand, then followed him to the room. “She’s in a regular room now, but try to keep it down a little. She had a little tougher of a time with him than she did Willow.”
>
  When they walked into the hospital room, they found Trina in bed, holding the newest addition to the Morris family. Luc couldn’t believe the baby was so small. He’d seen babies before, but this little guy just seemed so tiny.

  “Wow, look how little he is. Congratulations, you guys.” Luc was in awe over the little guy.

  “Thanks Luc. I’m so glad to see you all. Meet little Hank.” Trina nodded to the newborn. He was wrapped up like a burrito in a light blue blanket and had a tiny, matching blue hat on. “He might look tiny, but he’s a little brute. Much bigger than Willow was.”

  “Hank?” Tyler commented. “You’re really straying from the whole ‘T’ thing, huh, Tri?”

  Trina shrugged. “I think it’s been played out, don’t you Ty?”

  “Well, as team captain, and this little guy’s very cool and very talented uncle, it’s my job to present you and the newest Morris with a baby-sized Renegades blanket.” Tyler laid the folded yellow-and-gray blanket beside Trina.

  Kassie watched the interactions between Tyler and his sister. Her eyes stayed on Sam and Trina as Tyler talked and fawned over them and the new baby. Everyone found a place to sit or stand in the large hospital suite. The women cooed over the new baby.

  Soon, the babysitter arrived with Willow.

  “Beth, thank you so much for bringing Willow in. Did you by chance remember to bring her overnight bag?” Trina asked from the bed.

  Beth, the babysitter, held up a little pink backpack. “Congratulations. Oh, he’s so sweet!” Beth hugged the new parents.

  “Thanks so much, Beth,” Sam said before he gave Willow a big hug. “Hey, sunshine! Look, it’s your new baby brother, Hank.”

  “He’s so little,” Willow said. She wiggled until she was back on the ground. Tugging at the baby blanket, she tried to get a peek at the baby. Then she ran and hid behind her babysitter’s legs.

  “Hey there, doll,” Luc said, and squatted down on the ground. “What do you think about him? Isn’t he kinda cool?”