“You’ll have to trust me. And you could also note the irony of a hockey player ragging on me about drinking and whether I’m seeing anyone.”
Now he was the one whose lips parted with surprise. “What, I have to be an alcoholic manwhore because I play hockey?”
I gestured toward him with my hand. “Exhibit A: we met at a bar and had sex on the first night. Not exactly a choirboy.”
He shook his head. “It takes two to tango, baby.”
I leaned closer to him. “I told you—”
“All right, we’ve got a Guinness draft and a water,” the waitress said, looking uncomfortable as she slid them onto the table. “Just a few minutes on that pizza.”
She left and I lowered my tone. “My brother is a hockey player, Bennett.”
“Don’t I know it,” he muttered.
“I know how you guys are, especially on the road. Don’t tell me not to date anyone when you’re probably getting laid nightly.”
I didn’t even want to date anyone; I just didn’t want him telling me not to.
He held my gaze across the table. “Charlotte, I’m doing everything I can to man up and be there for you. I don’t want to get shut out of this pregnancy or my kid’s life. And if you knew me, you’d know I would come empty the puke from your trash can if you needed it.”
I swallowed, feeling shut down.
“You’re too good for him, Charlotte. A good guy wouldn’t have applied for that job and not told you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are we back on Riley again?”
“You might be lonely, but if you need to talk, I’m always—”
I grabbed my coat and purse and slid out of the booth.
“You don’t even know me. And so far tonight, you’ve told me not to date, interrogated me about whether I’m willfully hurting my baby, and apparently decided I’m lonely.”
“Our baby,” he corrected.
I glared at him. “I’m taking a cab home. I’ll text you about the doctor’s appointment.”
“Charlotte, don’t do this.”
I slipped into my coat and buttoned it up. “Bye, Bennett.”
“At least let me drive you home.”
“I’m fine taking a cab. I was an independent person before I got pregnant, and I still am now. I don’t need a man sweeping in to save the day and rescue me from loneliness.”
“First I was waltzing and now I’m sweeping,” he muttered. “You’re almost as abrasive as Liam.”
I leaned closer so only he could hear me. “Fuck you, Bennett. I can’t believe I skipped out on a good book for this.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but I turned for the door, not looking back. I hoped Riley was gone when I got home, because I wasn’t in the mood for any more conversation tonight. And hopefully, he’d left the Chinese food, because I was starving.
Bennett
My thighs burned with exertion as I pushed off the ice. Line drills wore down even those of us in top physical shape if we did them long enough.
“Again,” Orion yelled.
We all went back to the line, the scrapes of blades on ice and an occasional grunt the only sounds in the arena.
I’d sweated all the way through my clothes and pads, but I didn’t mind line drills today. Being physically worn down calmed my racing mind.
I hadn’t heard from Charlotte since she’d left the pizza place the other night, other than a text with a date, time, and address for a doctor’s appointment next week. I’d come close to texting her an apology several times but had stopped myself.
She was a hothead, just like her brother. The difference was I didn’t give a shit when Liam was pissed at me. But Charlotte had been on my mind every minute since we’d fought.
Normally, I could have talked to Liam or Killian about things, but this time was different. Liam was out for obvious reasons, and Killian was distracted as hell by his pursuit of Sidney Stahl, our team owner. So I was left turning the conversation with Charlotte over and over in my mind instead.
Practice finally ended, and I tossed my sweaty clothes to the floor in front of my locker to head for the shower.
“Still seeing the new woman?” Liam asked from his locker next to mine.
“I’m not seeing anyone,” I said in a grumbly tone.
“She mad at you?” He grinned.
I just stared at him silently. The fucker wasn’t getting to me today.
“Hey, I need a favor,” he said.
“Can it wait ’til I get a shower?”
He pulled his shirt up and over his head, tossing it onto the bench.
“No, I’ve been meaning to ask you for a few days, but you’re always in a weird mood. It can’t wait any longer.”
“What is it?” I asked, leaning against my locker.
Liam’s expression clouded. “Some asshole knocked up my little sister. When I find out who he is, I’m gonna beat his ass into next week. I want you to be there so you can pull me off of him if you think I’m about to kill the fucker.”
I had to keep my expression impassive. Had to. But inside, my blood pressure was skyrocketing.
“Uh . . . yeah, man. Sure. You know I’ve got your back.”
“Good. I don’t care how far I have to go. When I find out who this guy is, he’s gonna be sorry he messed with my sister.”
I cleared my throat, trying to keep cool. “Well, you know, they’re both responsible for it, not just him.”
Liam scowled. “Charlie’s a great person. She’s not the type to sleep around. This guy preyed on her when she was down over breaking up with her boyfriend.”
My heart just about stopped. Preyed? “She said that?”
“No, but I’m a guy, so I know what went down.”
“She doesn’t want to . . . uh, tell you who he is?”
He shook his head. “She gave me some bullshit about how they’ll co-parent without being in a relationship and him wanting to be involved with the kid.”
I said a silent thank-you to Charlotte for that. She must not still be too pissed at me if she hadn’t made me out to be a jackass.
“And you don’t want that?” I asked.
“Fuck no.” Liam glowered at me. “Any guy who’d screw my sister the first time he met her and not call after that is a douchebag who deserves pain. And to not even use a fuckin’ rubber? I’m gonna end him, Bennett.”
I sighed deeply. Liam was going to lose his shit when he found out I was the douchebag. It would affect our friendship and maybe even our ability to play together.
“I’m hitting the shower,” I said, rubbing my forehead.
I stood under the steaming spray of water for a while, hoping it would wash away some of my tension. No luck, though. By the time I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my waist, the locker room was mostly empty.
“Hey, Morse.”
I turned at the sound of my last name and saw Orion looking at me from the door of his office.
“Come on in when you’re dressed,” he said.
I nodded, wondering what the hell I’d done to warrant a call into his office. I kept my nose clean and played well. But still, he was a fairly new coach and we were under new ownership. I didn’t feel as secure as I had before.
After I’d dressed in sweats and a T-shirt, I pushed open the door of Orion’s office and knocked on the doorframe.
“You wanted to see me, Coach?”
“Yeah. Come on in and close the door.”
Shit. That couldn’t be good. I closed the door and sat down in a chair in front of his desk.
“How are things going, Bennett?”
He was in his early thirties, not much older than I was. He’d retired from the NHL after donating a kidney to his nephew. From what I’d seen of his coaching style so far, he was tough, but fair.
“Pretty good, I think. The first line always pulls our weight.”
He nodded. “And then some. I’m not talking about your play, though. I’m asking about your life outside of
this place.”
“Oh, yeah . . . it’s good.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly and just stared at me for a few seconds.
“You seem to have something on your mind lately,” he finally said.
I shifted in my chair. “Does my game seem off?”
“This isn’t about hockey, Bennett. Your game’s as solid as ever. Stop looking so damned nervous.”
“Everything’s fine with my personal life, Coach.”
“Don’t bullshit me. You don’t go out after road games anymore, and you always look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders. What’s up?”
I sighed deeply and bowed my head, elbows resting on my spread knees.
“I’ve had something come up,” I admitted. “And yeah, it has been on my mind.”
“Have you talked to anyone about it?”
My single note of laughter held no amusement. “Not exactly.”
“Anything you say to me in confidence stays that way,” he said. “If you need a sounding board, I’m here.”
I glanced at the door to double-check it was closed before speaking in a low tone. “I, uh . . . yeah, this does need to stay between us, but . . . I’m gonna be a father.”
“Oh.” Orion’s brows shot up in surprise. “Well, congratulations.”
“Thanks, man.”
“But I take it this is a surprise?”
I nodded solemnly. “To me and the mother of my kid. We only . . . got together the one time.”
“Is it the thought of fatherhood that has you concerned, or something else?”
“All of it. Kids are expensive and I don’t make much money. And the circumstances . . . let’s just say, it’s not ideal.”
“Is she not a woman you could ever see yourself in a relationship with?”
I couldn’t hold back a smile. “I think it’s the other way around. She’s no fan of mine.”
“She was for at least one night.”
“Yeah, and I left my number the next day, really hoping she’d call. But I didn’t hear from her until two months later with the pregnancy news.”
Now Orion was the one smiling. “I find this kind of hard to believe. You’re a damned good-looking guy.”
“You hitting on me, Coach?”
He tossed a pen across his desk at me, and I ducked out of the way. “Not a chance, Morse. Seriously, you’re a good guy. You’re not cocky, not an asshole. You like this woman?”
“Yeah, I do. Most of the time, anyway. She’s sexy and smart. But she’s got a mind of her own.”
Orion gave me an amused look. “And that’s a bad thing?”
“The chemistry is there, but she lets me know at every turn that she doesn’t need me. Frustrates the hell out of me.”
“So show her why she does need you.”
I shook my head and leveled a serious look at him. “You know what Liam’s like? Flies off the handle, sometimes irrational? She’s a lot like that.”
“But you and Liam are like brothers. You guys get along great.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “Yeah, not for long. In the most spectacularly awful coincidence of my life, totally unknown to me that night, it turns out that I’m having a kid with Liam’s younger sister.”
“Oh, shit.” Orion’s eyes widened with shock.
“Yeah. Guess I kind of do have the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
He cleared his throat and regained his composure. “And he doesn’t know?”
“Well, my balls are still attached, so no.”
A few seconds of silence passed before Orion leaned his elbows on his desk and spoke again.
“A baby will change your life, Bennett, but it’ll be for the better. And Liam will get over it.”
I decided to tell him about the worry that was pressing down on me night and day.
“I wonder if maybe this is a sign,” I said. “That it’s time for me to move on and get a job that pays more. That way I can be home to help Charlotte instead of traveling all the damn time.”
“Don’t feed me that line of shit, Bennett.” Orion leaned across the desk and glared at me. “How many years have you worked your ass off to get to the first line here?”
“A lot. But we don’t all make it to the big league.”
“If you don’t make it, it’s your own damned fault. Bear down, man. This should light a fire under your ass to play harder than ever. You want to make more money? Do it. You’ve got the talent.”
My throat tightened with emotion. “Thanks, Coach. I appreciate that.”
“I mean it. You want something bad? Go after it.”
I nodded solemnly.
“And Bennett?”
“Yeah, Coach?”
“I’m not just talking about the big league.”
I dropped the bar I’d just deadlifted to the floor of the weight room and stepped back, breathing heavily. Orion’s words from an hour ago were still running through my head.
He was right. I had to dig deep and go after what I wanted. What did that mean in terms of Charlotte and me?
I’d had a hell of a time getting her off my mind after our one night together. Her confidence in bed was really fucking hot. We’d clashed a bit at dinner, sure, but if I was being completely honest with myself, her headstrong nature was kind of a turn-on. The fortitude I’d seen in her impressed me.
It wasn’t so much that I was pissed off at her; I was pissed off that she didn’t want to see me. And I could admit I’d overstepped a boundary by drilling her about her ex-boyfriend that night.
I’d have to be the bigger person. I grabbed a towel I’d left on a bench and wiped the sweat from my hands and face. I was done lifting, but I wanted to reach out to Charlotte before getting lunch.
I typed out a text on my phone.
Me: Hey, Charlotte. Just wanted to say I’m sorry things went badly at dinner that night. Can we try again?
The little circles that meant she was writing back appeared on my screen, and I stared at it as I waited.
Charlotte: Thanks for the non-apology, but I’m busy. See you at the doctor’s appt.
She was made to annoy me, I decided as I wrote another message.
Me: I said I’m sorry, how is that a non-apology?
Charlotte: You said you were sorry things went badly, which implies it was a mutual thing.
Me: Could you be any more of an attorney? Are we in court right now?
Charlotte: What is it that you want from me?
Me: Just to spend some time with you. See what’s between us, maybe.
Charlotte: I need a boyfriend right now like I need a third boob.
Me: A third boob would be kinda hot.
Charlotte: I have court in ten minutes. I’ll see you Friday.
Me: See you then, sunshine.
I tossed my phone to the bench and glared at it. So much for being the bigger person.
Charlotte
I held my coat around my waist as I walked through the door to the waiting room of my obstetrician’s office. Buttoning my coat was getting a little tricky these days as my waistline started to expand.
As I scanned faces looking for Bennett, movement caught my eye nearby. He’d stood up from his chair to wait for me. Well, crap. Of course he had to go and be a gentleman and make me feel even worse about how I’d treated him the other day.
“Hi,” I said, approaching him.
“Hey.” He smiled. “How are you?”
“Good. Haven’t thrown up for three days so, I’m great, actually.”
“That’s good. I’ve been thinking about you.”
Thinking what? I wanted to ask, but there was a very pregnant woman openly eavesdropping on our conversation. She was staring at me and waiting.
“Um, I need to go check in,” I said to Bennett.
He nodded and sat down. After checking in, I slid off my coat and joined him.
“So how have you been?” I asked.
“Fine.”
I wan
ted to say something to lighten the mood, but what? I’d pushed Bennett away with my harshness, and though I told myself that was for the best, I still felt bad about it.
There had to be a way I could be decent to him but still clearly uninterested. I’d gotten myself here by giving in to the pull of those warm brown eyes and I couldn’t do it again. It was important to stay focused on the baby, work, and ways I could get rid of James before the baby was born. He was driving me crazy lately.
A nurse opened the door and called my name. Bennett stood when I did, but he looked at me instead of moving.
“Do you want me to wait out here?” he asked.
“Um, no. You can come in if you want.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“No. Come on.”
He followed me to the scale, where he looked away sheepishly as I stepped on. Once we were in the exam room waiting for the doctor, our uncomfortable silence returned.
“Liam asked me to help him kick my own ass,” he said, breaking the ice.
I smiled and furrowed my brow. “I hope you said no.”
He shrugged. “Well, he doesn’t know it’s me. He said he’s planning to kick the ass of whoever got his sister pregnant.”
“Oh, no.” I buried my face in my hands and laughed. “He asked you to help? That’s . . .”
“Yeah. He giving you a hard time about things?”
“No. I’ve been working a lot, so we haven’t talked. And you guys have had a busy schedule.”
Bennett nodded and the silence returned. I hated how awkward things were between us now. Why was I such a bitch sometimes?
Finally, the doctor walked in. He was a graying, grandfather type, and he smiled at Bennett.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Lansing.” He shook Bennett’s hand. “You’re the father of the baby?”
“Yes, sir.”
The pride in his tone was so sweet that I wanted to jump down from the table, hug him, and apologize. But the doctor started in with questions about how I was feeling, and the moment passed.
“All right, let’s have a listen for the baby’s heartbeat,” he said.
My hand instinctively went to my belly. “Really?”
“Really. Just lie back and slide your shirt up a bit.”
Bennett came to stand next to me, and I looked up at his face as the doctor rubbed my belly with a Doppler wand. He was so handsome, his expression earnest and hopeful.
Bennett (On the Line Book 2) Page 5