“You as well, Owen. Come in, meet everyone!”
“Everyone?” I asked, dubiously. “You mean Berkley and Brent’s family?”
“There are a few other people here too,” Chloe said, gripping my hand and pulling me toward the wall of glass looking out over the arena.
Below, the teams were on the ice for warmups, circling endlessly around their own zones, taking shots on net. Some were stretching along the boards, feet kicked up on the half wall at the benches, or down on all fours, rolling their hips to warm up their hamstrings and quads.
Crowded along the exterior wall of the suite was an impressive group of people. It wasn’t difficult to determine which two were Brent’s parents, both dark-haired and blue-eyed, his dad tall and broad-shouldered like his son. Nearby, beneath the heads and shoulders of people gathered around her, I could see the top of Berkley’s blonde head. Nearby stood a tall brunette woman, a baby in her arms, a hulking blond man standing at her side. Then there was my brother-in-law, a Warriors cap settled on his head, bright blue eyes and wide grin trained on me.
“Little sis!” Logan said, pushing through the crowd to scoop me into a hug. “Good to see you!”
“Hey!” someone—I assumed Berkley—yelled from behind him.
“You’re my little sis too, Berk,” he said back.
“Obviously,” she replied, eye roll evident in her tone.
I couldn’t help but laugh, loving this extended family like it was my own. They were equally as crazy as mine, and loved each other as fiercely.
When the crowd parted to reveal our arrival, Berkley let out a yelp of excitement, unceremoniously shoving her nearly two-year-old son, Brooks, into her father-in-law’s arms before rushing over to wrap me in a hug.
Owing to the fact that she was only a few inches over five feet, Berkley’s face wound up smooshed against my chest, but I didn’t mind. The girl had always given the best hugs, and now that her brother was my brother-in-law, she was even more like family than she and the rest of the Daniels clan had been growing up. Only a year older than me, she had graduated high school with Amara.
“How are you?” I asked when we broke apart. “I see Brooks, but where’s Bentley?”
Berkley turned and pointed at the brunette with the baby I’d clocked earlier. “With his auntie. Lexie!” The woman lifted her head, hazel eyes locking on mine, cool and assessing.
Damn, she was stunning. Tall and thin, similar in stature and complexion to me and Chloe. Honestly, she could have passed for a sixth Delatou sister.
I didn’t know what it was, but I liked her instantly.
With confident, unhurried steps, Lexie approached us, the blond man trailing after her. When she reached us, she handedthe sleeping baby Bentley to his mother.
“Delia, this is my best friend, Lexie,” Berkley said, tucking her youngest son against her shoulder and absently rubbing circles along his back. His little cheeks were squished against a set of noise-cancelling ear muffs, long, dark eyelashes fanned across them. Then she gestured to the man. “And this is her husband, Mitch.”
“You used to play for the Warriors,” Owen said. “Didn’t you?”
Mitch nodded, and Owen stuck his hand out. “Owen Lawless,” he said when Mitch grasped it. “I played for the—”
“Mustangs,” Mitch finished. “I remember.”
“Shame about your back,” Owen told him.
“And your shoulder,” Mitch replied, offering him a commiserative smile.
Berkley and Lexie simply nodded, and it seemed everyone knew what they were talking about but me. I made a mental note to ask Owen about it later.
“It all worked out in the end.”
Mitch hooked his arm around his wife’s waist, pulling her back against him. “It sure did.”
Owen glanced at me then, and while I couldn’t decipher the emotion swimming in his eyes, I knew it had everything to do with the couple in front of us, and how obviously in love they were. In fact, we were surrounded by happy couples—Berkley’s babies the evidence of hers while her husband was on the ice—and I couldn’t ignore the desire that surged within me.
Desire for that same happiness. Desire for a family of my own.
Desire for Owen.
The only problem was finding a way to make myself believe I deserved it all with him.
