“A lot can change in a few weeks. Look, can I bring her or not?”
“Of course. I look forward to meeting her.”
I know he’s worried Savannah’s going to be another Amy.
But as soon as he opens the door to his high-rise condo and Savannah smiles at him, I can tell he realizes his concerns are unwarranted. His jaw relaxes, and he gives Savannah a genuine smile, something he rarely does for anyone outside his inner circle. He’s clean shaven tonight, and his dark hair is neatly combed. He’s wearing a long-sleeved fitted shirt, worn jeans, and cowboy boots. I’m not a small guy, but Declan has always dwarfed me. He could out bench press anyone on his team, and hitting his mid-thirties hasn’t slowed him down.
“Hi,” he says, extending his hand to Savannah.
“Savannah,” I say, “This is my brother. Declan.”
“Nice to meet you.” She smiles as she looks between us, her shyness disappearing. “You two definitely look like brothers.”
Declan slaps me on the back and pulls me in for a hug. “I tell Cam he should be grateful for that every day.”
Savannah laughs, and Declan invites us inside.
“Wow,” she says as he shows us around his place. “The floor to ceiling windows are amazing. What a view of the mountains you must have during daylight.”
Declan nods. “The city lights are nice at night, but I definitely prefer the mountains.”
“This must have cost you a fucking fortune,” I joke with him as we step into his massive kitchen with two ovens and granite countertops.
“Good thing I have a fortune to spend then,” he says with a grin.
I don’t want to drink the night before the game, so we all take water, and Declan brings out grilled salmon, basmati rice, and vegetables.
“My favorite meal before I play,” he says.
We take seats on the L-shaped couch in the living room, and Declan tells us about living in Denver. My brother’s been traded three times, and he’s only been with the Denver Alphas for two years.
“This will be it for me,” he says. “I’ll retire an Alpha hopefully.”
“What will you do when you retire?” Savannah asks him. “Do you have plans?”
Declan’s gray eyes cloud over. “Not exactly. I’m kind of stalling, honestly. Not sure where I’m supposed to go from here.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Savannah says confidently. “You’re obviously someone who succeeds at whatever he puts his mind to. When it’s not hockey anymore, the right thing will come along.”
Declan’s eyebrows rise, and he nods at her.
But when she excuses herself for the bathroom, he gives me a look.
“You didn’t tell me you’d met the one, brother.”
I suck in a breath. “How’d you know?”
“Because I know you, and I see the way you look at her. She’s crazy about you too.” His eyes are warm when he adds, “I never thought I’d see the day when my little brother was ready to settle down.”
“Me neither. But when you meet your person, the decision suddenly isn’t so hard.”
“Huh.” He looks at me for a long moment. “You’re quitting hockey, aren’t you?”
Now he’s freaking me out. “What are you, some kind of psychic now?”
“When.” He doesn’t ask it like a question.
“Soon.”
