I suppress a shiver. I hope I know what I’m doing.
“What the hell are they doing here?” Murph calls out.
His gaze is fixed over my shoulder, and I whip around.
Declan Wild is here. His ball cap is pulled low over his face, and he’s standing in the darkest corner of the bar. It’s clear he doesn’t want the attention, but his teammates don’t seem to be on the same page. Tex Williams and Arch Morrison stand calmly in the center of the attention all three are already getting.
The Storm brothers are pretty famous in the world of hockey. But Declan Wild is a modern-day Wayne Gretzky, and he’s from Louisiana too, which makes him all the more interesting to the patrons of the Odyssey.
“Welcome home, Mr. Wild!” A roar comes up from the crowd.
Declan gives an appreciative nod and hand wave before sinking into the nearest seat. His perfect jawline is tensed, and his cheeks are flushed. Tex and Arch take seats at the same table with him, and all three bend their heads together in conversation.
“I feel bad for him,” I say out loud.
Hunter gives me a look.
“What?” I say to him. “I do.”
Ashley overhears me. “I do too, Win. Poor guy just wants some privacy. How could he possibly enjoy himself when he goes out?”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Murph says. “Are you two serious right now? You feel sorry for one of the biggest stars this sport has ever seen? A guy who had an eight-figure, fully-guaranteed contract he just played out with the Denver Alphas, not to mention his endless endorsement deals? Declan Wild is a good guy from the little I’ve talked to him, but to say you feel sorry for him is taking it too far.”
“You’re just jealous.” Ashley twirls a lock of auburn hair with her finger and sticks out her tongue at him. “So sad to be jealous of such a good guy like you said.”
Murph glares at her as she continues to tangle her hair around her finger and smile at him teasingly. Murph looks like he’s either going to fight with her or kiss her, and Ashley doesn’t seem to be sure which option she’d choose.
“What do you think?” Hunter says in my ear. “Do you feel sorry for Wild?”
I glance over at Declan but draw back in surprise when I realize he’s coming this way.
“Um…” I wave my hands wildly at Ashley.
She looks at me with her eyebrows raised. Until she sees who’s coming up behind me.
She gasps and grabs my arm so hard I’m sure I’ll find a bruise in the morning.
“Declan Wild!” she says loudly, too loudly. “What an honor—can we get you a drink?”
Declan’s perfect lips twitch as his gaze flicks to her, but he simply shakes his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m about to leave. I’m looking for Jared,” he tells Hunter. “Need to see him before I go.”
Hunter nods, reaches through Liam and Murph, and somehow manages to snag Jared by the shoulder. Jared’s laughing with Max and Dean about something, but he turns around. When he sees Declan standing there amongst us, he immediately gets off his stool and steps over to him.
“Hey, Wild.” He offers him his beer. “Have a drink with us.”
Declan tries to decline, but Jared’s already shoved the bottle into his hand, and Ashley’s peppering him with questions.
Where in Louisiana did you grow up?
Do you miss the south?
Rumor has it you’re going to retire soon. Is it true?
I’m sure he’s going to give her some quick lip service answer and get the hell away from us.
Instead, he surprises me.
“I grew up by Covington. I do miss the south sometimes. And as for retirement, I don’t make decisions like that mid-season,” he says in a deep, sexy voice that I swear my ovaries just responded to with a little leap of joy.
