He watched Tyler skate, Rowan laughing and clinging to his neck. Tyler’s hair fluttered around his ears, his lavender beanie perched on his head.
Jamie wanted him. His body fucking wanted him, to the point of distraction. But Tyler didn’t have time for dating. He definitely didn’t have time for someone like Jamie.
It seemed unlikely that Tyler, whose time was already stretched so thin, would understand that the Muskies were like a family. If Jamie’s ex-boyfriends hadn’t been able to handle how much of Jamie’s attention was occupied by his team, it was hard to imagine this beautiful, vibrant man who deservedeverything, settling for so little.
It was hard to imagine him settling for Jamie.
CHAPTER 12
TYLER
DUCKING. DUCK.
Before having Rowan, Tyler had believed his friend community would always be there. That they were the kind of people who could transcend the phases of life. Even when Falcon was pregnant, their friends had seemed excited to welcome a baby into their midst.
Of course, things didn’t turn out that way.
Now, he found himself in a professional hockey locker room where the kids all helped each other with their gear. One of Sergei and Mila’s boys, Sasha, had offered to unlace Rowan’s skates, and now Stef and Rowan were both dragging around a pair of sticks they’d found in Jamie’s locker.
This was the kind of thing Tyler hadn’t let himself want. But now that he was here, in the room, his heart ached.
The Muskies were a family.
It was amazing, really, seeing Jamie here. It was his job, sure, but it was obviously so muchmorethan that. Jamie looked perfectly at home surrounded by the small group of his teammates. Mitch had brought enough snacks to feed all the kids. Jamie pulled the tops off of strawberries for Rowan, and Tyler stared at Jamie’s mouth.
Fuck, that man’s mouth.
Jamie’s mouth was going to haunt him. The way his lips drew together in a frown that softened every time Rowan called him Jamie. That thick blonde mustache–would it tickle his skin if they kissed? Would it catch against the shadow of afternoon stubble around Tyler’s mouth?
Tyler felt a part of himself wake up, alert and buzzing and hungry–really fucking hungry.
It was getting harder to remember all of the reasons why he didn’t have time forsomethingswith green-eyed hockey captains.
Especially when Jamie was gentle with his son. Especially when he pretended to feast on carrots with them at the Children’s Museum. Especially when he used those big, steady hands to teach Rowan to skate.
Or when he’d placed a hand on Tyler’s lower back.
Rowan started rubbing his eyes. Tyler needed to broach the subject of leaving to Jamie, who was laughing loudly with Mitch about something. He didn’t want to bother him, didn’t want to pull him away from this moment with his teammates.
As if reading his mind, Jamie looked over at Tyler, glanced at Rowan, and his mouth tipped up into a soft, understanding smile. “We should probably get going,” Jamie said, reaching over and hugging Mitch. “Gotta get these guys home.”
Tyler was speechless as he packed their things. He said goodbye to Mitch, Sergei, and Mila, and then Jamie was ushering them down the hall toward the entrance.
Rowan grabbed his hand, like he always did, but then he reached out for Jamie’s hand too. Tyler’s chest tightened, and he watched Jamie smile down at Rowan like he really, truly cared about him.
The drive home passed quickly, Rowan talking a million miles a minute about skating and the kids and how cool it was when Mila did the splits. As Jamie pulled to a stop in front of their place, Rowan let out a loud yawn.
“Papa?”
Tyler unbuckled his seatbelt and looked back. “Yeah, kiddo?”
“Can Jamie come inside and read me a story after supper?”
Tyler turned to Jamie, who was already nodding. Careful to keep his voice a whisper, he asked: “You sure?”
Jamie’s smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. He nodded again.
“Okay, Row.”
