Laiken’s smile comes slow and steady. “You’re going to be a dad.”
Yeah, I am.
Congratulations fly around the table, a few rough claps on my back mixed in with wide grins.
Then Jax snorts, taking a long pull of his beer before glancing at River. “So… Sloane.”
River doesn’t even look up from his cards. “Hasn’t mentioned you. Not even once.”
Jax opens his mouth. “Have you?—”
“No,” River cuts in flatly. “I haven’t asked her either. And I’m not going to.”
“Sheesh, bro,” Jax mutters. “How am I supposed to get this woman to marry me if she won’t give me the time of day?”
Knox chokes mid-sip, spraying beer before coughing hard enough to shake the table.
Jax just grins. “Was it something I said?”
The laughter fades into a quieter sense of camaraderie, the kind that settles in when everyone’s at ease with each other. That’s when I hear the pad of footsteps from down the hall. Elody tiptoes into the dining room clutching a stuffed rabbit, her hair bouncing as she tugs on Laiken’s pant leg.
The hard lines of our goalie’s face ease, the tension he carries with him slipping away as he sweeps her into his arms. Anyone who thinks Laiken loves hockey above all else has never seen him with his daughter.
“You ready for bed, sweetheart?” he asks.
She nods. “I wanted a kiss first. Then Kia’s gonna read me a story.”
He smiles faintly, tenderness flickering through his expression. “That’s a good plan.”
My sister trails a few steps behind, hesitating near the doorway as if not wanting to intrude.
Laiken glances at her before his gaze returns to Elody. “You having fun with your new friend?”
The little girl grins. “Yeah, Daddy! We played with my dollhouse and colored. Want to see my picture?”
“You can show me in the morning,” he says, setting her back on her feet. “Sound like a deal?”
“Okay.” She bounces once on her toes. “Can Kia come over and play tomorrow?”
His gaze shifts once again toward my sister, who continues to linger nearby, before clearing his throat. “I don’t think so, bug. I’m pretty sure Kia’s busy. She’s just filling in because Miss Katie got sick.”
Before he can say anything more, Elody slips from his arms and races toward Kia, her footed-pajama-covered feet slapping against the floor. She throws her arms around Kia’s legs and looks up with wide eyes. “Please, Kia? Can you come over tomorrow?”
Kia freezes for a beat before bending down, one hand brushing a curl from the little girl’s forehead. “Maybe.”
“Yay!” Elody squeals, spinning back to her father. “See, Daddy? She can.”
Laiken huffs out a laugh, as if realizing he’s been backed into a corner. “We’ll see, bug. Bedtime first, negotiations later.”
Elody scampers back down the hall with Kia following her, their voices a faint mix of chatter and giggles.
Something unreadable flashes across Laiken’s face. Maybe it’s just weariness. The kind that comes from trying to be both mother and father to his little girl.
It doesn’t take long for the room to settle again. There’s the snap of cards and the scrape of glass against wood.
I lean back in my chair and watch them. A year ago, nights like this would’ve ended at a club or the Rail Yard, filled with noise and distractions. Now it’s laughter, cards, and the kind of peacefulness that feels like a win I didn’t know I was playing for.
When my phone buzzes in my pocket, breaking the calm, I pull it out. The screen lights up with the family group chat. I swipe past it, opening a private thread with Hayes instead.
