“It depends. Most of them are. I mean, some of them are terminal, so they can have anything they want. Others are just kids, you know? And this is a special treat.”
“Any time you need help for something like that, I can try to be available. I’ve always wanted to do volunteer work but going to school and working full-time keeps me busy.”
“There’s plenty of time,” Juliet says. “And believe me, there’s always an opportunity for community outreach. The guys do more than we do but we support whenever and however we can.”
“The wives do a food drive every Thanksgiving,” Eden interjects. “Noelle, the owner’s wife, runs that and Cicero’s was a sponsor last year.”
“And we do a back-to-school drive too, to make sure underprivileged kids have everything they need for the upcoming school year. Slava’s wife, Zoe, is a teacher and she spearheads that one.”
“Sounds like you guys keep busy,” I say thoughtfully.
Juliet nods. “We do. This is a family and we’re a pretty tight-knit group.”
“I hope that I’m starting to fit in,” I admit softly.
“Of course you are,” Juliet says. “Everyone likes you.”
“But does everyone know our history?”
Eden shrugs. “I don’t know for sure who knows what, but I do know there hasn’t been any gossip beyond everyone being delighted that Jordan met someone special.”
“Did I tell you guys he came over to the house for dinner?”
“He did?” Juliet’s eyes widen. “How did it go?”
“My dad gave him the third degree, but my mom thinks he’s grown up a lot and Ivy has a crush on him. She wants to know if he has any single friends.”
“Milo is single,” Chloe laughs. “And he’s about the right age. He’s twenty. How old is Ivy?”
“She’s twenty also. She’ll be twenty-one in October.”
“I feel like it’s time to whip up some matchmaking skills,” Juliet says, rubbing her hands together.
I’m a bit more hesitant. “Remember, Ivy is a single mom with no dad in the picture. Is Milo ready for that kind of responsibility?” I ask gently. “Any guy that gets involved with her will become important to Charlie too. I don’t know Milo, but twenty is young, especially since men don’t have a fully formed frontal lobe or whatever it’s called until their mid-twenties.”
Eden chuckles. “Milo is young, but he’s a good kid. And anyway, it’s just a chance for them to meet. We don’t know where, or if, it will go anywhere.”
“I guess it can’t hurt to introduce them. Then maybe she’ll stop drooling over Jordan.”
We’re still laughing when the Knights score, and when I look up I realize it was Jordan.
“Shit,” I mutter. “I missed it.”
“They’re showing the replay,” Eden says, nudging me.
I make sure to pay attention, and it occurs to me how hot it is to see my boyfriend—my man—out there scoring goals. He’s tall and strong and so damn sexy. I’ve always loved his athleticism, and he’s gotten even better in the last four years. His body is absolutely perfect, and I haven’t been able to enjoy enough of it since we got back together.
Maybe we should skip dinner and go back to his place instead.
My body warms and I squirm just thinking about it. I haven’t given him much attention lately and I can totally make up for that tonight.
Chapter 26
Jordan
I spot Victoria the moment I walk into the family lounge. She’s laughing with Eden and Juliet, holding someone’s baby in her arms, and for some reason it makes me think about the child we lost. That’s what she would have looked like holding our baby, and for a moment I’m swept back in time. Neither of us were ready to be parents back then but we would have figured it out. Even if her parents abandoned us, my parents would have done anything they could to help.
We would have been okay.
