She nods and disappears into the house. I nod at Lauren and start down her front walk. “Griffin!”
I turn to face her. I feel an overwhelming sense of dread. I say nothing, waiting for her to speak. She looks oddly uncomfortable. “Are you going to work now?”
My brow furrows. “Yeah. Why?”
She shrugs. “Nothing. I just was wondering. You still want her on Wednesday?”
“I want her every day,” I reply, trying not to sound as annoyed as I am. She frowns, deep and hard, and huffs before turning around and shutting the front door. Luckily, she didn’t slam it, but I know she wanted to. At least she’s keeping up her end of our pact not to fight or be hateful to each other in front of our daughter. I’ll take that as a win.
I try not to dwell how much Lauren’s attitude annoys me as I drive to the rink. Instead I start thinking about Sadie again. I’ve only been with the Thunder since the start of the season, but I’m surprised I haven’t seen her before. Her brother Jude is not just a star for the Thunder, he’s a superstar in the league. I had hated playing against him, although as the backup goalie on most teams, I didn’t face him often. I think only twice. I remember him being talented yet devious. He didn’t mind crowding your crease and was the king of trash-talking on the ice. Working for the team now, I see him differently. He’s hardworking and loyal to his teammates, with a sharp sense of humor, which I now know is clearly a family trait, as are the blond hair and blue eyes. The whole team was aware of his family because Dixie was always hanging around and attending games and fund-raising events as Eli’s significant other, and I’d been told she used to work for the Thunder. Jude’s a very vocal advocate for ALS, and I’d seen his dad at games in a wheelchair. I just didn’t realize he had more than one sister. How the hell had I missed that?
I get to the arena, and my mood shifts dramatically. I’m never in a bad mood when I’m around a rink. From the time I was a kid until right now, everything about hockey, the rink, the ice, makes me feel at peace. Joyful, even. The Thunder’s head coach meets me at the door to our offices, which are tucked in just past the training rooms. “How’s Casco?”
“He’ll be okay, but he’s going to need about a week off at least,” I reply.
Coach swears under his breath. “We’re playing the Saints tomorrow. Do you think Carling is ready for them and fucking Westwood?”
I nod firmly. “I’ll make sure of it.”
I spend the next two hours with Noah Carling, the team’s former starter and now backup goalie. Eli stepped in when Noah needed surgery last year, and despite a rocky start, Eli helped the Thunder earn a Cup last year, so he earned the starting position. Noah has been a little shaky since his return, and maybe a little bummed he lost his spot, but as we work together I know he’s going to be fine against the best team in the league right now.
As I leave for the day, I’m excited to see Sadie again. I dig in my pocket for my phone—all my pockets…I can’t find it. Did I leave it in the car? In my office? I start to mentally walk through my day.
“Excuse me?”
I realize there’s a young guy standing in front of me. I wonder if he’s a fan of the team. Sometimes they wait in the parking lot to get autographs and selfies with players after practice. “Players already left for the day. Sorry.”
“Are you Griffin Sullivan?” he asks.
“Yes,” I reply, and he shoves an envelope at me.
“You’ve been served,” he says, and abruptly turns and walks away. I stand there in the empty parking lot feeling like I’ve just been sucker punched. And then I open the envelope, and I feel like I’ve just been dropped into an abyss.
It’s a summons to family court. Lauren wants full custody.
5
Sadie
When I wake up, there’s a lump beside me in the bed, hogging all the covers. I rub the sleep from my eyes and stare at the blond head. It’s Dixie. Typical. I give her a nudge and yank back the blankets she stole. She groans and rolls over to face me. “I was comfy.”
“Of course you were,” I reply. “But it’s my bed. Go be comfy in your own apartment.”
“My bed isn’t as nice,” she replies and sits up, running her fingers through her wheat blond hair. “And Levi is at our place being the overprotective big brother. He needs to see for himself Eli is doing okay, so I can’t nap.”
“I still don’t understand why you two don’t get a real apartment,” I say as I sit up and yawn. I glance at the clock on my bedside table. It’s just before two in the afternoon. I’ve been asleep five hours. Sadly, it felt like two. Working until seven in the morning and then forcing myself into bed while the rest of the world starts their day isn’t easy, but it’s part of the job. “Eli makes a kajillion dollars a year. You can afford something bigger than that shoebox you live in. Like something with a proper bedroom.”
She shrugs. “We like my apartment. It’s cozy and has sentimental value. It’s where we first got together.”
“So what? You’re going to get married and have babies and raise them in four hundred square feet? There’s sentimental and then there’s stupid.” I stretch, and she uses the moment to yank the covers back over her tiny body. I grab them and pull them back, leaving her bare. She’s wearing leggings and an oversize sweatshirt, so she doesn’t need my covers.
“We’re not getting married or having babies,” Dixie replies.
I lift an eyebrow. “Ever?”
“No, I mean…not now.” She looks down at her hands in her lap. “I don’t know if he’s thinking about that yet.”
I laugh. “Are you kidding me?”
