“I am so not sticking around for this,” Declan whispers to me and slinks away to talk to other wives.
“Well, there’s a bunch of single players on the team, so maybe you’ll get lucky,” I say and think,please don’t want Callan.I hate it when women use me to get to my brother.It used to happen in college a lot.
“I’m hoping this manifests me what I want.”She turns, and I see there’s a name on her jersey.Richard.“I love a bad boy.”
“That one on your back is reformed,” I say for some stupid reason.What I can’t say is he’s taken, because he isn’t.At least not by me.I haven’t heard from him in over four weeks, so who knows now.The thought makes my chest ache, but I ignore it.
“There’s baby girl!”Grady’s voice booms in the room, and Randie goes stiff with excitement against me.He’s standing in the doorway, taking up the whole thing with his ginormous frame, wearing his dark gray Under Armor.Randie makes a weird noise and reaches for him.He crosses the distance in two long strides and plucks her from the holder.
She curls into him as he holds her to his chest.“You gonna help your daddies win tonight, Randie?”
Candice makes a weird noise, and I look over and see her making googly eyes at the sight with her manicured hand to her chest.“This is like making me ovulate.So cute.”
“Yeah.It’s adorable,” I say and fight the shudder at her ovulation comment.
Landon shows up a second later, and Randie claps as he kisses her cheek.God, I love my brother like this, all domesticated and happy.I’m smiling as I watch and order a ginger ale from the bartender.Declan walks back up.“Sometimes I feel like I’m looking at my future, which is weird because Abbott and I have been together longer.”
“But neither of you had the foresight to knock up an ex,” I retort, and he makes a face.
“My ex is married to my brother so probably for the best there.”
“Wow.I had no idea.Sorry?”
“No, sorry.I’m super happy for them, and we’re all on great terms.”Declan flashes me a reassuring smile.“Abbott and I are right where we need to be.We might have started messy and complicated, but eventually we found each other.That’s all the matters.Giving each other enough chances to get it right.”
He makes it sound so easy.
Landon walks back over with Randie just as someone pops their head in.A gorgeous, dark, brooding head.“Casco and Garrison, Coach is looking for you both.”
His eyes find mine immediately, and I do the mature thing and look away.Yeah.So mature.I take a step and reach for Randie.She fusses, seemingly knowing her daddies are leaving.“It’s okay, baby girl.They’ll be back after they win a widdle hockey game.”
Okay, he just spoke to Randie in a sweet, soft voice and used the term baby girl.I can’t look at him now.He’s leaning on the door frame, and Landon and Grady take turns kissing Randie’s head between her red bows.Theo isn’t looking at Randie though, he’s looking at me, like I’m his long-lost pet or something.I grit my teeth and glare back while my heart melts.But I won’t let him win.He ghosted me.
Landon and Grady slip out the door, and Theo says, “Bye, baby girl.”
And I don’t think that was addressed to Randie.What the absolute fuck?But he’s gone before I can call him on it.I hear a whimper behind me and realize it’s Melissa’s friend, Candice.“I can’t believe he was just here, and I froze!”
“I would have helped you, but it was too funny.”Melissa laughs and then puts a hand on her friend’s shoulder.“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you meet him.I’ll get Tanner to have him come out with us after the game.”
Something starts to ache in my chest.I ignore it because I don’t have any right to worry about him hooking up with someone else.“He doesn’t really party.”
I don’t know why I say it.I don’t have a right to say anything or feel anything.I need to grow up and move on.I feel like I’m borderline as inappropriate as Pete, who thankfully has finally taken no for an answer.Or at least it seems that way.I haven’t heard from him since the phone call while I was in San Francisco.
“He’s sober,” Candice acknowledges with a soft smile.“I’ve done my research.And I’m very happy about that.I stopped drinking in college.”
“Oh.Perfect then,” I say and excuse myself, saying I want to get a spot in front of the glass for Randie to watch the warm-up.Not untrue, but I really just need to get away from Theo’s potential next hook-up.
After warm-up, I make my way to the seats, which is in a section where all the WAGs (wives and girlfriends) and other family members of players and staff sit.Harlow, Theo’s sister, is a few rows up.She’s next to a couple who I know have to be Theo’s parents.He is a perfect mix of them both.His mom has dark eyes and darker hair, but his dad has rugged features and almost-olive skin.I can see him in both of them.Harlow looks more like her mom, with more delicate features, like the petite upturned nose.But she has her dad’s caramel-colored eyes and a bit of a lighter glint in her hair, too, which is her dad.
She notices me and waves.That gets her mom's attention, who points at Randie and smiles.Then stands.Shit.She waves me over.I walk up the remaining two rows to their seats.“Hi.I’m Rose Richard.You must be Lola Casco.I’m Grady’s aunt.Sort of.I mean, my sisters are his aunts, and I’m honorary.Sorry.Anyway, could I say hi to Randie?”
“Of course.”I smile, and she steps across Harlow, bending at the waist and cooing at Randie, who seems to recognize her and gurgles welcomingly.
“I babysat her a few times this summer,” Rose tells me.“She’s a delight.”
“She is,” I agree.
Harlow laughs.“Mom is the baby freak in the family.”
