Center Ice (Boston Rebels, #1)

by Julia Connors

“I’m Graham.” He gives me a lopsided smile as he stares back at me with his big brown eyes. It’s like looking into a mirror. “How old are you, Graham?” “I’m five and I’m in kindergarten.” Heart stuttering, I glance up at Audrey, and I’m sure there’s confusion written across my face. Even I don’t need a tutor to do this kind of math.

Getting a girl pregnant in college is bad enough, but my agent’s little sister? How did I not know they were related? How did I not know she was pregnant?

“You knew this was a possibility when you heard about the trade,” Jules reminds me. She’s the only person on the planet who knows Drew is Graham’s father. I couldn’t tell Jameson—he was too much of a hot-head back then, too protective of his baby sisters, who he’d practically raised. The first thing he’d said to me when I’d told him I was pregnant but didn’t think the guy would be interested in being involved was, “I’m going to kill him.”

“I’d have been there for you and Graham. And it kills me that it’s my own fault that I didn’t know. That you had to do this all yourself, and that I missed it all.”

“I regret missing out on all of that. But the reason I didn’t call you back was because I was a mess. I’d moved to a new country, was living away from my family the first time, and had just found out my mom had Parkinson’s. I was just trying to survive.”

It hits me then: there’s nothing I could be out doing that I wouldn’t drop for her.

“But I can take care of you once you’re done taking care of him,” he says, reaching out and running his hand along the side of my abdomen. The offer is distinctly sexual, and it frustrates me that this is where his mind is while our son is upstairs and sick. “Drew, this isn’t the time. Graham’s sick.” “Yeah, but you feel like crap too. And once you’ve got him back to bed, I can still be here to take care of you.”

And as I pour everything I have into her, into this moment, I’m left absolutely dumbfounded. Because Audrey is everything I didn’t know I wanted, and I’m not sure I can live without her now she’s back in my life.

“If you ever speak about the mother of my child and my future wife that way again, you and I are done. For good. Understand?”

With a deep breath, I think about how many times I’ve worn my brother’s jersey. “I appreciate the thought, but the only name I wear on my back is my own.” He leans in so close his lips graze my earlobe and the sparks of desire shoot straight through me. “Don’t worry, baby, one day my last name will be yours.”

Now that Drew is back in my life, it’s the first time in years I’ve felt like maybe I can rest—maybe I can breathe—without having to worry about everything falling apart. And that, in and of itself, feels like a reason to give him a chance.

If I accept the jacket, I’m sending him the message that I’m his, and I’m okay with everyone knowing it. If I don’t accept it, it’s one more time I’m rebuffing him when he’s clearly trying.

But ten minutes later, when the players return for the next period, Drew looks up at me, and there’s no mistaking the look on his face when he sees me in his jacket. It says, You’re mine.

Drew slings his arm over my shoulder and pulls me to his side as we walk. Then he says, “I’m not just going to marry you someday, Audrey. I’m going to marry you someday soon.”

So what am I? Like a test to see if you like having a girlfriend?

Pretty sure I’ve made it clear that you’re my future wife. But sure, you can call yourself my girlfriend if you need to put a label on this.

why did you just get that look on your face, like you were panicking?” Beneath her sweatshirt, I press my hands into her sides, holding her tightly. “I just had a second…where I was kind of overcome by the realization of how much I love you. I already knew I couldn’t see myself with anyone else, ever. I already knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. But…” In this moment, words seem to be failing me. “But this is the first time I’ve ever felt completely overwhelmed with how much I care about you.”

“I hope you remember that request, because I’m about to disrespect the fuck out of you. Open that mouth, beautiful.”

“You know,” Drew’s mom says from behind me, and I turn in surprise. She’d been up on the deck a moment ago, and I didn’t even hear her come down the steps. “He’s been working on that thing every single time he’s been over here for the past few weeks.” My heart feels like it expands in my chest. There are so many reasons I adore Drew, but watching him grow into being a dad makes me love him even more.

“Everything. Every single thing you’ve done since you’ve been back in my life has made me fall more and more in love with you.” His head snaps back and his eyes widen as she stares down at me. Voice thick and words rough, he says, “Say it again.”

“Ewwww, why are adults always kissing?” Graham asks, and Audrey’s head snaps toward him, but I hold her to me. “Because when you’re in love with someone, that’s one of the ways you show them how you feel,” I say, my body relaxing a bit at seeing him awake.

“This room’s really quiet, though,” he says. “Dad, can you turn on the crickets?” My throat tightens as the realization washes over me that he just called me Dad for the first time.

I’m only a step behind her when she gasps. I guess she finally noticed the Dad wants to know if you’ll marry him? shirt Graham’s been walking around the party wearing for the last five minutes.

“You are my sun, Audrey. You’re the center of my whole universe, the star that Graham and I are lucky enough to orbit around. And you always will be.”