When Alec Met Evie (Appies, #6)

by Jenny Proctor

Alec shrugs easily as he glances around the room. “I bought the house fully furnished, so they were like that when I moved in.” I look around the room one more time. “That explains the grand piano.”

If Megan is right about Alec not wanting to settle down, why did he buy a four-bedroom house in a quiet, family-friendly neighborhood?

“Fried egg, cheddar, and bacon,” he says. “Breakfast food is pretty much all that’s in my wheelhouse.”

My gaze reflexively lifts to his, like I might be able to tell from his expression whether he realizes that him standing so close makes me feel like my heart is beating on the outside of my chest.

Something happens to Alec’s expression then, his eyes narrowing the slightest bit, his mouth falling open like he’s lost in thought, but then he gives his head a little shake and steps away, moving back around the counter.

“So talk to me about your knee.” He frowns. “Why would I want to talk about my knee?” “Because I saw you limping when we came inside. Are you injured? Please tell me you didn’t hurt yourself today.” “I didn’t hurt it today,” he says, and I can tell he’s telling the truth. “So it’s a hockey injury?”

I nudge his knee with mine. “Hey. You know you’re more than a hockey player, right?” He looks up sharply, like my words have surprised him. “You’re a brother, a son, a friend, a human. You’ll still be all those things when you stop playing hockey.”

Like we could talk about anything and it wouldn’t give either of us pause. I have no idea why—why Alec decided I was the person he’d finally say all of this to, but I don’t want the conversation to end just because Juno wakes up.

He lets out a dismissive grunt. “Nah. Analysts come from the NHL. Not the minor leagues.” “Most of the time, sure,” I say. “But you’re an Appie. You guys freaking beat an NHL team last season. Half the players on the team could be playing in the NHL if they wanted to be—you included. The same rules don’t apply to the Appies.”

My heart squeezes at the kindness behind Alec’s words. I haven’t been to a hockey game in years. Not since high school. Once I started at Juilliard and met Devon, it wasn’t as easy to get away, even though Megan frequently traveled to see whatever games he played in the northeast.

I am still absolutely positive that a relationship is the last thing I need right now. But I can’t seem to stop smiling anyway.

When we were talking at the counter the other night, her knees tucked in between mine, she didn’t feel like a sister at all. I was much too aware of the warmth emanating from her skin and the freckles dotting the bridge of her nose. But she didn’t feel like a date either. There was no pressure, no expectations, which made it easy to be honest, to say things I haven’t said to anyone else.

Parker skates to the center of the rink where Eli, Logan, Camden, and the rest of the team are waiting.

I fend off a shot from Van, then circle the goal and steal a puck from Camden, sending it sliding in the opposite direction before Logan plows into me, pinning me against the boards, while Eli flies by and makes a shot over Felix’s shoulder. This is when I know there’s more to this exercise than I thought because Logan doesn’t let me go. Instead, he pulls my stick out of my hands, tosses it to the ice, then spins me toward Theo, who’s twirling a lasso over his head in perfect circles. An actual lasso.

“That’s how they do it in Texas,” Theo says, his smile wide. Right. I’d forgotten the twins were from Texas.

It also helps that the twins, for all their youthful cockiness, aren’t jerks. Carter especially seems eager to learn and grow and figure out what it truly means to be an Appie.

I clear my throat and force my eyes to the ceiling. I have got to stop staring at this woman’s mouth, but she isn’t making it easy.

He promised to have her home repaired and livable within a week of his return and agreed to prorate her rent for next month to compensate for the delay.

There’s something very domestic about the whole situation. And not because Evie is in the kitchen and made food. It’s more that she’s just…here. That we’re talking about our days and she’s interested in how I am and what I have to say. There’s no pretense with Evie and realizing as much helps me identify what I don’t love about Riley. Riley always has an agenda. Something to prove. I realize Evie has reasons for being in Harvest Hollow that don’t have anything to do with me. But it’s still triggering a want I didn’t know I had.

“So you’re single?” Theo says, taking a step toward Evie. “Because…Hey. My name’s Theo.” “Dude, she just had a baby,” Carter says, punching his brother in the shoulder. “So? I always wanted to be a dad.” Theo looks at his brother. “I’d be a good dad.”

She’s easy to talk to and fun to be around, and I like that we have so much shared history. She’s also beautiful. Which, I can’t pretend like that isn’t part of this.

When I step into the kitchen, Evie looks up, and her mouth falls open. I’ve always appreciated the tradition of game-day suits—I like having a reason to dress up—but Evie’s expression makes it even more worth it. “Wow,” Evie says. “You look really nice.”

“Now you’re perfect.” She holds my gaze, and my blood heats several degrees. She’s perfect.

I look up to see Summer, Nathan’s girlfriend, eyeing me, her expression curious. As part of the Appies’ in-house legal team, Summer is at the Summit all the time.

My knee keeps locking up, and a locked-up knee on the ice could mean jacking up my hips or messing up my good knee.

We take the win, but for me, it’s tainted by a nagging realization that at this rate, I may not have the luxury of playing out a full season. My knee may force me to quit long before we get there.

Talking about my knee means talking about what comes after hockey. And save the one conversation I’ve had with Evie, I haven’t really worked my way through that yet.

When I emerge, Eric, the Appies head trainer, is standing at the foot of the tub. “Hey,” I say, rubbing the water from my face. “Dr. Samuelson’s here,” he says, his voice calm.

It’s empty now, except for Dominic, one of the younger guys on the team, who is sitting with his girlfriend in the corner.

Juno tends to get hot when she nurses, so I won’t cover her completely, but the way she feels about Alec’s voice, if he starts talking, I can’t guarantee she won’t pop off just to look around and see what’s going on.

“The first few weeks or so. She made me bleed.” I don’t realize how shocking my words sound until I look up and see Alec’s horrified expression.

But there’s a sincerity in Alec’s eyes that forces that shallow thought away and holds me in the moment. He really means it.

There are lots of ways to become a parent, and not all of them include pregnancy. I think your heart changes through the process no matter how it looks.”

As soon as I found out I was pregnant, everything changed because Devon couldn’t be the center of the universe anymore. He hated the idea of sharing me, hated that I was prioritizing someone else’s needs over his. Even when those needs were my own. Alec is the complete opposite. Even with his fame, his following, his role as the captain of a very popular hockey franchise, he has prioritized me and my comfort over and over again, and we aren’t even in a relationship. He’s just a genuinely nice guy.

The time it took me to find the shiny white plastic was just long enough for me to realize how this might look, and I start to doubt. “I’m fine,” I say, but my voice is a little too breathy, almost squeaky.

“What’s in the bag?” I spin so my back is to her and shove the bag under my shirt. It’s bulky and obvious and I’m being ridiculous, but suddenly, the idea of giving her a gift like this feels way too personal. “Nothing,” I say over my shoulder, using my arms to hide the bulge under my clothes.

“I think you’re lying to me,” she says. Then, quick as lightning, she snakes one hand under my shirt. My hands fly to my midsection, trapping and holding the bag in place, but I end up trapping Evie too, flattening her palm against my stomach. I relax my grip, expecting her to tug her hand away, but instead she does the opposite. She slides her hand upward, grazing it over my skin until her fingers brush the bottom of my right pectoral muscle. I flex, my breath catching in my throat, and Evie grins, her expression sly as she drops her hand and yanks the bag free. “That was way too easy,” she says with a smirk.

I like making her happy. The next realization is a little more potent. I just like her. And no amount of mental gymnastics will talk me out of it.

An odd sensation washes over me, something I’ve never really felt before. It isn’t just attraction, though I do feel attracted to Evie. It feels more protective. Like I have extra reason to check the door locks. Or go upstairs and make sure all the windows are securely fastened in her bedroom.

I nod, growing more and more comfortable with having Juno in my arms. Honestly, I didn’t really mind that Evie said we.

I haven’t felt a stronger sense of victory since we took the Calder Cup last season. Juno is asleep—in my arms. I did this. And it feels amazing.

watching as Evie maneuvers Juno’s arms through the sleeves and zips up the blanket. “Uh, that thing is really cool,” I say, and Evie grins. “It’s a sleep sack. Easier than blankets because she can’t get tangled up in them.”

She looks at me over her shoulder and grins. “Already so smitten.” Completely, I think, as I follow her into the living room. And not just with Juno.

It’s hard to fully quantify what it did to my heart to see him holding Juno. To see my daughter relax into his arms and fall asleep. Not that I can blame her. And honestly, considering how many times I’ve used videos of Alec’s deep voice to soothe her, it’s not a wonder.

He’s being so nice, Megan. Thoughtful in ways that are literally the exact opposite of Devon.”

The biggest parts of lutherie involve the construction of new instruments and the repair of existing ones.

I’m supposed to be talking about my symphony experience, my training at Juilliard, my reasons for wanting to be a luthier. Instead, I’m disrupting lunch for an entire restaurant and probably making a terrible first impression. As if I needed more icing on this very terrible cake, Juno’s cries make my milk let down, and it soaks right through my shirt.

She has the audacity to smile at me, and I catch sight of a tiny white line on her gum. “Oh my gosh! Juno! Are you getting a tooth?” I drop her carrier onto the pavement next to my car and lift her a little higher to get a closer look. “You are!” I say. “No wonder you’ve been so grumpy.”

“Lucky for Nathan.” “He gets all kinds of crap for it. Logan, too. His girlfriend also works for the team. So what’s up with Juno? Why is she having such a rough day?”

I’m hooked on your kid.” I close my eyes for a brief second. He has no idea what he’s doing to me. What it means to have him interested in Juno’s life. It’s taking monumental effort not to turn this into something it isn’t, but when he’s saying and doing everything that my heart wants, how can I not?