Page 32 of Blue Line

“What do you think about letting our social media team follow you guys on a date? Well, not follow. They won’t stay the whole time. Just to get a few photos and maybe a quick video.” She puts her hand on my arm. “I think it would be great PR for the team and for you. Some behind-the-scenes, life of a hockey player in the off-season type of content. I’m sure the fans would eat it up.”

I pull at the back of my neck. “I’ll have to talk to Hadley. I’m not sure how she’ll feel about it …”

“Of course. Can you let me know by the end of the week?”

“Yeah.”

“Perfect.” She checks something on her phone. “I’ve got to run to a meeting.”

With a wave, she walks away, leaving me with my best friend, the team captain, and the one guy besides Holt who knows me best. If anyone’s going to see through our lie, it’ll be Hunter. I brace for what he’s going to say as I turn to face him. What I don’t expect is the look of hurt on his face, and I immediately regret lying to him. I regret lying to Sutton too. Maybe I should tell him the truth. He’ll understand. But I can’t. Hadley and I have an agreement.

“Congratulations. E owes me fifty bucks.” E, or Elias, is his half-brother and another member of our team.

“You bet on me?” I all but shout.

“Well, yeah,” he says slowly. “You and Holt bet on Brody and Aubrey, so I figured turnabout and all that.”

I roll my eyes. Everyone except Brody knew those two would end up as a couple. I only had to see the two of them together for a few minutes at the team’s New Year’s Eve party a few years ago, where I first learned of Aubrey’s existence, to know they would never remain just best friends.

“Are you mad?” I ask, hoisting my bag further onto my shoulder and tipping my chin toward the locker room.

He follows me inside. “Not mad. A little disappointed you didn’t tell anyone you two were together, but I can understand, what with her being Holt’s sister and Hazel’s nanny. And with everything else last season …”

I drop my bag on the bench in front of my stall and start changing into my workout clothes.

Holt went through a lot last season when his ex, Kat, showed up at his door with his baby daughter, who he had no idea even existed, and left her with him. As the season went on, we found out just how manipulative Kat was while they were dating and how bad their relationship had been. I don’t hit women, but Kat sure made me want to hit her. But Holt’s with Becca now, our team’s PT, and she’s an amazing girlfriend and mom to Hazel—plus a great addition to the Storm family. I’m glad they figured things out, even though Kat didn’t make it easy. So now another friend of mine has found his happily ever after. And the way Hunter is staring at me, he thinks I’ve found mine too.

I didn’t think about how many hearts were on the line when I suggested that Hadley and I continue our fake engagement. And now I feel like such an idiot for not thinking things through. Not thinking about how our friends will feel when our fake engagement ends. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot I can do at this point. Might as well see it through and hope for the best.

“Sorry,” I finally manage to say after I’m dressed. “I didn’t want our engagement to come out the way it did. We were at a party last weekend for someone Hadley knew from back home, and photos were leaked of us.”

Hunter stands up from the bench where he was tying his sneakers. “Shit happens. I’m happy for you. That you found your one.”

“Thanks,” I tell him, grateful he bought the lie but feeling a little guilty about lying to him.

We make our way out of the locker room and into the weight room. A few other guys are there, but thankfully no one else asks me about my engagement, and Hunter and I get our workout done without interruption.

He leaves afterward to get home to Madison. I can’t say I blame him. She’s seven and a half months pregnant. If my wife were that pregnant, I wouldn’t want to leave her home alone for long either.

My mind flashes to Hadley pregnant, her stomach round, and holy shit, I start to get hard. I adjust myself, pushing the thoughts of Hadley pregnant with my baby out of my mind. She’s not mine for real. Even if she was, I don’t know if she wants kids.

I, on the other hand, very much want a family of my own. I have always wanted a big family. I don’t blame my parents for only having me; it’s just how it worked out. But it does make for a very lonely life not having siblings. Hell, not even having cousins.

I have no one.

And it sucks. It fucking sucks. Especially as my friends are starting their own families, and I’m the odd man out with no one.

But that’s neither here nor there. Right now, I want to get on the ice and skate for a little while. That always helps ground me, center me, and right now I could use that.

I head back into the locker room and throw on my gear, a pair of sweatpants, and my skates, before grabbing one of my sticks and a basket of pucks and walking down the hall to the practice arena.

I grin when I spot Brody. I’m not surprised. Even though he’s a coach now, his work ethic is still as high as it was when he played for the Storm, which means he works out and skates even in the off-season. Although I am a little shocked to see him since Aubrey is due in a few weeks.

“Hey, Wes,” Brody greets me when I hop on the ice and skate over to him.

“Hey, Daddy.”

He cringes. “Don’t call me that.”