Page 202 of Cross Check

Sienna

FaceTime us when you’re free!

Me

I’ll call tomorrow. Promise!

The door to Grant’s apartment flies open, and I almost drop the book I’m holding. I put a hand over my chest, heaving out a sigh of relief when I find it’s him walking down the hall and not an intruder.

“Hey,” I call out with a smile, but I frown as he yanks off his suit jacket. A button comes loose and rolls across the hardwood floor to where I’m sitting in the living room. “What’s wrong?”

He doesn’t answer me, instead making a beeline for the kitchen before reappearing with a glass of amber liquid. He downs it in two swallows then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“It’s been an interesting evening,” Grant says. A low rumble follows, and his grip on the glass tightens. “I just found out my sister is sleeping with someone I used to trust.”

I shove my book aside and hold out my palm, reaching for him. He steps toward me and laces our fingers together, setting down his glass before sitting on the couch next to me.

“Can you start from the beginning?” I ask, keeping my voice soft. His narrowed eyes and red cheeks make me think he’s about to explode, and I stroke my hand up his arm in an attempt to calm him down. “Is it one of your teammates?”

“I wish it were Ethan, and I never thought that would be something I’d say.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Remember when I told you about the team dinner last month? How Hannah and Coach Saunders were acting friendly?”

“I do.”

“Joke’s on me, because they’re sleeping together.” Grant leans forward and puts his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes. “I saw them in the tunnel after we won. Coach was kissing her and spinning her around in his arms. Hannah was laughing. I lashed out at them, but I don’t know what the fuck they’re doing. And I don’t know what Hannah is thinking.”

“Holy shit. That’s a lot to process. Did you ever talk to Hannah like I suggested?” I ask.

“No.” His shoulders curl in. “And I don’t want to. I don’t want to have any part in what’s going on between them. Coach says he loves her, but come on. It can’t be that serious. There are years between them—he’s so much older than her.”

“There are years between us,” I point out, and Grant looks at me. “Not much less than Brody and Hannah.”

“We have hockey as a common denominator. Take away whatever the two of them are doing, and they don’t have a single mutual interest. We do.” He drops back against the cushions, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why didn’t she tell me what was going on?”

“She probably wanted to keep her relationship private so she wouldn’t have to deal with any scrutiny from outside parties. You can’t fault her.” I lift my eyebrow. “You haven’t told her about us, have you?”

“No, but that’s because we’re protecting your job,” he argues. “There’s a lot at stake for us.”

“There’s a lot at stake for Hannah and Brody too, including how her older brother might react to finding out about their relationship.” I take his hand in mine again. “I understand that you were caught off guard, but the whole situation isn’t much different from our situation. She’s an adult who can make her own choices, and if Brody makes her happy, is it fair to put up a fight against that? The world is shitty enough. I don’t think you should punish someone for trying to find joy wherever they can.”

“You’re too rational, and it’s annoying,” Grant mumbles, but his mouth curls up in a small smile. “Why do you have to be the voice of reason?”

“It’s the coach in me.” I lift his hand and kiss it. “Two things can be true at the same time: You can be pissed about something that surprised you, but Hannah is also allowed to date whoever she wants.”

“I wasn’t very nice when I found out. I was a dick, to be honest.” He holds out his arms and I scoot over to him, relaxing against his chest. “To Brody. To Hannah. The way I reacted was shitty, but I was frustrated. Now that I’ve had a minute to think about all of it, I realize I acted way out of line.”

“I’m proud of you for recognizing that.”

“I’d never deny my sister from dating someone, but I need to sit with all of this to figure out how I’m going to be okay with it.” Grant rests his chin on the top of my head. “Thanks for letting me talk through it. I don’t want to punch a wall anymore. Or commit a murder.”

“You’re too nice of a guy to punch a wall.” I laugh and tilt my head to look up at him. “Besides the big relationship reveal, can we talk about your night? You’re advancing to the next round in the playoffs, Grant. That’s amazing.”

“Came down to the wire, but we did it. I’m happy it was Ethan who scored that goal too. He deserves that accolade.” He bends to press a kiss to my forehead. “Tell me about your night.”

“My night was boring as hell compared to yours. I sat on the couch and watched hockey while eating a pizza the size of my face.”

“Were there mushrooms on it? And all the other disgusting toppings you like?”

“A shit ton of mushrooms. Do you have a problem with that?”