Hard Fall by Brenda Rothert

Chapter Nine

Wes

Coming home to find not just a disaster in the kitchen, but Patrick and Susan giving Hadley a hard time rubbed me the wrong way. She annoyed me to no end, day and night, but we were busting our asses to take care of these kids, and no one who wasn’t here with us had the right to criticize. Especially not them. They’d filed a lawsuit challenging the will, the custody agreement, the money, all of it. Like I needed Ben’s money. That was laughable. The new contract I’d negotiated last year had been worth more than Ben’s, and we’d laughed about the fact that for the first time professionally, I made more than he did.

There was no doubt Hadley was stressed, too. Especially since she’d totally sidestepped my question about the incredibly hot kiss we’d shared last night. I let it go because I’d noticed her hands shaking a little as we started cleaning up the kitchen, and I didn’t think it was because of my question.

“You okay?” I asked her as we sat down to eat.

“Maybe?” The look she gave me was one of sheer exasperation. “My boss is being demanding and unreasonable, having Patrick and Susan here raises my stress level straight to ten, and I’m suddenly questioning every life choice I’ve ever made.”

“Yeah, there’s been a lot of that lately. But we’re doing it, Hadley. Messy kitchen and the occasional curse word aside, we’re taking care of these kids and making sure they have everything they need.”

“Patrick and Susan don’t think so.”

“Patrick and Susan need a reality check,” I muttered thoughtfully. “And you know what? I have an idea.”

“Oh?” She arched a brow.

“We have a game tonight and the team is probably going out after. Why don’t we give them the opportunity to spend time with the kids while we go out and enjoy ourselves a little? I mean, obviously the game is work for me, but afterward would be fun. We’re a close-knit group and you haven’t really been part of it.”

“I didn’t live here,” she said quietly.

“Right. But you do now, and I think it’ll be good for both of us if you get to know more of the gang. We’re like a family and you don’t have relationships with anyone beyond Nina.”

“So you think we should just leave for the whole night?”

“Absolutely.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “Let’s see how they do when they’re a hundred percent in charge.”

“That’s kind of brilliant,” she admitted. “I’m in. But right now, my boss is being a total bitch so I have to get some work done before she loses it.”

“Go. I’ll make sure Patrick and Susan are on board and then I’m going to take my pregame nap. And don’t step in to help if Annalise needs you. Let them see how much work it is.”

“Thanks again, Wes.” She touched my arm, grabbed her plate, and left the room.

Once again, I watched her retreating figure almost longingly.

I wanted her.

There was no doubt about that, but I couldn’t just press her up against the wall and fuck her the way I wanted to. Well, I could, and if I was lucky, someday I would, but not now. Not today. She probably needed it as much as I did and I was willing to bet it had been even longer since she’d gotten laid than it had been for me. I hadn’t been with anyone since before Ben and Lauren died, not even on road trips, and my balls were sporting a nice shade of blue these days. But that was beside the point.

We hadn’t talked about it in any detail, but we were both resolute in our desire to keep custody of the kids. Patrick and Susan were too old to start over with babies, whether they wanted to admit it or not. Could they do it? Probably. But why? Hadley and I were younger and had the energy and resources to give them the kind of life Ben and Lauren would have wanted. Not that Patrick and Susan wouldn’t take care of them, but Patrick would be in his sixties by the time Benny was ready to learn how to ice-skate, play baseball, whatever. It was a complicated issue because plenty of grandparents wound up raising their grandchildren, but that wasn’t what Ben and Lauren wanted or they would have left custody to them.

I went upstairs to Annalise’s room where Susan was on the floor playing Barbies with her while Patrick sat in the nearby rocking chair holding Benny, who was squirming and whining to get on the floor. He was learning to crawl and liked to scoot around on his stomach. Patrick didn’t know that, though, and I wasn’t going to tell him.

“Hadley and I were talking,” I said to them, pretending not to notice Patrick’s discomfort. “We know you want to spend time with the kids so she’s coming to the game tonight and then a group of us are going out for a late dinner. Are you guys okay taking care of the kids?”

“Of course we are.” Susan looked up. “They’re going to be living with us soon anyway.”

I chose not to engage and merely smiled. “We’ll see, I guess. But yeah, it’ll be a great opportunity for you to spend time with them.”

“We have to watch the game on TV, Grandma,” Annalise told her. “Just like I used to do with Mommy.”

Susan looked startled but then nodded curtly. “You can’t stay up that late. You have to go to bed, young lady.”

“But Mommy always lets me watch the first period!” Annalise protested.

I walked out just as she burst into tears.

We notchedanother win so we were in high spirits as we left the locker room to head to the family lounge, where wives, girlfriends, children, and guests waited for us after home games. I couldn’t explain the excitement in my gut, knowing Hadley was there with the others, but the minute I stepped into the room her eyes found mine.

She looked adorable tonight in skintight jeans, a jersey with Ben’s number, and her dark hair curled and tumbling just below her shoulders. When she smiled at me, I forgot all about the impending lawsuit, how Benny never slept, and the way Hadley busted my balls all the time. Mostly, I wanted to walk over to her and kiss those sweet lips of hers and let every single guy on the team know she was off-limits. Because more than one was eyeing her, especially the new guys who’d never met her.

I settled for walking over and kissing her on the cheek. “Hey.”

“You guys looked awesome out there,” she said. “It’s been ages since I’ve been to a game. Thank you for inviting me tonight.”

“Anytime.”

“Who’s this?” One of my teammates asked, coming over to join us and holding out his hand to Hadley. “I’m Michael Boone but my friends call me Boone.”

“Nice to meet you.” Hadley seemed a little startled at Boone’s overt interest. “I’m Hadley Ellis. I was Lauren Whitmer’s best friend.”

“Oh.” His eyes rounded. “Wow. I didn’t know that was you. Nice to meet you, though. Welcome to the Mavericks family.”

“Thanks?” She watched him hurry in the other direction and then cut her eyes to me. “What did you tell him about me that made him run off like that?”

“Nothing.” I laughed. “I swear. I think he was looking for a hookup and when he realized that wasn’t going to happen with the woman I’m raising Ben’s kids with, he took off. The youngsters have no finesse.”

She chuckled. “Probably not, but it was a good call on his part.”

“So we’re going to a local Italian place we like. We know the owners and they always find us space in the back room where no one bothers us. You in?”

“Absolutely.” She grinned. “Annalise called for me at least half a dozen times while you were napping. And I just directed her back to Grandma. By the time I left, she and Patrick were more than a little frazzled. I don’t think they remember how much work a six-month-old is.”

“Not to mention an almost four-year-old.”

“Speaking of which, I’ve got to get started on planning her birthday party. I honestly don’t know where to begin.”

“Doesn’t she want something to do with Frozen?”

Hadley nodded. “It’s still too chilly for something outside, so we’re going to have to get creative.”

“Did you talk to Nina?”

“Tomorrow.”

We grinned at each other.

“All right, are you riding with me or going with Nina?”

“Oh.” She hesitated. “I guess I’ll go with you. I don’t know if Nina and Drew are going. They were going to call the sitter to see if she could stay later.”

“Cool. Then I’m ready to go if you are.”

We tookover the back room at Giovanna’s Italian Bistro, a quaint place that had amazing food, good ambiance, and took care of the Mavericks whenever we came in. The owner, Vicenzo, had named the place after his wife Giovanna, or Gia to us, and they greeted us warmly.

“Good game tonight!” Vicenzo whispered to me. “Gia, she doesn’t know I watch on my phone when I’m in the back.”

I chuckled. “One of these days we’re going to have to sneak you out to an actual game.”

“From your lips to God’s ears,” he said, looking up to the ceiling.

“I want you to meet my friend, Hadley. She’s Ben and Lauren’s kids’ godmother.”

“The one you told me about.” He reached for Hadley’s hand and closed both of his around it. “We miss Ben and Lauren terribly. But welcome to St. Louis and to our little restaurant. Are you hungry? What can I get you?”

“I’ll check out the menu and let you know,” Hadley said, smiling at him.

We sat at a big table in the back, more than a dozen of us, and it reminded me of before the accident. This had been our favorite postgame hangout. Sometimes we came to eat, sometimes just for dessert, other times just for a few drinks and to hang out. Ben had started the tradition after home games on nights when we weren’t traveling or playing the following day. It usually happened about once a month, a time for all of us to catch up, relax, and spend time together. Though the whole team and their significant others were always invited, it was usually the same dozen or so who came.

Tonight we were a rowdy but laid-back group, including Drew and Nina, me and Hadley, another veteran on the team named Ross Camden and his wife Allie, Nash, Lars, Boone, and our new Russian backup goalie, Konstantin, with his girlfriend Svetlana. He’d only been on the team a year, and mostly kept to himself, but he did come to our monthly dinners, as if trying to fit in and find his place with us. A few others were stopping by but hadn’t arrived yet so we settled in without waiting for them.

“How’s it going with the kids?” Nash asked. “I feel bad I haven’t been by in a while, but it seems like you’ve got it under control.”

“Well, we hired a nanny to help us out so Hadley can work and I can rest when I need to. That’s made a huge difference.”

“And then the grandparents arrived.” Hadley picked up her wine glass and took a sip.

“Are Ben’s parents still suing you for custody?” Drew asked, disbelief on his face. “I can’t wrap my head around that.”

“Me either,” I admitted. “I used to have a pretty solid relationship with them. I’ve known them since I was a kid, but they’re not backing down. I’m not worried about it, though. The lawyer I hired is going to chew theirs up and spit him out. There’s nothing that’s going to make a judge overturn the will and the arrangements Ben and Lauren left unless there was some kind of abuse involved. Which obviously isn’t an issue.”

“Judges make weird decisions sometimes,” Nina said. “Make sure all your ducks are in a row, just in case.”

“We’re trying.” Hadley glanced at me and for the first time maybe ever, her eyes were filled with…appreciation?

I slid my hand under the table, gently resting it on her thigh, though closer to the knee than anywhere else. I was trying to show support, not make a sexual overture, and to my surprise, she put one of her hands over mine. I almost expected her to move it out of the way but she just squeezed it gently as she took another sip of wine.

Jesus. Were we practically holding hands under the table? My heart was pounding a little harder than usual and my chest tightened with excitement. I felt like a teenager who’d just landed the pretty cheerleader and now all my friends were going to be jealous.

I didn’t know what the hell was wrong with me, but somewhere in the back of my mind I recalled a conversation where Ben had confessed he didn’t understand why Hadley was single.

“She’s gorgeous,” he’d told me. “Smart, independent, and has a huge heart. What’s wrong with guys that they don’t want her?”

“Well,” I’d drawled. “If she busts their balls the way she does mine, who has time for that?”

“Did it ever occur to you that she likes you but you’re such a player she doesn’t dare allow herself to get that close?”

I’d rolled my eyes. “Yeah, okay. If you say so. Frankly, she’s hot, but not my type.”

“I think she’s exactly your type. You just need to grow up enough to recognize it.”

Yeah, Ben had figured out there was potential there long before we did. As usual. Had Lauren had similar conversations with Hadley? I wished I could ask her, but we were exploring new territory and I didn’t want to scare her off.

“Hey, guys.” Van Lukather, a young defenseman on the team, came strolling in. He pulled out the chair next to Hadley’s, flipped it backward and straddled it. He was probably the funniest guy on the team, always cracking us up, though he was as serious as a heart attack on the ice. He also could throw a punch, which was convenient sometimes.

Right behind him was Rory Beauchamp and a pretty young woman I’d never seen before. Rory was kind of a wild card on the team. He was young, but not a rookie; talented, but without much discipline; and, a partier without limits. Coach had sat him down a few months back, giving him a talk about all that and now he appeared to have a girlfriend. Maybe we were all growing up?

“Hey, I’m Van.” Van held his hand out to Hadley. “I didn’t realize Wes had a girlfriend.”

“Oh, we’re not—” she began, yanking her hand off of mine.

“She’s not—” I said at the same time.

“Hey, it’s cool. None of my business.” He waved down the waiter and ordered a beer.

Hadley glanced at me and I looked back at her.

Like it or not, we had to talk about that kiss. I hoped like hell I was reading her signals right and she wanted more than just another kiss as much as I did.