**Easton**
I don’t belong here?
I froze, unable to move as Caro’s words sliced deep, like a dagger to the heart. She didn’t waver. The coldness on her face didn’t thaw. She was upset and taking it out on me. I was the easiest target because of her guilt over what we did last night.
Understanding her behavior didn’t make me feel any better.
“They’re my children too.” If she wanted cold, I could do cold. My words dripped ice, and my face froze into an emotionless mask.
We stared each other down, both poised for battle, even if we weren’t sure what we were battling over. If this was how parenthood with her would be, we had a long way to go. With my parents, it had been a collaborative process, not a combative one. Caro hadn’t had the good examples I’d had from her own dysfunctional family.
“Not yet, they aren’t. They don’t know who you are. I’m sure they have questions, but as you can see, now is not the right time to introduce a new man into their lives. I knew better, and I let my own selfish desires get in the way of what’s best for my children.”
What was she saying? Was she telling me to butt out of her life and my kids’ lives? I wouldn’t do that. Not now that I’d gotten a taste of fatherhood. I didn’t care how uncomfortable my presence made her. My kids needed me, and I needed them. I wasn’t backing off. I wasn’t going away. They were my flesh and blood.
“You want me to make this easy on you and disappear?”
She narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
Before we had a chance to say another word to each other, Hailey marched out of the bedroom with Heath at her side. One look at their faces and I suppressed a cringe. They were furious. Mona, sensing the tension in the air, quickly went to Heath’s side. He wrapped one arm around her neck but didn’t bat an eyelash.
“Why didn’t you have us call Grandma yesterday? She’s sad. We miss her and Grandpa. We miss our daddy.” Hailey threw back her head and wailed. Tears streamed down her face. Accusation and the agony of loss dulled her blue eyes. Her sobs were heartbreaking, and I was at a total loss, but I had to do something.
“Hailey, honey, your mommy didn’t mean-“
“You’re not my daddy,” she screamed at me, and her words punched me harder than a puck to the gut.
She stomped down the hallway to her bedroom. Heath glared angrily at both of us before racing after her, Mona loping behind him. A few seconds later, the door slammed.
Caro turned on me. “I told you to leave. Please go, and let me take care of this mess.”
I was completely out of my comfort zone. I didn’t know what to do, so I did what she asked. I paused with my hand on the door. “I leave tomorrow for a road trip.”
“Fine. Contact me when you return.”
I’d been given the boot out the door and told quite clearly not to come back in the near future. With my tail tucked between my legs, I slinked out the door and back to my own condo.
I was shaking by the time I entered the condo. Steele was home, and he glanced up as I entered. “You look like hell. That’s not what I expected after you spent the night at Caro’s.”
“We had a fight this morning.” The most incredible night of my life had been ruined by one of the most upsetting mornings I’d ever had.
“What kind of fight?”
“Over the kids. She wants me to back off.”
“You are getting pretty tight with them.”
“They’re my fucking kids,” I almost shouted, and Steele’s brows shot upward as he studied me.
“You don’t have to rush this. You’re pushing too hard. Back off. They’re all dealing with a tragic death. Give them time.”
“Spoken like someone who knows.”
“Yeah, I know. It hurts. You lost your own dad. How would you feel if a new guy tried to take his place within a few months of his death?”
“Pissed.”
“Yeah, well, cut them some slack and give them some space. You’ve been hovering ever since they moved in. This road trip will be good for you.”
He was right. I’d give them space. I didn’t have much of a choice considering we’d be gone on a road trip for a few days, returning on New Year’s Eve. I’d been so looking forward to the new year. Now things weren’t looking quite as bright.
I’d been pushing. I’d back off and give everyone some space to grieve.
**Easton**
Hockey, I needed to concentrate my energy on hockey.
The Sockeyes had won the Cup last season, and all eyes were on us this season. We were also rebuilding, having lost key players to free agency and retirement. We were still in the hunt with over half the season to go. The defending champs would make the playoffs, but doing a repeat on the Cup was next to impossible.
Regardless, our captains wanted to win it all again, and so did the rest of us. As rookies, Kaden, Steele, and I all had lifelong dreams of one day hoisting the Cup high over our heads and skating around the arena with it while the crowd cheered.
My team was battling for the second spot in the division. We won the first away game of the road trip. Tomorrow we’d fly to Vegas.
Despite the upheaval in my life, I was playing well, one of the top rookies of the year. Coach Coop was pleased with my performance as was the head coach. I’d had a good game tonight, and I was proud of myself. My troubles with Caro and the kids hadn’t affected my play. I guess that meant I was growing up and turning into a true professional.
I walked into the hotel lounge after our away game, whistling a tune I’d probably picked up from one of the kids’ television shows. I’d planned on going straight to my room, but I was too wired to sleep, so I was left with nothing to do but seek out my cohorts. I was missing Caro and the kids way more than I cared to admit. I’d fallen for her again. The sex had been better than ever, and I adored her company.
Several heads turned toward me. The Puck Brothers sat at a table, their expressions grim.
“Easton, come over here.” Ziggy motioned me over.
I grabbed a beer from the bar and ambled over. Cautiously, I studied each one of them. Something was up. I pulled a chair from the table and sat down in it, grinning at them.
“Somebody die?” I asked.
They continued to stare at me, not one change of expression. This group was all about a good time, and they were being way too serious for my taste.
With Axel still in the minors, Ziggy appeared to be the spokesman of the group. He cleared his throat, not seeming to want to broach the subject, but he finally spit out the words he’d been holding back. “You’re not behaving like a Puck Brother.”
“I guess that depends on how you define Puck Brother. I’m not married. I’m not living with a woman. I’m just spending time with my kids, and she happens to be their mother.” What I’d been doing was way more than that, but my feelings for Caro were private and sacred, and I didn’t want to reveal my innermost thoughts to these clowns. They’d use anything they perceived as a weakness for fodder to harass me or play jokes on me. I didn’t care to be the brunt of their jokes.
“You’re hot for her,” Kaden said.
“Yeah, so? You’re hot for the mystery woman.”
Kaden scowled, but that shut him up. Steele said nothing. He didn’t throw me under the bus like he could’ve, mentioning I’d been kicked out of Caro’s condo.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.