“Wesley, Brad! What did I tell you about jumping on the couch!” Jennie shrilled as she came to my side, already pulling a bottle of chardonnay out of her purse. “Please, for the love of all things holy, tell me you have a bottle already chilled and open.”

  Taking the warm bottle out of her hand, I opened the wine cooler to grab her a bottle I’d opened right when I got to the house a few hours before. “Come on, do you think I would ever forget?”

  I poured her a glass and she gripped it in her hands like I had just handed her the last cup of wine on the planet. “Bless you.”

  Jennie was my favorite out of my brothers’ wives. She had been around since forever and was the most like me out of the three. She and my brother, Noah, were high school sweethearts, and she was as much a part of the family as my brothers and I were. Even though Jennie was six years older than me, she never treated me like a kid. It was nice having her around especially when I was in high school since my good-for-nothing mother ran out when I was still in diapers.

  “Any sight of Janet?” I asked under my breath as I poured myself a glass of wine.

  She nodded, her eyes wide. She pointed straight into the living room where the ice queen herself sat with her arms folded and a perfect look of disgust plastered on her face.

  I slunk down onto the stool next to Jennie. “This is going to be an interesting evening.”

  Carey, Jacob and Janet’s youngest daughter, waddled in wearing nothing but her diaper, screaming her head off. I jumped down, kneeling in front of my little niece. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  “Brad stole my lolli!” Tears streamed down her face.

  Jennie heaved up from her seat. “He did what?” She marched over to her son, grabbed him by his arm, and dragged him right over to his cousin. “Apologize and give her the candy back.”

  “But Mom, it’s mine now.” The six-year-old was the hellion of the family, but he did have a little heart of gold when all was said and done.

  “I don’t care if you think the world is yours, you do not steal from your baby cousin. Give it back or so help me. Do you want me to get your father involved?”

  “No! Here!” He shoved the sucker into the crying baby’s hand and ran off to dive into his next inevitable bout of terror.

  After getting all six of my nieces and nephews settled at the kids table, it was finally time for dinner.

  “To family.” My dad raised his beer can high in the air and we all clanked our beverages together—well, all of us except Janet, who wasn’t paying any attention to the group. Her eyes were glued to God-knows-what on her phone.

  “Janet, is that a new lipstick? The color is just gorgeous with your complexion.” Alice tried her hardest to engage Janet, but her compliment fell on deaf ears.

  I glared at Jacob from across the table and he just tensed his shoulders before looking over to our father and asking, “How’s work going, Pop?”

  “Same old shit, different day. I’m just looking forward to summer when the lawn business can crank back up.”

  Dad owned four businesses and countless rental properties all over New York. He’d planned on each of us taking one of them over eventually, but we had all gone our separate ways. Being the investment banker that he was, Jacob was chomping at the bit for the day Dad was ready to start selling off his companies. All that guy cared about was dollar signs, which was clearly the only thing he had in common with his gold digger of a wife, who was sitting next to him and still ignoring the rest of the family. I just didn’t get it. Janet was exactly like our mother was—or at least from what I had been told. How did he not see the signs? What a wonderful case for Freud to overanalyze.

  Liam cleared his throat. “Alice and I have some exciting news.” We all turned to him as he took his wife’s hand.

  Alice looked at her husband then looked right at my dad. “We’re expecting another baby. I’m just about ten weeks pregnant.”

  Finally, Janet looked up from her phone long enough to mutter, “Another Bates baby, lovely.”

  I couldn’t tell if she was being condescending or if she really just had no emotion at all in her entire emaciated body.

  We all congratulated my brother and sister-in-law.

  “I think this calls for champagne.” I pushed away from the table and made my way into the solace of the kitchen. It wasn’t that I wasn’t thrilled to be having another niece or nephew to dote over, I was just a little jealous. All of my brothers had incredible careers and growing families, and I couldn’t help but be a little salty about it. We all were drifting. If it wasn’t for the Sunday tradition, we wouldn’t talk to see each other except for holidays. Other than Dad and Jennie, I didn’t feel close with any of them. It made me sad at times, but I figured it was normal. People grow up and get consumed with their own shit, right?

  Jennie popped her head in as I stood at the sink, staring out into the back yard through the tiny window. “Hey Jordan, you good?” She started grabbing the champagne flutes down from the cabinet.

  “Fantastic! Why?” I put a towel over the cork and popped the bottle.

  She grabbed the whiskey from the freezer and poured us each a shot. “Don’t you think I know you a little better than that?”

  I pursed my lips, getting lost in the amber nectar for a second. “I just want it to finally be my turn to have news like that.”

  “You’re young! Enjoy the single life as long as you can. Trust me, you’re not missing much, and in due time you’ll find the right guy and start popping out little Jordans.”

  I blushed a little thinking about Will. Throwing back the shot, I coughed a bit. “Yeah, you’re right.”

  “Now, let’s get trashed and see how many times Janet ignores us.”

  “I think tonight was the first time she actually spoke more than two words.” I put the flutes on a tray and followed Jennie back into the dining room.

  Chapter 4

  Crosby

  My alarm clock started chirping much sooner than I would have wanted it to and I groaned as I stretched out my tight back. My hamstring was still tense from the game a few nights back, and it was mornings like this when I was reminded that I wasn’t a young rookie anymore. Even though I was barely thirty, I felt as if my expiration date was coming sooner than I’d have liked. I brushed off the notion, touching my toes for a few seconds. Hell, if Roberto Luongo could still be one of the best goalies in the league at thirty-eight, I was perfectly fine. Hobbling, I made my way into the bathroom to soak in a sweltering bath before I had to get to practice.

  Most of the time I came off as a hard-ass jock who knew how to play hockey and that’s about it, but little did most people know, I loved nothing more than to relax in a bubble bath and read on my Kindle. As lame as it was, it was nice to escape reality from time to time and just get lost in another world.

  I grabbed my e-reader, scrolling through my endless library of new downloads and old favorites. Chuck Palahniuk had always been a go-to author for me ever since I first read Fight Club when I was in high school, and rereading Lullaby seemed to be the perfect start to my day. I swiftly dove in, hurriedly getting to one of my favorite parts.

  I read my favorite line out loud: “Maybe you don’t go to hell for the things you do. Maybe you go to hell for the things you don’t do. The things you don’t finish.” I let the words sink in and resonate for a bit; they were just so powerful. Regret was something I never wanted to have. Jordan swiftly popped into my head. Maybe it was time to finally do something about my long-term pining.

  After eating a huge breakfast and stretching out my still aching muscles again, it was time to head to the barn for some ice time. I was one of the first to get into the locker room, which was typical. Brayden and Gavin were the only ones that usually beat me, and that was because they were freaks and would skate around before the rest of the team got there. Slowly, one by one, my teammates filed in, and before long the locker room was bustling with everyone getting ready to work their asses off.

  “Did you hear?” Gavin came up next to me while I was getting my pads on for practice.

  I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate, because obviously I hadn’t.

  “We have a rookie taking over to fill Hendricks’s spot.”

  Right then a tall, broad, linebacker-looking guy followed Coach Hayes into the locker room.

  Coach blew his whistle to get everyone’s attention. “Gents, I have an announcement. Hendricks is out for the rest of the season. He blew out his knee and is going to have to have surgery and extensive physical therapy. We’ve been told he should be fine for next season, but that does leave his slot open and we can’t have that. So, Otters, please welcome our newest teammate, Jamison Perry.”

  We all took turns introducing ourselves to him as we made our way out to the rink.

  “Welcome to the team man.” I shook Jamison’s hand. Poor kid, he looked like he was about to puke. “You all right?”

  He nodded feverishly. “Yeah, just trying to take it all in.”

  After getting to the ice and skating for a few minutes, a whistle sounded. To our surprise, we were greeted by the jubilant presence of a phenomenal guest coach, Simon Abramson.

  “My, my, my! Look at all of you!” Simon sang as he skated around us. “Miss me, boys?”

  I chuckled a little at how big of a show he was putting on for the dudes that had no earthly idea who he was or what he was doing there.

  Coach took a seat on the bench. “Most of you should remember Simon, but for those who do not, he’s a multi-Olympic gold medalist and is here to show you a thing or two about skating better. You guys are getting sloppy with your footwork so listen to him, men. He’s the best there is.”

  “Thank you for such a warm introduction, Gideon.” Simon held his hands in the air. “Now, gentlemen, let’s get to work. Crosby take those silly pads off so you can actually move around this time. You’re not getting off that easy and I don’t want to see you clumsily try to lunge again.”

  I did as he asked and joined the rest of my teammates as we learned way more about twirls and lunges than we ever cared to know. I did have to hand it to Simon, he really knew how to get through our thick skulls, and by the end of the practice most of us were joking and having a great time making fools of ourselves while trying to pull off harder and harder spin moves.

  The new guy was having the hardest time out of all of us, which was not surprising at all. Coach was about to kill him after he ran into Harding for the second time in about five minutes. I watched in horror as Jamison tried his fucking hardest to snap out of his nerve-filled funk, but rookies always choked in the beginning—it was a thing.

  “Stampcrab!” Harding yelled from the other side of the ice.

  The insult flew over most of the guys’ heads, but I dropped my stick from laughing so hard.

  “What did you call me?” Jamison hollered back.

  I flew in between the two. “Now, now, no need to get off on the wrong foot guys.”

  Harding wasn’t even phased by how confused and pissed Perry was, and I couldn’t blame him. Trash talking was all part of the hazing process. If you couldn’t take it from your teammates, how the fuck would you be able to deal with it from ruthless opponents come game time?

  “Yeah, Crosby’s right. Sorry man, I just got a little flustered there.” I was proud of Harding for being the bigger man in that moment, but Jamison didn’t seem to care too much for the apology.

  Before I could stop him, Perry’s right fist was connecting with Harding’s jaw. Hayes and Cox each flew up behind the guys while I stood in the middle of them, and Chase was just as shocked as the rest of us as we all stared at the new guy like he had just hit a puppy.

  Coach Hayes leaped to his feet, screaming at the top of his lungs for Jamison and Chase to head straight for his office.

  We waited until they left the rink to go back to the ending of our practice.

  “What did Harding call the new guy anyway?” Brayden asked as he skated by me.

  “A stampcrab.”

  “What in the fuck?” His brow creased as he tried to figure out what the insult actually meant.

  “Clumsy. It means he’s a damn klutz.”

  He shook his head. “Geez, you guys and your nerdy insults.”

  I laughed at little. “You have to hand it to Harding, at least it was original.”

  Gavin joined in. “It doesn’t fucking matter how original it is, teammates need to stop being dicks to each other.” I knew Hayes was having a hard time keeping all the players in check recently, and it was starting to really wear on his demeanor. “Of all of us, Harding should know how hard it is to be the new guy. He had it rough as hell when he first joined the team.”

  “Give it a rest, Hayes. We all went through being a rookie. Don’t you remember when Crosby and you were rookies together? You told me the guys treated you two like damn whipping boys for months.” Brayden did have a point, but it didn’t make the bullying any more justified.

  Simon blew his whistle. “Well, this practice is shot to shit. Shower time, boys!”

  We all thanked him for a fun break from our normal practices and filed into the locker room. Harding and Perry had already left for the day but Coach was waiting for us, red-faced and huffing around the locker room.

  “Take a seat, guys.” His eyes were narrow as he paced in a small circle. “We need to get this team back to feeling like a damn family. I don’t know where you guys lost it, but it needs to come back. Each one of you is important and was handpicked because you are the best there is—don’t forget that. Each and every one of you blockheads were selected to be part of one of the best teams in this damn league. Now get the heck out of my sight. We have a game to win tomorrow night.”

  Chapter 5

  Jordan

  The week went by like normal for the most part—slinging drinks, teaching novices, dealing with idiot bar patrons and mind-numbingly clueless owners. By the time Thursday rolled around, I was incredibly thankful for the night off with my friends.

  “Did Gavin tell you? Griffin is coming tonight.” Myla was finishing up her makeup while I flipped through the latest Cosmo on her plush California king. Seven, Myla’s husky, was snoring softly with her head on my lap. We were waiting for Karla to drop her kids off with the sitter and she was cutting it very close on time, per usual.

  “Really? That is awesome. I don’t think I have ever known him to go to a game since he was a kid.”

  “Finally, right? I am so glad he decided to start hanging out with us again.” She popped out of the bathroom, diving onto the bed next to me.

  “Whoa now! Don’t shake up the baby before it’s even born,” I teased as she scoffed at me.

  “Oh please, this thing goes to spin class with me, so I think it can handle a little elevation from time to time. I am just too excited to tell you the best part.”

  “Well, out with it then.”

  “Griffin found that girl and is bringing her and one of her friends to the game tonight. He called Gavin yesterday and told us.”

  I gasped as I started to bounce in place a little. “That is fucking fantastic news! I’m so thrilled it went well for him.” Seven got jostled a bit from my excitement, yawning and stretching after being woken up from her little nap.

  “Me too. I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “Meet who?” Karla asked, making her way into the large master suite with a tray of wine glasses filled with bubbly.

  “Griffin is bringing a chick to the game tonight,” I answered.

  “Oh, just come on in and pour drinks without saying hi?” Myla raised an eyebrow as Karla set the tray on the end of the bed.

  Karla smiled. “Don’t worry, yours only has sparkling water in it. And you gave me a key for a reason, didn’t you?” Myla nodded in agreement while Karla handed us our beverages, holding hers high in the air. “To love and for all of us to find it and keep it.”

  Karla and I polished off the bottle of prosecco while waiting for our car to drive us to the game. I loved going with players’ wives because of the awesome VIP treatment we always received. I mean, I always got amazing treatment since I was friends with the players, but these girls pulled out all of the stops.

  Having a box was nothing short of amazing. We had a fully stocked bar, tons of appetizer-style finger foods, plush seats, and TVs so we wouldn’t miss one second of the game. Even though it was nice to be pampered, it didn’t really feel like being at the game. I missed the loudness of the other fans, the beer lines, the hotdog vendors walking up and down the stairs. Being in a box felt like sitting in my living room, but who was I to complain with the company I had? No matter where we were, we’d have a fantastic time together.

  I was impressed with the crowd we had gathered together for the game. Sean and Jessica got there right after the three of us, followed closely by Simon Abramson, who skipped in decked out in full Otters gear from head to toe.

  “Excited for the game, Simon?” I asked while making him a cosmopolitan.

  He took the pink drink form me, beaming. “I just love these guys so much. Practicing with them the other day was so fun.”

  “They really are a great group.”

  Griffin, Gavin’s little brother, snuck in discretely, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when he came up behind me and said, “Hey Bates.”

  I spun on my heels to see him nervously rubbing the back of his head. “Well, look who the cat dragged in. Excited?”

  Shoving his hand into his pocket to grab his phone, he pursed his lips. “I’d be less nervous if I knew when she was going to be here.”

  Sean came over to talk with Griff as I made my way over to Karla, who was sitting in front of one of the TV screens, watching the stats for all of the players.

  We made small talk about the team and random crap while we eavesdropped. Griffin’s girl and her friend were the last to show up, and though we were all on edge to meet her, we tried to play it as cool as possible.