WHOEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR plotting out our season schedule deserved a handwritten thank-you note.
A few days in the desert, followed by a stint in sunny Southern California, was heaven. The timing was perfect to escape snowy Connecticut as winter melted into spring.
We got an extra day off after playing in Las Vegas, which meant a beach day in San Diego. The team was pleased to find I booked our accommodations on the oceanfront. Their praise had me taking a mental bow.
You’re welcome, boys.
My handiwork didn’t stop there.
After making a few calls, I booked Natalie on a flight to join us on the West Coast for a few days. The playoff grind was quickly approaching, and my best friend needed a break. Our long weekend in the Caribbean was already a distant memory.
Currently, Natalie and I sat in the shade of a cabana overlooking the beach, where the players were having an impromptu off-ice session in the sand.
Days like today were morale boosters for a team. Training was part of their job, but seeing the inside of the weight room day after day became monotonous. Changing it up and making it fun did wonders.
We could hear their laughter as they ran in the sand. The heat of the day, combined with their workout, had shirts plastered to sweaty bodies, outlining the muscles hidden beneath.
Who needed porn when this was your view?
Damn, I love my job.
With my third drink of the day in my hand, I was feeling a bit tipsy and more than a little turned on. Handing my glass to Natalie beside me, I cupped both hands around my mouth, shouting, “Take off your shirts!”
Natalie giggled. No doubt she was remembering the time I’d drunkenly demanded that Jaxon remove his shirt when he stopped by during one of our girls’ nights in the early days of their relationship. I’d been trying to lighten the mood—they were so awkward together back then—and Jaxon did not disappoint. Natalie, on the other hand, had been mortified when he practically stripped in her front hallway.
Every head on the beach turned in our direction, including innocent bystanders not involved with the team activities.
Even from a distance, I could see the mischief in Cal’s eyes as he made a show of shaking his head in disbelief at my outrageous outburst. Slowly, he reached down to grasp the hem of his white T-shirt, peeling it over his head. Taking a water bottle, he poured it over his head, and I bit my lip to stifle a moan.
Jaxon was never far from his best friend’s side, putting a hand above his eyes to shield them from the sun and get a better look into the cabana. Natalie gave him a shy wave, and a smile lit up his face before he wrenched off his own shirt.
He could thank me later for brokering him a little alone time with his wife.
A whistle blew, drawing their attention back to the drills on the sand.
Ordering lunch, we settled in to enjoy the rest of the show.
Laying on our stomachs facing the ocean on the comfortable cabana bed, I nudged Natalie’s shoulder. “Aren’t you glad you came?”
Sighing, she smiled. “You sure can’t beat this view.” “I’ll drink to that.” I raised my glass.
Natalie clinked her lemonade to my margarita. “You’ll have to pick up my slack.”
Exhaling deeply, I replied, “Forget your slack. I’m currently drinking for four.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I wish I was on your team.” “And what team is that?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Team Empty Uterus.”
We fell into a fit of laughter.
“How’d Jaxon take the news?” I asked.
We were well overdue for a girls’ night. Even though we saw each other at Comets home games, I respected that she wanted to keep things quiet, so I hadn’t brought up the sensitive topic until now. Natalie had a thing about privacy, not that I could blame her after spending over a decade living life in front of the cameras.
Her brown eyes rolled in response. “About how you would imagine. He was like a giddy child on Christmas morning. I read him the riot act, but he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.”
“Jaxon’s a great dad. He loves his kids more than anything.”
Rolling over onto her back, she stared at the canopy above us. “I know. It only makes me feel more guilty.”
“What’s there to feel guilty about?”
Natalie sighed. “Babies are a blessing. I know that. But I thought I was done. Hell, I thought I was done after Jameson, and then after Beau. I was making plans for our life with the kids getting older, and now it feels like I’m back to square one. And then there’s Jaxon. You’re right, he’s an amazing father. When I told him I was pregnant again, he explained how excited he was to experience the process as my true partner. It made me realize how much he missed out on with Charlie because I was too afraid of what letting him get close to us would mean. I wasn’t fair to him, and this is my chance to make it right. I just wish it didn’t come at the price of giving up my body for the next two years.”
I rubbed her arm. “I think your feelings are valid. You’ve got a lot of bad memories associated with unplanned pregnancies, and that colors how you see this one. You’re in a loving, committed relationship, and this baby was made with love. Give yourself a little bit of grace in mourning the loss of the life you were planning. But if I know anything, it’s that when this baby gets here, you’ll forget all the reasons you wanted to stop after Charlie. Imagining a life without them simply won’t be possible.”
Turning her head, Natalie gave me a sly smile. “When did you begin channeling your inner Amy?”
We all knew Amy was the one you went to when you needed comfort.
She could put a positive spin on any situation.
“I have no idea where any of that came from,” I teased. “Total out-of- body experience.”
Grasping my hand, she winked. “It wasn’t half bad. Thanks, Hannah.”
A throat cleared behind us. “Who do I call to lodge a formal complaint with the league office about Comets staff members s*xually harassing their players?” That voice belonged to my shirtless blond behemoth, and I smiled, turning around to find Cal, Benji, and Jaxon approaching our private lounging spot.
Jaxon came close enough to drop a kiss on Natalie’s lips, whispering, “What are you doing here, baby? And where are the kids?”
With Benji around and the rest of the team still close enough to see us on the beach, I couldn’t expect the same show of affection from my man. The secret-relationship crap was getting old fast.
Natalie beamed at her husband. “Hannah practically begged me to come and spend a few days in the sun with her. So, Preston and Lucy came up to watch the kids at the house.”
Jaxon’s eyes devoured Natalie in her bathing suit. On our private vacation six weeks ago, she’d felt comfortable enough to wear a bikini, but with more people around, her body dysmorphia had her covering up more. The pregnancy hadn’t yet begun to show, and she was rocking the hell out of a one-piece swimsuit.
Pretending to be annoyed, Cal stated, “I’m still waiting to lodge that complaint.”
Mindful of Benji’s presence, I shot back, “If you’re calling the league’s commissioner, can you forward him my petition to relocate all teams to warm beach cities?”
Benji gave me a playful wink. “I like the way you think.” Cal crossed his arms. “How do you see that working out?”
Sighing, I laid back on the massive pile of pillows. “Something looking a lot like this?”
“That crosses off every major television market, including all of Canada.” “Sucks to be them.”
A sharp whistle blew three times, and I heard a voice yell from a distance, “Berg, Mills, and Slate! Water break’s over!”
“Gotta go, ladies!” Benji called over his shoulder, jogging back to where the team was set up on the sand.
Jaxon couldn’t resist kissing Natalie once more. “Dinner tonight?” he asked.
“Table for four?” I requested sweetly, batting my eyelashes at him. He pointed a finger at me. “You’re trouble.”
Cal got close enough to growl in my ear, “I’ve got something I can feed you later, don’t you worry.” His blue eyes darkened when he pulled back to find that his words had me clenching my thighs. Backing up slowly, he mouthed the word “Later,” and I nearly came on the spot.
Natalie stared at me wide-eyed, a light blush on her cheeks. Once the boys were out of earshot, she whispered, “Damn, that was panty-melting hot.”
I flashed her a lopsided grin. “Yep. I’m over here living the dream. About damn time.”
After a few days in the sun in San Diego, the team entourage moved northward to Los Angeles to play the California Cougars. Unfortunately, their arena was located downtown, so it wasn’t logistically feasible to book us another hotel near the coast.
Lying in bed, wearing nothing but a sheet, I watched Cal get dressed for practice. Biting my lip, all I wanted to do was sink my teeth into that tight ass of his. I was pretty sure he could crack a walnut between those defined cheeks. He was covered in muscles from head to toe, but the lower half of his body was massive—legs as thick as tree trunks and a rounded butt were the result of decades spent training and skating.
“You’re drooling,” he remarked over his shoulder, pulling on a pair of athletic shorts.
“Can you blame me?” I didn’t bother to hide the fact that I was openly ogling his perfect body.
Smirking, he threw on a Comets-branded dri-fit shirt before sitting on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes. Leaning over, he tugged the sheet down my body so that it pooled around my waist. Silently, he tugged my nipple between his teeth.
My head dropped back, and I moaned.
Releasing me, he stood, scanning my body with hunger in his eyes. “You should get dressed.”
Stretching my arms above my head, I fell back onto the pile of pillows. “I don’t think that I will. This bed is too comfy. Besides, you left me sore from last night. I think trashy daytime TV and room service are the perfect cure. You should fake an injury and play hooky. I could make it worth your while.” I waggled my eyebrows for emphasis.
“Tempting.” Cal shook his head, used to my antics by now. “There’s a car waiting for you downstairs. Get dressed. Take Natalie with you.”
My brows drew down. “What are you talking about? Why is there a car waiting downstairs?”
Bending down for one more kiss before he left, he whispered against my lips, “It’s a surprise.”
Who was this man, and what had he done with my Cal? This felt—dare I say it—romantic.
Rising to his full height, Cal backed toward the door, reluctant to let me leave his sight. “I gotta go. Have a fun day with Nat.”
Turning, he opened the door and left me in stunned silence. What was he up to?
“Did he say what kind of car to be on the lookout for?” Natalie asked as we left the hotel lobby and descended the steps of the front entrance.
“No. He just said a car.” I frowned, scanning the circular drive, noting a black limo parked to the side but instantly dismissing it as our ride.
“Can I help you, miss?” Turning, I discovered the bell captain, dressed smartly in his hotel uniform, approaching to assist us.
Sensing my apprehension, Natalie took the lead. “We’re on the lookout for a car that’s supposed to be waiting for us.”
Smiling warmly at Natalie, the bell captain clasped his hands together. “Of course. Would it happen to be for a Miss Moreau?”
Gesturing in my direction, she confirmed, “Yes, that’s my friend here.”
Holding out an arm in the direction of the limo, he commanded, “Follow me.”
Natalie looked back at me in shock. Yeah, I was right there with her. Cal had sent a limo for me? What the hell was going on?
Opening the door, the bell captain held out a gloved hand to help us into the limo. “My name is Warren, if you ladies need anything on your return. Have a lovely day.”
Thanking Warren in a daze, I sank down into the back of the limo, allowing him to close the door behind me.
“Oh my God,” Natalie whispered in my ear.
Smoothing my sweaty palms over the light-wash jeans covering my thighs, I didn’t know why I was so nervous. Maybe it was because this was so out of the ordinary in my relationship with Cal. We’d breezed right past Valentine’s Day, and he had already told me not to make a big deal out of his birthday, which was coming up next week.
I was the one who’d put a label on us, but it changed nothing. We had a casual thing going on. We couldn’t commit to anything more while we were in hiding.
Whatever this was, it felt anything but casual. He sent a freaking limo! “Hello, ladies. I’m Ethan, and I’ll be your driver today.” The man sitting
up front didn’t even turn his head as he spoke, pulling out into LA traffic.
Sensing I was having a mental meltdown, Natalie responded, “Nice to meet you, Ethan.” Leaning forward, she hit the button on the privacy screen before turning back to me. “Holy shit, Hannah.”
“Uh-huh.” I was at a loss for words.
“Did he give you any clue as to where we are going?” Shaking my head was all I could manage. Twisting her lips in thought, she mused, “Maybe he’s sending us on a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive? How fun would that be?”
“Maybe,” I mumbled.
Reaching into the minibar, I blindly grabbed for the first thing I could get my hands on. It didn’t matter what type—alcohol was needed at this moment. My fingers closed around the neck of a chilled bottle, and I pulled it out.
Natalie’s gasp startled me enough that I dropped it at my feet, hearing the dull thud as it met the carpet. “What?” I asked in a panic. “Are you okay? Is it the baby?”
Eyes as big as saucers, she shook her head. “I’m fine.” “Then, what?“ Annoyance colored my tone.
Tilting her head toward the carpet, she said, “Champagne.”
Clearly, I wasn’t the only one whose brain was fried because she wasn’t making any sense. “Nat, you can’t have any. You’re pregnant.”
“No, dummy. There was champagne in the cooler.”
“And the sky is blue. What’s your point?” I was this close to strangling her. Didn’t she know I was freaking out over here?
“What if he’s going to propose?” Natalie breathed out.
That snapped me right out of whatever mental fog I was in. “You shut your mouth right now!” I yelled. “Are you out of your damn mind? This must be that baby brain my sisters always talk about.”
“Think about it. A limo, champagne, a day out in LA? What if he’s waiting for you wherever we end up?”
“No.” I shook my head. “No,” I said again more forcefully. “That would be insane. To go from sneaking around to ‘will you marry me?’ Think about how well that would go over with my dad.”
Natalie shrugged. “I mean . . . he gave Jaxon slack because I was already pregnant when he found out about us. Maybe Cal is thinking that if you’re engaged, your dad won’t have a choice but to accept it.”
She had a point. That would force Dad’s hand. Seemed a little drastic, though. We weren’t in that place yet.
“I don’t know, Nat. It’s only been a few months. The s*x is off-the-charts hot, and we like spending time together, but we would be skipping a crucial step. You can’t just gloss over ‘I love you’ and head straight to asking someone to marry you. It doesn’t work like that.”
Humming, she nodded. “Maybe you’re right. But what else could it be?” That was the question of the hour.
Before we could think up more possibilities, the limo stopped, and the door opened. Frozen in my seat, I gestured for Natalie to exit first. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to follow.
“Huh.” Stepping out of the limo, I stood before a large building that resembled a warehouse.
Leaning over, Natalie whispered, “If this is a proposal, I won’t blame you if you give him a swift kick between the legs. This place looks like where you go to get murdered.”
“Are you sure this is the right place?” I asked Ethan.
“Yes, ma’am.” He walked over to the large metal door to the building, holding it open for us.
Looking skyward, I breathed out, “Here goes nothing.”
Stepping inside, a giant neon sign told us where we were: La Brea Recording.
My chest tightened, and breathing became difficult.
What did he do?
A pretty blonde receptionist smiled, greeting us. “Welcome to La Brea Recording. Can I please have your name?”
I simply stared at her, and for the third time today, Natalie bailed me out. “Appointment for Hannah Moreau?”
Tapping away on her desk computer, the receptionist nodded. “I have her right here. Follow me, please.”
Natalie began to follow, but I was rooted to the spot. Noticing I wasn’t with her, Natalie walked back to take my hand.
I shook my head. “I can’t do this.”
Squeezing my hand, she countered, “We don’t even know what this is. Cal went out of his way to set this up. But if it makes you uncomfortable, we can leave at any time.”
I was already uncomfortable, but she was right. Trudging slowly down the hall to where the blonde led us, we stopped at an open door. Smiling, she said, “Go on in. They’re waiting for you.”
Oh, God. Who was waiting for me?
Pulling me reluctantly by the hand, Natalie entered the room first, with me right behind her. My anxiety hit a new high as I took in my surroundings. A glass wall split the giant recording studio in half, separating the control room featuring a massive soundboard from the live room where a microphone hung from the ceiling.
Two men sat in chairs in front of the soundboard. One stood, looking the part of someone in the music industry, wearing a leather jacket over a black T-shirt and ripped jeans. Shaggy brown hair fell in his eyes, and dark facial hair lined his jaw.
Holding a hand out, he introduced himself, “I’m Holden, and that over there is Eddie, my sound engineer.” Holden motioned to the blond dressed similarly to himself, minus the jacket, so his double sleeves of tattoos were visible.
Taking his hand, I shook it. “If I’m being honest, I’m not sure why I’m here.”
“A friend of mine called in a favor,” he replied.
“Cal is your friend?” The surprises kept on coming.
Holden shoved both hands into the pockets of his jeans. “We go way back. Believe it or not, I got my start running the music at sporting events in college. When I did hockey games, Cal would give me a list of songs that got the team pumped up, and we developed a friendship. So, when he called me to see if I could squeeze his girl in for a private session, how could I say no?”
“Private,” I repeated.
Nodding, Holden confirmed, “Cal gave me a list of songs for you to sing covers of.” Reaching back, he grabbed a piece of paper featuring the list he mentioned, and handed it to me. “He said it was an early birthday present.”
My anxiety fell away as I read it over. Every single song was one he’d heard me singing out loud in his penthouse—most often when he caught me before I realized he was home.
Natalie peered over my shoulders. “Oh my God, Hannah. He’s in love with you.”
Stunned, I turned to stare at her. “No. Cal doesn’t do love. You know him.
Before me, there was a new girl in every city.”
She shook her head. “Listen to what you just said. Before you. He also never had a girlfriend before you. No guy does something this big if he’s not in love.”
“I don’t know, Nat . . .”
“You got your chance to channel Amy on this trip. It’s my turn. So let me do it.” She put her hands on her hips.
Note to self: Natalie is a little feisty when she’s pregnant.
“Fine.” I sighed.
“This whole situation is new to you, and I’ve been where you are. When Jaxon fell into my life, I didn’t know what love looked like—my parents didn’t have a loving marriage, and what I shared with Leo was the furthest thing from it. It took me longer than I care to admit to see it for what it was. Jaxon showed his love through everyday actions, like baking cookies with the kids, tucking Beau into bed, and making sure I ate balanced meals. It’s not always grand gestures, and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it can sneak up on you. This right here? What Cal did today? It’s a sign the size of a billboard that he’s in love with you.”
The way Natalie laid it out made so much sense. Looking back on our time together, I could pinpoint the everyday actions that were quiet signs
that Cal might be in love with me.
The time he forced me to vent about my sisters, making sure I got it off my chest.
The time he went back to the Mexican restaurant when I forgot to tell him I liked my food a certain way.
The time he took care of me when I was sick, setting aside the risk of falling ill himself.
The time he held me when I cried, sharing his own insecurities so I knew I wasn’t alone.
Each instance added up, eventually culminating here in this recording studio.
The realization stole my breath away. Cal was in love with me. All that was left to do was figure out if I shared those feelings.
I now knew what love looked like from him, but what did it look like from me? Was I already in love but hadn’t realized because I’d never loved anyone outside of friends and family?
I had a lot of self-reflection to do.
Smiling at my best friend, I admitted, “You make a pretty good Amy.”
Natalie smirked. “I don’t know how she pulls it off on a regular basis. It’s exhausting.”
We shared a laugh before she seated herself on the black leather couch against the wall in the control room. Carrying my set list, I crossed the threshold into the live room, making my way over to the microphone that was front and center.
Picking up the headphones, I slipped them over my ears, holding my hands over them to make sure this was real.
“Ready when you are, Hannah.” Holden’s voice came through the headphones nice and clear.
“I’m ready.”
Closing my eyes, I let the first notes of the song wash over me. There were no expectations, there was no pressure. It was me and the music. Just how I liked it.
Cal was so getting laid tonight.
