Page 18 of A Major Puck Up

Because I like him.

A lot.

“Why hockey?”

“Oh god, why not?” he says with a laugh. “Best sport ever.”

“So why aren’t you coaching?”

He shrugs. “I was groomed to work in an office. I guess I never considered coaching as a real option for a profession.”

The furrow in his brow makes it obvious that even now, he’s thinking of all the reasons why he’d love to coach and all the reasons why he can’t.

Like me, he can’t go after what he wants, and I hate that for him.

I hate it for me too.

But I can’t solve those problems for either of us. And soon, he won’t care one bit about my opinion. For now, I just want to see him smile at me for a little while longer. And I want to bring him the kind of joy he’s brought me for the last few hours.

“So tell me, Coach, how do you feel about blow jobs?”

FIVE

GAVIN

There’s no time to be disappointed when I wake up without her.

I have a plane to catch, and since we didn’t go to sleep until sometime after four—after another three rounds or so—I’m running late. It was worth it, even if I almost fell asleep inside her.

But I knew she’d be gone when I woke up. She wouldn’t even give me her name, so I was under no illusion that she’d stick around.

While I own the plane we’re taking today, Beckett gets unreasonably annoyed by delays. If I don’t haul ass and get to our private runway, I wouldn’t put it past him to leave me in Boston while they all head off to Ford’s wedding.

I plaster on a big smile when I step into the cabin, sunglasses on, Hawaiian shirt in place, and a bunch of leis in hand to gift to my brothers. Affecting my most obnoxious voice, I say, “I know, I know. I’m late, but I brought gifts. This way I’m not the only one who got laid this morning.”

Beckett rolls his eyes as he folds his newspaper like the anal asshole he is and sets it down in front of him. The man is wearing a pair of navy-blue slacks and a button-down shirt. It’s pink, I’ll give him that, but still, we’re going on vacation, not to a fucking board meeting.

I toss one at him, and the fucker surprises the hell out of me by putting it on without a fight. “I’ll wear it for five minutes to make you happy, but only if you tell me the story behind the woman who’s got you smiling so fucking big.”

I grin. “It’s a good one.” Not that I’ll tell him much, other than that I think I fell in love last night and that I’ll probably never find her again. Even so, it’s fun to play along.

In the back, Brooks and Aiden are sitting side by side. Daniel Hall—our newest recruit and Ford’s son—is sitting with them too. I’d forgotten he was traveling with us. Beside him is a woman with her dark hair pulled into a ponytail. She’s mostly hidden behind Brooks’s massive frame, so all I can see is wavy brown curls.

I can’t help but laugh. Kid has no shame bringing a woman along with him to his dad’s wedding. Knowing him, he met her last night and Ford has no idea she’s coming.

“Got leis for all of you boys. Don’t worry,” I say as I make my way down the aisle, winking at the flight attendant as I pass her. “Morning, Nicole. Would you like a lei?”

She holds up a hand, looking amused. “Pass.”

I like Nicole. She’s worked for my family for a few years, and she’s been nothing but professional. We’ve gone through too many flight attendants over the years because many of the women take the job thinking they’ll be joining the mile high club. But we don’t operate like that. Especially Beckett. When we’re working, he expects everyone to be professional. It’s a good rule. Keeps my brothers from getting sued and keeps our turnover at the office almost nonexistent.

I throw a lei to Aiden, who catches it with ease, right around his neck.

“I’m telling you, Brooks,” he says without missing a beat. “This girl might be the one.”

I bite back a groan. I’d forgotten about his text last night. He met a girl. Again. And since the kid is nothing if not a romantic, I’m sure he’ll be singing her praises for the next few days.

Hope she’s worth it. Aiden deserves someone who loves hard just like he does.

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