Page 43 of Sin Bin

“Exactly.” Viggo pushed his empty plate away and leaned back in the booth. “When I left home to play in the NHL, I promised my dad I’d get my degree someday. He’s been holding me to that promise. He even brought it up when Scarlett and I went home last month.”

“That’s no surprise,” Reid said with a chuckle. “Your old man is vice-chancellor of Stockholm University. Even though he’s proud of your success, he’s always stressed the importance of education. Him and my mom.” Reid finished his drink. “Have you told your dad that you’re starting classes this fall at the University of Colorado?”

“Not yet. I’ll tell him and Mom tonight during our Skype call. Scarlett and I need to hash out some wedding stuff with them,” Viggo said with a wry grimace.

“Uh-oh,” Hunter intoned humorously. “What’s going on?”

Viggo sighed. “My mother keeps adding friends and relatives to the guest list. We’re up to six hundred people now.”

Hunter and Reid let out astonished whistles.

Logan was confused. “What’s the problem? You’re getting married at a fucking castle. Space shouldn’t be an issue.”

“It won’t be an issue for the reception. That’s gonna be held outside in the gardens. But the cathedral only holds about seven hundred for the ceremony, so we can’t invite too many more people.” Viggo snorted. “If it were up to my mom, every Swede she knows would be at the wedding.”

Reid laughed, shaking his head. “I’m so glad I convinced Nadia to hire a wedding planner. Since I’m always on the road, I didn’t want her to be stuck planning everything with our mothers. She can’t say no to them, plus she’s been really busy at work. The wedding planner has been awesome. She’s taken a load off Nadia’s shoulders, and she keeps our moms in check.” He grinned, rapping his knuckles on the table. “Our guest list is capped at five hundred. No exceptions.”

Viggo chuckled. “Scarlett’s mom would have a conniption fit if we even hinted at hiring a wedding planner. She’s having too much fun coordinating our wedding.” He smiled. “To her credit, she really seems to know what she’s doing. Between her and her assistant, my mom and my sisters—and Scarlett, of course—the wedding’s shaping up to be pretty amazing.”

Hunter and Reid grinned. “Good stuff.”

Logan gave a loud snort. “You guys are insane. If I’m ever crazy enough to propose to some broad, we’re getting married by an Elvis impersonator at a chapel in Vegas.”

As laughter and guffaws erupted around the table, Logan grinned and knocked back the rest of his drink.

When a small beep chirped from the front pocket of Viggo’s hoodie, he pulled out his phone and read the text. Even before he started smiling, everyone knew the message was from Scarlett. The only reason he hadn’t rushed home after practice was because she had band rehearsal.

His thumbs flew over the keypad as he texted her back while saying, “Scarlett and I wanna open our own talent agency one day, so I’m getting a bachelor’s in entrepreneurship. Since I can only go to school part-time, the academic advisor told me to get my prerequisites out of the way first.” He glanced up at Logan. “It’s not too late for you to apply for the fall semester. I’m registered for an online English class. We can take it together, help each other out with homework and shit.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Logan grunted, rubbing his bristly jaw. He hoped it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle to request transcripts from the Toronto high school he’d attended while playing in the OHL.

Hunter hitched his chin at him. “You’ve always said you hated school, but Santino told me you were a pretty good student.”

Logan shrugged. “Didn’t really have a choice. He stayed on my ass, and if I didn’t pass my classes, the league wouldn’t let me play.”

Dionne appeared again, bringing refills and clearing the table. She winked at Logan and poked him in the shoulder before strutting off. Such a damn tease.

“So,” Reid said casually, “what’re you doing for your birthday?”

Logan shot him a hard look. “The same thing I always do.”

“You don’t do anything.”

“Exactly.”

“C’mon, bro,” Viggo protested. “You’re turning twenty-five. That’s a milestone birthday. You gotta do it up big like we always do. I mean, we’ll already be in Vegas for the last game of the season—”

“I don’t care,” Logan growled.

Viggo frowned. “So you’re just gonna hole up in your room and drink yourself into a coma?”

“Pretty much.”

When the others exchanged disappointed glances, Logan eyed them suspiciously. Although he hadn’t shared everything about his troubled past, they knew why he didn’t celebrate his birthday. Why were they suddenly trying to get him to change his mind?

He narrowed his eyes at them. “Jenna better not be planning a surprise party.”

Jenna Vasiliev was married to their goalie. A former actress and model, she was like the den mother of the players’ wives and girlfriends. She organized team charity events, dinner parties, baby showers and other social gatherings. Logan had heard that she was planning surprise bridal showers for Nadia and Scarlett. He wondered if she had something up her sleeve for his twenty-fifth birthday.

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