Page 156 of Never You

Sitting on the bench, my eyes follow Logan wobbling around the ice while giggles come from his tiny chest. The two year old is holding his father’s hand while he’s trying to skate even though his leg’s don’t even have the coordination yet to make the movement.

It’s freaking adorable and I can’t help witnessing it with a grin splitting my face.

In the past five minutes I’ve felt my chest expand, filling with love when I realized that’s something I want.

To create my own family.

The palm of a hand connects with my back and I look up into Johnny’s smug face.

“Congratulations, hockey boy,” he beams, using Rae’s nickname for me to taunt me. “I have to admit, when you left the Knights there was no chance in hell I’d believe you’d be able to get another Stanley Cup playing for someone else.”

He sits down next to me, rubbing his hands to warm them from the cold air in the rink. “But you fucking did it.”

“I guess the joke is on you, huh?” I chuckle, putting my gaze back to the ice.

“So it seems.” He follows my eyes. “Hunter is teaching Logan how to skate already?”

“Can’t start early enough,” I reply at the same time Hunter sees Johnny on the bench and puts his hand up in greeting.

“Those Bambi legs are adorable,” Johnny chuckles. “He’s a fucking cute kid.”

“He is.”

We stay quiet for a moment, looking at father and son playing around the ice. Hunter throws Logan in the air, and Logan’s laughter echoes through the rink.

“I want this,” I confess, keeping a straight face.

“What? Your own rink?”

I roll my eyes at his stupid reply. “No, fucker. This. That.”

I point at Hunter and Logan.

When Rae and I first started dating I treated Johnny as her father figure, making sure he approved of me, of us, because I knew it was important to her.

But after being part of this family for two years, Johnny and I developed a friendship. We hang out whenever he’s back in North Carolina, we throw barbecues for the family, watch football games together and I can even say he’s my biggest confidant and sounding board when it comes to my career.

But nonetheless I feel like stepping on his toes if I decide to cross the line I want to cross without informing him first.

“A kid?” His eyes move to his dark blonde hairline as he pulls a disgusted face.

“Yeah,” I snicker, softly shaking my head, “don’t you?”

He twists his head back to the ice, then shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess I never had anyone that stirred that shit up inside of me,” he pauses. “But you do.”

I nod, a smile curling the corner of my mouth when Rae’s face flashes before my eyes. “Yeah, I do. And I want that.” I point my finger at them. “With Rae.”

His eyes find mind when I turn my head back towards him. “Why are you telling me, Jensen?”

“Are you cool with that?”

“You having a kid with my niece?” There is amusement etched in his voice.

“Nah, not just a kid. I want it all. I want to put a ring on her finger. I want her last name to become Jensen and then I want to plant a few babies inside of her until she doesn’t want any more of them.”

He grunts, though I can see the smile pulling on his cheek. “For fucks sake, Jensen. Too much information.”

We both let out a comfortable laugh.

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