Page 112 of The Hat Trick

I’m speechless and my mouth keeps opening and closing like a fish out of water because I don’t know what to say.

“Has this felt casual?” he asks.

I think back and if I’m being honest, it really hasn’t. I want to tell them things, I want to see them, despite wanting to deny it and pull away when I can to keep an imaginary line drawn in the sand. It hasn’t actually felt casual. If I’m being extremely honest it’sneverfelt casual with Vince. Then when Matt and Brent became involved too, we all just…fit.

Unable to say anything, I just shake my head, no.

“Then, tell me you’re ours. Completely and only ours.”

“This is crazy,” I whisper.

“Be crazy with us then,” he whispers back, cupping my face, his hands are surprisingly warm.

“Okay,” I breathe. I’m unable to say anything else.

He smiles as his mouth descends on mine, kissing me with everything he’s feeling, and I do the same. I don’t know how long we stay wrapped in each other, our mouths refusing to part. I don’t feel the cold from being outside anymore. It’s just him and me in this moment and the confessions we both just made and the promise that I’m theirs.

36

The week off we all had was spent with Chandler as much as we could. She would either come over to one of our houses and sometimes, time would be spent with all of us, other times she would just spend with just one of us. It was working and it was better than I could’ve ever imagined.

Despite protests she would go home and insist she needed to work on things for her growing business. We all are planning to help her out with getting more clients since we each have our own connections and she’s going to be busier than she thinks.

When she hasn’t been with me, I’ve been dealing with shit with my brother Brandon. I ended up talking to him and I have to remind myself I’m doing it for Brynn to make her feel better, but it’s still tough.

Brandon has tried to convince me he wants to get better, but I refuse to send him money. I made an agreement with him that when we have our first away game after break which happens to be in Ohio, I would go see him. From there I would see if he’s being honest or not about wanting help.

We arrived in Cincinnati in the middle of the afternoon. We already had morning skate earlier today, so we get the rest of the day off before our game tomorrow. I take the opportunity to rent a car and drive the hour to my hometown to see Brandon.

I’m dodging questions from my teammates because no one knows about my shit family, and I don’t want that to start now. I’ve always thought they would look down on me for it, so I just don’t share anything about it other than knowing I have four siblings.

Around thirty minutes into the drive I end up calling Brynn. I haven’t told her much about my conversations with Brandon up until this point. I really didn’t want her getting her hopes up, but if he’s still talking to her then I’m sure he’s doing that enough on his own.

“Hey,” she answers cheerfully.

“Hey, I’m on my way to Eaton,” I tell her.

She’s quiet for a beat. “Are you going to see him?”

“Yeah, he agreed to meet me, but I don’t want you thinking this is going to be the solution to everything.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m not a child.”

“I know. Just don’t let this disappoint you too much, okay?”

“God,” she groans dramatically. “I’ll be fine, hotshot, would you just trust me?”

“I do trust you, and I care about you which is why I worry.”

“I figured once you got a girlfriend you would be on my case less, but clearly that’s not true.”

I bite back the smile she can’t see at the mention of Chandler. I know she and Dumont had a conversation where she said she’s ours, but I haven’t had one with her yet. I hate to admit I’m afraid, but that’s exactly what it is. I’m afraid she’s going to change her mind if she learns too much about me. So, I’m okay knowing she admitted she’s ours even if she hasn’t said so directly to me.

Instead of commenting on Chandler being my girlfriend I tell her, “You’ll never get rid of me.”

“I’d never dream of it. Will you keep me updated?”

“Yeah,” I sigh reluctantly.

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