Page 2 of The Forever Game

He gives an awkward nod before sighing. “Just a tough day. Shift ran over, and I hate being late.” The tense set of his jaw tells me the lateness is probably the smallest factor. I wonder what he saw on the streets today. He doesn’t tell too many cop stories—he’s a stickler for protocol and respecting the rights of the people he arrests—but we can always tell when he’s had a harrowing day. Not sure what went down, but it can’t have been pretty. I’m sure the constant stream of rain didn’t help either.

I smile again, wanting to ease his tension. Man, I’m desperate to ask for deets, but he won’t spill, and I actually admire him more for the fact that he’s not a big gossip.

Nolan might be a small town, but there’s still some pretty heinous shit that goes on behind the scenes, and Liam has to face it all.

“Well, time to put that shit behind you and enjoy the night.” Casey grins, and I step aside so he can take a seat at the Hockey House table.

Rachel glides up to Liam’s side, lightly kissing his lips and cupping his cheek. She murmurs something that I can’t hear, and he gives her a tired, sad smile before kissing her again. For some reason, I keep watching them for a moment longer. They’ve had to deal with some tough shit this year, and?—

Rachel’s eyes dart across the table, her lips jerking into a tense smile that is so un-Rachel-like, my eyebrows jump up in surprise.

“Hey, Liam,” Caroline murmurs softly, her smile just as tight as Rachel’s.

“Hi, Caroline.” His voice is rumbly and deep, like he’s walking through a minefield just saying hello to her, and my gut twists as both girls turn away and Liam winces, rubbing his forehead.

I frown at Casey. His eyes throw me a clear “don’t ask” warning, his brow wrinkling as he looks at the back of Rachel’s head. I don’t know what’s going on, but it can’t be good. Rachel is the sweetest human being on the planet, and the girls are usually so tight with each other. This frosty reception is so not good for happy rehearsal dinner vibes… and Ethan and Mikayla aren’t really helping either.

The bright smile that usually lights Mick’s face is nowhere to be seen. I’m pretty good at observing people, and I can tell, even from across the table, that she’s not having a great day.

Ethan’s watching her, lightly running his hand down her back, but he’s not looking happy either.

Actually, when I think about it, they both came in kind of tense and snippy. Maybe they got into a fight on the way here.

This is just great. Tammy’s special night is going to be ruined by these douchebags if they don’t shake off whatever they all walked in with.

I want to snap at them to get their shit together, but I’m interrupted by Kai.

“Hey, Dad.” He jumps behind me, wrapping his skinny arms around my waist.

I spin to hug him back. “Hey, buddy.”

“Mom says it’s time to take a seat and get started with speeches and stuff.”

“Sounds good.” I squeeze his shoulder and wink down at him. “Go tell Mom I’ll be there in just a sec.”

“’Kay.” He bounds off, his gangly nine-year-old legs taking him across the room at speed.

He started calling me Dad after his little sister was born. Nova’s just turned two, so she’s still learning to speak, but Kai was determined that Mama, Dada, and Kai would be her first three words, so he’s been pushing hard for that outcome. It worked out well for me, because hearing him call me Dad is one of the best things in the world. I love that kid like he’s my own.

Nova’s not here tonight. My dad took her home after the rehearsal and volunteered to skip the dinner so he could watch her. He knows as well as the rest of us that my daughter is dynamite, and she would not cope well with this situation. She’d have a blast, but it’d be like trying to tame a tornado, and Tammy and I wouldn’t get more than halfway through a sentence before having to chase after her. And when she gets around Casey and Caroline’s boys, it’s a full-blown hurricane. Thankfully, neither of them are here tonight either.

Tammy wanted a fancy, formal dinner, which means no toddlers are around to terrorize the guests.

I grin, thinking about my beautiful girl and wondering if Dad has managed to get her down for the night. That girl has my old man wrapped around her little finger. They adore each other, and he’s probably feeding her popsicles and letting her watch an entire Barbie movie. She’ll fall asleep on his lap, and he’ll be the happiest guy on the planet.

Tomorrow should be interesting. Who knows what havoc she’ll get up to as the flower girl. Kai’s determined to keep her in check, but it’s a big ask for the kid. Thankfully, Nova thinks her big brother hung the moon and will usually do what he tells her… for all of two minutes.

I’m chuckling by the time I reach the table. Tammy smiles at me, and I lightly kiss her lips as I sit down.

“You good?” she murmurs against my mouth.

“Yeah, you know how much I love these kinds of things.” I say it in a bright voice, which only makes her giggle.

“I know, right? I had such high hopes, but then I get here and am like… why are we doing this again?”

“What do you mean?” I lean toward her, cupping her elbow and checking her face for signs of distress. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” She nods, but I don’t believe her.

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