Page 59 of Ice Dance Hockey

I do. I want a family. I want a baby across my husband’s chest or across mine.

“Exactly, Logan and I aren’t even compatible, Jack ,” I say as I run my tongue over the inside of my mouth where I think Logan’s teeth nicked me. The metallic flavor of copper bursts over my tastebuds. My lips are still swollen from his eager brutality.

We finish our coffees. Stanley wakes up and Jack gets a text from Mercy.

“I should go, but I gotta pee so bad. Coffee runs right through me. You mind holding him a second for me?”

I splutter. I can’t say no to Jack, but hold the Meyer child? “Sure.”

Jack has to unwind him from the contraption he had him tied to his chest in. I’ve got a large extended family so I’m familiar enough with babies, but this one’s about to cry so I stand instinctively, and sway. I’m looking at Stanley and don’t notice when Jack leaves.

He’s a cute little furball. That’s one impressive head of hockey lettuce.

The flash snaps my gaze up, there are several people in the coffee shop taking pictures of me. Shit. They’re still taking pictures when Jack returns to claim Stanley.

“Heads up, there will be pictures. I’ll try to mitigate the damage through the Elkington PR team, but people make up a lot of shit on the internet.”

“Meh. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Oh! I should get Merc a bag of those cinnamon twisties he likes.”

Once he’s loaded down with baked goods and another coffee to go, we walk out together, and I help him to an old mini-van that looks like it’s seen better days. “You can’t buy something new?”

“I could. Point of contention that’s not worth the argument.”

Hmmm? Is that trouble in paradise I hear? “Oh?”

“I offered, but Merc says this one works just fine and it’s set up how he likes. I said we could deck out something new … and then he just said no and got all grumpy.” Jack shrugs. “I don’t care enough to push it. He’s right. Not something we need yet.”

“If you want a new vehicle, you should be able to buy one if you want to.”

After securing Stanley into the van, he stands to full height, shutting the door. “I mean, I can of course. If I really wanted that, I could. We had a long money chat, and if I thought having money finally meant getting rid of money problems, well boy was I wrong. Things are complicated around that topic because we’re new and Merc still worries that it’s gonna look like he’s taking advantage of me if I’m buying us too many shared items. Like, neurotic-level worried. If I bought my own car, there would be no issue, but I think it’s silly to buy anything less than what could fit a few Meyer’s so I was going to get us a new van. He’s uncomfortable with that, so we’re at a bit of an impasse for now.”

“Sounds complicated. People complicate money.”

“Because most people don’t have it, Rhett. Merc’s used to living paycheck to paycheck, even though he hasn’t in a while.”

I’m not sure what to say to that. It’s true, I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. “Is he going to be upset you were out with me?”

“He knows. I told him before I left. He’ll get all riled up when he smells your cologne on me, but it’ll lead to some wicked sex.”

I did not need to know that, but I’m still using it to my advantage. I wrap my arms around him for a hug and he squeezes me back. I wait for the hit of incredible endorphins that usually comes when I hug Jack. Hell, they usually burst through me when I’m near him, come to think of it.

But they don’t come.

I lean back and stare at him. What’s … what’s going on? This is Jack, right?

“You okay, Rhett?”

“Yeah, fine.” I check in with myself to see, do I still love Jack? The answer is yes. Absolutely. Of course, I do. What I have with Jack transcends time and space. It’s natural to have ups and downs with emotions.

“Thanks for the chat, sunshine.”

Chapter12

Fucking Jack

Logan

Scott arrived on time, eager to skate.

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