Page 30 of Puck Princess

I hustle into the bathroom to at least check my hair before the mirror fogs up. “Here we are just having casual sex and there’s a whole hockey team of people coming over.”

Owen’s head pops out of the shower. “Is that how you think I fuck you? Casually?”

“You know what I mean.” I roll my eyes, running my fingers through my hair.

“I don’t know if I do. I might have to pull you in here with me and offer some clarity. Because I am anything but casual in the sack.”

He reaches for me, but I dodge and dart back into the bedroom with a smile on my face.

Good thing, too. Not five minutes later, there’s a knock at the door.

Owen is behind me, dressed in jeans and a jersey, his hair still damp and a smirk on his face. How men can put themselves together like that in under ten minutes is infuriating.

I hear the calamity in the hallway before I even open it. “Not a handful,” I mutter to him under my breath before I pull the door open.

My hostess smile waves when I see the crowd standing outside the door.

Kennedy bursts in uninvited, followed by Summer, Dax, Heath, Lachlan, Kason, and the retinue of women they’re dating. Lance brings up the rear, hugging me as he walks in. They’re all carrying food.

“Your face tells me you weren’t expecting any of us,” Kennedy says, setting a tray of obviously store bought treats on the table. I’m sure there’s a Little Debbie’s box in her recycling bin right now.

“What she means is, you look lovely, Callie. It’s great to see you,” Lance offers.

“Did I ask for interpretation, Craven? No. Then kindly zip it.”

“Owen,” I look over at him with wide eyes and a smile. “What is all this?”

“Don’t kill my brother,” Summer cuts in. “This was actually our idea.”

“We all felt kind of shitty for not checking in on you,” Dax says, snagging a wing off one of the plates. Owen’s table has literally turned into a buffet, and I can’t say I’m upset about it.

“We also miss you. A lot.” Heath claps his hands together in prayer. “Please come back.”

Tears prick my eyes. “This is… You guys, this is… You’re amazing.”

“Uh oh. Flood gate alert. We’re making the pregnant lady cry,” Kennedy jokes, but I just hug her.

“I’m not going to cry. Much,” I clarify, swiping at my eyes. “But I feel likeIshould apologize to all ofyou. I know losing Miles really messed up your season.”

Dax shakes his head. “Don’t apologize for that.”

“He got what was coming to him,” Lance agrees. “A lot of us have known for a while that he wasn’t the kind of guy he pretended to be. We just didn’t realize he wasthisbad. We should’ve seen the signs and protected you girls before anyone got hurt.”

Summer hugs Lance, thanking him quietly. I look at Kennedy, and her face is softer than usual. Her usual spiky guard is lowered for a few seconds before she snaps it back into place.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Dax goes on. “What matters is Solomon got canned from the team and the new draft pick isn’t like any rookie I’ve ever seen.”

“I could’ve told you that the first time he laced up.” Lachlan shakes his head, taking a swig of beer. “He’s good.”

Heath Jabs Owen in the elbow. “Better watch out, O. He might be good enough to replace you.”

I look up at Owen. Before I can ask who they’re talking about, Owen drapes his arm over my shoulders. “Like you said, he’s The New Kid. He’ll learn his place on the team—far,farbeneath me—just like all of you have.”

“And just like that, he’s back to his cocky self,” Summer snorts, bouncing Nicky on her hip.

As the night carries on—everyone hanging out, laughing and enjoying themselves—I keep my gaze on Owen as he works the room. He may be a little cocky, but he deserves to be. He’s an amazing leader. And it’s obvious how much everyone looks up to him.

All the traits that make him an incredible teammate and boyfriend will make him the world’s best father. This whole thing might have been one unplanned, poorly thought out accident, but I don’t have any regrets. Not as far as Owen is concerned.

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