Page 4 of Forever Player

Brett and I threw back the shots one after another.

“Whoa,” I said after shot number three, grabbing the bar. “I need to dance. I have to burn this feeling off.”

“Ah, she finally agrees to dance with me,” Brett said triumphantly, and I wanted to correct him. I just needed to dance, not with him, but he seems so pleased I figured no harm no foul. He wasn’t a stranger. Our friends were connected so he was safe.

Brett led me on to the dance floor and we danced. I spotted Patty and Evan doing some intense dirty dancing and Brett waggled his brows and made me laugh, although it might not be him that made me laugh. It was probably the tequila.

Jacob groans beside me, pulling me from the past. At the start of the first period, Evan scores a goal. I stay seated in my chair, despite wanting to cheer the Rangers on. I don’t think my brother would take too kindly to that. Brett was a sweet talker. I just hadn’t pegged him for being a royal asshole. The way he didn’t answer my calls and finally replied to my text message was so cruel. The only thing keeping me calm now is the fact that things don’t add up. I’m a logical thinker. I’m the one who fixes problems and gets to the bottom of complicated scenarios. Besides, I’m here for my baby girl.

“Get into the game, Willow,” Jacob urges. I come from a home that watched a lot of hockey. Jacob grew up playing hockey and so did my youngest brother, Finn. My dad was a coach at one point for a NCAA team.

“I’m trying,” I reply. I keep my focus on the game. The Rangers are a strong team so there is a lot of back-and-forth going on. Kaleb steals the puck from one of the guys on Nashville’s team and passes to Brett, who takes it across the ice back to Nashville’s net, where Evan is ready and open to take the shot. Brett passes the puck and Evan shoots and scores.

There are fans of the Rangers here tonight and they stand and cheer, but most of the arena is filled with Tigers fans. Jacob hisses beside me. A part of me wants to stand and cheer because that was a sweet assist Brett just pulled off, but I’m angry with him for abandoning me, for abandoning Maylee. The buzzer goes and the teams break for intermission. All the players skate off the ice. I stay seated in my seat and Jacob begins to scroll through his phone. My eyes are glued on Brett. To how handsome he looks in his gear. My mind remembers the night we were together, but my body also remembers and a familiar heat consumes me. I’ve never had such hot sex before. It was. . . I swallow hard when I notice Brett’s eyes lock with mine. He’s taken his helmet off so there is no mistaking he is looking straight at me.

“Jacob, I’ve been spotted,” I say, shifting in my seat.

“Huh?” Jacob asks. I lose my words as Brett skates back onto the ice sans helmet. He crosses the ice and opens one of the rink doors. With his skates on he walks right up to where Jacob and I are seated.

“You have a real nerve,” he begins, and I feel like I’ve been slapped.

Jacob stands to his full height beside me, ready to defend me. These two men are huge and strong. I would not want to see them fight because they both have the capacity to cause each other a lot of damage.

I move between Jacob and Brett.

“What do you mean I have a nerve?” I ask Brett, feeling very confused.

“I thought after the night we shared you would at least answer my calls,” he says, flooring me.

“You never called,” I snap back, thinking he’s lost his mind.

“Like hell I didn’t,” he retorts, his body vibrating and angry. “I left you a message. I wanted to make sure we were good.”

“Are you crazy? You never called me. Maybe you accidentally called one of your puck bunnies.”

“Don’t mess with me, Willow. We said we were going to keep things cordial,” he says, and I don’t know what is happening right now.

Jacob hisses beside me.

“And you showing up to my game with another man after all this time is super low,” Brett continues. My head is spinning as his words process but before I realize that he’s somehow jealous of Jacob, he’s pulling on my brother’s collar. “You should leave, buddy,” he insists, his features are rigid and taut, nothing like the man I remember hooking up with. That Brett was easygoing, charming. . .

“Do you know who I am?” Jacob retorts, watching Brett like he’s a wild card.

“Jacob Heaton, I’m no airhead. I know you played on this team, and I know you got hurt but you have no right showing up to this game with this woman,” Brett tells him. I am so confused and thrown off, my tongue is tied. Jacob is not fazed though, and he throws Brett’s hands off him.

“You fucking idiot. She’s my sister,” Jacob spits. “Put hands on me again. I will end you.”

“Jacob,” I chide. His cocky demeanor isn’t helping.

“Fuck that, Willow. This guy is a dumb hothead,” Jacob says like he wants me to walk away now, but I can’t walk away. Why is Brett so worked up? A part of me is trembling that he knows about Maylee and he’s angry I’ve withheld her from him. Another part of me remembers that he told me togo bark up someone else’s tree, and maybe he’s angry I’ve come to look for him anyway because he wants nothing to do with our daughter. My stomach churns at the last thought.

“Who are you calling a hothead, asshole?” Brett retorts, his gaze burning into Jacob.

The last thing I need is these two fighting.

“Guys, please. Would both of you just relax?” I say, standing between these two hulky men. Next to them I actually feel short, and I am not short.

“Get to the point, Willow,” Jacob urges. I shoot daggers at my brother with my gaze.

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