Page 71 of Play to Win

I huff out a laugh.“Yeah.”

“So you’re not getting back with Emma?”

“Fuck no.”

“I was going to leave today.Since I wasn’t needed anymore.”

I frown.“No.You don’t have to leave.I ...I do need you.”

She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip and holds my gaze.I can only be honest.I was stupid to think I need a hot wife to feel better about myself with my family, but the truth is, Lacey makes me feel better about myself just by being here and it has nothing to do with my family or Emma and JP.It’s just ...her.

“Okay,” she says.“I won’t go.Yet.”

Relief flows through me, but still I frown.“Yet?”

“Well, we both know I have to leave at some point.”

I nod slowly.“Yeah.”That is true.

She sits up straighter and shifts in the chair so she’s turned toward me and not facing the ocean.“I have questions.”

“About?”

“Your family.Oh my God!They’re crazy!”

I laugh.“I think I told you that.”

“What are you going to do about Emma?Are you going to tell JP?”

“I don’t know.”I rub my jaw.“Still thinking about that.Don’t really want to get involved.”

“I understand that.But maybe he should know he’s dating a ...a ...”She flounders.

“Yeah, I thought of that too.But ...I expect he’ll find out himself.”

She purses her lips.“True.Okay, do you really think Chelsea only married your grandfather for his money?That’s nuts.”

“That’s what my parents always said.My grandma came from a really wealthy family.When she died, she left a shit ton of money to Grandpa and to my dad and my uncle.Not to mention, he did pretty well with his hockey career, although back then players didn’t make the kind of money they do now.But he owned a hockey team and had lots of money, and then he married this hot woman who was twenty years younger than him, and it wasn’t long after Grandma died, which is why Mark was insinuating that Grandpa was having an affair with Chelsea before Grandma died.”

“Holy shit.”She sips her coffee.“But they have four kids together.I don’t think a gold digger would have four kids.”

“Fair point, I guess.”

“Are your dad and uncle really suing your grandpa?”

“Yeah.They can’t talk about it though, because the lawyers told them not to.”

“Because he stole money from them?That’s messed up.”

“He says he didn’t.They suspect it was actually Chelsea, because they think she married Dad for his money.So yeah, there are some bad feelings there.”

“No shit.”She shakes her head.“And what’s with Riley and Everly?”

“I don’t know.But Uncle Mark and his kids have never liked Chelsea or her kids.”

“That’s sad.”

“I like all of them, but when we were growing up, we—Riley, Jackson, JP, and me—knew our parents didn’t like or trust Chelsea.”

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