Page 96 of Hooked On Them

We stood shoulder to shoulder at the railing. The silence stretched, not exactly comfortable but not hostile either. Just two men carefully navigating unknown terrain.

“Nice night,” Brett finally said, his voice low.

“Yeah.” I took a pull from the beer. “Clear.”

Another stretch of silence.

“Hockey season is going well,” he tried again.

“Yeah, we’ve turned things around.”

Brett nodded. “Nora mentioned you’re on pace to have your season.”

The mention of Nora released some of the tension in my shoulders. “Might even make it to the playoffs.” I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “Nora’s been helping me with some technical adjustments. It’s making a difference.”

The corner of Brett’s mouth twitched upward. “She always was stubborn about technique. Used to drive me up a wall when she’d correct my lateral movements and balance. Even when she was twelve.”

The image of a miniature Nora bossing around a professional goalie made me chuckle. “She hasn’t changed.”

Brett’s smile faded as he looked out at the water, his eyes turning wistful before he spoke again. “Christmas is hard when you lose someone. Sophie, Nora’s mom, loved this time of year. Went all out with the decorations, baking, the works.” He took a long pull from his beer. “The first few years after she died, I could barely stand to look at a Christmas tree.”

I swallowed hard, unsure how to respond to his unexpected openness.

“But kids...” Brett cleared his throat. “They force you to keep going. To create normalcy even when nothing feels normal.” He glanced at me. “Nora says you’re worried. About being a father.”

The direct approach caught me off guard. “I—” I started, then stopped, recalibrating. “My dad was...” The words stuck in my throat.

“A piece of work?” Brett supplied.

A surprised laugh escaped me. “That’s the polite version.”

“I’ve met Garrett Wilson on several occasions.” Brett’s tone was carefully neutral.

“Yeah, well.” I gripped my beer bottle tighter. “I don’t exactly have the best role model for what a good dad looks like.”

Brett was quiet for a moment. “The first time they handed Nora to me in the hospital, I thought I was going to pass out. She was so small. So breakable. I was terrified I’d drop her or squeeze too hard or, hell, I don’t know, breathe on her wrong somehow.”

The image was so at odds with the composed man beside me that I couldn’t help but stare at him in surprise.

“Point is, none of us know what we’re doing. Not at first. You figure it out as you go because you have to.” He turned to face me fully and put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. “And from what Nora’s told me, you’re nothing like your father.”

A complicated knot of emotion tightened in my chest. “I’m scared of screwing this up.”

He finished his beer. “The ones who don’t worry are the ones who screw it up. For what it’s worth, Wilson, I think you’ll do all right. And if not, then I’m sure Miles and Carter will kick your ass for me since I’m on the other side of the country.”

With that, he headed back toward the door, leaving me with an empty beer bottle and a head full of chaotic thoughts.

When I finally stepped back inside, my eyes found Nora immediately. She was laughing at something Carter said, her hand resting unconsciously on her stomach. Miles stood nearby, watching her with that mix of adoration and resignation that seemed to be his default expression lately.

This was nothing like I’d ever pictured my life would be. Hell, I’d never even given much thought to having my own family before now. But looking at Nora—and as much as I hated to admit it, Miles and Carter—I knew exactly where I belonged.

I didn’t feel like an outsider anymore. I felt like someone who had everything to lose.

Chapter31

Jump Their Bones

Nora

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