Page 39 of A Little Puck Luck

I didn’t want to get drunk around Eric, and I still regretted the last time I let Natalie ply me with alcohol, even if it did break down some of the walls with Terry.

Natalie’s eyes were fixated on her boyfriend, but she still asked me, “How was the afternoon with Terry’s friends?”

“Loud,” I answered.

I thought Terry could get loud when he hung out with the two Spencers and Cartsy, but I realized that was nothing. I didn’t know if it was because there were four guys at the house today or if Cartsy was just a calming force in the group.

Natalie laughed. “What is it about hockey players and their inability to be quiet?”

Eric turned his head away from the game and chimed in, “It’s because we’re awesome.”

I bit my tongue to keep a giggle from coming out.

Natalie didn’t even attempt to contain herself. But she lowered her voice so little ears couldn’t hear our conversation. “He’s really like your man.”

I sighed.

My emotions were all over the place with Terry. I loved him, but I wasn’t fully over everything I’d been through. Terry and I were getting so much closer, but he was not mine yet.

“Terry and I aren’t together,” I reminded her.

“Says who? You’re calling him Terry, and he’s always calling you Annie or my love. Pet names like that are only used for lovers or your kid. Besides, you kept at least one eye on him all night long.”

The last thing I wanted to explain was that we were still just dancing around our emotions thus far. I was grateful that Terry had really been one to keep everything on my level. Other than when he was drunk, he hadn’t even tried to kiss me. Sure, he had been wooing me, and I was falling for him all over again. However, it had been absolutely platonic thus far.

“But we’re not actually anything,” I insisted.

Natalie gave me that look that said I was so freaking naive. But I wasn’t naive.

“It’s only a matter of time,” she said.

Did she hear herself? Like, for real?

“Weren’t you fully against Terry going through partners? Why are you suddenly rooting for the two of us?”

“It’s because it’s different with you. I wouldn’t have believed he could settle down or be a dad, yet he’s amazing. He’s not a crazy horndog anymore, and it’s because of you.”

Chapter 31

Scuba

Enteringthefamilylounge,I only had one thing on my mind. I wanted to convince Annie to come out with me and the fellas.

For as much teasing as the guys were giving me about being a dad, they were right. I jumped head first into the role and thought about my kid’s needs first above all else, which meant saying no to the guys coming over since my little dude needed to sleep.

I looked over at Carter. “You’re really good to watch over Eric tonight?”

He offered to watch Eric when he heard how much I felt like I botched things with Annie earlier tonight. I introduced her to the Sound guys as my friend. Not my girlfriend.

If I took her out tonight, it would prove to them that we weren’t just roommates co-parenting. She was the love of my life, and we were so close to making it a real thing.

“Of course. Besides, how hard can it be to watch over him? Even if he wakes up, I can distract him with mini sticks. Easy peasy. Besides, Shiv would love to have some company tonight.”

I still couldn’t believe their situation. I would die not being able to leave the house. At least Siobhan had Carter to keep her sexually content.

Granted, I still couldn’t believe there hadn’t been any press about the fact that I had a secret kid and/or that I might be settling down. Sure, the puck bunnies all knew I had been taken off the market, but that was pretty much the only thing to hit the blogs. My favorite theory was that I was in a sex addiction program, and the Legacy was threatening me with something to keep me on the straight or narrow.

But I was ready to go out with my woman and friends tonight. “I still owe you,” I said to him.

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