Page 58 of Second-Rate Superstar

Preston and Lucy lay on the ground, side by side, tickling their baby’s tummy and laughing at her squeals before sharing a look of pure, unfiltered love.

Liv was curled into Benji’s side as she held baby Max. Their tones were hushed as they stared adoringly down at the newborn, but I could have sworn I heard Benji muse, “I can’t believe how small they are.”

Quietly, I asked Braxton, “So, what are their stories?”

Grinning, he teased, “Is this your author brain working overtime?”

“Maybe. I don’t often see love so blatantly on display like this in real life. It makes me curious how they all came together.”

Chuckling softly, Braxton mused, “They are giving off strong couple goals, aren’t they?” Dipping his head beside my ear, his voice lowered to barely a whisper. “Best to start at the top. That would be Natalie and Jaxon. They are the keystone couple. Everyone else is tied to the pair of them in some way.”

Nodding, I prompted, “She was married before, right?”

“Yeah, that’s where this gets interesting. She married—no joke—a prince right out of high school.”

Stunned, I pulled back to meet his eye to make sure he wasn’t fucking with me, but he simply nodded his head in confirmation.

“Wow,” I breathed out. “Who would leave a prince to start slumming it with a hockey player?” I teased.

When I sat back, he explained, “It wasn’t the fairy tale most would imagine. I never met the guy myself, but from what I’ve heard? He was a real piece of work. Put her and those three kids through the wringer.”

I could relate to having a crappy high-profile dad.

“How long were they together?”

“Married ten years. Believe it or not, Jaxon was in love with her from the day they met as teenagers, but she was already married and had her first baby. Somehow, he managed to get his chance with her right after the divorce. And when I say chance, I mean they hooked up and she got pregnant. Jaxon spent the better part of a year convincing Natalie that he wasn’t going anywhere and would wait until she was ready, no matter how long it took. Without Charlie, who knows if they would even be together today. Which would be a real loss because he fucking worships her, and she believes he’s the white knight that he is.”

Huh. What if my mom hadn’t been so adamant that my dad was coming back all those years? Would she have found her Jaxon? Someone who could’ve loved me as their own child? My heart ached with the possibilities lost.

“That brings us to Amy and Liam,” Braxton continued, and I shifted my eyes to the beautiful redhead with her hulking husband, who had eyes only for her. “Liam was Natalie’s brother-in-law during her first marriage. If you wanna talk prince with a hero complex, that’s him. He needs to save everyone. That’s how he ended up married to Natalie’s best friend. She needed help—a husband—for a promotion at work, so he offered up his services. Didn’t take much time for that marriage to become very real. And it’s a good thing, too, because he used to be such a broody asshole, and she’s softened him. But don’t get me started on how fiercely protective he is of anyone he loves. It’s only gotten worse since Amy got pregnant and their son, Nate, was born.”

Braxton gestured to the couple on the floor with their baby. “After that came Lucy and Preston. Lucy is Liam’s little sister, and Preston was his best friend growing up. But from what I gather, Lucy and Preston never got along. And that didn’t change once their marriage was arranged by her grandfather, the King of Belleston—that’s the country in Europe where they’re from.”

I gawked at him. “Stop it.”

Holding two fingers up, he swore, “Scout’s honor.”

“People really still do that?”

He shrugged. “Apparently. I’ve heard some epic stories about how they tortured each other for months, trying to get the other to call off their arrangement. But both of them were too stubborn and neither budged. Somewhere along the way, hate turned into love, and Preston has been the biggest supporter of her fashion brand, Addy June.”

“Oh, I think I’ve heard of that.” Not that I could ever afford designer prices, but Bristol always had an eye out at consignment shops for rare finds, and I could have sworn she brought one home a few years back.

“The most epic of all would be Hannah and Cal.” Braxton chuckled under his breath. “Hannah has been Natalie’s best friend since high school, and until last year, Cal played for the Comets. And oh boy, are they fire and ice. She spent years pushing his buttons, and he would do the same right back. I’ve mentioned that Hannah is our coach’s daughter, but I didn’t explain that the unbreakable rule was that you didn’t touch his daughters. And no one was willing to test if he was serious.”

I had a feeling I knew exactly where this was headed. “Let me guess. Hannah wasn’t one to take no for an answer.”

“Bingo. Urban legend has it that Cal left a voicemail on her phone telling her just how crazy she drove him, and that was game over. Hannah made it no secret she was after a player, and when she realized she could breakone, he became her target. They kept their relationship secret for a long time, but the truth can never stay hidden for long. Coach was pissed, but Hannah got her way in the end.”

“That leaves one more couple.”

“Benji and Liv,” Braxton confirmed. “Now, they’re a fairly new couple and even newer to this group. Well, at least Liv is. Benji’s been on the Comets for years. We only met Liv in September.”

That didn’t make any sense. The night we met in the hospital, she acted as if she’d known everyone for years, including Braxton. She seemed excited that she had been able to assist in the births of two of her friends. How could that be if she was just as new to this group as I was?

“Wait. I thought you said they have a kid?”

“They do. Knox is eight, but Benji didn’t learn about him until this past summer. Went home to run a hockey clinic after they won the championship and ran across Knox. Liv never told him that she was pregnant when he left to play juniors, and last summer was the first time he came home since then. I guess she never moved on, and Benji was determined to win back his first love. So, here they are, a happy little family.”

---