Page 102 of Full Tilt
“I changed my name and owned who I was—a Schneider who loves to fight and is good at it too. If Alex didn’t want to acknowledge my existence, then he could watch as I buried his legacy underneath my own.” I puff out my chest. “I know I’m a better player than he ever was. And I know it hurts his massive ego each time I put a shift in on the ice.”
“But, Tommy,” she whispers, “you aren’t a Schneider. If you were, you wouldn’t have come back to me. I wouldn’t be here, in this bed, with you. I might not know your dad personally, but any man who rejects their own flesh and blood is no person I would ever allow into my life.”
The first tear runs a warm track down my cheek, and Jenna swipes it away.
“What about your mom? You once told me that you cared what she thought of you, but that’s all I got.”
A pain I only ever feel when I think about my mom curls inside my gut.
“My mom, Helen, wasn’t always the best parent. But she was never cruel. Alex had her over a barrel with money and the NDA. I don’t think he paid her a fortune, but it was enough to keep our heads above water and food on the table. When I found out the truth, I was so twisted with anger and betrayal. She lied to me for all those years,” I bite out. “Her own son.” Another tear emerges, and I swipe it away in frustration. “If it were me, I would’ve chosen the truth over his money. No matter how desperate things got financially, I’d have chosen integrity.”
My girl presses her lips together, a softness forming in her blue eyes. “Remember when we spoke about compassion? People make mistakes, Tommy. You, me, everyone. I’m guessing she was fairly young when she had you, judging by Alex’s age.”
I nod, falling a little harder each time Jenna speaks. “Why are you so infuriatingly wise?”
She shrugs nonchalantly. “It’s a gift I wear with pride and save to use exclusively on you. I’m not saying you should open the door back up to her fully, but I am suggesting that you think it over a little. Don’t burn every bridge in your life, even the ones that need a little maintenance and repair.”
I just look at her, taking her in carefully. Every feature on her face, especially the beauty spot beneath her left eye.
“Where did it all go wrong with your parents?”
Jenna’s previously soft expression hardens a fraction. It’s a defense mechanism I recognize all too well.
“The story there is very different from yours. But I do understand what it feels like to be rejected. I also know what it’s like to have an asshole father; mine wasn’t Alex, but he was a selfish prick who hurt my family. My mom and I …” She pauses and swallows hard. “We just don’t get along. We’re two different people who don’t align. Not in our interests or values. My family is my brother, and I’m good with that.”
Before I can think, I’m kissing the bridge of her nose.
“Your brother won’t always be your only family. A woman like you deserves a man who will give her the world. And I think the only reason it took you a little longer to find him was because all the other guys, including your ex, knew they couldn’t match up to you. Women like you intimidate some men.”
“You talk like my search for Mr. Right is over?” she asks.
I move my hips below her, and she moans a little.
“I mean, I know I have a big ego, but I’m starting to think I might fit the bill.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
JENNA
When I push through the door of Rise Up a week later, I’m immediately met with the familiar sound of the bells above the door—letting Ed, the owner, know he has a customer—along with three inquisitive faces in the form of Kendra, Darcy, and Collins. Emily is sitting at the head of the table in a high chair. A rattle in one hand and a chew ring in the other.
Since Tommy turned up at Jack and Kendra’s that night and then we went back to my place and I had the best sex of my life, I have been unusually quiet. Normally, they get a rundown of nights I spend with guys, but with Tommy, they’ve heard nothing.
As I take a seat opposite Collins—Kendra and Darcy flanking me on either side—Collins slides a cup of steaming coffee across to me, quickly followed by a still-warm brownie.
“I assume you’re hoping for information by inviting me to our favorite café and buying me my favorite baked goods?”
Darcy lifts a shoulder, pulling her adorable daughter into her lap. “We can neither confirm nor deny such behavior.” She leans forward, and Emily looks up at her mom with the most adorable eyes that remind me of her dad. “Give us the deets. We aren’t leaving until we get the complete story of what happened when you left with Mr. Schneider.”
Kendra empties a sachet of sweetener into her coffee, stirring it into her drink. “The soccer season is over, and we have all the time in the world.”
“I know what I want to know.” Collins rests her chin in her palm, pinning me in place with her brown-eyed stare. “Did you screw him hard?”
Darcy’s eyes flare wide before she drops them to her daughter.
Collins rolls her lips together, looking half regretful. “See it as extending her vocabulary early.”
We all briefly laugh before Collins refocuses her attention back on me. “So?”
