Page 35 of Next Thing You Know
I smiled as I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep. Dreaming of things I had no business dreaming about. Like Beau’s warm arms and soft kisses.
Chapter Eighteen
Beau
My bruises healed. My nose started to look normal again, and Boston started a winning streak like never before. Jackson was unstoppable between the pipes. Blocking every puck, stopping them like they personally offended his mother, brother, and entire family. The rumor mill was wild. Whispers of us winning the Stanley Cup were heard near and far. It was something that we all wanted. Something that Boston hadn’t done since I had been on the team. And if we did it, I could retire a happy man. But we didn’t talk about it. Or mention it aloud. Because we didn’t want to curse ourselves.
After a grueling practice, one where I had worked myself harder than I needed to, I dragged myself home. I pushed open the front door of the apartment to find Cole sitting on the couch, his face in his phone. He wore a big smile and a blush on his cheeks. He had gotten over whatever was happening between Dean and me better than I had anticipated, but I was still curious if he had a crush on him.
“Who has you looking like that?” I teased. I dropped my bag on the floor and flopped onto the sofa next to him.
Cole’s cheeks burned even brighter. “No one.”
“Does this no one have a name?” I raised my brows.
During the past couple of weeks, Cole had probably texted Dean nearly as much as I had texted Dean. But I had also had hot, sexy phone sex with the guitar player. Phone calls that had left him a blubbering, whiny mess and covered in his own release as he begged me to let him come. Where I called him a good boy.I loved those little moments with him. They were something only I got to experience, and Dean had promised me, when he was ready, that he would let me fuck him. His tight little virgin hole belonged to me, and no one else.
Cole rolled his eyes. “I met someone,” he murmured. If his skin turned any pinker, he would resemble a strawberry. “Don’t make a big deal out if it.”
“Too late. I’m already hearing wedding bells.” I grinned as he dropped his head back onto the couch. “But now you have to tell me about them.”
Cole sighed and dragged a hand through his curls. “He’s not from around here. School is making us do this pen pal thing.” He chewed nervously on his bottom lip. “He’s cute.”
“Can I see?”
I was curious, yet excited for my son. I wanted him to meet someone, fall in love, and have all those experiences that came with first love. But I also knew that along with first love came heartbreak, tears, and sadness. Those were things I wasn’t ready for Cole to deal with yet. If I had it my way, my son would never have to deal with any of that.
Cole held out his phone. “His name is Reed Kelly.”
In the picture, the boy was dressed in some sort of ballet uniform. He was tall and flashed a smile at the camera as he held onto the barre against the next to him. He had blond hair and dark eyes as he balanced on his pointe shoes.
“And where does this Reed live?”
“North Carolina.” Cole tucked his phone back into his pocket. “Don’t look at me like that, Dad. It’s nothing serious. We’re just talking. I’ll probably never meet him in person, anyway, so I shouldn’t even have said anything.”
I raised my brows. “But it’s a pen pal thing for school?”
“Yeah, we’re writing actual letters, too. Sent through the mail. Like in the olden days. We didn’t exchange numbers, butour teacher said we could exchange social media accounts. Reed gave me his IG, and now we’re following one another. His dad is big in NASCAR or something.” Cole smiled. “Oh, and his dad knows Killian.”
Wait, what? “What are the odds?” I asked. “Who is his father?”
“Uh...” Cole unlocked his phone again. “Hutch Kelly.”
I quickly searched his name. Apparently, he was the crew chief for NASCAR driver Rand Shepard. “What are the odds?” I mumbled again. “So, when you say you met someone, what does that mean?”
“He’s gay. He knows I’m bi. I don’t know. We’re just talking. We’re friends.”
“Is there some reason you can’t meet someone around here?”
Cole groaned. “Dad, seriously. Everyone here sucks. I’ve known them since I was a kid, and I don’t want to date them. Reed seems cool, you know? Like, he doesn’t care that you’re this big hockey star because he’s used to famous people.”
“Ah, I see.” That made a lot of sense. “Just be careful.”
He rolled his eyes. “How’s Dean? You miss him?”
“Don’t think I don’t see you’re trying to change the subject.” I climbed to my feet. “And that is not a conversation I’m going to have with my sixteen-year-old right now.” Like I didn’t know he talked to Dean regularly. “I’m going to change. Then we’re going to Aunt Sam’s.” I was almost to my bedroom when he called after me.
“Dean misses you!” Cole called out to me.
