Forever Wild (Wildcat Hockey Book 5)

JACK

After we get back from the road trip, I go home and unpack, shower, and then call my dad to check in.

“That was a hell of an effort,” he says of last night’s game. “Thirty more points and you’ll have the most in franchise history.”

“It was a good night,” I say of the game and of the events that followed. “How are things there? Do you need anything?”

“I’m fine. Got everything I need.”

I consider asking him again about coming to a game, but I know the answer. And knowing my luck, if he managed to come, he’d get drunk and make a scene. That’d be hard to explain to the media and front office.

“All right, well, you know how to get ahold of me. And if you need something while I’m traveling, call James.”

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

I want to refute that, but keep my mouth shut.

“Thanks for calling, Jackson.”

“Bye, Dad.”

I hang up and then look around my quiet house. Everything is in order, unfortunately, so I guess there’s only one thing left to do.

“Hey.” Tyler answers the door with a smile, his brows pulled together in question. “What are you doing here?”

“Can we talk?”

“Yeah, of course.” He holds the door wide for me to come in, then walks in front of me to pick up the toys that block my path to the living room. “Sorry, we weren’t expecting anyone. Piper’s napping, and Charlotte and I are playing.”

His little girl is sitting on the floor in the middle of dozens of colorful blocks. She grins shyly at me as she continues to place them one on top of the other until they are ten or so high and then she takes the hockey stick I gave to her for her birthday and whacks it down.

I let out a surprised chuckle.

Ty laughs nervously and reaches for it. She cries a little, but he then hands her a block and she takes it, stick forgotten.

“We only play with that when Mommy isn’t around,” he says in a sweet croon.

“I can see why.” I grin back and mentally add that to the list for all my friends’ kids’ future birthday parties.

“So, uh, what’d you want to talk about?” Ty asks. He sets the stick on the coffee table and sits down, encouraging me to do the same. I’m hit with a sudden nervousness. Ty and I are friends, and I think he respects and likes me, but he’s protective of Everly.

“I think I should stand.”

His brows rise again, but he stays quiet.

“Over the summer,” I start, then think maybe less details would be better. “I’m seeing someone.”

“That’s great,” he says, then shakes his head slightly like “why did you come over to tell me this?”

Charlotte stands up and grabs the hockey stick. It’s kid-size but is still about twice as long as she is. Tyler doesn’t seem to notice that his daughter has reclaimed her toy.

“It is great,” I say, palms starting to sweat. “It came completely out of nowhere. I wasn’t looking and she wasn’t either and it just happened.” I worry that sounds like it was all an accident or happenstance, which somehow indicates I’m not taking it seriously, when that’s the furthest thing from the truth, so I add, “I really like her and it feels different than relationships I’ve had in the past.”

“I don’t know what to say.” He smiles at me with such genuine happiness that it makes me sweat harder. “I’m really happy for you. This was the girl you were talking to on the road?” He asks. “The one you said you weren’t seeing.”

He’s grinning, but my stomach drops.

“Yeah. We hadn’t defined things yet.”

“I knew it. I totally called this. When do I get to meet her?”

Fuck. I take a deep breath.

“You already have,” I say.

Charlotte is tapping the toe of the stick on the floor between us. Tyler stands to take it away from her, but she runs around behind me to keep him from getting her precious toy.

“I have?” Ty asks me then to Charlotte says, “Give it to Daddy, honey.”

“Yeah, it’s…” Fuck me. “It’s Everly.”

Tyler goes still, gaze sliding from his daughter to me as he stands tall in front of me.

“Everly? As in my sister?”

I consider going back into my spiel from earlier about it coming out of nowhere and how much I really like her, but instead I just nod.

“You and Everly,” he says like he’s trying to wrap his brain around this new information. “For how long?”

I open my mouth to answer, then realize how bad it sounds. My non-answer is almost worse though.

Tyler’s gaze narrows on me and he looks pissed.

“I didn’t want to tell you until I knew what it was.”

“So if you hadn’t decided you wanted to date her, you would have just fucked her and never told me?”

“No,” I say, then, “Maybe. I don’t know. The point is⁠—”

The rest of the sentence dies off as Charlotte pulls the hockey stick back and then hits me in the balls with it.

“Oh shit,” Ty says as I crumple forward and breathe through the pain. He takes the hockey stick in one hand and picks up Charlotte with the other.

I manage to stand, but the pain is still like a fire in my gut.

“Saves me having to do it, I guess,” Tyler says. The anger in his expression has morphed slightly. I wouldn’t say he looks happy but less like he’s going to let his daughter hit me again.

“Sit.”

I obey, though nervously.

Tyler takes a seat back on the couch, looking surprised and a little dazed. Charlotte comes over to me and hands me a block. She’s a cute kid. Big blue eyes and dark hair that is pulled into a small ponytail on top of her head. Cute so long as she’s not trying to maim me.

I smile at her tentatively and she grins back. Apparently, it wasn’t personal. Or she’s smiling because she knows she just got me good.

She takes the block back and puts it in her mouth. I have no idea if that’s okay. I look to Tyler for help, but he’s still got that stunned look on his face.

He runs a hand over his head.

“Well shit,” he says finally. “I’m not sure what to say.”

“I meant what I said. I really like her. I’ve never felt like this about anyone.”

“You were the guy she was seeing this summer.” He looks at me in an accusatory way.

I wince. “I didn’t plan for it, but it happened. I’m not sorry, but I don’t blame you if you’re pissed that I didn’t tell you sooner. I really like her,” I say again because it’s true and I’m hoping that means something to him.

“Yeah, you must.” He slouches back into the couch and studies me for a moment like he’s trying to read all my thoughts and feelings. I don’t know what he sees, but it must be good enough because eventually he nods. “All right. I appreciate you coming to me.”

I let out a slow breath and relax a fraction.

We stand and I start to smile at him, but then he whips the hockey stick toward me, pointing directly at my nuts. I cover them instinctively with both hands. “If you hurt her⁠—”

I don’t let him finish the threat. “I won’t.”