Finding the Forward, Part One (HockeyVerse)

Chapter Fifty-Four

Grif

“ W e’re going to Tito’s, right? I need a fucking drink after tonight.” Dean leaned on the SUV down in the parking garage.

“Sounds good to me. We’ll ask them.” Jonas’ gaze shifted to us as AJ, Verity, and I joined them.

“At least we won. Boner! Great job, Gumdrop.” Dean tugged me to him, rewarding me with a greedy kiss.

“I wasn’t about to let them win,” I kissed him back, wondering if he smelled her on me.

“AJ.” Dean gave AJ a big hug.

AJ held him close. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“I’m fine. I could’ve gone back out there. Dr. Moser was being annoying.” Dean rolled his eyes. “Little alpha.” He launched himself at Verity, pulling her up off the ground. “You smell so good. Mmmm, sweaty Grif and…”

His face buried in her neck as he whispered to her. She ducked her head and giggled.

Yep, he smelled us on her.

“Verity, are you coming to Tito’s with us?” Jonas asked, pulling her to him.

“Sure. I’ve got time before Mercy is done,” she told us as he ran his fingers through her hair and gave her a kiss.

Yes, she belonged with all of us.

We all got into the car. Verity sat in the back with AJ and me. I was in the middle. AJ had his arm around me, his fingers brushing the back of her neck.

I’d never get the image of her sucking his cock out of my head.

“You did so good tonight,” Verity told us, playing with my hair.

We got to Tito’s and grabbed a table. The servers were busy, so AJ went to grab us drinks at the bar.

She leaned her head on Dean’s shoulder. I checked my phone, which buzzed with congratulatory texts.

“Here. You earned it.” AJ handed Verity her usual fruity little drink.

She took a sip. “Thanks, Cow Boy.”

AJ handed me a beer. Jonas brought a beer for Dean.

My phone buzzed with congratulatory texts. Lots of people came over to talk to us.

Chet

That stunt on the ice was uncalled for. Dump the girl before she fucking ruins your career.

“What’s wrong?” AJ demanded.

Dean and Verity had their heads together as they were chatting animatedly. Jonas was drinking a beer and talking to a bunch of defenders.

I showed AJ my phone. While Jonas would tell me to dump my agent, AJ might have actual advice. I wasn’t breaking up with her, but I didn’t know how to handle this.

“He’s delusional. Plenty of hockey players take off their jerseys mid-game and make their partners wear them,” AJ replied, putting me at ease as he rubbed his hand up and down my back. It was tied to that whole wanting your partner to wear your clothes instinct.

He took my phone and sent Chet a text.

Me

Not dumping the girl. How’s that pack contract going?

“That’s going to make him mad,” I frowned. Though, I’d wondered about the team contract. He didn’t like me bugging him for updates.

“You love her. Why is it even a question?” AJ asked as he returned my phone to me.

“It’s not. I just don’t like that he keeps asking me to.” I needed this pack contract, and I didn’t want Chet to be angry with me.

“He works for you, ” AJ reminded me. “Not hard enough, either, considering the pack contract isn’t negotiated yet. If he’s getting weird over shit like this, it might be time to fire him. Your ray of sunshine over there isn’t a scandal waiting to happen.”

“Dean,” Verity giggled as Dean tried to tie a cherry stem into a knot with his tongue.

No, she wasn’t. What was Chet’s problem?

“I’m going to use the restroom.” She got her crutch and made her way towards the back of the bar.

Still, I wasn’t sure I’d drop Chet mid-negotiation. Or even at all. But that text made me uncomfortable.

Dean went over to Jonas, putting his arm around him.

“You’re not jealous, are you? Of me giving her my jersey like that.” I took a long pull from my beer.

“Please never do that to me.” He gave a little shudder. AJ finished his drink then turned to me, his look pensive. “Is what happened back in the storeroom all right? When I came in, it was more to avoid Dean than to watch. Certainly, I didn’t expect her to offer like that.”

“It’s fine. She finds you attractive. I told her that no one in the pack had a problem with her being with anyone else in the pack–you included,” I admitted.

His brow furrowed. “She finds me attractive?”

“I mean, you are.” I reached behind him and squeezed his ass.

He frowned. “Huh.”

“What are you thinking about, Pepperjack?” I smoothed his furrowed brow with my fingers. “It doesn’t have to happen again. Or it can happen again. Whatever everyone wants.”

“Sometime will you let me be in charge with her?” His voice was a low rumble.

“If she’s willing, absolutely.” I liked that idea quite a bit.

Kylee, our PR person, bounded over to our table.

“Grif, dearest. Where’s your little honey?” She looked around.

“This is AJ, my alpha, and one of the loves of my life.” I kissed him on the cheek.

“I know who AJ is.” She shook her head, smiling. “I’m looking for Verity.”

“Right here.” Verity slid back into her seat. “Hi, Kylee.”

“The video of Grif giving you his jersey is popular.” Her eyes twinkled. “Grif, you should bring her to the Squire Foundation Gala.”

“Oh?” Verity’s look grew curious.

“In a couple of weeks, the team is having a party to raise money for The Squire Foundation, our charity that has hockey programs for underprivileged kids. It’s a good cause,” I told her. One I was partial to. We should bring her. She’d probably enjoy it.

Most teams had charities like this. I supported the shit out of the one the Hurricanes had and volunteered a lot with them. Partially because I had a lot of free time, being away from my pack. Partially because my involvement with the Boston Royals youth program made a difference to me when I was a kid.

While I hadn’t done much with this one yet, I was looking forward to helping with more of the clinics–and the camp they had in the summer where the players got to be the counselors.

“Perfect.” Kylee waved and left.

“You’ll need a fancy dress. I’ll get you one. AJ would be the best one to go shopping with,” I added, not wanting to add extra stress of needing special clothes.

“If the Vecci from today is salvageable, you should wear that,” AJ told her, eyes lighting up. “The dry cleaner seemed optimistic.”

“True. If not, I have a couple of dresses that could work.” She pulled up some photos.

“They’re beautiful and would be perfect. But I can get you a dress if you want a new one,” I offered. While there was nothing wrong with wearing a dress you had, sometimes it was nice to have something new.

AJ shook his head. “You’ll be the talk of the party in that Vecci. Grif can get you a necklace to go with it.”

Well then. None of this meant anything to me, but I was glad they could talk fashion with each other. “Sounds like a plan.”

AJ toyed with her hair. I was so curious now.

Her phone buzzed, and she checked it and grimaced. “The video of us hit my sibling group chat.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Also, my mama is up in my business. Again.”

“I might have gotten a text from one of my moms asking about you, too,” I confessed. Sissy’s text said so let her bite you already.

Oh, I would. In time.

“This is what Sonny posted on the Maimers’ social media, in their ongoing saga of Team Mom finds love on the ice .” Verity showed me a video of me giving her my shirt.

The caption said Whoops, guess Have No Mercy forgot to give Team Mom back her sweatshirt after our last prank. Hope Grif Graf understands.

“That’s funny.” Dean leaned over me to see it.

Oh, right, the Maimers’ had crashed one of our practices dressed like us. Which would explain why she wore the Hurricane shirt. Mercy still had her Knights one. Also, I had nine sisters. I knew they took each other’s shit.

“What are we looking at?” Jonas joined us and peered at her phone.

“Grif being a possessive dickhead during the game,” Dean replied. “I think I’ll do that next game. Storm over, give you my jersey, and play the rest of the game shirtless. It was so fucking hot.” He fanned himself and shot me a wink. “But I want to see you in my number.”

“Only on your birthday,” I told him. While I wanted my number on her, I might agree once in a while.

“My modeling agent wants to repost it, too. Along with the pictures Mercy posted of me,” Verity sighed. “I didn’t know she put them up.”

She showed me the version of her in the black dress on the motorcycle that she’d sent to Jonas. But this one had been edited so it looked like a print ad. Mercy had a good eye.

“Who cut up a Ferrell? That was a Ferrell, right?” AJ made a face. Oh, he hadn’t seen that photo before.

That was some other fancy dress company? Right?

“My big sister. It was a naughty dress. Very itchy, totally deserve it to be made into a cocktail dress for me,” she laughed.

He gave her a smoldering look. “While I feel bad for the dress, it’s a very nice picture.”

Not as nice as mine. But I wasn’t going to share.

Despite the fact that Beau had tried to injure my husband, this was everything right here. A win. A quick fuck with my favorite girl. A nice evening at Tito's. When I got home, I’d comfort Dean, and then when he crawled into Jonas’ bed in the middle of the night, I’d join AJ. Yes. This was perfect.