Three Pucking Wedding Dates (Hockey Harems #1)

21. Gray

21

GRAY

A s I glide toward the edge, I spot Iris perched in the seats, her curly red hair impossible to miss. A grin tugs at my lips; it’s been too long since she’s come to one of our practices.

“Hey, stranger!” I call out, skating over to where she sits. “I haven’t seen enough of you since you got back from Paris.”

Iris beams, her hazel eyes sparkling. “Too busy being a hockey superstar. You guys look amazing out there!”

“Well, I try,” I laugh, hopping over the barrier to join her. “You three look like you’ve been deep in conversation over here. Any hot gossip I should know about?”

There’s an awkward silence, and Oakley shifts uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze. “Uh, just…girl stuff, you know?”

“Girl stuff, huh?” I raise an eyebrow, trying to gauge whether there’s something more going on that I don’t know about. With my sister, it’s always hard to tell.

Iris leans in, her curly red hair brushing against my cheek as she whispers conspiratorially, “You know, Gray, you should really wake up earlier if you want to be in the loop.”

“Wake up earlier?” I furrow my brow, puzzled by her comment. “What does that have to do with anything?”

She just grins impishly, her hazel eyes dancing with delight at my confusion. Before I can press her for more information, Oakley steps closer.

“Gray,” she says softly, getting on her tiptoes and leaning in so her mouth is right next to my ear. Her warm breath sends a shiver down my spine. “Iris knows about…you know, you and me , well…sleeping together the other night .”

I feel my face flush, embarrassment and surprise warring within me. How could Iris possibly know about that? From Oakley’s words, I can tell she means that Iris somehow only knows about Oakley and me, but not about Reid. And she also doesn’t seem to know about the nights the three of us have spent together since then. A million questions race through my mind, but the most pressing one escapes my lips.

“Wait, how did she find out?” I whisper.

“Let’s just say, she’s got her ways,” Oakley replies cryptically, stepping back and offering me a small, knowing smile. “But don’t worry, she’s cool with it.”

“Really?” I can’t help but feel relieved, though I’m still reeling from the revelation.

“Gray, it’s really not a big deal,” Iris says with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Stuff like that happens sometimes. It was just a one-time thing, right?”

Her carefree tone does little to ease my nerves. I can’t help but glance over at Oakley. Her green eyes meet mine, and although her expression remains neutral, a subtle furrowing of her brow tells me she understands my unease. We both know that night was more than just a fleeting moment of passion, and has already been more than just a one-time thing. The connection between us—Reid included—feels too significant to be forgotten or ignored.

But her gaze also says that we’ll talk about it later.

“Right,” I murmur half-heartedly in response to Iris, hoping my voice doesn’t betray the whirlwind of emotions churning inside me.

As we stand there, my thoughts race back to the heat and intensity of having sex with Oakley. The way Oakley’s lips taste, how my hands feel on her body…

A sudden burst of energy enters our circle, and I look over to see Reid sauntering toward us with his trademark grin, Theo following after him.

“Hey, guys, I’ve got a great idea,” Reid announces, clapping his hands together in excitement. “What do you say we all head out for some bowling? It’s been ages since we last did it.”

His suggestion catches me off guard, but I can’t deny that spending an evening with Oakley sounds appealing. Before I can respond, though, my thoughts drift back to our last bowling outing, where Reid’s skills were anything but impressive.

“Are you sure about that?” I ask, raising an eyebrow in playful skepticism. “I seem to recall you being quite the gutter ball king last time.”

Reid scoffs at my teasing, his green eyes sparkling with challenge. “Please, that was just a fluke. You know I’m good at everything—especially making comebacks.”

“Is that so?” I chuckle, feeling the familiar warmth of brotherly banter wash over me.

“Absolutely,” Reid retorts, crossing his arms and pretending to be offended by my doubt. “But if you want to see for yourself, you’re more than welcome to join us. In fact, I insist on it.”

I can’t help but smile. “Alright, alright,” I concede, holding up my hands in mock surrender. “Bowling it is. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’re begging for mercy on the lanes.”

A flicker of excitement lights up Avery’s eyes at the mention of bowling. “That sounds like so much fun!” she exclaims, her gaze drifting to Theo. It doesn’t take a genius to see the crush she has on him; her body language speaks volumes as she leans in closer and bats her lashes. I bite my lip to keep from chuckling. Poor girl doesn’t stand a chance.

“Count me in,” she says, her smile bright and hopeful as she looks at Theo expectantly.

Theo, however, doesn’t seem thrilled by the idea. He crosses his arms over his chest and shakes his head. “I think I’ll pass.”

“Come on, Theo,” Reid chimes in, slinging an arm around our brooding brother’s shoulders. “You’ve been playing loner for the last few weeks. It’s time to get out and have some fun with the rest of us.”

Theo’s piercing blue eyes narrow dangerously as he shrugs off Reid’s arm. “I don’t need babysitting, Reid.”

“Who said anything about babysitting?” Reid teases, undeterred by Theo’s cold demeanor. “We just miss your charming presence, that’s all.”

I can tell Reid is pushing Theo’s buttons, but it’s all in good fun. At least, I hope so. I don’t feel like breaking up that fight.

Reid and Theo continue their back-and-forth banter. I can’t help but feel a twinge of concern for my brooding brother, wondering if this outing will do more harm than good.

“Alright, alright,” Theo finally concedes, his deep voice strained with frustration. “I’ll go if it’ll shut you up, Reid.”

Reid grins triumphantly, clapping Theo on the back. “That’s the spirit!”

“Can we get going then?” Oakley chimes in, her green eyes sparkling with impatience.

“Of course.” Reid raises his hands in mock surrender. “Theo, Iris, and Avery, you’ll fit in the back seat for Charlie to drive. Gray, Oakley, and myself will take my car.”

Theo shoots a dark look at Reid before heading toward Charlie’s car. I see Avery wasting no time in latching onto his arm, her infatuation with him painfully obvious. Poor girl—she has no idea what she’s getting herself into.

“Think that’s going to be a disaster?” Oakley asks, her gaze following Theo and the girls as they make their way toward the sleek black sedan waiting for them.

“Disaster? Hmm,” Reid muses, placing a hand on the small of Oakley’s back. “I think you should be more worried about what Gray and I are about to do to you.”

I like the sound of doing things to her.