War (Boston Bolts Hockey #3)

29. Tyler

TWENTY-NINE

TYLER

“So, uh, you want to play cards?” I sit next to Hall, wishing I was in Boston rather than Philly right about now. Leaving yesterday morning, after everything that has happened, was less than ideal.

Gavin lectured me first thing. Not only is Hall my teammate, he’s also Gavin’s brother-in-law. He barely mentioned him in our conversation, though. Our coach is too smart for that. No, he focused on the adoption. He knows where my priorities lie. He also knows what it takes to keep a kid with no blood relation. How each step has to be followed in just the right way, and how even then, nothing is guaranteed. And at our last game, I did everything wrong.

Madi was equally pissed. We were lucky that the fight occurred during the pregame, which wasn’t being televised. And that it happened so quickly that fans didn’t have time to start recording on their phones before it was over. The Langfields destroyed all footage from the arena, and Sara has spent the last twenty-four hours spinning it as nothing more than a slight disagreement between teammates rather than an unhinged captain sucker punching his friend.

To say this team is a family is an understatement. It’s the family I haven’t had since I lost my mother. The family I’m not quite sure I deserve.

Hall eyes me but doesn’t even turn his head .

I sigh, ready to grovel—I’ve been informed by Lennox and Sara that it includes wooing and flowers and oral; I told them I’d handle groveling when it came to my teammates, thank you very much—when my phone lights up with a FaceTime request from Brayden. I hold out a finger to Hall and swipe the screen to answer.

Rather than Brayden, I’m met with Josie’s bright smile. “Hey, Tyler.”

At the sound of her voice, all my teammates perk up. Everyone in the Bolts universe loves Josie.

I lean back on the couch in the open area of the locker room and focus on my girl. “Hey, fighter. You steal Bray’s phone?”

She looks adorable with her hair in a bun on top of her head. “Yeah,” she chirps. “After I told him my story about dance, he said I could call you.”

Bray is hovering behind her now, wearing a shit-eating grin, his eyes practically glowing with delight.

My stomach knots. What the hell happened at dance?

Hall leans closer, and his face appears in the little box in the corner of my screen. “What happened at dance, Jos?”

“My instructor invited Ava to class, and she danced with me.”

At the sound of her name, my heart thumps a little wildly. She was fast asleep when I finally got Scarlett down the other night, and she was already gone when I woke up. She’s avoiding me after what happened, I know that, but she can’t do it forever. Not that I have a clue what I’ll say when we see each other again.

“That’s fun?—”

“Yup, Monsieur Benoir even asked her to dance with him after class.”

“Wait.” Hall reels back, then tilts the phone in his direction. “Your dance instructor is a man?”

I grip the phone harder and pull it back toward me. “What else did he say?”

Brayden’s lips are pressed into a tight line, but he’s chuckling behind Josie, who is completely oblivious to my internal meltdown. “He told her how pretty her plié was and said he can’t wait to work on her tech”—nose scrunched, she looks off to one side—“What’s the word?”

“Technique,” Brayden mumbles. “He said he couldn’t wait to work on her technique tomorrow during her one-on-one class.”

Heated fury sparks to life inside me. “Her what ?”

Josie pouts. “She said I can’t come because I have school.”

“We’ll see about that,” I grumble.

Josie’s green eyes fly wide. “I don’t have to go to school?”

Beside me, Hall shakes with silent laughter.

I swallow back my anger and affect a neutral tone. “You have to go to school. I just—” Flustered, I blow out a breath. “Is Ava around?”

“She’s making dinner with Hannah.” This from Brayden. “They’re having girl talk. Pretty sure it revolves around the ballet instructor. Lots of giggling going on over there.”

Brayden is enjoying this far too much. The damn grin on his face is just as big as Hall’s. Assholes.

“Good luck tonight.” Josie interrupts my train of thought, reminding me that we have an actual game in a few hours and I need to focus. “Will you be home tomorrow?”

My heart momentarily melts for this little girl. “Yeah, mon chou.” I sigh. “Be good for Ava and Maria, yeah?”

“Okay, bye.”

The screen goes black before I can get any more information out of Brayden, and a lead ball settles in my stomach.

Hall shifts over now that the show is done. “Still want to play cards?”

Arms crossed over my chest, I glare at him.

“I’m sure the instructor is old. He probably stinks too,” he says with a smile.

Rather than respond, I just continue to stare him down.

Scratching at the back of his neck, he lets out an uncomfortable laugh. “Didn’t you come over here to apologize?” Deck of cards in hand, he splits it in half and shuffles. “It’s fine. Your wife is flirting with someone else. Seems like you need a friend more than I do right now. ”

Flirting with someone else . My chest tightens, making it hard to breathe. “Shut up.”

“See that, boys? War is getting possessive of his wife,” he sings like the ass he is. “Calliope says women do this when they aren’t satisfied at home. Maybe the glitter isn’t helping as much as you thought it would.”

“Better be careful,” Brooks warns, though his tone is light. “He might punch you.”

I roll my eyes. “Fine. I was an asshole. I’m sorry.”

Hall starts dealing the cards. “It’s that wife of yours you should be sucking up to, not me. You’re already forgiven, Cap.”

Around the locker room, the guys laugh. Even though it’s at my expense, I can’t help but relax. Hall isn’t holding a grudge. Now I only have to worry about my wife and the game she’s playing.

Wifey: Congrats on a great game. The kids wouldn’t go to sleep until the buzzer sounded. They were super proud.

Me: Was my wife super proud too?

Wifey: eye roll emoji Fanning face emoji Yes, so hot.

Me: You probably say that to all the guys. Like your dance instructor. side-eye emoji

Wifey: I was wondering how long it would take you to bring that up.

Me: ???

Wifey: It’s nothing.

Me: Didn’t sound like nothing. Sounds like the guy was hitting on my wife.

Wifey: And what if he was?

Me: Ava.

Wifey: Oh, sounds like you’ll punish me if I see him again.

Me: Don’t test me.

Wifey: But you know how much I like your punishments. devil emoji

Me: I’ll be home by twelve tomorrow. Will you be around?

Wifey: Should be.

Me: Good. I’d like to grab a drink with my wife and talk.

Wifey: I’ll see if I can pencil you in.

Me: Madi got me the actual petition for Josie’s adoption. We need to get it signed asap and get Scarlett’s adoption paperwork finalized too, if you’re still open to that.

Wifey: Of course. Whatever I can do to keep our family together, you know I will.

Me: I’ll see you tomorrow, wifey.

Wifey: Good night, Tyler.