16. Cope

16

COPE

Luca sat bleary-eyed at the booth in the corner of the kitchen. Over the past almost two weeks, I’d learned that he was not a morning person. It was the one time of day when he was quiet. But he was also hilariously adorable, with his hair all askew as I made us breakfast.

My phone dinged on the counter, and I reached for it as I stirred the ham and veggie scramble. I slid my thumb across the screen, and my sibling group chat opened.

Kye has changed the group name to Only Fams.

Kye

How’s diaper duty treating you, Copey?

I glared down at my phone. I knew he was just giving me shit, especially when he’d been the one to help Trace out the most with Keely during his divorce. He’d played chauffeur, babysitter, and bedtime story reader, complete with all the voices.

Me

Need I remind you of this gem?

I quickly scrolled through my favorites album on my phone until I found the picture I wanted of Kye. He was sitting at a tiny table in Keely’s room, having a tea party. His massive size, complete with tattoos covering his arms and snaking up his neck, would’ve been enough for a chuckle, but the fact that he was wearing a pink tutu, a tiara, and a feather boa really took it over the top.

Rhodes

I forgot about this photo. We need to get it framed.

Kye

You told me you deleted this, you asshole.

Me

I lied.

I never would’ve gotten rid of blackmail material as good as this.

Fallon

Don’t you dare ever erase this! Arden, can you make us an oil painting version? I’m going to hang it in Kye’s tattoo studio.

Fallon tagged Arden’s name to force an alert to her phone. She and Trace were the most silent on these chains. Trace popped in occasionally, attempting to keep us in line, but Arden wasn’t exactly one for technology.

Kye

Arden, don’t you dare.

Arden

Do you assholes know what time it is?

Fallon

Sorry, A. Didn’t realize.

Shep

Some of us work normal hours, you vampire.

Arden sent a doodle of a fanged face, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Arden was a night owl who got so caught up in her work she could forget to eat, sleep, or step outside for some fresh air.

Trace

How are Sutton and Luca doing?

A bite of jealousy grabbed hold at my brother asking about them. I shoved it down as I slid the scramble onto two plates that already held wheat toast. Sutton and Luca deserved all the people in their corner they could get.

Me

Good. Speedy and I are just about to have breakfast and hit the ice. Sutton’s already at the bakery.

She was used to those early morning hours, but I hated the idea of her driving the winding country roads in the dark. Some deranged part of me wanted to hire her a driver. Or, even better, a night nanny to stay with Luca while I drove Sutton to the bakery.

Rhodes

I’m so glad she’s staying with you. Spoil them a little, would you? They deserve it.

Shep

Don’t think that’ll be an issue. A little birdie told me Cope already got a trampoline for the backyard and all the pastry accessories someone would need to turn his kitchen into a bakery.

My back teeth ground together as my fingers flew across the screen.

Me

Tell Thea she’s a traitor.

I could see my siblings laughing at me in my mind. Flipping the chat to Do Not Disturb , I shoved my phone into my pocket and carried the plates to the table. “Heading out of zombie land yet?” I asked.

Luca’s gaze lifted from his placemat, and he muttered something I couldn’t quite understand. But the second I set the plate down, he started shoveling bites into his mouth.

“Easy there, killer. Your mom is gonna be really peeved if you choke on my watch.”

Luca grinned, showing bites of a half-eaten scramble. “It’s so good. Don’t tell her, but you’re a way better cook.”

I laughed. “Your secret is safe with me.”

The truth was, I loved cooking for Luca and Sutton. I got the occasional chance to do it for my family, but most of the time I cooked just for me. And something about that felt a bit empty.

The sound of my doorbell cut through the early morning silence, and Luca’s head popped up. “Who’s here? It’s barely morning.”

I chuckled as I pushed to my feet. “It’s a surprise.”

Luca’s eyes lit. “Like a puppy?”

I froze. “You want a puppy?”

“I’ve been asking Mom forever , but in our last apartment, we weren’t allowed.” He frowned. “Probably our next one we won’t be allowed either. But you could get one. Look at all the places he would have to play.”

Fuck. This kid deserved a dog. A pet was a rite of passage. I hated the idea that Luca wouldn’t get one.

But I shoved those thoughts down for now. “No dogs today, but you might like this surprise better.”

Luca followed me out of the kitchen and toward the entryway. I punched in the alarm code and flipped the lock, opening the front door.

Teddy’s lean form filled the doorway as he grinned at me. “Damn good to see you, brother.”

He hauled me into a back-slapping hug, and I could already tell he was moving better than when I’d seen him last. Relief swept through me at that. He was okay. And that meant he’d be back on the competitive ice where he belonged in no time.

Teddy released me and turned to the tiny human staring up at him slack-jawed. “You must be Luca. I’ve heard you’re amazing on the ice.”

Luca’s mouth closed, then opened, then closed again. “You’re Teddy Jackson. The Lightning. Am I dreaming right now?” He rubbed at his eyes as if to check.

Teddy chuckled, giving me a slap to the stomach. “Why can’t you give me this kind of greeting?”

I grinned at Luca. “Good surprise?”

“The best!” He whirled to Teddy. “Cope told you about me?”

“Won’t shut up about you, kid. Says you’re a star in the making.”

Luca’s head jerked back in my direction, but his voice went quiet. “You said that? Really?”

God, this kid was going to kill me. “I did, and I only speak the truth.”

Luca stayed silent for a moment and then hurled himself at me, arms wrapping around my waist in a fierce hug. My arms went around him in answer, holding him close.

My gaze met Teddy’s over Luca’s head, and he mouthed, “You are so fucked. ”

I already knew it because, less than two weeks in my house, and I already couldn’t remember what the place had been like without them. And that was seriously messed up. Because after that first night in the kitchen, Sutton hadn’t shown me any signs of interest. It was as if she’d built up her walls again and reinforced them with the world’s strongest steel.

But she’d made one fatal error. She hadn’t taken into account that I knew what it took to break down barriers. No matter how bruised and bloodied the battle made me, I never gave up. Especially when the light at the end of the tunnel was her.

Coach Kenner’s whistle blew, and four kids raced across the ice. Luca was second from the left and paired with three others who had two to four years on him. It didn’t matter. Halfway to the other end of the rink, he was already pulling ahead.

“Damn, man. You weren’t kidding. That little dude has a gift,” Teddy muttered, not taking his eyes off Luca.

“I know. If he sticks with it, he’ll go all the way for sure.”

“How’s his mom feel about that?”

I chuckled, remembering how Sutton had called the old hockey game we’d watched the other night a brutal bloodbath . “Hockey’s a little violent for her taste. She would’ve preferred Luca picked something like golf.”

Teddy’s nose wrinkled as if he’d smelled something bad. “ Golf ? That would be cruel and unusual punishment.”

“You’re preaching to the choir. Just don’t tell Marcus that.” That douche canoe loved golf.

Teddy barked out a laugh. “That’s what happens when you grow up with a hockey god for a dad. You get into all those ritzy hobbies. I’m gonna get him one of those hats with a pom-pom on it as a preseason gift. ”

I shook my head, my lips twitching. “I’d pay good money to see that.”

The four campers raced back toward us, but Luca was already at least ten yards ahead. He sailed past us, abruptly stopping on the edges of his skates. He still took a tumble occasionally, but he was getting better and better at staying on his feet.

“Little dude!” Teddy yelled. “That was freaking sick.”

At least he hadn’t dropped an F-bomb. Coach Kenner had already needed to give Teddy more than a few warnings about his language, and I saw Evelyn Engel glaring at us from the sidelines. Hell.

I high-fived the other skaters before making it over to Luca. Teddy was hunched down, talking shop with him, giving him a few pointers on his turns and stops. Luca came alive under the lesson, his eyes alight as he moved in a turn to check that he was understanding. I loved that Teddy had given him this because, while I was fast, Teddy was the speed master. If anyone could make Luca the best of the best, it was him.

Luca grinned up at me, revealing a tooth just starting to grow into the hole from his missing incisor. “Can we stay after and practice a little more?”

“You’ve been skating for hours. Aren’t you tired?” I asked, amusement lacing my tone as we skated to the boards.

Luca shook his head. “I could skate forever!”

Teddy chuckled. “Maybe you could, but I’m starved, and I heard your mom has the best bakery around. Think you could give me a tour and tell me the best things to get?”

Luca beamed. “Totally, Coach Jackson. I know all the best cupcakes. My mom always lets me have one after school or practice.”

A scoff had my attention lifting from Luca to Evelyn standing rink-side, her arms crossed over her chest. Annoyance flickered down deep as I raised a brow in her direction. “Something you want to say?”

Evelyn let out a huff of air. “I just hardly think it’s appropriate to give a child sugar every single day.”

Luca glared at her. “You’re just mad because Daniel hates your cupcakes. He says you make ‘em with carrots instead of real sugar. He always asks me to sneak him one of my mom’s.”

Evelyn gaped at Luca as Teddy tried to cover a laugh with a cough. Evelyn’s spine snapped straight. “It’s carob, not carrots, and it’s perfectly delicious.”

“Keep telling yourself that, lady,” Teddy muttered.

“Daniel, we need to go. You have your cello lesson,” Evelyn yelled, her voice going shrill.

Teddy shook his head. “Poor kid. She probably has him scheduled to within an inch of his life.”

Daniel rolled his eyes at Luca in commiseration as he skated past, and I clapped him on the shoulder pad. “Killer shooting today. Keep up the hard work.”

The kid grinned up at me. “Thanks, Coach Reaper. I’ll practice tonight.”

“After cello,” Evelyn snapped.

Daniel ducked his head. “After cello.”

Jesus. That mom needed one of Lolli’s pot brownies. Stat.