Chapter 50

K endra has hit the thirty-four weeks and is more gorgeous than ever as we walk toward Joey's place. When I agreed to let the team throw a baby shower for Kendra, it was under the condition I could supervise. After that dick-sucking conversation, I'm not going to abandon her with these feral women. And if the twenty-four inch vagina pi?ata is any indication, I'd say I made the right call. What in the actual fuck?

The entire team is here, along with some of the Lakes wives and girlfriends. It's cramped in Joey's apartment; I can't believe the team let her host. This looks more like a bachelorette party than a baby shower.

"If you feel uncomfortable and want to leave—at any time—just blink twice."

She chuckles, placing her hand on my forearm. "I'm fine, Sully. Why don't you go find a beer and take a seat on the couch? I'm going to see if there's anything I can help with."

Kendra heads into the crowd, and I stand awkwardly off to the side. Then Raleigh walks in. She freezes, and her eyebrows practically hit her hairline as she takes in the room. Yeah, my sentiments exactly . She fixes her gaze on the wall, and I follow the line of sight to a giant art print of some gory crimson blob. It looks like it belongs in some cheap house of horror production. Okay, seriously, where is Joey?

Being the tallest in the room aids me in spotting the host in the kitchen. I call out to her from across the room. "Joey!" I raise my arm and point to the big red thing. " What the fuck is that ?" I mouth.

"Huh?" She cocks her head to the side, then sees what I'm referencing. "Oh!" She holds up a bag of Ping-Pong balls. "Pin the ovum on the uterine lining!"

You've got to be shitting me. Kendra laughs.

"Do you mind setting them up over there?" Joey shakes the bag at me. I make my way over to her and snatch the bag from her hand. Raleigh has followed me into the kitchen, and she stands in front of Micky, who's pouring… shots?

"Seriously?" Raleigh asks. "She's pregnant."

"Don't worry, we made a nonalcoholic version," Joey says, transferring a bag of chips to a decorative bowl.

"Yeah, I don't care about that part, why do they look like that ?" Raleigh says with a grimace.

"They're placenta shots!"

I audibly gag. "Unreal."

Micky's eyes light up. "I know, right!? Joey did a phenomenal job. No notes."

"Aww! Thank you!" Joey accepts the compliment and smiles with satisfaction.

Raleigh and I share a look filled with equal confusion and concern. Of course Micky would say that. She's probably mentoring Joey. It's sweet the girls wanted to throw Kendra a shower, this is just very… unexpected.

I take the bag of balls and head toward the wall of gore. Raleigh follows behind me, still holding a big pastel gift bag in her arms. We don't exchange words, just look on at the chaos unfolding in front of us. After a moment, she says, "I think it's a fair assessment to say Joey Breck has never attended a baby shower."

"What gave it away?"

"The chocolate cupcakes were lactating."

"Christ." If Joey ruins my new kink, I will be pissed. "It was the crowning cheese ball for me."

After watching the women play the most demented baby shower games I've ever seen, it's time for her to open gifts. It's a welcome reprieve. I almost had to leave when they were sucking on ice cubes that contained little plastic babies. The discussion over who had the best oral skills was disturbing—worse than the fellatio conversation at the arena. I've heard things a head coach should never have to hear. Kendra doesn't seem affected by the unhinged baby shower. She's taking it all in stride, like everything she does. She's full of beauty and grace as she accepts each gift. I've never seen a woman glow the way she does. Pregnancy looks phenomenal on her. I'm hoping to see her like this again the future.

"Where did you find a vagina pi?ata?" Micky asks Joey while the rest of the party oohs and ahhs over one of the new Rogues onesies that reads "Future Rogues Player."

"I think the better question is why ?" I ask.

Joey smiles, watching Kendra open another gift, then through her tight smile, whispers, "Because Kendra's vagina is about to be wrecked, just like this pi?ata when we bust it open."

"Joey…" I respond calmly without looking at her. "You are going to skate so many laps at Tuesday's practice they'll have to pay the Zamboni driver overtime just to clear your tracks."

She has the audacity to look surprised. "What!"

"Don't."

"Yes, Coach." She takes a drink from her beer bottle, muttering, "Buzzkill."

God, I can't believe we drafted someone who thinks pacifier beer pong is a good idea for a baby shower. Even more disturbing was the strawberry-flavored nipple butter she apparently thought was for breastfeeding. I'm not saying it won't get used, but… damn.

I sit back and enjoy the rest of the show. If Kendra is happy, that's all that matters, but if there's one thing I've learned today, the Rogues know how to go rogue.