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6. Man on Fire

"I have to go to practice. Sorry. Uh. I guess we should do a paternity test?" I step to exit the elevator, holding my hand against the door, my mind reeling from this day.

"What?" Whitney says and blinks. "No, um…"

Now the complications come rushing back to me, those of the Brad kind and his rule about not dating his sister. Too late, I already have full intimate knowledge of her from one magical night in the big sky country. I'm staking my claim.

"You can't deny my right to find out if the boy is mine." My voice is rougher than I'd like it to be right now, but I'm running out of time. I'm stubborn, not moving until I resolve this with her. "Of course, I could tell Brad about us and demand the test?—"

"No, don't, please. Let's just keep this between us for now."

"Why? Are you scared of him?" I scowl. If he hurts her in any way, we'd have to have a conversation between men where I set him straight how its going to be.

"Not at all. I can't explain right now, but I'd rather keep this between us until we know for sure. We should exchange numbers, right?" She digs out her phone, I take out mine, and we trade and put our details in. At last, I know exactly how to get in touch with the woman I've been thinking about for far too long.

"You know, if you'd left me your phone number in Montana, I'd have called you." I'm not afraid to say she rocked my world for a night like none other. I'd give my left nut for her to rock it again.

"Really?" Her eyes shine.

"Hell, yeah. I searched for you that morning, Trouble. Around the hotel, up and down the block, asking anyone if they'd seen a woman who looked like you, because I had no name to go on. I even revisited the bar each night I was there, hoping you'd walk in."

People and the guys on the team thought I was crazy. Even crazier the next summer when I returned and searched again, and hung out in the same bar, hoping she'd waltz back into my life.

"I thought we had a spark of something good together for one night. I would like to have seen you again," I say. Her bottom lip trembles and she bites it. With all the power in me, I hold myself back from claiming her again with my lips.

"I didn't know who you were, otherwise I would have told you about Remy," she explains. And that right there says so much. She's a good girl, caught in a difficult situation. A single mother all this time, and my heart goes out to her. But my damn alarm goes off again on my phone, and this has all been too much.

"Sorry, I have to go to practice." I shake my head at the bad timing.

"Go. It's fine."

"I'll be in touch about that test."

I back out, giving her a final glance up and down. She's really here. I spent almost two years obsessing about her, wondering if she was the one who got away. Baby or not, I want to know her and see what could be between us. But there's the matter of Brad.

As I sit in bumper to bumper traffic for an hour, I breakdown and call Duke. He's become my best friend. Between him and Storm, we've weathered a lot together in our time playing for the Puckers. I need to tell Duke about this baby news before I hit the ice, or else I'll be way too wound up.

He answers on the first ring. "I wondered if you'd call, and I'm ready with the pep talk. Listen, the way you've developed with the Puckers has been phenomenal. You're ready for the big time, Tucker. So put away your doubts and fears and talk positive to yourself. You got this."

That's what makes Duke a great friend, teammate, and mentor. He knows me so well, only I never told him about meeting Whitney in Montana.

"Thanks. That means a lot. But I'm calling about something else."

I lay it all out for him, every detail, how I escaped his wedding reception in Montana, feeling down, sitting alone in the bar, when Whitney walked in. Of course, I don't kiss and tell, but he gets the idea of what happened.

I definitely don't tell him how I believe I connected with her soul that night in bed.

"I had no idea who she was, or that she was related to Brad," I explain. "And now, that baby might be mine."

"Brad has one rule, dude. His clients don't fuck with his sister. I mean it. Don't even look the wrong way at her. I know a guy who tried and Brad caused significant trouble in the guy's career."

"Yeah, I became aware today of how protective of a brother he is. Thanks. You couldn't have told me his rule the night of your wedding when you introduced me to Brad?"

"Excuse me, but I was a little busy getting married that day and making my wife happy that night to worry about where your dick would end up."

I take in a deep breath and let it slowly out. "I know this isn't your fault. It just weighs on my mind, you know? To think she's been going through this alone, a single mother and all. Yeah, her brother's probably been there for her, but she didn't have me—er, the baby's father around."

"Take it one step at a time. Right now, zone in on hockey practice. You step on that ice at practice, and none of this stuff matters there. Tonight, at home, make a plan and figure out the next steps. Write it all down if you have to. You'll get through this." As usual, Duke makes perfect sense, and he believes in me, and as we talk more, it helps.

"What if I am the father? You know me, Duke. My dad wasn't the greatest example growing up, unless you measure his fat bank account. I have the means to support a mother and child, but raise a kid?"

"But look how you good you are with Hunter? My son loves you. Of all his team uncles, you're the one who makes him smile the most. I could probably put you in a lineup, and Hunter would run to you every time."

"Yeah, only because I still have all my teeth and not a scary-looking mother fucker like some of the other guys," I retort.

By the time we click off and I park in the Viper's arena, with Duke's help, I've compartmentalized everything in my head. I'm ready to prove I deserve to be on their winning team.

Later, I'll prove to Whitney why she and I would make a good team as well. Because, if I'm the father, there's no fucking way she's raising this little guy without me.

If we get the paternity results proving I'm not the father? Well, that's just a slip of paper. I can still be a father to him, as long as I can get Whitney to love me. Because today, seeing her, being so close to her again, set my soul ablaze and my heart racing to keep up.

The Vipers better watch out. By the time I get dressed and stretch and warm up, I'm a man on fire with a new mission. I won't let anything stand in the way of what I want.

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