Chapter 26

Cheyenne

I was just comingout of the restroom when I heard Brenna yell. Marty ran after her and she tried to slap him again. He blocked her this time, catching her hand in his and saying something I couldn't hear.

Before anyone could move, Connor headed in Marty's direction, getting to them before anyone else and putting a gentle hand on Marty's arm. Then he said something to Brenna, and whatever it was, it seemed to calm her a little. She dipped her head, nodded, and then quietly slipped out of the house.

I hurried over to Ivan and Saylor. "What's happening?"

"I don't know."

"Should we get involved?"

"Should someone check on Brenna?" Saylor asked, looking at me. "You know what, I'll go. You guys talk to Marty." She walked in the direction Brenna had gone and Ivan and I walked over to where Marty and Connor were talking quietly.

"Everything okay?" Ivan asked him.

He shook his head. "No. Nothing is okay. She's fucking leaving me."

"What?" Ivan looked startled.

"She didn't want to come tonight, but Connor talked her into it. Apparently, he's the Brenna whisperer."

"She's been like a big sister to me," Connor said. "I don't know what's going on with her. She's been quiet lately, but I never expected something like…this."

"Tell me about it," Marty muttered, running a hand through his hair. "She's taking the kids and going home to Tennessee."

"Jesus," Ivan said quietly. "Can you go to therapy or something?"

"I don't know. I have to talk to her, but she threw this at me out of nowhere. I don't know what the hell I did."

"Did you do anything?" Ivan asked pointedly. "And be honest. Because if you cheated, and she found out…"

"I never cheated!" he snapped, narrowing his eyes. "You know that. Or at least you should."

"Have things been off at all?" I asked. "Have you noticed changes in her? Something going on with the kids? Money issues? You don't have to tell us, but those are things to consider."

He scratched his chin. "To be honest, things haven't been great lately, but nothing to do with money or anything like that. I'm busy with hockey and she's busy with the kids…we had a relaxing summer, and a great vacation, but once hockey season started back up, we kind of drifted apart. It's like this sometimes. Three kids are a lot, which is why I got her the nanny. I knew she was tired, but I thought the nanny was helping. And I never thought she'd fucking leave." He threw up his hands. "We've been together almost ten years. What the fuck, man?"

"Talk to her," Ivan said quietly. "Go home, now. Don't let this fester. Figure out what it is, and what's bothering her."

"Yeah, I guess I should." He looked tired and frustrated. "Will you thank Big Bang and Bailey for me? Tell them I had to go?"

"Of course." Ivan nodded. "Don't worry about it."

Marty turned and strode out of the house, and for a few minutes none of us said anything.

"That wasn't on tonight's bingo card," Connor murmured.

"Well, there's nothing we can do," Effie said softly, sliding her hand into Connor's. "Let's go dance."

"Okay." He let her pull him onto the dance floor.

We watched them for a few seconds, and I couldn't help but notice how flirty Effie was being. I hadn't thought she'd actually want to be with him, but maybe she did. Either way, they were adorable together.

"Young love." I laughed. "It's cute."

"I just want them to have fun," Ivan said.

"I don't think she'd be holding his hand if she wasn't having fun," I replied.

"Looks like you did a good job at matchmaking," he said, leaning over to kiss my cheek.

"It was luck," I said with a playful shrug. "She was the only person I consider a friend I had even remotely close to his age."

"Well, whatever it was, I'm glad they're having a good time. I'm worried about Marty, but I guess I'll talk to him tomorrow. In the meantime, you and I should be having fun."

"Weren't we going to sneak off to a bathroom or something?" I asked.

"Is sex all you think about?" he said, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"When I'm with a hunky, half-Russian hockey stud who rocks my world? You'd better believe it."

He pretended to be considering this. "All right. I guess I can live with that."

I laughed and grabbed his hand. "Wine first, blow job after."

"Or wine with the blow job?"

"That's a thought," I said. "I don't think I've ever sucked a dick with my mouth full of wine. You think it might stain?"

"Not if it's white."

"Fair point. I'm sure there's a chardonnay…" I tugged him toward the kitchen.

* * *

The party was fun,and we stayed late. We danced, drank, and hung out with various friends. It was nice to see my world seamlessly merging with Ivan's. His friends seemed to get along well with mine, and since I was already friends with Harper, it was fun to know many of us would be seeing each other regularly. We already had a plan to hang out at the next game, so I was in a good mood when I woke up the next morning.

Of course, waking up with Ivan's face between my legs was another reason to be in a great mood.

Three orgasms and a shower later, we started to get ready for dinner at my parents' house. Ivan was meeting my family for the first time, and I was a little nervous. I'd never brought a guy home for any kind of holiday, so this was a big step for me.

"You could keep some things here," he said as I pulled on a pair of jeans. "So, you don't have to pack a bag every time. Especially all your creams and potions."

I frowned, unsure how to take that comment. Did my high maintenance skincare routine bother him? It had been an issue for other guys, but Ivan wasn't usually like other guys. "I do have a lot of creams and potions," I said slowly. "But like I told you, it's part of the job."

"Well, regardless, feel free to leave some stuff here. You sleep over so often it seems silly to constantly pack and unpack."

"You're probably right." I wasn't sure why I was suddenly nervous at the prospect of keeping things here at his place. I felt like we needed to talk about the next steps in our relationship, but I was reluctant after our awkward conversation about whether or not he should buy a house, and this was the second time he'd mentioned how many toiletries I used.

I was falling in love with him, no doubt about that, but I got mixed signals from him sometimes, which made it hard to know what to say or do. I wanted to be with him, but he had to understand that I wasn't going to veer off my plan to work hard and make as much money as possible until I was thirty. Since I didn't want children any time soon, the big question was whether or not he was willing to wait. He was five years older than me, almost twenty-nine to my twenty-four, so in six years he would be thirty-five.

He'd been planning to marry his ex a couple of years ago, which meant he'd been ready to settle down then. Would he be willing to wait five more years? We also hadn't discussed our disparate finances or any of the other big issues that needed to be addressed.

Apparently, I sucked at relationships.

Maybe that was why I'd never been in a healthy one before.

But that was just it.

This one was healthy.

Or at least, it felt healthy in general.

Other than being afraid to bring up difficult topics.

It wasn't really that I was afraid.

The truth was probably much simpler: I didn't know what I'd do if he told me he didn't want to wait five years to settle down and start a family.

That would break my heart, and I tried to avoid that at all costs.

Especially since Ivan was special.

I wasn't in the process of falling for him; I was already head over heels.

"What did your parents say when you told them you were bringing a date?" he asked as I did my makeup.

"I didn't tell them," I said quietly, meeting his gaze in the mirror.

He frowned. "So…they don't know you're bringing a guest?"

"My relationship with my family is complicated," I admitted. "I love them, but I don't like them all the time, and right now, I dislike them immensely. I told you what they're trying to do with my brother and it's aggravating. He's not capable of being my full-time driver. He's just not."

"Did you explain that to them?"

"I have. Multiple times. And it's always, why can't you give him a chance? Well, him screwing up isn't just a matter of me being late to a photo shoot. That happens all the time. But what happens when overzealous paparazzi start chasing us through the streets of L.A.? He's not equipped for that. And yes, I've told them it's more about my safety. He offered to go to bodyguard school."

He lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "So let him."

"What?" I frowned at him.

"Let. Him. First, it buys you time. While he's in school, you have the excuse that he's not ready yet. Then, if he screws up while he's in school, someone else will tell him he can't do the job, not you. And, if you're paying for it—and I assume you will—you make sure you're on top of his progress. It's not enough for him to tell you, you'll want them to give you updates."

"But what if he passes?" I asked, still frowning.

"Would it be the worst thing in the world for your brother to be your driver and/or bodyguard? I understand why you don't want him to do it now, but he's still your brother. Giving him a genuine chance to do it, without putting your life in danger, should make everyone happy. If he flunks out of bodyguard school, you have that to throw in their faces when they try to guilt you into anything."

I stared at him.

He had a point.

A really good one.

"You're brilliant," I said softly.

"I don't know about brilliant," he chuckled. "But I occasionally have good ideas."

I nodded. "Well, you've certainly saved Thanksgiving from my perspective."

"Yeah, but what about me? Is everyone going to be mad I'm there?"

"Mad? God, no. My mother loves to cook. And we always have strays to feed. A random cousin who's in town, whoever my brother is sleeping with at the time, the neighbors… Mom likes that we can feed anyone who needs it."

"That's nice," he said. "Isn't it?"

"It is." I paused. "I usually stop at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving and give a nice donation. I used to help out but I'm just too famous now. It becomes a zoo, and that's dangerous for both me and the employees, not to mention it becomes about me instead of about the people who need help. So now I stop, make a donation, and leave, without anyone seeing me."

"That is nice," he said, nodding. "And I'll donate as well."

"It's near my condo, and we have to stop there anyway because I have flowers for my mom and a charcuterie board to pick up."

"We should have stayed at your place last night," he said.

"Well, Effie was planning to sleep over. She still lives with her dad and sometimes he can be overbearing."

"Got it. Are you ready?"

"Yup." I grabbed my purse, and he picked up my overnight bag before we headed out to his SUV.

We chatted about family as we drove, and I was surprised to discover he had three half-brothers, all in Russia, and over twenty aunts, uncles, and cousins on his mother's side.

"Are you bummed you can't spend holidays with them?" I asked.

"Sometimes, but Mom usually comes to me for Christmas, and if there's any wiggle room at all, I try to see everyone when I play in Buffalo. And then we have a huge Fourth of July party every summer."

"That sounds fun."

"You can come with me next summer. If you have time."

"I'll have to see what my schedule looks like, but I'd like that."

We got to my condo relatively quickly since traffic was light on the holiday, and I unlocked the door.

"Effie, are you decent?"

There was no answer, but the scene in front of us spoke volumes.

There was a trail of clothing, both male and female, in the living room and down the hall.