14. Jenner

Chapter 14

Jenner

Evie was still asleep when I slipped from the warmth of our bed. That's precisely what it was—our bed. After last night, there would be no argument about her moving back into the master suite with me.

We were starting a family. After all we'd been through, it almost didn't seem real, but it was happening. And we were doing it together.

But there was still one thing weighing on my mind, and that had me rising early to get to the rink well ahead of practice.

Stepping into the walk-in closet, I dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of joggers and a Speed-branded hoodie. I was tying my shoes, perched on the edge of the window seat, when Evie stirred, stretching her arms over her head, back arching like a cat's.

Her soft hum had my dick stirring with memories of her making the same sound while her lips had been wrapped around it.

Last night might have marked our reconnection, but it was only one chapter in the long story of our love. It had been rocky at times, but somehow, we'd found our way back together and were facing the future we always pictured.

Standing, I walked to the side of the bed as her lashes fluttered open slowly. A smile crept onto my face as I peeked down at the beautiful woman I was lucky enough to call mine laid out before me.

My voice was roughened by sleep as I mused, "Damn, aren't you a sight, looking freshly fucked in our bed."

She reached out a hand to me, and I met her halfway, loving the feel of her smooth palm against my rough one.

"Am I dreaming?" Evie asked. "Yesterday seems too good to be true."

She wasn't wrong. Everything about yesterday had been perfect.

We were months away from becoming parents and were back in each other's arms.

Kneeling onto the bed, I lowered my head to press a kiss against her lips, whispering, "If it is, I never want to wake up."

Eyes growing glassy, her voice was thick as she whispered, "We're getting a baby girl."

Both my hands cupped her face, and I pressed my forehead to hers. "Yeah, we are. And she's so lucky she gets you for a mom."

Evie squeezed her eyes shut, and twin tears leaked down her face, but I kissed them away quickly.

"No more tears, baby. All our dreams are about to come true."

Letting out a shaky breath, she nodded.

When I pulled away slightly, her eyes roved over my appearance. "You headed to the rink? What time is it?"

"Too early for you to be getting out of bed. In fact, you should be waiting right here, naked, when I get back."

That had her flashing her teeth in a sexy smile. "So bossy, Mr. Knight."

"Don't you forget it, Mrs. Knight." I nipped at her lower lip. Shoving off the bed, I stood, explaining, "I have something I have to handle before practice, but I'll be back this afternoon at the usual time."

"Anything special you'd like to eat for dinner?" she offered.

I wasn't sure if she was setting me up or not, but there was only one answer to that question. "You."

Heat flared in her uniquely violet eyes, and I stifled a groan, watching her thighs press together beneath the thin sheets.

"I have to go, but I'll see you later, babe." I leaned in for one more kiss, moaning into her mouth when she slipped me a bit of tongue.

"Fine," she huffed playfully. "Can't be lounging around as a housewife if my husband doesn't go to work."

"I love you, Evie."

Eyes sparkling, she replied, "I love you, too."

I could stare at my wife all day, but I had business to handle. Or rather, a best friend.

So much for a relaxing morning.

Taking the elevator inside Speed Arena to the executive floor, I made my way to the door of Maddox's office. We needed to clear the air.

Knocking, I pushed inside when his voice called out, "It's open!"

His brows drew down when he saw it was me and not another member of the coaching or management staff. "Hey, man. You're in early. Practice isn't for a couple of hours."

Latching the door behind me, I leaned against it, electing not to take a seat opposite his desk.

"Right now, I need to talk to my best friend and not my coach."

Maddox sat back in his chair, folding both arms over his chest. "Okay . . ."

"I need you to sort out whatever feelings you have about Evie's return, and I need you to do it fast. You know I love you like a brother, but she's the most important person in my life. Don't make me choose between the two of you because I can promise she will win every fucking time."

His green eyes narrowed at the mention of my wife's name. "Jenner, listen—"

"No. You listen," I cut him off. "I won't allow your surly attitude toward my wife to be a dark cloud hanging over our heads—not when we're about to become parents."

Whatever rebuttal he had planned died on his lips when I dropped that bombshell. "What? It's really happening?"

I gave a slight nod in confirmation. "Just yesterday, we met with a teenager who wants to give us her baby girl."

Maddox rubbed both hands over his face, groaning. "Jesus Christ, Jenner. What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you feel even the least bit guilty about lying to a teenager to get a baby for your ex-wife? Don't you see how wrong this is?"

Gritting my teeth, I snarled, "Evie is my wife . Legally and in every way that matters. We aren't lying to anyone."

"Excuse me?" His dark eyebrows rose high on his forehead. "What does that mean?"

Shrugging, I explained, "I made my position very clear last night, and she feels the same way."

"Oh my God." Maddox stared at me in disbelief. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. Are you seriously saying you're fine snapping your fingers and forgetting all she's put you through? I was there, man. It wasn't pretty picking your ass up off the floor when she left you in pieces."

"She's back. That's all I care about now."

"But for how long?" he challenged. "What's it going to take to spook her into running again? This time, after you've fallen in love with a kid."

My temper flared, mostly because he was poking at old bruises and insecurities that still nagged at the back of my brain.

Clenching my fist, I yelled, "Enough!" Maddox's lips clamped shut, drawing into a thin line, making his displeasure clear. "Don't you get it? My sun rises and sets with her. That's it. End of story. She's what makes my life worth living, and don't you dare try to tell me that you wouldn't take Bristol back in a heartbeat if something beyond your control ripped the two of you apart. So, you either get on board and treat my wife with respect, or we can have a relationship where you're just my head coach and I'm your player."

A few beats of silence followed my outburst. Finally, Maddox sighed. "You really think she's back for good? That you're going to pick up where you left off?"

Dropping onto one of the chairs in his office, I ran a hand through my hair. "She promised."

He caught himself as he was about to roll his eyes at me. "She promised to love and cherish you for the rest of your lives. I was a witness." A scoff sounded. "Both times, actually."

Maddox was the only one I had shared our private struggle with, so I didn't think twice about revealing a piece of my conversation with Evie the night before. Judging from Bristol's surprise over my having a long-lost wife at Braxton's wedding, I knew I could trust him to keep anything I said between us.

"I don't think you can ever truly understand what it's like to watch the woman you love suffer like I have. It wasn't just the physical pain of treatments, but the crushing blows to her mental state every time we failed. I should have waited to have the conversation about exploring other options. I was hurting in a different way, and my timing was shit. Evie had already had a meltdown that morning, and I couldn't stop my knee-jerk reaction when she mentioned trying again. If emotions hadn't been so high, maybe we could've talked about my feelings rationally instead of her getting instantly defensive." Raking a hand across my jaw, I explained, "She thinks I gave up on her."

Across the desk, Maddox gawked at me. "What? How could she ever think that?"

"She was upset and blamed herself for not being able to get pregnant. So, when I said I couldn't do another round of IVF, she felt personally attacked. You should have heard her last night, saying she's broken."

"Fuck," he said on an exhale. "I had no idea."

"That's just it, Maddox. You can't judge her for doing what she did because she was out of her mind with grief. She was watching this beautiful dream she had for our future slipping away, powerless to stop it, and then I came in out of left field after being the most supportive husband on the planet and told her I was done. We lost four long years, and I refuse to lose another second with the woman I love."

Maddox's eyes closed briefly. "I'm sorry, man."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

He nodded. "You're right. I'll talk to Evie."

"Good."

The tiniest hint of a smile touched his lips. "You're seriously getting a kid?"

I huffed out a disbelieving laugh. "Almost doesn't seem real. But yeah."

"Wanna place odds on whether or not she ends up carving it up on the ice like Slate's daughter?"

Braxton's older brother, Jaxon, had five kids. Only the youngest two were biologically his, as he'd married a single mom. His daughter, Charlie, was six, and Braxton often shared videos of her playing hockey because he was extremely close with his niece. That little girl was fearless, going after boys nearly twice her size. And she always had the biggest grin when she was out there. You could see it from the stands.

Shrugging, I said, "I don't care if she loves hockey or hates it, so long as she's mine."

"You're gonna make a good dad, Jenner."

"I'm just glad to have the chance."

We settled back into our easy rapport for the first time in months.

A weight had been lifted from my chest, having hashed it out with my best friend and knowing that, moving forward, he had my back.

I only prayed everything would be smooth sailing from here on out. Evie and I were due.