20. Jenner

Chapter 20

Jenner

Frowning at my phone as it lit up with a familiar name on an incoming call, I swiped my finger across the screen. "Dakota?"

"Hey, Jenner." I immediately disliked how nervous she sounded. "We kind of have a situation down here at the pool."

My heart rate kicked up, and panic trickled down my spine. "What happened?"

"Evie's, um—"

"Dakota, I need you to talk to me." I was half dressed—suit pants on, shirt still unbuttoned—but immediately went to work putting on shoes because whatever was going on didn't sound good.

"She's passed out."

I blew out a heavy breath. "How much has she had to drink?"

There was a pause on the other side of the line before she answered, "Not that much, Jenner. But there is the head injury to consider."

"What the fuck?"

My feet were moving, and I was halfway to the elevator when she explained, "Beau kind of hit her with a football."

Eyes darting between the elevator and the stairwell, I shifted restlessly. I knew the elevator would be faster, being thirty floors up, but I hated waiting for it to arrive.

"I need you to tell me the exact sequence of events, Dakota."

"Okay, so we had a few drinks." I would have rolled my eyes if I weren't so concerned about my wife's well-being. "And then we got into the pool with the kids. Beau and Jameson got into some kind of pissing contest, and the football they were playing with was thrown right into the back of her head. She was fine for a while after that, but then she swayed a bit, going pale before she jumped from the pool and started puking in a trash can."

"How long after that did she pass out? And how long has it been since she took the hit to the head?" I stepped into the elevator, and tapped my foot impatiently during its descent. The floor numbers crept down at a snail's pace on the way to the lobby level.

"She's been out for only a few minutes. The ball hit her maybe fifteen or twenty minutes ago?"

The doors slid open, and I ran around the casino floor in the direction of the pool. "I'm almost there."

Hanging up on Dakota, I burst onto the pool deck, and it didn't take long to find them. Jaxon Slate's middle son was crying quietly where he sat on the concrete near where his mom and aunt were standing, gazing down at my unconscious wife.

Red-rimmed brown eyes peered up at me as I approached, and the young boy whispered hoarsely, "I'm really sorry."

I didn't have time to console him, so I offered him a quick squeeze on the shoulder as I focused on Evie.

Crouching beside her prone form, I ran a hand over her blonde hair, feeling the lump forming at the back of her head. Taking a deep breath, I kept my voice calm as I said, "Baby, can you hear me?"

Evie groaned, turning her face into the cabana bed beneath her. "Noooooo. I told them not to call you."

The fact that she was instantly roused by my voice was a good sign.

"They did the right thing. We need to get you checked out."

Eyes still closed, she shook her head. "I'm fine. Just a combination of too much heat and too much booze."

"You left out the head injury."

A hand lifted weakly. "That was nothing."

"Evie, we don't know that for sure. Not until a doctor examines you."

Violet eyes snapped open suddenly, and she screamed, "No!" so forcefully I stumbled back.

I understood where she was coming from. We'd spent far too much of our marriage inside doctor's offices, where Evie had taken the brunt of the poking and prodding during different procedures. But I would never forgive myself if something happened to her because she refused medical treatment for an injury of this nature.

Frustrated, I dragged a hand over my face. "How about this? We have a few team doctors on hand this weekend. They're experienced at diagnosing concussions. Let's get you upstairs, and one of them can take a look at you."

She chewed on her lower lip as her eyes focused on me. Her fingers trailed over the bare skin of my chest, visible from where my collared shirt had been left open. "You have an event tonight."

"I'll call the whole damn weekend off right now, Evie, if you refuse to let someone check you out. Nothing matters more than you. Nothing."

That seemed to get through to her because she nodded. "Okay."

I smoothed the tangled hair away from her forehead. "That's my girl. Let's get you upstairs."

Evie shook her head. "I don't want to move. I want to sleep."

"I know, baby, but we can't leave you here." Standing, I entered the passcode on my phone and handed it to Dakota. "Can you walk up with us to handle the elevator and unlock the door to our room so I can carry her?"

Dakota's concerned blue eyes darted to Evie. "You think she's gonna be all right?"

"Most likely." I nodded. "Doubt a ten-year-old's got a strong enough arm to do permanent damage."

"Don't let him hear you say that." She cast a look at her nephew. "His older brother goading him over that exact thing is how she took the hit."

Ah, boys.

Returning to the cabana, I eased one arm under Evie's knees, the other beneath her armpits. "Think you can help me out and hold onto my neck, baby?"

Evie let out a soft whimper but looped her arms around my neck so I was able to hoist her into my arms. Her swimsuit was still wet from being in the pool, and dampness seeped into my clothes, but I didn't care. I wasn't going out tonight; I already knew that.

The only thing that mattered was making sure my wife was all right.

Thankfully, with Jaxon's help, I was able to get in contact with the Comets' team doc, who had made the trip to Vegas for the league event this weekend. I'd helped Evie change into her pajamas and she was tucked in bed by the time he arrived.

My girl whined during his examination, complaining that she wanted to go back to sleep. Standing at the foot of the bed with my arms crossed, I watched on, my body vibrating with tension.

Dr. Weston peeked over at me, declaring, "She doesn't show any signs of a concussion."

Relief washed over me so forcefully that my hands dropped to the mattress, and I had to breathe through the darkness creeping in from the sides of my vision.

"Thank God," I breathed.

A hand clasped my shoulder. "You sure you don't need to be checked out, too?" There was humor in the doctor's voice, but I wasn't in the mood for jokes.

Pushing off the bed, I took a deep breath. "Nah. I just needed her to be okay." Running a hand through my hair, I asked, "Any guesses as to what caused the episode? The girls said it happened suddenly."

He eyed my wife, who now lay unconscious on the bed. "You said she'd been drinking before the incident?" I nodded. "It's entirely possible the bump to the noggin was an unfortunately timed coincidence."

"Yeah. But she's usually better at holding her liquor," I mused.

Shrugging, Dr. Weston replied, "You never know which bartender is going to have a heavy pour. And if they're good at what they do, you don't even notice you've had too much until it's too late. Keep an eye on her tonight. If she's not better tomorrow, you've got my number."

"Thanks. I appreciate you coming up." I walked him to the door.

Once he was gone, I slid into bed next to my wife, prepared to keep a watchful eye on her until she woke.

"There's the little troublemaker!" I skated toward Beau Slate, who was dressed in full gear to accompany his dad on the ice for the All-Pro Skills Tournament.

Behind the cage on his helmet, his brown eyes widened when he saw me. "Is Miss Evie okay?" he asked timidly.

"Right as rain," I confirmed.

"I didn't mean to hit her, I swear."

"I know, bud." I placed a gloved hand on his helmet and gave his head a little shake. "All is forgiven."

Beau chewed on his lower lip. "My mom was real mad."

Jaxon skated over, having overheard our conversation. "He's not kidding." The face of the league shuddered. "Nat's not a yeller, but last night, I was worried someone was going to call security on our room. Took hours to convince her to let him out on the ice tonight."

"Evie wouldn't have wanted to see him punished so harshly, or at all, for that matter. It was an accident. We all know that." I dropped to a knee before the boy. "You said your best friend is watching tonight?" Beau nodded. "How about we give him a show?"

"Yes!" Beau screamed excitedly. "Knox is a year older and gets to do all kinds of things before me."

"I happen to have a spot in the goalie shootout. Wanna take my place?"

"Oh boy," Jaxon muttered. "You have no idea the grenade you're about to throw into that friendship. Those two are as competitive as it comes."

"Remind me, who is Knox's dad?" I asked Beau.

"Benji Mason," he replied.

"Hmm. Can Knox shoot as good as his dad?" Benji was a sniper. He had a quick release and could place a puck into the net with precision.

"Yeah." The little boy sighed.

A wicked grin curved on my lips. "He ever score on a pro goalie, though?"

Beau caught my drift, and his brown eyes sparkled with mischief. He knew that he'd have bragging rights on his buddy for years to come. "No, sir."

"Then this is your shot." I winked playfully. "Don't blow it."

"Wait till I tell Charlie!" He skated over to where his younger sister was hanging out with Braxton. From what I'd gathered over the years, my young teammate had a tight bond with his niece.

When I stood, Jaxon simply shook his head. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know. But I felt bad for the little guy. Broke my heart to see him crying poolside yesterday."

"Natalie mentioned you guys are planning to adopt?"

I chuckled, having forgotten how fast news traveled within the hockey community. "Yeah. A little girl due next month."

"That's great, man. You excited, scared shitless, or both?" Jaxon teased.

"Scared out of my mind, but probably not in the same way as most expectant fathers."

"Oh yeah?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

I spun my stick in my hands. "We walked through fire to get here, and I almost want it more for Evie than I want it for myself. But—" I let out a heavy sigh. "There are no guarantees, even though a mom chose us. A lot can still go wrong."

Jaxon nodded in understanding. "I hate to break it to you, Jenner, but parents live in constant fear, even after the kid is born and they get to take them home. They worry about their child's health, their safety, and whether they'll make the right choices when they're out of your sight. It's fucking terrifying, but the most rewarding thing you'll ever do in your life."

"And you've got five of them. Should I be lighting a candle for you in church?" I joked.

We shared a laugh before he replied, "Couldn't hurt. Just remember, I have teenagers. Bigger kids, bigger problems." He rubbed a hand over his face. "But seriously, though, if I can give you one piece of advice as someone who has been through it a couple of times before, it would be to enjoy every day. You'll find yourself looking forward to the next milestone, so much so that you don't focus on the stage you're in. Soak in the days when all they want to do is sleep on your chest to the sound of your beating heart. You'll never get that time back."

Emotion clogged my throat, thinking about sharing those moments with our daughter and watching Evie become a mom.

Swallowing, I managed to say, "Thanks, Jaxon."

"From what I saw of you and Beau, you've already got what it takes to be a great dad."

"I hope so." The words were barely a whisper.

Maybe they were a prayer. If they were, I hoped someone was listening.