Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Cam

"How did I get here?" Athena asks on a sigh.

I grin. Because here is Chrissy's bright and colorful adoption center, full to the brim with adorable kittens and cats, people who've paid a few bucks to entertain (and socialize) the furry menaces, volunteers, and… us.

A member of the public who's about to adopt a cat.

Not me.

But Athena.

Because Jean-Michel convinced her visiting the adoption center was a good idea.

Just visiting .

I grin. I knew from the moment that I came out of the arena a couple of days ago to find them in close conversation and overheard the team's owner discussing the work that Chrissy does in great detail, that this would be the result.

Athena, on the other hand, seemed to be in denial that this would be the inevitable outcome?—

A cat sitting on her lap, purring like crazy, and staring up at her with eyes that mean she's just placed a huge order for pickup at a local pet store (where, funny story, the volunteers might have mentioned that adopters receive a generous discount at).

This was after having filled out and turned in paperwork to take this little fluffball home.

And after making an appointment with Chrissy's vet to get a checkup and make sure the kitten is in the system there so he stays on track for all of his vaccines.

And this was all after placing an online order for extra supplies and food and litter, all of which will be automatically shipped every month.

Prepper.

My girl is a prepper.

I love it.

I love everything I learn about her.

"Come on," I say lightly. "You knew exactly what you were in for the moment you walked through the door."

Silence.

Then a scowl.

Before her face clears and she strokes a hand down the kitten's back—an orange tabby who has mischief in his eyes…except when he looks at Athena. She purses her lips and exhales. "Fine. I knew. I just hadn't allowed my logical self to recognize that fact." She cuddles the kitten closer, and continues, affecting Jean-Michel's voice, "If you're going to be around the team, you should understand some of the charity work we participate in"—her eyes come to mine and she drops the grumpy French Canadian—"so, this"—a nod at the kitten—"is all your fault."

"Maybe," I say.

"Or maybe you're a softie with lots of love for innocent creatures, no matter how hard you try to pretend otherwise."

Her face is a study in juxtaposition—fear and joy, pleasure and retreat—but just like she's done since she jumped me at the cabin, she shoves that down and pushes forward.

Fuck, I love her so much.

"And why don't you have a pet?"

"I travel too much." And I was scared to get attached too anything or anyone after the news.

She seems to hear both of those statements because her face gentles?—

And I fall in love with her even more.

Not the woman I knew from a distance, the one I'd mooned over for years. But rather, the one beneath the icy layers that have melted away. The woman she is in this moment and the one she has been in the past. The one who cuddles a kitten and comes to the arena. The one who's simultaneously kicking ass in the shooting range and working on a case against an organized crime conglomerate. The one with baggage but who still manages to be a great friend. The one who offers to pay for food and rehab for her deadbeat of a mother.

The one who hugged me because I looked sad.

And the one who opened up when I talked about what was bothering me, sharing so I wouldn't be vulnerable alone.

I've fallen in deep with Athena—deeper than I ever thought possible.

And I can't seem to stop.

Don't want to stop.

"Plus, I intend to be an excellent cat dad." I hold up my phone, showing her what I've just bought—a crocheted superhero mask that will allow the kitten to battle to save Gotham. "And first step is bribing you with adorable hats for the fluffball."

Her eyes narrow, but I don't miss the amusement in the brown depths as she continues petting and says, "Thor would be a superior superhero for him to represent." A kiss to his head, this woman who kept herself so distant and yet holds that kitten like he's the most precious cargo on the planet.

Like she'd hold a baby.

Bile burns the back of my throat, and I exhale slowly.

More than one way to make a family.

More—

"And his name isn't fluffball." She wrinkles her nose at me. "That's far beneath him."

"True," I agree. Plus, he isn't all that fluffy. His fur is sleeker, the orange—along with his demeanor—more understated than his kitten pals creating chaos through the various rooms of the adoption center. "So, what are you going to name him?"

I already know his moniker isn't going to remain Rex—the name the rescue group gave him, this round of kittens named after dinosaurs.

She sighs, lifting him up to study his face. Nonplussed, the kitten blinks green-brown eyes and yawns widely before lying limply against her shoulder and going back to purring loudly. "I don't know."

I run my fingers through his soft fur, ignoring the way he slits his eyes open and glares. "It'll come to you."

"I hope so."

"It will."

But those words didn't come from my mouth and we both shift to watch Chrissy sink down in front of us, looking bright and beautiful…and pregnant.

I feel another pulse slice through my belly—pain and longing and guilt—but thankfully it's not the only thing I feel. Sitting next to Athena, watching her with the kitten, and I'm feeling the same sense of completion that I had up at the cabin, especially when she smiles up at me.

My future shifted, things were taken from me.

But that doesn't mean I can't pivot with it, can't be fucking happy .

That's what I need to focus on, need to move toward.

"You okay?" Athena asks and for a second I think she's talking to me.

Then I realize her focus is on Chrissy—who went pale, clamped a hand to her mouth, and then rushed out of the space not five minutes ago.

Yup.

Definitely pregnant.

Chrissy's hand shifts slightly, covering her belly, and she nods. "It's…" Her eyes flick to Athena's. "Well, we're not really telling anyone, and the timing won't be great"—to mine—"in terms of the season, but Rome and I are…" She looks around, drops her voice. "Pregnant."

Another pulse, but that's gone the moment Athena shifts and presses her thigh to mine, offering silent comfort.

Not distant.

Not pulling away.

Coming close. Mine.

"Congratulations," she tells Chrissy softly.

"Congrats," I say, proud my voice is even.

Chrissy tilts her head to the side, studying me. "Why don't you sound surprised?"

I wince. "I suspected, considering how closely Rome has been hovering." Even now our captain is in the corner of the room, watching Chrissy intently as he changes out some of the cat perches and climbing apparatuses that are looking a little worse for wear.

He narrows his eyes at me and nods, as though warning me to not upset his woman.

I nod back, silently communicating that I wouldn't dare…and that I owe him a celebratory beer.

A kid.

Jesus, that feels like a big step.

That I'll never have.

I grit my teeth together.

Athena shifts a little closer.

I shove the grief down, deep down. This isn't about me, isn't about what I lost. This…is about people I love having things that make their lives complete.

"I'm really happy for you both," I say softly, leaning in to hug her around the kittens and cats who've already moved in to claim her. "You'll be great parents."

Her smile is as bright as her soul. "Thank you," she whispers, hugging me back. "That means a lot coming from you."

I exhale, tug a strand of her hair, then wince as a kitten uses my leg for a scratching post. Scooping it up, I cuddle it close as she keeps talking.

"We wanted to wait to tell everyone until the twelve week mark," she says then makes a face. "Unfortunately, me having to run off and puke every thirty minutes is making that hard."

"The kid has his own time frame already, huh?" Athena teases.

That has Chrissy smiling, and it widens as Rome sits behind her and hugs her close.

"Definitely strong-headed like his mom," she agrees, grinning up at Rome and pressing a kiss to his jaw.

"I can't wait to see what she's like," he murmurs.

" She huh?" Chrissy asks and I have the feeling this is a conversation they've had many times already. "How do you know he's not a boy?"

"I know, kitten." He leans in and kisses the top of her head. Then he glances up at me, his expression shrewd and filled with curiosity.

I brace, knowing this moment has been coming from the moment I walked in with Athena.

"What's up with you two?"

I shoot him a glare.

Jesus, not even going to softball that question?

"Sex cave," he mouths.

Ugh. Well, I guess compared to that line of questioning, I should be happy he went the route of playing dumb.

"This is Ats," I say quietly.

"Yeah, I know," he says, drawing Chrissy closer. "We met. We talked?—"

"Ats as in Athena ."

He stills and I know he gets how big this is.

That's what getting drunk and staying up way too fucking late in a hotel bar will do.

Deepest darkest secrets blurted out with every additional shot.

Most of them, anyway.

"This is Athena?"

"Ats," she corrects carefully. "You haven't earned the right to call me by my full name." Her lips quirk. "Plus, I don't relish being confused for your pooch."

Also named Athena—a rescue corgi whose litter was named after Roman and Greek gods and goddesses.

Rome recovers quickly, his eyes dancing at her barb. "Noted…Ats. So, you're the childhood friend?"

"Less childhood and more family," she says bluntly. "I've known Cam for a decade."

Worry in his eyes. "And is that how long you've been in love with his brother?"

"Rome," I snap. "What the fuck?"

Chrissy swats him across the chest at the same time, sending the kittens scattering. "Seriously?"

"It's not any of your business," Athena says quietly. "But I've never been in love with Cam's brother. He's my best friend and that's all he's ever been, all he will ever be."

But Rome doesn't let up. "Because he's with someone else?"

"Dude." I lift the kitten in my lap and set it to the side, ready to drag Rome's ass out of here so I can introduce him to my right fist properly…and in private.

"No," she snaps. "Because Lex and I have been friends forever and never been more." Bald words. "And…"

I find myself holding my breath.

"Because I didn't know Cam had feelings for me."