10. Taran

Chapter 10

Taran

E mma's baby blues fix on me, and she chews her lip, clearly nervous about whatever it is she has to say. "Uhm… I don't know if you know…"

"Know what?" I prompt when she trails off and starts wringing her hands. But then the penny drops, and I heave a sigh with a grimace that she takes personally. Her face crumples slightly, and I force a smile on my face when I ask, "Is this about the transfer?"

She nods. "Yes, oh thank fuck, you know."

"Well, know is a bit of the wrong term. I was informed by your father this morning, and I'm guessing Jeff confirmed it with you."

"Transfer?" Lachlan butts in, getting pissed off again. "What transfer?"

"Taran is coming to the Warriors in the next transfer window," Emma blurts out quickly. "Next month."

"What?" he snaps.

"I knew Keith had a plan. I knew it," Keir mumbles.

"What?" Emma asks now at the same time as me. "What are you talking about?"

Keir sighs and runs a hand through his wet hair as he glares at Lachlan. "Full disclosure: we had a meeting with Keith this morning. He thinks Lach should take over coaching the team permanently as a player until he retires, but he has to resign as Captain. And clearly, he is bringing Taran in to cover that angle."

"As Captain of the Warriors?" I ask with a wary look at Lachlan, who glares back at me but doesn't throw a punch, even though I wouldn't blame him. "This is fucked up."

"No shit," he grumbles.

"Look, there cannot be any bad blood," Emma says, almost desperately. "We have to make this work, somehow. Clearly, Dad is still meddling in this team, which has to stop. I will talk to him about that, but this seems to be a done deal. Taran is coming to the Warriors next month and that's that."

"Great," Lachlan mutters.

"Look," Keir says. "You were thinking about stepping down as Captain to do the coaching thing anyway. You're just pissed because someone told you to do it. It makes no difference."

I look between the two men but ignore them as I turn back to Emma. "How do you feel about this? All three of us at the same team?"

She shrugs. "In a way, I guess it's easier. I won't be fraternising with the enemy, just half the fucking team," she says with a grim smile.

I chuckle at her blunt honesty. "Well, at least we can keep all the drama in one place," I say, trying to lighten the mood.

Keir lets out a snort. "You know, this might actually work out better than we think. We've studied each other's moves for years. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Taran will be an asset to the team. But will your loyalty lie with the Warriors?"

Giving him a frown, I nod. "Yeah, obviously. I'm not some insider coming in to throw the game, for fuck's sake."

Lachlan still looks grumpy, arms crossed over his chest. "Yeah, you say that, but…"

Emma cuts him off. "Look, you have to trust what he says, or this is never going to work. None of it, on or off the ice."

She lays it on the line, and we all take her seriously.

"I'm all in," I say, breaking the silence.

"Same," Keir says, leaving only Lachlan to agree.

"All in," he says and then grins, throwing off his attitude in the blink of an eye. "So, this is a cosy little spot you picked out, baby girl, and we need to get out of these wet clothes."

Smirking at Emma, whose cheeks have gone bright red, she shakes her head. "No, not here?—"

"Yes, here, princess. Where anyone could walk over and see us."

"Keir and I haven't been together yet. I don't want our first time to be me a bag of nerves that someone will see us!"

I chuckle. "Well, get on that. I want to take you where everyone knows you are mine."

"Ours," Lachlan interrupts me lightly, but there is no bite to his tone, for once.

"Don't rush us," Emma murmurs.

Keir has clammed up completely, but he is gazing at Emma like she is the goddess she is.

"Well, we can't stand around here all soggy for the rest of the day. How about we retreat and meet back in a couple of hours, clean and dried, for pizza and a few beers?" I suggest, trying to break the tension that dropped between the two of them suddenly.

"Sounds like a plan," she murmurs, tearing her eyes away from Keir to me.

She smiles, and I move in, dropping a light kiss on her lips. "Been wanting to do that all day."

"Glad you finally did."

Chucking her under her chin, I wave, eager to get out of these wet clothes and wash the river off me so I can return to the woman I adore, not looking and smelling like something the cat dragged in. Throwing my soaked tee onto the passenger seat with a grimace, I drive shirtless back to my penthouse, fully resigned to the fact that I have to move on from the Arrows and start my season as a Nessie Warrior. I wonder if I can hold the truce with Lachlan and if we can become friends again. I'm surprised by his admission, probably as much as he was with mine, but we are adults now, and maybe the time has come to move on from past hurt. And maybe Emma will be the one who will help us.