19. Noah

Itrust Brighton's explanation as to why Allan was in our house, so I'm not sure why I still have an uncomfortable knot in my stomach as I pull up in front of my house and stare at the closed front door. For the briefest of moments, I feel like that bullied kid who mowed the lawns, and had no place being a guest at a resort like this.

But that's stupid.

I'm a grown-ass man, with an amazing daughter, wonderful family, a generous and sweet girlfriend and a killer NHL contract that allowed me to buy this resort.

Girlfriend?

Is Brighton my girlfriend? Honestly, we never talked about that. We only talked about being exclusive while she was Camryn's nanny. This relationship comes with an expiry date and we're going to have to have that conversation, sooner rather than later, to fix it. I'm not sure why I'm so nervous about it. I'm pretty sure she wants this as much as I do.

I push all dark thoughts of Allan and their past relationship—and the fact that he's the one who broke up with her—to the back of my brain where they belong and lock them behind an impenetrable wall. I am not dragging anything from my past into my future with Brighton. We've all moved on from high school, right? And so help me, if Allan shows up again, I'm going to say hello with my fist.

I grab my bag from the trunk and make my way up the front walkway. I try the door, only to find it locked, so I fish my key from my pocket. Only problem is, it doesn't work. I pull it out, check to make sure I'm using the right one, and as I push it into the lock, only for it to jamb up halfway in. I once again can't help but feel like that kid who never belonged—was denied entrance.

I back up, and look around. What the hell is going on? I'm about to phone Brighton when the door flies open and a very happy and exuberant Camryn rushes into my arms.

"Hey." I glance at Brighton over my daughter's head and Brighton gives me a shaky smile. Is she worried that I don't believe her story about Allan?

"I am so sorry, Noah. I had the locks changed earlier today, and completely forgot to tell you." She slaps her forehead. "I don't know where my brain has been lately."

Not on her ex, I hope. Nope, nope, nope. I am not going down that road. I locked those negative thoughts away and that's where they're going to stay.

"It's okay." I stand and pick up my bag. "Why did you change the locks?"

"Allan," she snaps quietly. "He had a key and didn't give it back."

"Did you ask for it?"

She winces and I get it. That sounded a little accusatory. "I didn't when we broke up. I had other things on my mind, but when he just showed up here unannounced and unwelcomed, I asked for it back and he pocketed it and walked out the door."

I nod and consider that for a moment, and how horrible it must have been for Brighton and Camryn to come home and find him here. A wave of anger takes hold. Christ, I really wish I had been here when he showed up.

"Changing the locks was smart," I tell her and she relaxes a bit.

"Daddy, did you bring me back a present?"

I ruffle Camryn's hair. "Of course, I did, Bean. I have a very special surprise for you."

She covers her mouth and giggles. "Daddy, we have a surprise for you, too."

"Another one?" I ask, and from the corner of my eye I see Brighton wince again. Wow, aren't I saying all the wrong things today. "Did you have another soda?" I ask, and give Brighton a smile to let her know it's okay. A soda once in a while isn't going to hurt. Allan showing up uninvited on the other hand… That's going to hurt—him—if he ever tries it again.

Brighton backs up a bit. "I was going to tell you about that."

"I know." I look at Camryn who's jiggling with excitement. "Why don't we go upstairs, and I can show you what I brought for you and you can show me what you have for me."

Camryn runs ahead and when she's out of sight, I lean in and kiss Brighton. The feel of her warm lips on mine loosens the knot in my stomach. "Missed you," I tell her.

"I missed you more."

"Oh yeah." I give her a playful wink. "Prove it."

She grabs my shirt and tugs until I bang against her body. I breathe in the sweet floral scent of her skin. "I plan too."

"Daddy, hurry up."

I inch back, instantly missing her warmth. "I guess I'd better hurry."

Brighton and I head up the stairs and I notice the way she keeps looking at me, like she too might have something on her mind. Yeah, we really need to talk.

"You guys did great, Noah," she finally says. "It was a nail-biting game."

I grin at her. "But in the end, we kicked some Chicago butt."

"It was a lot more fun to watch, now that I know some of the players better."

"So, you do admit to watching before?"

"I admit to nothing," she responds with an innocent whistle.

"How about our home game this week? Do you think you want to watch in person? I talked to Dad and he said he'd watch Camryn."

"I would love that." We walk slowly, wanting just a few seconds of quiet together, even though Camryn is practically bursting at the seams on the landing. "I was thinking," Brighton continues. "Maybe we could have another barbecue this weekend. The resort is quieter now, and it would be fun to do it on the rooftop patio before it closes for the winter season and before you're swamped with the regular season. Camryn has been asking to play with Chloe and Luna again."

"What about Silas?"

Her laugh curls around me. "She is so not into boys right now."

I groan, knowing her teenage years will test me severely. "I hope that lasts forever."

She nudges me with her shoulder. "Don't count on it, J-bone."

I laugh at that, and when I reach the landing, Camryn grabs my hand and drags me inside the house, and when I see the walls and all the family pictures, I drop my bag, my heart pounding hard in my chest. I turn to Brighton, to find her blinking rapidly as she nibbles her bottom lip.

"You did this?"

She smiles at my daughter. "I had help. Your parents helped too. I went through photo albums with your mom and dad. It was so much fun." I stare at her, so touched that she did this for Camryn and me.

Camryn tugs on my arm and points. "Daddy, this is me and you when I was just born."

I swallow past the lump in my throat. This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done.

I scrub my scruff of a beard as a tightness grips my chest. "I…I can't believe."

Her eyes go wide and she takes a small step toward me. "I hope you don't, that I didn't?—"

"I love it," I assure her quickly, my voice a little raspy as all the things I feel for this woman rise to the surface. "Thank you, Brighton."

"I wanted to make it homey for Camryn…and you."

"It really was lacking a female touch, wasn't it?" I agree with a laugh, as I scoop up my daughter. "Okay, Bean, let's look at all the pictures."

After she shows me all the beautifully framed family pictures, I give them their gifts. A stuffed Bernese Mountain dog for Camryn, and a stuffed sheep for Brighton. Yes, I saw how much she admired them on the farm that day. They both love their gifts and Brighton spends the night showing me how much.

The rest of the week is spent with me at practice during the day and the three of us doing family things at night and as mundane as that is, I love every second of it. I even love that Brighton came to our home game mid-week. I can't even put into words how much fun it is to have her watching with the other wives and girlfriends. Especially when I score the winning goal. Now here it is, the weekend already and our friends are arriving for a last blowout before our regular season begins.

With a lifeguard on duty watching the kids in the pool, I turn my focus to Brighton as she chats with a few of the women. My heart warms at how accepting they all are. That's what I love about our team.

When we chose the date for the barbecue, we weren't aware that there'd be a bachelorette party going on. The girls might be all over the single guys, but I'm not having anything to do with that, even though officially I am single, but dammit, I want to change that. I spot Brady, the biggest player on the team—on the ice and off—hanging out at the bar, but Melanie isn't giving him the time of day.

Melanie is gorgeous—and older than him—and I'm surprised he's not going for the sure thing with one of the bridesmaids, to be honest. Maybe he likes the challenge, never having had to be challenged before. It makes me laugh. Melanie isn't the kind of woman to be impressed by his antics or his stature, and a flat-out rejection by her just might put a dent in his ego, and while I love the guy, I can't help but think that wouldn't be a bad thing.

I walk over to my chair and grab a towel. As I dry myself, I can feel Brighton's eyes on me. She excuses herself, and walks over to me. "Having fun?" she asks, and I let my gaze rake over her body. Her hips and breasts are a little fuller now and it looks good on her. So good in fact, I want to leave this party and ravage her.

"This was a great idea, Sunshine."

"I really love your friends."

"Your friends too," I assure her and her eyes light with joy. Who knew it? The girl I knew growing up—one I thought had everything—really had nothing, and that makes me want to give her the world. I lean into her as Conner cannonballs into the pool, drawing everyone's attention except mine and Brighton's. Our gazes are locked on one another.

"I was thinking about something," I say.

"Oh?" she asks, her eyes bright and shiny. She loves this, loves entertaining the team, the families—her new friends. It's no wonder she was so good in the role of event coordinator. She thrives on this and I'm sure she's soon going to want to get back to it, and I plan to make that happen.

I narrow my eyes, my heart pounding, and while I'm a confident man, there's still a part of that shunned teen inside of me. "I want to talk about your position."

She grins but then it dies an abrupt death. "Wait, you mean my nanny position? Are you not happy with the way I'm caring for Camryn?"

"No, you're great with her. I was thinking of another position."

"Oh, I get it," she giggles and sags against me. "Something kinky in mind?"

My dick twitches as she brushes against it, and I shift because my damn bathing suit is not going to hide any kind of boner.

"I'm talking about girlfriend." Christ, I feel like I'm back in high school, but here goes nothing. "Will you be my girlfriend, Brighton?"

She laughs and holds her finger up. "Aren't I already your fiancée?"

My chest flares, as the world fades away around me. Is this really happening? Right here, right now? Christ, I never spent a lot of time thinking about how I'd propose to a woman. I was so focused on hockey and Camryn I never thought I'd fall in love. But at a pool with our friends…this certainly isn't how I imagined any kind of proposal going down. A woman deserves romance and finesse, right? What kind of story is this to tell the grandkids?

"Is that the position you want?" I ask.