5. Sawyer

CHAPTER 5

SAWYER

"Hit the showers," Coach yells as practice comes to an end. "I want to see that same power at this weekend's game." There's a collective exhale when Coach finally calls it a day because he was working us hard as shit today. Dom—one of our goalies—actually stops on the way to the locker room to lay on the ice to cool down.

"Dom. Get your ass up before you get freezer burn on your face like some old ass ice cream." Matty slaps his ass with his stick as he skates off the ice, leaving Dom grumbling to himself by the goal.

I waste no time hitting the showers since I still have to get home and change before we head to the trail tonight. A bunch of the guys are talking about going out for drinks tonight and seeing what kind of trouble they can get into, bragging about the girls who are constantly throwing themselves at their feet. Whereas I, on the other hand, haven't hooked up casually since college and haven't lasted longer than a single post-game drink in years . The appeal just isn't there anymore. I don't want casual hookups, or someone who only wants to be with me because of my name or status. So, I left that part of the game behind me when I signed my contract with the NHL.

"Got any plans tonight, Clark? Some of the guys are going out, maybe see if we can find a slutty nurse or something to take home. You in?" Devon gives me a hopeful stare while Javier and I exchange glances.

"Nah man. I've got plans already but uh, good luck with that." Swinging my bag over my shoulder I pat his arm and shoot Javier another glance.

" Javi… "

"Dev, you always pretend like you don't know I've been married for ten years. I have my own little spawns to take trick-or-treating tonight, so I'll pass—again." Their voices fade as I make my way down the hallway towards the parking lot. I appreciate the effort he's putting forth to try and include me—even if it's not my scene—and though the idea of finding someone to take home is appealing, my sights are set on an angel tonight.

I climb in my truck and grab my phone out of my bag to turn it back on when I notice a bunch of unread messages.

Max

Hey, wanna meet us at the bar for a drink before we go to this haunted corn field?

Tank

It's called a haunted TRAIL, grandpa.

Max

I'm literally only five years older than you.

Tank

grandpa emoji

Tucker

Stop fighting in front of the new guy. You're gonna scare him off.

Tank

If he's related to YOUR bride, I doubt he scares easily.

Me

Sorry, I just got out of practice. But you would be correct. Being related to Taylor gives me an advantage of not being spooked easily. I'm down for a drink. What time?

Max

Tuck and I are here working and Tank is heading over in about an hour. How's five?

Me

Sounds good. See you in about an hour.

For as long as I can remember I've only been friends with people on whatever hockey team I was on. From high school, up until I moved to Nashville, it's been eat, sleep, breathe hockey twenty-four-seven. I'm starting to get a glimpse at what it will be like to have friends outside of the sport and I'm honestly grateful for that. Maybe they'll be the ones to help me figure out what happens after hockey.

"Welcome, soon to be brother-in-law." Tucker's voice hits me before I'm even through the threshold at Chattahoochies. Max pops the top off a beer and holds it up, placing it at the empty spot next to Tucker—that I assume is for me. I slide onto the stool and thank Max for the drink before turning to Tucker.

"Are you ever actually going to marry my sister? It feels like you two have been engaged forever."

"Shit, I would have married her in the backyard the night I proposed, but after these two—" He waves his beer between Max and Tank—who is now walking up beside me. "Decided they needed to marry their women within days of proposing, she made it very clear there needed to be a thoroughly planned wedding ." He air quotes. "Well, guess who's now getting married in his own backyard?" He's silent as we all stare back at him.

"Correct. Me." He finishes off his beer before setting the bottle down on the counter.

"Wait, you guys finally set a date? When?" Max looks appalled that he's just now hearing about it as he looks over at Tucker.

"Down boy, we just decided yesterday. We're getting married June first at our house. Consider this your official save the date." He drums on the bar, and I can't fight back my laugh.

"You know better than that, right? She's probably got five different samples of legit save the dates and invitations you'll have to choose from." I raise a brow at him as his smile fades.

"Just let me have hope that this can be simple, please," he pleads, making the rest of us laugh.

"Still wanna talk shit about our super-fast marriages or ?" Tucker flips Tank off while Max clears his empty bottle from the counter.

"What about you, hockey star? Anyone special in your life you'd consider enduring numerous painful hours of looking at floral arrangements for?" Tucker redirects the conversation, tipping his chin up at me.

"Hmm. Maybe." I don't think now is the time to dredge up my past and how I'm trying to fix ten year's worth of damage with the only girl I've ever felt time stop with.

" Okayyy ." Tucker raises a brow at me.

"Don't wanna jinx it." I click my tongue before finishing my beer.

"Alright, I gotta go." Tank eyes the clock before taking a sip of the water he hasn't touched until now.

"Already? Dude you just got here." Tucker holds his hands up in confusion but Tank shrugs it off.

"Ruby and the Hen want to get there early to do things like bobbing for apples and shit. I don't know, but I'll catch up with you guys there." Tank slaps Tucker on the back and waves bye to Max and I before rushing out.

"Big family guy?" I nod my head to where Tank is already walking out the door.

"You have no idea." Max raises his brows and knocks on the counter before walking to the other end of the bar to wait on someone that just sat down.

"You'll learn soon enough how tight knit of a group you're running with. We might not all be blood, but we're a family, nevertheless. And we put family first. Always."

"I can get on board with that."

The crisp fall air and the smell of bonfires burning around us is nostalgic in all the best ways. I can already hear the screams coming from the haunted trail as soon as I step out of my truck and with that sound come memories from my childhood that I've done my best to hold onto—not wanting to forget a single detail.

I check my watch and look around in an effort to find a familiar face, and that's when I spot Tank and Ruby with Hendrix and Poe by the pumpkin patch. I walk over and say hi, earning a high five from Hendrix as well as a very detailed story about how he's the best apple bobber probably in the universe. Ruby's phone goes off as soon as he finishes his story.

"Everyone is down at the trail waiting for us," she announces.

Why the hell is my heart racing all of a sudden?

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves about seeing Leah again. After the way she acted at Taylor's house I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't even come simply because I'm here—but she can't avoid me forever.

I'm back for good now and it looks like we'll be running into each other more often than not since I've been adopted into the guy portion of this found family. Before we can start down the hill Max comes around the corner with a bundled-up Cece in his arms.

"Hey pretty girl! You look so cozy." Ruby is absolutely gushing over her, pinching her cheeks and tickling her through her fuzzy jacket. By the way Tank is looking at Ruby while she talks to Cece I have a feeling Poe won't be their last baby.

"Say hi Aunt Rubes. " Max talks in a high-pitched voice that I would never expect to hear from him as he waves Cece's hand for her. Then Hendrix starts in on the baby talk. If there's one kid on this planet that was born to be a big brother, it's Hendrix. When Cece tries saying Hendrix's name with a big grin on her face, I can't help the smile that comes across mine.

"Okay, little people with me. Grown people, go try not to punch a clown in the face." Max grabs Poe's stroller and Hendrix runs over to stand beside him as Ruby crosses her arms over her chest and levels Max with a glare.

"I feel like there's a story we're missing about you and a clown?" I'm pretty sure Max audibly growls before walking in the opposite direction and Ruby's hands fly up in mock defense.

Tank, Ruby, and I start walking down the hill again and he drapes his arm around her, kissing her temple.

"So, you've been to a lot of these? Taylor mentioned you guys used to come here a lot when you were younger," Ruby asks.

"Yeah, every year since the girls were in eighth grade up until they graduated." I remember those days so vividly it hurts sometimes.

"Bummer you guys stopped; it seems like such a fun tradition." Ruby keeps talking about how it makes sense that we wouldn't though since everyone went away to college, but when we round the corner and my eyes land on Leah, I tune everything else out.

I find her almost immediately and, as always, she looks perfect. She's wearing a tan knit sweater, dark blue jeans, and brown riding boots. Her long brown hair is straight down her back tonight and there's an absolutely infectious smile spread across her lips.

I can never help but smile when I see her.

She's so beautiful that I physically ache just to be near her.

Then Tucker moves one step to the left and I notice it isn't one of the girls she's talking to and smiling at. Her fingers are intertwined with the guy who has somehow put himself in a position to earn her smile, her laughter, her touch. Upon closer examination I realize it's the same guy she was with at Taylor's birthday party.

This motherfucker, again?

"Oh, Jackson made it too!" My head snaps in Ruby's direction.

"Jackson?" I try not to let my tone reflect the way I want to toss him so far into the corn maze he never finds his way out.

"Yeah, they work together but they've been out a few times so maybe they'll be more than coworkers soon." Ruby shoots a hopeful look over her shoulder before making her way down the hill to join the rest of the group.

She was on a fucking date that night. Coworker my ass.

I look back over to see them cozied up in line together and I know my smile is long gone because I'm biting down so hard to keep from cursing it feels like my jaw is fixing to break.

"Shit." I look over to see Tank still standing next to me. "The girl you were talking about earlier. It's Leah, isn't it?" he asks, his eyebrows raising in surprise. I blow out a breath and nod. No reason denying the painfully obvious.

"Yeah. It's Leah…" As much as I don't want to look back over and see her with someone else, I can't seem to stop myself. She's still talking with her friends and smiling so big her eyes squint the wider it gets.

"Since when?" This time when I answer I don't take my eyes off her. I can't. Like a tragedy you can't look away from, my attention is hers.

"Since always." As if she can feel me willing her to look my way, she turns around and our eyes lock.

I hold my breath—trying to gauge her reaction from seeing me—and my heart cracks a little when her smile falls. Then she simply turns around and continues as if I'm not even here.

Which somehow feels worse than any other reaction she could have had.