Chapter 54

Wade

Eagles owner confirms he is Wade Collins' father

Yesterday was crazy.

The press release was posted and then an odd sense of relief washed over me.

I'm too removed from everyone to know what the fallout looks like, but I've checked the news, and social media, and the nice comments outweigh the bad at this point. For now, though, I need to focus on something far more important.

I look around the ice cream shop not far from my Caulder Creek home, feeling a little nervous to be seeing Lola alone for the first time since all this came out. We've spent plenty of time together before I knew the truth, but I'm nervous as hell. I have a knot in my belly, and I can't stop chewing my lip.

"So, you like ice cream?" I ask her, knowing she does.

"Big fan," she replies. "What are you having?" Hooking her arm around mine, she doesn't appear nervous in the slightest.

"Eh, creamy coconut." I point with my free hand to the ice cream flavor I want displayed inside the gigantic fridge full of multicolored gelato.

"That's what I'm going to have too. They do table service here. Let's grab a booth."

"Okay." I don't care what she wants to do. I'll do whatever makes her happy.

"That one." She moves in the direction of the one that I knew she would pick.

Sliding herself into the curved seating area in pastel yellow and pink, I can't help but smile and think how well those colors sum up her personality. She's like summer all year round.

"What are you smiling at?"

"You," I admit. "This place is very you."

"Like ice cream, I'm ice cold and give you brain freeze?" she drawls.

"No, I mean––"

Smiling now, she butts in. "I know what you mean, Wade. Cheerful."

"Yeah." I slide in beside her, but not too close because I want to get a good look at her. Properly. "Are you sleeping?" I worry about her. She's had lots going on too. First, she discovered she has an adulterous mother, then an estranged half brother, then there's Zane too, her father passed away leaving her all by herself and then her ass-hole ex, who cheated on her, sold her private story to a newspaper.

"Not sleeping very well, no." She confirms my suspicions.

"You look tired."

"Thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm more worried about you. What's this?" She reaches up and tugs my newly grown beard. "I don't like it. You've become lazy."

She scarily reminds me of Gretchen sometimes. Brutally honest, but accurate.

When the waitress arrives, Lola and I end up deciding to share a sundae made for two people.

Reaching out, she takes my hand in hers. "Thank you for coming today. I wasn't sure if you would." She's so petite and pretty. I can't believe she's related to me. Although I can. She inherited my mother's knock out looks.

"You're the one I wanted to speak to the most." Well, second actually, Kali sits at the top spot. I'm hoping to stop the ship with Kali on it sailing away from me. I hope what Thomas and Joe advised me to do after the guys left yesterday will help.

"I'm so happy you said that." Her eyes fill with tears. "I wasn't sure if you would still want to be friends."

"You're my sister, Lola." I will never hate saying that. "I admire you for keeping my life on track."

"And I admire the way you have handled yourself. You have a good heart."

"You have a great laugh."

"Nice eyes." She points to mine.

"Same as my dad's."

"That's crazy, right?" She scrunches her nose up.

"Feels surreal."

"It won't always feel like that. I promise. I've had time to process who my mother is, and it gets easier. And better. Look at us two now. I'm so happy."

"Can I give you a hug?" I ask tentatively.

"I thought you'd never ask." She throws her arms around my neck and squeezes me tight.

"I'm so glad you found me." It's weird how close I feel to her yet barely know her.

"I am too." Her body starts to shake, and I know she's crying, and hell, I might start too. It's been an emotional month. The last several months have. "You're such a nice guy. You're better than I imagined." Her tears wet my neck. "I'm sorry for what Graham did to you, Wade."

"He screwed us both over." I rub her back and enjoy being this close to her. "We didn't deserve for this to happen."

"We didn't. If I had told you at the beginning, none of this would have happened. It wouldn't have been quite so public."

"There's a lot of things we, including me, you, Graham, Marcus, and everyone could have done differently." I leave my mother out of the lineup. She's not getting any more airtime from me. I leave Kali out too because I am finally seeing what she did for me.

Protection.

Had I not had my head up my own ego-filled ass, I would have seen that immediately.

Lola leans out of our embrace. "We have so much catching up to do."

"We have the rest of our lives to catch up."

"I plan on you being in my life for longer than you were out of it."

"I like the sound of that, Lola." I pull a napkin out of the dispenser and pass it to her.

Dabbing the corners of her eyes, she pulls a little smile. "Thank you. I've been very emotional lately."

"Tell me about it," I say, and we both laugh together. "What a month."

"Worst ever."

"So, is this what we do now, eat ice cream together to mend our broken hearts?"

"If you would just pick up the phone, Wade. She misses you." Tilting her head to the side, it's the sad head tilt I hate and have seen more often than I'd like, from everyone who's visited me.

I rub my new beard. It's scratchy as hell and needs to go. "Can you do something for me?"

"Always."

I pull a letter I"ve written for Kali out from the pocket of my jeans and lay the envelope on the table. "Can you give her this from me?"

"If you were to jump in your truck and drive for two hours, you could do it yourself." Taking the letter from me, she slides it inside her purse. "But I will do it. For you. For now. Not forever. You have to come back."

"I will." I feel nervous suddenly. "I want to ask you something."

"Oh-kay."

"Will you please continue to be my assistant?"

"Oooo. I don't know if I like you that much," she says sarcastically. Her deep dimples make an appearance as a broad smile stretches across her lips. "I'd love to."

"Oh, thank fuck, I thought I was going to have to get someone new, but I trust you, and I will pay you well. I don't want you on the Eagles payroll. I want to pay you myself."

"I will do it for free. You do know I am a very wealthy woman?"

"Are you?"

"Yes. I don't need to work. I inherited everything from my father. Which he gained from your father in that stupid deal they made. So technically, it's a family business."

"I don't want any of it." I wave my hands in the air. "That's all yours."

"I thought you might say that. We'll agree to disagree. For now."

"You don't even know me, Lola."

"I know you, Wade. And you got screwed over. You could be a silent partner."

"I don't want that. Those businesses are all yours. I don't want them."

"Oh, are my little business chains not good enough for the hockey team owner anymore? Well, screw you, Wade Collins." Smiling the entire time, I know she's pulling my leg.

"I don't want a hockey team either." I huff out a breath.

"Well, if Nicki has anything to do with it, you will. Eventually."

"I just want to play hockey."

"Which you're so good at. Do you think you could teach me how to skate?"

I stare at her wide-eyed. "You don't know how?"

"I can, but not very well."

"Then I have all summer to teach you."

"There may be a little, tiny, small complication with that." She pinches her thumb and forefinger together. "Which we'll come back to in a minute. First, I want you to promise me some things." Her face turns serious, making me nervous.

"I can't promise if I don't know what the some things are."

"I will continue to work for you with a few conditions."

I knew there would be a catch. Several, it would seem. I lift my brows and wait for her to tell me.

"You have to promise me to get your ass back on the ice within four days."

"Four days?" That's sooner than I was hoping. If Kali rejects my apology letter, I may need longer than four days. Four years might not be enough either.

"Yes. Eagles versus Panthers. And I want a season ticket. For next season, not this one, but I would like playoff tickets."

"Done," I agree. It's the least I can do for her. "We may not make the finals."

She scoffs like I'm talking nonsense. "You will."

Sheepishly she adds, "I wondered if I could continue living at your house until I find my own place. I can't find anything I like."

"It's a big fat yes from me."

"But depending on how long it takes me to find a place, there might be two of us."

I shake my head in confusion. "I'm not following."

"I'm pregnant."

I sputter a ton of questions her way, completely shocked. "How? When? Is Graham the father?" My head is going to explode. I'm a brother to Lola and Zane, have a father, and now I'm going to be an uncle. Jesus fucking hell, it's a big fucking month, alright.

Lola takes her time to reply. "How? Well, you see when a man and woman…" she starts, then bursts out laughing, when I tell her to stop. "Graham is not the father." Answering one question, then the other, "And it happened when you were in LA with Kali."

"How do you know?"

"Because Graham hadn't…" She shakes her head as if unable to get the words out. "Come near me for months."

"Have you told the father?"

"Not yet. It's our little secret. For now."

"Lola, secrets are not good." You think she'd know that by now.

"I'm going to tell him. I would like to get you back home first, which leads me to my next request. Could you come with me to the scan next week?"

"Absolutely." Pride that she asked me fills my chest. "Then you'll tell him?"

"Yes."

"Do I know him?" The waitress arrives with our enormous sundae order, distracting us from my question.

"Three spoons as requested." The cheery waitress lays the shiny silverware down.

"Just two." I hold up two fingers.

"Three is fine." Lola pulls the extra spoon toward her.

"Because you're eating for two? That's a shameful excuse." I chuckle.

"No, because Zane's arrived."

"What?" I look up to discover Zane walking over to our booth. And I can't believe he's here. I'm also not sure if we can remain amicable to one another. I hope Lola knows what she's letting herself in for.

Lola shuffles closer to me, making space for Zane. "It's time, Wade. Hear him out."