We make out like teenagers the entire drive to the hospital, breaking apart only when Hudson announces we've arrived. My lips feel swollen and I’m sure my lipstick is completely gone.
Liam looks similarly disheveled with his hair standing up where my fingers ran through it.
“You're a menace,” I tell him, trying to fix my appearance using my phone camera.
“You love it,” he says, grinning.
I don't deny it. I’m addicted to this totally unsuitable man.
The Hospital is beautiful with colorful murals on the walls and natural light flooding through large windows. Harper is waiting in the lobby, looking professional in tailored pants and a crisp white blouse.
“Avery.” She greets me with a warm hug. “The guys are in the pediatric wing getting set up. Come on.”
We walk through the corridors together while Liam and the other players head to meet with the hospital coordinator. Harper leads me to an observation area where we can watch without being intrusive.
The pediatric common room has been transformed. Renegades merchandise covers every surface. There are t-shirts, hats, signed photos and even mini hockey sticks. The kids are already gathering, some in wheelchairs, some with IVs attached, all of them vibrating with excitement.
Then the players enter.
Cole leads the way with Jake is right behind him, already making the kids laugh with some joke I can't hear. Ryan, Alex, and Liam follow, and the room erupts in cheers.
“They're great with kids,” Harper says beside me. “Cole does this kind of thing constantly. He doesn't publicize it much, but he's here at least once a month.”
Liam crouches down to talk to a little girl in a wheelchair. She's maybe six or seven, wearing a hospital gown and a Renegades cap that is too big for her head. He says something that makes her giggle, then gently adjusts her cap so she can see better.
Everything inside me goes warm and gooey.
He’s gentle and patient and impossibly sweet. The cameras are clicking but he doesn't seem to notice or care. He's completely focused on this little girl, listening intently as she tells him something.
“How's the party planning going?” I ask Harper, tearing my eyes away from Liam.
“A nightmare,” she says, but she's grinning. “But it'll be worth it. He has no idea. Did you get your costume sorted?”
“Yes, but I'm not telling you who I'm coming as. It's a surprise.”
“Fair enough. I sent you the address earlier, right? Party starts at seven, but come a bit early if you can.”
“Will do.”
The players are helping kids try on jerseys and t-shirts. Liam lifts a tiny boy onto his shoulders so he can reach a poster being hung on the wall. The boy squeals with delight, and Liam's laugh carries up to where we're standing.
“He's really good with them,” Harper observes.
I keep my expression neutral. “They all are.”
“True. But he keeps looking up here.” She pauses. “At you.”
My stomach flips. “He's probably just checking if I'm getting good photo ops for social media.”
“Sure,” Harper says with a grin.
I change the subject quickly. “So where exactly is the party?”
“My place. Well, Cole's and mine.”
I nearly choke. “Cole is your boyfriend? The captain?”
Harper laughs at my expression. “You didn't know? I thought it was obvious.”
