Page 58

“Hi,” I said, and the word felt inadequate. And yet, I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

She peered up at me and smiled. “Hi.”

“It’s good to see you,” I said, wondering if I should go in for a hug. A kiss on the cheek? What was the protocol here?

I’d invited her to stay with me while she was in town, joking that we needed to have another “sleepover.” She’d never given me a definitive answer, but I assumed she was probably staying with Georgia.

While I hesitated, Logan surprised me by draping her arms around my neck. I immediately wrapped my arms around her, and she rested her head on my shoulder. For the first time in months, I could breathe fully.

Her powerful body was pressed to mine, my own thrumming with awareness. Desire. She smelled so good. She felt even better. And I didn’t want to let go.

My phone buzzed in my hand, and I pulled back to glance down at it. “Shit.” I grabbed Logan’s hand and towed her toward the elevators. “Frasier and Bryn are in the lobby.”

Logan raced down the hall with me, not letting go of my hand. I wanted to be upset that our moment alone had gotten cut short, but I couldn’t be. Not when we were finally together.

I steered her into the elevator, tempted to pull her to me as the doors closed. Instead, I studied her reflection in the mirrored doors, watching her watch me. I bit back a smile, the tension vibrating between us and filling the car with all this energy. It felt like the last few seconds before the start of a game. Electric. Full of potential.

In that moment, it felt as if anything could happen.

Our eyes locked and held, and I bit back a groan. This was torture.

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. Since I didn’t want Bryn or Frasier to spot us, I led Logan down the hall to the back entrance of the ballroom. We slipped inside just as the main doors opened, and everyone yelled, “Surprise!”

My heart was pounding, and it wasn’t from the effort of getting here. It was from the woman at my side.

“Come on.” I gestured for her to follow.

Logan greeted a few of my teammates, several of whom did double takes when they saw her. Boone looked as if his tongue might fall out of his mouth.

“Go,” I said in a low voice, indicating to where Georgia was standing.

I hung back, watching as Bryn pulled Georgia in for a hug. Frasier hovered nearby, protective as ever. He couldn’t tear his eyes from Bryn, smiling as if he were the luckiest man alive. He was usually so intimidating, especially on the ice. But he was a giant teddy bear when it came to Bryn.

I could see the moment Bryn spotted Logan, and the look of shock on her face made me smile. Logan and Bryn embraced, followed by an older couple I assumed were Bryn’s parents, who were beaming. Someone nearby whispered, “First grandchild.”

Witnessing this growing family, and the obvious love they had for each other, I couldn’t help but think about my own. I hadn’t spoken to my parents in five years. And while I would always hold out hope that we’d bridge the time and distance, it felt less likely the more years that passed.

What if I never spoke to them again? What if they weren’t present for my wedding? What if they never met their grandchildren?

But then I remembered how I’d been raised, how it had all unraveled. I didn’t want them in my life unless they’d made significant changes.

Someone placed their hand on my arm. “You okay?”

I looked up to find Logan watching me with a concerned expression. “I, uh—” I shook my head to clear it. This was a celebration, a happy occasion. It wasn’t the time to dwell on grief over my estranged family. “Yeah.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Why don’t I believe you?”

I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. “I was just thinking about my family.”

“You really miss them, huh?” she asked, guiding me over to the bar.

“Yeah.” Well, most of them. My sisters, especially. It was hard to imagine how much different they’d be now.

I also missed the idea of having a family who had my back, supporting and loving me unconditionally. It had taken me lots of therapy to realize that my parents’ love had been conditional, but growing up, it hadn’t always felt that way.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

“Maybe another time,” I said, wishing I could tell her more. But the baby shower for her best friend and my teammate was absolutely not the time or place. Besides, Logan was only in town for forty-eight hours, if that. I wasn’t going to ruin what little time we had together.