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Once I’d pulled myself together, I swung out of the car and marched into the house, going straight to Dad’s office without stopping. Dad’s office was a quiet space filled with old hockey memorabilia from his playing days. Bookshelves stacked full of playbooks and old videos of past games. It could be a museum of hockey history, and he loved it here. I was probably an ass for ruining the calm atmosphere, but I needed it to get through this.
He looked up from behind his desk, his eyes shadowed and a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Lucy.”
It was likely the only word I’d get out of him at the moment, so I didn’t let myself hesitate. “You can’t trade Zachary.”
“Really?” He gripped a pen between his hands and sat back with a squeak of his chair. “It’s my team. My decision.” He glared at me, but I didn’t flinch. “It’s up to me to decide what’s best for my team.”
“Zachary is what’s best for your team. You know that, you’re just getting rid of him because of me.” I managed to keep my tone under control and stopped talking before it slipped.
Mom eased into the room and took a seat on the leather chair across from Dad. Her steady presence bolstered me, and I forged ahead. “I’ve been sleeping with Zachary. And Lennox. And Justin.” Dad’s eyes widened, his mouth falling open. “Because I love them.” I leaned forward with my palms on the desk. “I love all of them, and I will continue to sleep with them. I’ll quit my job if I have to, but they stay on the team.”
Shocked outrage turned his face a rusty red, followed by a horrid shade of purple I’d never thought possible until I saw it for myself. “How dare you.”
“It’s her life, Peter.” Mom spoke up from behind me. “We promised to love and support her, no matter what. We will not judge her decisions.” Her voice was firm and resolute. “This is what she wants. How do we support her as parents?”
A long, uncomfortable pause settled over the room. I worried about his possible reaction, but silence was better than shouting. His shoulders rose on a hard inhale, and he palmed the back of his neck while looking everywhere but at me. Shame or something else? I held my ground, refusing to let him intimidate me into backing down from my confession. He couldn’t trade Zachary. I’d hoped for his acceptance—reluctant or otherwise—before I hit him with the real news that would send this whole thing off the ice.
Dad grumbled and rubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t understand any of this.” He gave me a hard look. “How can you be in love with three men?”
I shrugged. “We’re figuring it out. But this is what we all want.” I dug into my pocket and pulled out the paternity test results I’d printed before driving over. “And just so we’re all on the same page. Zachary is Abigail’s father.” I slid the paper to him across the desk. “You’re not taking her father away from her. Not now that we’ve finally found him. Not when he’s an amazing man who already loves her. And me. He’s an asset to the team.” He’d be an idiot to trade Zachary, but I couldn’t say that to his face. “You can’t send him away. We want to be a family.”
Dad spluttered while Mom gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. “He’s really her father?” She’d known we planned on getting the test, but I hadn’t called to tell her about the results. Maybe I should have. She stood and rushed toward me, her arms outstretched for a hug. “Oh, honey. I’m so glad.”
Dad’s pen tapped a rapid beat on the desk. He laced his fingers together behind his head and sat back like a king on his throne. “What’s the plan, Lucy? What happens when the media catches wind of this? It’s one thing to be seen with Zachary. Another for them to find out he’s Abigail’s father. But the rest of it.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “It’s a disaster waiting to happen. What happens when the media finds out you’re sleeping with multiple men?”
I’d thought about this since the night that news article came out. It opened my eyes, and even though I freaked out at first and tore myself apart trying to come to a conclusion, there was only one thing to say. I looped an arm around Mom’s shoulders and met Dad’s gaze head-on. “I guess I’ll have to add another advocacy campaign to my list. One where people are not judged based on who they love. It doesn’t affect my job.”
And it was nobody’s damned business who I slept with. As long as the men in my bed knew about each other and were okay with it, then who the fuck cared what I did in my privatetime? The media had no right to try and shame me, though I knew they’d give it a hell of a try. They’d do anything to ruin my campaigns, just for the media buzz it created.
“Are you really ready for the backlash?” Dad asked.
I tightened my grip on Mom’s shoulder and nodded. “Yes. I’m fully aware that they’ll chew me up and spit me out. Especially because I have a kids' campaign going. But I know what I’m doing.” I released Mom and walked around the desk. “I love you, Dad. And I respect the hell out of you. You stood by me when a lot of dads would’ve thrown up their hands and walked away. I know I’m asking for a lot, but I need you on my side.”
“I’m always on your side.” He stood and hugged me so tight my ribs popped. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Relief flooded through me, and I returned his hug, burying my head into his chest and squeezing as I inhaled his ice and old peppermint gum scent. “They can only hurt me if I let them. And I don’t plan on letting them.” I gave him an extra squeeze. “And you don’t have to worry about Lennox, Justin, or Zachary ever hurting me. They’re too good for that.”
He patted my shoulder and a grin slipped free. “You always did have good instincts.” Taking a step back, he settled in his chair. “I suppose you’d better bring them around for dinner some night.”
“I will.” I flipped my wrist around to check the time. “I’m going to pick Abigail up from school. I promised Zachary we’d tell her together this afternoon.”
Dad kept quiet, but I recognized the acceptance in his eyes. He was willing to look past his own prejudices and accept that my life would look different from his. I loved him for that. He was a hard man, but he loved me. He’d always wanted what was best for me, even if sometimes I had a hard time seeing that.
Mom dashed tears away from her eyes and followed me onto the porch. She sent me off with a wave and one last hug.
My stomach swirled with nerves as I picked up Abigail and made the drive over to the park where Zachary was waiting for us. Abigail chattered all the way there, and I thanked my lucky stars she didn’t question me on why I was so quiet.
Zachary sat on a park bench with his coat zipped up to his chin and his hands deep in his pockets.
Abigail spotted him before I’d even parked the car. “Mama. Is that Zachary? What’s he doing here?”
“Let’s go find out.” Cold air filled my lungs as I inhaled and stepped out of the car. I opened Abigail’s door and took her hand once she freed herself from the car seat.
She skipped alongside me. The white puff ball on her knitted cap bounced with every step, and I caught myself watching her as we approached Zachary. He stayed seated, but his foot bounced rapidly like it was taking effort for him to stay still.
“Hi.” Abigail released my hand and climbed onto the bench beside Zachary. “Do you want to play?”
“Just a minute, Abigail.” I sat beside her and put a hand on her back to keep her from toppling off the bench backward. “Zachary and I have something we want to tell you.”
