Page 81 of Hockey Boy
War throws his head back and laughs. “Wait till you see the setup in the back before you decide whether you want to be friends.”
I crouch so I’m eye to eye with Finn. “Hey, Huck, do me a favor—be nice to War. I can’t have him all bent out of shape on the ice. He helps me score.”
Finn lets out a loud sigh. “Fine, but you better tell him to watch his language. There’s babies here.”
Biting back a snort, I give him a nod. “Want to race me to the back?”
Finn’s little brown eyes grow two sizes. “You got it.” He’s already digging his feet into the ground, but before he can take off, I grab him by the back of his shirt and lift. His feet are still moving, but he’s not going anywhere.
“Need a good luck kiss from the princess first,” I say, grinning at Lennox.
Finn scrunches up his face. “Ew, gross. I don’t want one.”
Lennox sticks out her tongue. “Wasn’t offering you one.” With her hands pressed to my cheeks, she smiles so big my heart nearly trips over itself. “Laying it on thick today, Hockey Boy.”
“I’m very good at taking orders. And exceptionally competitive,” I remind her.
Her eyes dance as she angles in and kisses me. It’s soft. Gentle. Sweet. If not for the little boy groaning about how gross it is, I’d be liable to lose myself in her.
Confident that we got our point across, I step back and wink at her. I set Finn down, then take off. “Last one to the backyard jumps in the lake!”
Within seconds, I’m not the only one racing my nephew. Daniel buzzes past us, followed by Fitz, who shouts at the rookie to keep up.
I’m laughing too hard to stick with the guys. There’s no way I’m winning, but I definitely won’t let Finn lose.
Another runner catches up. Brooks. As he gets close, he snatches Finn off the ground and takes off. “Come on, Huck. We’re going to beat all of them.”
We spend the afternoon outside, enjoying the beautiful summer day. War’s property is outrageous. A long, rolling green hill leads down to a small lake with a single dock. His dock. Hislake. He’s got a powerboat, a Jet Ski, and a paddle board. We try out all of his toys, and Brooks and I take turns taking Finn and Winnie out on the Jet Ski.
I can’t stop looking at Lennox, where she’s settled with the girls, along with Addie and Vivi. Her laughter and smiles have me practically floating off the ground all day. I’m attentive, as a good boyfriend would be, making sure she has a drink at all times, bringing her plates of food, and once an hour, I go over to lather her in sunscreen.
“I think they believe it,” she whispers as I rub the lotion over her shoulders for the third time.
“Believe what?” I say as I press a kiss to her neck.
“That you’re obsessed.”
I nuzzle into the crook of her neck. She thinks I’m doing this for others, but this is all me. Though I’ll let her believe I’m doing it for show. It’s freeing, giving in to my obsession without being called out for getting too attached. It’d be too late if she warned anyway.
“What’s Ava doing here?” Sara asks, pointing at the redhead making her way across the yard on the arm of a man I don’t recognize.
She’s in a white sundress and sunglasses, but even from here, I can see her face scrunching in confusion.
“Doesn’t look like she expected to be here either,” I offer.
Sara is already on her feet and striding toward Ava. When Lennox sits up to move, I hop to my feet and help her off the grass. She gives me an appreciative smile, and I take her hand—keeping up appearances and all that.
“Not going to lie. You are the last person I thought I’d see today,” Sara says as we approach her and the newcomers.
Ava looks at the man beside her. “I’m confused. I thought I was meeting your stepbrother.”
She introduces the man beside her. Xander.
I bite back my choked laughter. Shit. War is gonna lose it. He hates his stepbrother. And he has some sort of weird obsession with Ava. Though he’d never admit it, I can read my winger. It’s my job to. When he and Ava are in the same room, despite the way he pretends he can’t stand her, he tracks her every move. His eyes are always on her when she’s not looking.
“He just bought this house,” Ava says, “and he invited Xander for a barbecue.”
My gut clenches. Damn, this is going to be a shit show.