It’d been fourteen days since I’d been able to touch her. To feel her. And every day that passed, I wanted her more.
“She coming back soon?”
“She’ll be here for Lizzie and Garrett’s delivery. I know that much.”
Which was still well over a month away. She had an induction date set for thirty-seven weeks if she went that long. Apparently that was common with twins. From talking to Gabby, I knew Lizzie had wanted to do everything natural, give birth at a birthing center but once she had a scare early on in her pregnancy and then learned she was having twins, she’d decided to go a more traditional route. From talking to Garrett, both of them were nervous as hell about it.
He, fortunately, had not murdered me when I returned to Vegas. Instead, the night after I got back, he showed up with half the team, cases of beer and whiskey and he’d thrown a party in my backyard.
“Talked to Gabby and then Jude called. Said you were down in the dumps. Get over your shit. Things will be fine.” That’d been his hello. Then he shouldered past me and straight to my backyard like my home was his.
Fine. Everything was fine. It was all I kept hearing and the word fine was becoming my most hated four-letter word.
Dom finished his set and stood, nabbing a towel he’d dropped on the floor and swiped it over his forehead. “She’s a cool girl.”
It still surprised the hell out of me how much Gabby had gotten Dom to laugh the night before we left on our trip. Hell, him bringing up anything personal had shocked me.
Dom was an awesome defense player, but he lived alone. He never showed up for team events, except for the night Garrett had found out Lizzie was in the hospital months ago. I was still surprised as hell he’d been at Malley’s the night before Gabby and I hit the road. Hell, he’d been playing on our team for years and I barely knew him.
“How about you?” I asked, taking the plunge. “Any women in your life?”
He usually had several. At least that’s what social media sites and gossip bloggers would show.
“No time.” He flung the towel down and grabbed his water. “Got enough shit going on in my life without needing that hassle.”
“Like what?”
He glared at me like he wanted to push me, slam me into the boards or something. It was the typical reaction I got from him when anything personal was asked.
Usually, he stomped away and left.
“Family shit,” he finally muttered. “Come on. You can spot my bench.”
I followed him, eyes wide. Family shit. “You have a family?”
I couldn’t help it. He’d never… never once mentioned a family. Kids? A mom and dad?
“I didn’t just pop onto this planet out of nowhere.”
He gave me a look like I was an idiot and wrapped his hands around the bench press.
Conversation over—but so many questions left behind.
I knew better than to push.
“I miss Gabby,” I finally said, standing above him, hands ready to catch them if needed but based on his weights, he wasn’t pushing himself all that hard. “All the damn time.”
“Based on the way she looked at you the night I saw you two together, you have nothing to worry about.”
He clenched his jaw, got back to work.
I left the facility later, after finishing my workout, after Dom and I threw on skates and chased each other on the rink, eventually joined with Miko and Kane and played a quick two on two, just four guys fucking around for fun.
I left with a smile on my face, giving the guys typical shit, with two things on my mind.
Why had Dom chosen that day, of all people, to open up even if it was just a sliver—and why in the hell couldn’t I squash the worry niggling in my stomach that something might not be right with Gabby?
29
Gabby
I hated lies. I despised keeping secrets and I knew as the days were going on, I was doing an incredibly piss-poor job of it.
However, it’d taken me approximately five minutes of being on the plane headed back to Seattle three weeks ago to come up with my plan.
By the time I landed, due to the time change, it was only six-thirty my time, and while the flight had been technically five hours, I’d spent the entire time writing up drafts and plans.
And oh man, did it make my mom happy when she saw me and I explained everything I wanted to do.
“This is a lot, Gabrielle. Are you sure?”
‘Are you sure you can handle the responsibility?’ Was what I was sure she meant, was certain that’s what her true question was, but I’d looked at her with all the seriousness in how I’d thought everything out and told her. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“Okay then.” She focused out the windshield.
She was probably thinking of a thousand warnings of what could go wrong. Maybe I needed more time. Maybe I should…
“What does Garrett say?” is what she’d asked.
“He’s refusing the money back.”
He always had. Even when I tried to insist.
“You’re my sister. I’ve got it easy. More money than I’ll ever know what to do with. Invest the difference if it makes you happy, but over my dead body are you handing that money back to me.”
That’s what he had said to me years ago. The same thing he said as soon as I called him before even leaving the airport.
Fortunately, I’d taken his advice four years ago when he first leased my apartment. I’d taken my monthly rent money from every paycheck and invested it. The market had done well. Which meant I had done well.
Yeah, I didn’t have enough money to buy a building, but I had plenty of capital to do exactly what I wanted.
My own salon.
The location was the only surprise of my plan.
Because I was going to move to Vegas, move to Joey, and follow my dream with him at my side.
There were just details to work out. I’d already filed for reciprocity with my license, but I still needed to sit for my state test exam in Nevada.
I’d spent hours studying over the last few weeks. After moving out of my apartment, back in with my mom, I’d taken a few days to finalize my plan and then I’d gotten to work.
I researched buildings, locations. I wanted a new area with high foot traffic but not so expensive I’d have to charge an arm and a leg for services to meet the lease payment. I wanted one or two employees to begin so we could open up shop, running as a full-service salon and spa.
Surprisingly, my mom had actually been excited about my plan despite the worried looks she tossed my way, but I was trying to ignore them.
I could do this. I knew I could.
And hell, I was doing exactly what she always asked of me—made a plan and followed it.
It’d been anything but simple, but fortunately, since I’d invested so well, I didn’t have to take out a small business loan to get the business up and running. I’d gotten ahold of Garrett’s realtor, the woman who helped him buy his own place less than a year ago and she gave me the name of a commercial real estate agent she worked with and respected.
I’d called Christy, and then I called Kelsey Campbell.
Kelsey was the goaltending coach’s daughter and she’d done Lizzie’s hair and makeup for her wedding. She’d looked absolutely glorious and Kelsey and I had spent hours that day and night swapping shop talk.