Page 16 of Elite Player
She points at Josephine. “Where is Beaver’s engagement ring? If you two are really engaged, why doesn’t she have a ring? And since you must have a lot of money, I’d think it’d be pretty big.”
“Elizabeth,” Tonya admonishes, but Lizzie doesn’t stand down, only stares at Jo.
I don’t know where to begin.Beaver? Why do they call her that? And why do her sister’s questions sound like accusations?
What the fuck is going on?
I step back to Jo’s side, unthinkingly removing my pinkie ring to slip it on her slim finger. “It fell off at the rink with all the chaos of what happened.”
“Why didn’t you get her a diamond?” Lizzie asks, and once again, her mother shushes her, although Tonya appears just as interested in knowing about the ring.
“It’s a family heirloom,” I explain, gazing down at the gold signet ring with a cursive T. It was my father’s and, according to him, his father’s. Even though we were never particularly close, I wear it, for no other reason than to remind myself that I’m making my own way in life and not relying on my family’s name. I’ve broken free of the familial ties that kept me depressed and traumatized, and there is nothing I’d like to do more than help Josephine out of whatever the hell is going on here.
Mamaw squeezes my arm. “That’s very sweet. Family is important.”
Yet I’m not too sure about that.
People always say blood is thicker than water, but they’re misconstruing the proverb. The real quote is “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,” meaning the bonds we choose are stronger than the ones we’re born with, and if my few minutes with these people are any indication, Josephine’s natural bonds can fuck right off.
Waylon studies me seriously then asks Jo, “How did you get hurt again?”
“At work,” she mumbles.
“At the hockey rink,” Tonya supplies. “Some kind of accident, you said, right?”
Jo nods, and since we’re walking on a tightrope, I don’t offerup the details about the incident, though I do start to usher them out of the room again. “I’d be happy to find hotel rooms for you all, if you’re planning on staying over.”
“Oh no, that’s all right,” Tonya says, waving her hands. “We don’t want to be a bother.”
“It’s not at all.” I already have my cell phone out, texting the team’s player relations manager. The department assists us with support services like finding housing or schools for our families. A lot of times, they plan events for the players’ families and help with transportation. They’re kind of like a concierge service for us because we travel so much and can be traded at the drop of a hat. The manager returns my message almost immediately that she’ll book a few hotel rooms and will send me the reservation information.
I inform Jo’s family that I’ve set it all up, so they can stay the night and then visit with Josephine tomorrow before they leave. Lizzie and Mamaw appear excited, while Danny and Waylon seem like they’d rather drive back to West Virginia tonight. Tonya isn’t convinced, so I slip my arm around her shoulders, slathering on the charm. “I know it’s a long drive back home, and imagine how much better you’ll feel to go to the hotel room, take a nice hot shower, have a good night’s sleep, and then you’ll be refreshed for the drive home tomorrow.” I don’t want there to be any mistaking me when I say, “You don’t need to worry about your daughter. I’ll take care of her.”
“I know you will.” Tonya exhales a nervous laugh. “But everything has happened so fast.”
“Yeah. You’re telling me.”
She laughs again, this time more carefree. She whacks at my shoulder. “I like you, Nico.” Then she crosses to Jo’s bed and kisses her cheek. “We’ll be back tomorrow.”
Josephine nods, and Mamaw kisses and hugs her too before patting my ass, but Jo’s siblings barely acknowledge her as they walk out the door. I follow the group down the hall to make surethey get on the elevator then scoot back to Jo’s room, throwing myself on the bed next to her.
She glares at me. “What did you get us into?”
I skate my hand down her arm to her left hand, lifting it up so we can both viewmyring onherfinger. “I think the words you’re looking for, fiancée, are thank you.”
CHAPTER 6
NICO
After Jo’sfamily left the hospital last night, I spent a few hours alone with her, but she refused to talk about them, and I didn’t want to push her on it. So instead of finding out why she turns in on herself like a turtle, we ate the dinner I brought and played a few rounds of Block Blast on my cell phone.
I also got to speak with her doctors and the nurses who have been taking such good care of her, and I ordered some food to be delivered to them before heading out for the night. But even cuddling with Gus couldn’t keep my mind off Josephine and the way she became a different person around her family. Granted, they were a handful and I wasn’t particularly fond of them, but it was as if she became a shell of herself.
I don’t like it.
So much so that I offered to stay the night in her hospital room, but she literally pushed me out of the room, even though I’m pretty positive the doctor said she wasn’t supposed to be doing any exercise for a week. When I reminded her of that with a pop of my biceps, she rolled her eyes, and I snagged her cell phone to put my number in underFiancéwith the red lips and hockey stick emojis.
I hoped she’d use my number, but I was amazed when sheactually messaged me this morning to inform me that she’d be able to leave the hospital. I saved her number asMy Betrothedthen texted her back to see if her family was there. Her response was a voice message, all of them talking at once around her for about a minute.
