Page 162 of Over the Line

His eyes lost focus again, and he pushed out a harsh breath, but then he smiled. “It’s… kind of overwhelming? Like it was huge every time one of my kids was born, and this is huge too, just… different. I…” He shook his head and laughed softly. “I can’t really describe it.”

“You don’t have to.” I smiled. “Glad you get to be there, though.”

“Me too. Oh, and how was the game?” Garrett winced. “I didn’t even think to check the score. Did you guys do okay without Chris?”

“Game was fine. We lost in overtime, but it’s still a point.” I shrugged. “We missed him, of course, but we had another forward along for the road trip in case someone went down for an injury. So, we still had a full roster.”

“Oh, good. Good. Sorry to hear about the loss, though.”

“Eh.” I shrugged again. “Can’t win ’em all. But the team got Chris home in time—that’s enough for me.”

God, his smile. “Tell the staff we really appreciate it.”

“I will. Definitely.”

“Thanks. I should get back up there. Make sure they don’t need anything. It was great to talk, though. I’m looking forward to you getting home.”

Why did it make my heart flutter so much, hearing that even while he was there for the birth of his grandson, he was still looking forward to seeing me? I didn’t know. I was probably just tired. And stupid. And missing him.

“I’m looking forward to it, too. Tell Chris and Jasmine we’re all excited for them.”

“I will. Good night, Liam.”

“Good night.”

We ended the call, and I sat there for a while, alone in my hotel room, staring down at my dark, silent phone. It was weird, being this far from my boyfriend when he was in the middle of something so monumental. I wanted to be there for him. Be there with him.

But even if we’d been playing at home, I wouldn’t have been able to show up at the hospital as Grandpa’s boyfriend. Bring a gift from the team for my teammate and his wife, sure, but that was an entirely different capacity than what I wanted to be right now.

It didn’t make me resent him or worry that we couldn’t make this work. It just made me ache to be open about our relationship.

I exhaled and rolled my shoulders. We’d get there. We had a plan. I was frustrated tonight, but Chris’s baby would be arriving soon. The season would be over before much longer. Then Garrett and I could sit down with Chris and tell him the truth.

After that, we could be open about being together, and we wouldn’t have this cloud of secrecy hanging over us.

We’d get there.

For tonight, Garrett was happily with his newly expanding family.

Me? I was meeting my teammates at the bar. It was late as hell, but everyone was still fired up from the game, so several of us wanted to wind down at the bar.

As I joined the guys at a table, I said, “I talked to Kanes’s dad—he made it in time, and Jasmine’s still doing fine.”

A cheer went up around the table.

“No baby yet?” Craws asked.

“Not yet. I’m sure they’ll keep us posted.”

Temo checked his phone, then squinted at me. “You’re talking to Kanes’s dad? In the middle of the night?”

My stomach somersaulted, but years of media training kept my face neutral. “He just wanted to keep us all updated on Kanes and the baby.”

My teammate gave me an odd look but shrugged it off and shifted gears to ordering a drink. I tried to do the same, but my heart was thumping even as the whole table had clearly moved on. With drinks on the way, conversation had shifted to the guys plotting to prank the alternate captain of Winnipeg, where we were headed soon. He’d played for Pittsburgh until two years ago, and ever since he’d left, we’d all been engaged in a relentless prank war. Hockey players—what can you do?

But my heart wasn’t in it tonight. I just kept thinking about Temo’s question and how bad I’d wanted to say, “My boyfriend calls me most nights when we’re on the road.”

Garrett and I had both tied ourselves in knots over how Chris would feel about this when we eventually came out. How would the team feel about it, though?