Page 24 of Body Check

eleven

. . .

Amelia

“This is so exciting,” Tyler says as he looks around the facility.

“Don’t embarrass me,” I tell him. “Please.”

Brandon slings his arm around my shoulders, baby Ainsley strapped to his chest. “Don’t worry, Meels. We’ve got you.”

Shaking my head, I mutter, “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”

The arena is aflutter with pre-game activity. I’ve already clocked out for the day, but it’s hard to leave work knowing the guys are about to go head-to-head with Ottawa in ninety short minutes.

“Well, look who the cat dragged in,” Robby says loudly, and a few guys turn to look as the assistant equipment manager approaches us. He gives Tyler a broad grin. “Hey, Ty. Brando.”

“Rob. Good to see you,” my brother says, offering his hand. “You’re looking good.”

“You, too.” Robby turns his attention to the baby, his finger running over her tiny fist. “And who’s this?”

“This is our daughter,” Brandon says. “Ainsley.”

I swear Robby’s heart melts right in front of us. “Shit, she’s gorgeous.” He winks at me, and then grins at Brando. “You guys look good with a kid. Total Daddies.”

Ty snickers, elbowing his husband. “We’re Daddies now.”

“You’re annoying now,” I mutter under my breath. Except it isn’t quite as quiet as I hoped.

Gonzo, ten feet away at his cubby, laughs. “This must be your family.”

With a sigh, I resign myself to an inquisition. “This is my brother, Tyler, and his husband, Brandon.”

“Nice to meet you, man,” Gonzo says, standing and walking over on his skate blades. His hockey pants are loose around the waist, and as he waddles over, they slip dangerously low on his hips. He grabs at them, and then offers his hand for a shake. “Al Gonzales. We love Amelia here.”

My face flushes. “Shut up.”

My brother laughs. “You just have to stand there and take it. Let them praise you.”

“That’s not my kink.”

Brandon chokes out a laugh. “Yeah, I don’t need to know my baby sister’s kinks.”

I roll my eyes. “I stopped being your baby sister the second they implanted me with your sperm.”

Tyler gags. “We don’t need any more incest jokes, thanks.”

Gonzo’s eyes ping back and forth between us. “You guys are hilarious. Reminds me of my siblings.”

“Do people also make incestuous jokes about you and your siblings?” I ask, cocking my head.

He snickers. “No. Not a chance.”

Robby grins. “This is so much more fun than I thought.”

“So, you all know each other?” Gonzo asks, his eyes flicking between where Robby is still holding Ainsley’s hand.

“We go way back,” Ty says.