Page 14 of Rush

“Nothing.”

“Hawke showed up with another woman to the party. Turns out Jax hooked up with her before he and Emmarys were officially together. But they were together,” Riley explains.

My jaw drops, and I see the way Emma loses some of her color. I don’t believe Jax is the love of her life, but I do think he was helping her move on, and it took a long time for Emma to be ready for anything after the way Hawke left her without an explanation.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell her, my arms winding around her shoulders and pulling her in for a hug. Riley joins me as we hug her between us until she lets out a little giggle.

“Alright, I can’t breathe. Your love is suffocating me!”

We ease off, all of us sharing a smile. At that moment I realize I needed this today. “We should have a girls’ night this weekend. I feel terrible that I’m just finding out about Jax, and I want to hear about Hawke too.”

Emma lifts her brow and points her finger in my face. “And you have some explaining to do about the little Jameson bomb you dropped.”

“Girls’ night!” Riley fists pumps the air, her phone already in her hand, texting her boyfriend to let him know. I roll my eyes thinking about Reign Thorn. He used to be enemy numero uno and now he’s Riley’s shadow and the love of her life.

“It's a plan!” I agree, taking them both by the elbow and steering them toward the building. “Let's get this day over with. We have a game to prepare for this week and then this weekend we can end it all with a sleepover.”

sam

. . .

Usually, my days without Dylan are the absolute worst. I hate anytime that I’m not with my baby, and I usually pack those days so full that I don’t have a chance to sit and dwell on it. This time is different. I still miss my girl, but I don’t feel like I missed any time with her this week, and it's all thanks to Jameson.

On Tuesday, he surprises me when he asks if he can take Dylan to my game this week, giving her the chance to see me play. For about five seconds, I almost forgot he lives here now. With him in the same town, they can easily watch the majority of the game, and he can still have her in bed at a decent time. It's on the tip of my tongue to ask if he’s sure. He hasn’t watched me play hockey since we dated in high school, and back then, he was obligated as my boyfriend to be there. Instead, I nod my head while the word yes slides easily from my mouth. I’m rewarded with his small, tilted smile, and my cheeks instantly turn red.

Wednesday, my practice runs long, and as promised, Jameson brings Dylan to my apartment already fed, bathed and in her pajamas. I get the whole night to have a snack with her and cuddle before brushing her teeth and sticking her in bed. For once we’re not rushed and I get to enjoy being with her.

Thursday is our home game, and true to his word, Jameson meets me right after work to pick up Dylan before I head to the arena. Then they both are at my game in the stands. My heart melts in my chest seeing them together and the fact that Dylan is wearing a Michigan jersey that I’ve never seen her in before. It's pink and my number 9 is on the back. My eyes fill with tears and I mouth thank you to Jameson through the glass. After the game, Jameson waits around for me to get out of the locker room. Once I reach him and Dylan, my little girl flings herself into my arms, talking excitedly about how we fly down the ice. I hadn’t realized until now how much having her see me play meant to me. My gaze lifts, meeting Jameson’s, and I can feel the intensity in his look. He’s always been able to read me better than anyone else. For once I don’t feel like hiding. When he asks that the three of us get dinner tomorrow night at drop off, I agree willingly.

On Friday, I feel like I’m going out of my mind. In the past, it was rare for me to directly hand Dylan off or pick Dylan up from Jameson. Not because I was being a bitch on purpose but because it hurt so much to see him. I knew if I saw him, or if I let him talk to me, I would cave. And if I caved, then letting him go so he could still pursue his dreams was for nothing. My aunt pointed out more often than not that I was stubborn. I knew I was being hardheaded, but I also did not want to hurt the man I love more than I already have. The three of us sit down to eat for the first time together at Josie’s, a little cafe that serves breakfast all day. Which is perfect for Dylan since she loves pancakes and consumes them as a weekly meal. Jameson asks about my classes and workload. I tell him about my group project for the semester and ask him about the shop. He tells me about his and Johnny’s decision to open their second location here. The entire time we eat, Dylan keeps us entertained with her coloring and cutting her pancakes and strawberries into bite size pieces. At the end of the meal, Jameson grabs the check before it even hits the table. In return, I grab the wipes to clean up Dylan’s sticky hands and face. It's so normal. It also hurts my heart in the most beautiful way knowing what I gave up.

Now it’s Saturday and the girls are coming over for a long overdue girls’ night. At the first knock on my door, I glance around again, checking that the wine coolers are chilled, the snacks are on the table, and there is a small bowl of queso warming in the kitchen. I open the door and Emma pokes her head in excitedly before the smile falls off her face.

“No little bestie tonight?”

I laugh and shake my head, letting her into the apartment. “Jameson has her.”

Emma folds her lips and makes a noise under her breath while kicking off her shoes. “I’m not sure I’m going to like him here if he takes Dyl all the time.”

“It's his night,” I remind her, and she winks at me. Another knock sounds, and this time when I open it, I’m surprised to see Riley and Isla are both standing there.

“Isla didn’t have plans, so I made sure she tagged along,” Riley jumps in quickly.

Isla looks somewhat nervous. I know she recently had coffee with Emma, and they started building a friendship. I also know that Riley is making it her mission to fold Isla into our little group despite Carter’s resistance. In the end, we decided Isla seems like a cool chick. While her tendencies to stalk Carter are out there, she’s really only protecting him, which the boy needs. He's a magnet for problems, drama, and puck bunnies on a crazy streak.

“Yay!” Emma intercepts the girls and draws them into hugs one by one. “I’m so glad.”

I smile at Isla, noticing the adorable way her whole face turns pink with the attention, and the way she seems to shrink in on herself, hiding behind her silvery white hair. “I hope you brought your appetite, Isla. I tend to go a little overboard with the snacks.”

“Snacks?” Riley snorts. “This looks like a full six-course meal over here, Sammy.”

I roll my eyes at my friend and usher Emma and Isla farther into the living room where the spread of dips, appetizers and charcuterie boards is set up. “We need variety.”

Isla giggles and sinks onto the couch before grabbing one of the jalapeno poppers. “I like variety. I need both savory and sweet.”

“Girl, same,” I agree and sit down across from her.

Before we get too far along, everyone takes a room to change into their cozies and pajamas before we reconvene in the living room. By then Emma has also shown Isla all of Dylan’s baby pictures up until the pictures I have staged around the house from her second birthday. Everyone fills up a snack plate and grabs a drink before Riley really breaks the ice.