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Beau shook his head. “You look different, but happy. Does that make sense? The last time I saw you was before your accident, and you weren’t”—he waved a hand at me—“radiating like this. You were miserable, broody, and just unhappy.”
“Blake makes me happy,” I answered.
Beau chuckled. “Just like Dean does me.”
“You’re going to be good to him, right? Dean, I mean? You’re not going to break his heart?” Beau’s eyes narrowed. “I just want him to be happy. He’s kind of my brother-in-law by proxy now and friends with Blake. Dean’s a good person. He’s had a few rough moments.”
Beau dragged his teeth over his bottom lip. “I love Dean. I realized it the day that I shared my time with the Stanley Cup with him. I’ve never actually been in love before, but with him, yeah, I know it’s real. He makes me feel alive, and at first, I was scared. When he left, I realized how he made my apartment a home. That Dean made me a better man. I never thought I wanted to settle down. I know ghosting him wasn’t the right way to go about things. I had shit to figure out, and I still do. I’ve apologized hundreds of times. It was a long few weeks without him. My heart felt heavy. I won’t let that happen again.”
“He’s your person.” I saw the love that shone in his eyes. “I get that.”
He grinned. “I know you do, Little Olson. It wasn’t supposed to be that way with us. Jax didn’t want me anywhere Dean when we first met. There was this pull, like some sort of invisible thread.”
We both saw the rental car at the same time. It slowed down before it pulled into the driveway. Dean climbed from the passenger’s side just as Beau got to his feet. I watched in fascination as Dean rushed up to meet him and leaped into his arms, pressing kisses against Beau’s face.
“Gross, please spare me.” Killian made a motion with his finger to his mouth like he was throwing up, but then winked at me.
“You’re just missing Matty.” Dean shot him the middle finger without even turning around.
Killian snorted. “You’re not wrong. I wonder if I could just crash the party he’s having with my sister.”
I tilted my head up to Blake. “Have fun today, baby?”
“I did, but I missed you.” He climbed into my lap and straddled my thighs. He leaned forward to ghost a kiss over my mouth.
I hummed. “Did you now?”
“Mm.” He slid his lips over mine again. “Are you okay?” he whispered into my ear.
I pulled him closer. “I’ve never been better.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Blake
Five years ago
It was eerily quiet in the car. I wasn’t sure if it was nerves or the fact that we were all cramped inside the vehicle, but no one had spoken as we drove through New York. I turned the radio on to a rock station only for Maverick to shoot me a glare and turn it off. Somehow, I’d gotten stuck with him as shotgun while Killian and Dean took up the backseat. We had left Canfield early this morning. I’d also left without saying goodbye to Tommy, and I regretted it. I missed his warm smile, his strong embrace, and the way he made me feel like I was invincible.
Yet what he had done still rattled inside my head. He’d lied to me. He’d blackmailed my mother to go to rehab with the promise of God only knows how much money, and once she was done? She’d go back to the bottle. Maybe even kill herself this time.
I gripped the steering wheel as I tried to clear my head.
“You love me, Gretzky?”
“Yeah, I suppose I do, Bug.”
What would Tommy do when he found out I was gone? Would he try to call me, or would he let me gather my thoughts together before I reached out to him? I should turn around. I should go back and make everything right between us. I couldn’t...Shit, this was a terrible idea.
“What climbed up your ass?” Maverick smacked my shoulder. “You look like you’re about to throw up. You need to make a pit stop?”
I ignored him as I glanced in the rearview mirror to find my singer staring down at the phone in his hand, his brows furrowed, and worry written all over his face. I brought my eyes back to the road, but the anxiety in the car felt like it went up by ten notches.
“Are you going to just sit there staring at your phone?” Dean asked.
Maverick snorted next to me. “You still think he’s going to answer you?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t he...wait.” Killian paused. “Mav, what did you do? I told you to let it go!” he exclaimed, as panic shot through me. “I will slit your throat while you sleep.”
