Page 54 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

Dhara

Four days. It had been four days since my mother had left home and hadn’t returned. For several of those days, the guys were travelling. Even though I missed them, I’d also had some semblance of peace.

It wasn’t something Gavin and I were used to. This reprieve felt like a breath of fresh air.

Now they were on their way home to me and for the first time I finally realized how much I liked having them in our lives. Even Gavin was wired this morning before I sent him off to school.

They’d been here such a short time and having our date with Lachlan, and August and I starting our lessons, it almost felt like we’d created this secret life with them. One that was separate and a hint of what our future could hold.

But I knew it was fleeting.

Soon, Mom would come bursting back into town with all of her chaos and anger, and it would all come crashing down.

I was starting to wonder if their flight had gotten delayed as the morning dragged on. They promised to come see me at the diner the moment they arrived.

Before I could walk out the door after my shift, the door flung open.

There they were. Every single one of them looked just as anxious to see me as I was them.

The texting in between had really helped me connect with them. The texts were unguarded and I got to see the more vulnerable side of them.

August was his usual cocky, flirty self but started to tell me about the years after leaving. Lachlan was sweet with a healthy dose of sarcasm. He’d admitted how it felt to leave and all the chaos with his former team. And Conrad was the gentle giant. He admitted to always being a protector. His parents were decent, just cold and too busy, and he’d stepped into the role for his sister. It was sweet and I could relate to being the pseudo-parent.

“There she is,” August said, not even bothering to care what anyone thought before he wrapped his arms around me.

I started to freeze, wondering if anybody would tell my mother they’d seen us. Then I relaxed, unable to resist the way his shirt was drenched in his scent. Lime, cedar, and basil filled my senses and soothed my omega.

Right now it was sharper than ever, like his delta was reassuring me they were here now. I knew it drove them crazy to leave me behind.

At least we got lucky this time. Mom was gone and it was just Gavin and I living our lives without fear.

I knew they couldn’t put their lives on pause for me, though. Even if she was home I’d have pretended all was well.

“Hey there, Firecracker,” August murmured against my ear, the rumble of his voice almost as comforting as his hug.

“Quit hogging our omega.” Lachlan’s voice was light and teasing, and soon I was pulled into his embrace next.

Pine, blackberry, and rain. His scent was sweet, tart, fresh, and absolutely perfect. It was just as strong as August’s had been and I breathed him in with a happy sigh.

“Could I get one of those?” That was Conrad this time. He was a little more reserved about it, but he looked no less eager for affection.

I turned to hug him, too, fully aware that a few of our regulars were casually watching now. I’d wanted to hide it, but I knew I couldn’t do that anymore. Her finding out was inevitable and they didn’t deserve to feel like a secret. She couldn’t control everything and the sooner she realized that, the better for all of us.

There was such a slim chance any of these regulars cared enough to go tell my mom anyway. It wasn’t like she ever came into the diner. She was under the delusion that she was too good for it. Not to mention she wasn’t the town’s favorite omega. Most knew her true nature. A monster can only hide in plain sight for so long.

“You have no idea how bad I needed that,” Conrad admitted.

“Me, too,” I mumbled into his shirt, meaning every word.

Being away from them had felt wrong, and I didn’t want to think about doing it all over again the next time they had away games.

“Did you guys come straight from the airport?” I teased as Conrad finally released me.

“Of course, we did,” August said, completely shameless.

“We wanted to see if you would come see something with us,” Lachlan said.

There was no hesitation in my answer. “I’m free until Gavin gets out of school.” I’d take any moment I could with them.