Dean (Face-Off 6)

“Your brother sort of has a girlfriend.”

“Shut the front door,” I yell. “No, he doesn’t.”

Duke’s never had a legit girlfriend, not in the actual dating sense. He hooks up with women, but that’s about it.

“You’ve met her?”

Dad nods. “Yeah, she’s nice. She’s doing wonders with Duke’s attitude. I’ve already noticed some of the changes in him.”

“Like what? This I have to hear.”

“He doesn’t explode like he used to. Now, when he gets angry, he stops himself from losing control. Before he started working with Dr. Devine, he would break everything in sight and say horrible things to people. Of course, he didn’t mean any of it, and some people wouldn’t forgive him after he was done wrecking the place.”

“Dr. Devine,” I say. “What’s her first name?”

“Delilah.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “His doctor’s name is Delilah Devine. Seriously?”

“Yep. Duke calls her Lila.”

“Wow, my brother has a crush. I never thought Duke would like anyone more than himself.”

Dad tilts his head back and laughs. “You don’t have to be so hard on Duke. He tries. He did the best he could with the circumstances he was given. He holds a lot of things inside. I think he feels like he could have saved your mother if he hadn’t left her side that night.”

“There was nothing he could do.”

“I know. But he’s never seen it that way. In some ways, his suspension was a good thing for him. Your brother has needed therapy for years, but he would never talk to anyone. I took all of you after your mother died. You, Austin, and the twins talked to the doctors. Duke just sat there with his arms crossed and wasted the doctor’s time and my money.”

I smile at the thought of him getting better. Duke might be an ass sometimes, but I love him and want what’s best for him.

A few minutes pass before the crowd amps up again. Players skate down the ice, most of them one giant blur. But I can spot number twenty-seven from miles away. Dean’s flying down the ice with the puck, faster than I’ve ever seen him skate before. I lean forward, digging my elbows into my thighs. My belly is so damn big now this position is uncomfortable.

“C’mon, Dean.” I stand to watch him take the shot.

The entire arena goes wild as the goal horn sounds. My eyes fill with tears that spill down my cheeks. I turn to hug my dad, who’s in an awkward position with his future son-in-law playing against his son.

Dad hugs me back and kisses me on the forehead. “You picked a good one, Kat.”

I smile up at him. “I know.”

Noah kicks so hard my eyes slam shut from the pain. I clutch my stomach with one hand, the other rested on my dad’s shoulder.

“You okay, honey?”

I grab his hand and press his palm to where Noah is kicking. His eyes widen, a giant smile stretching across his lips.

“Your grandson is trying to dig his way out of me, or at least that’s how it feels.”

My dad’s smile grows each time Noah kicks. “I wasn’t around much when my kids were growing up, but I want to be around more for Noah.”

“He’d like that,” I say. “So would I.”

After the second period, the Flyers are tied 2-2 with the Capitals. We’ve had the box mostly to ourselves up until this point. A few of the players’ wives and girlfriends shuffle into the box with their children, all of them blonde except for one brunette. The brunette rolls a stroller into the room with two sleeping twin baby boys, a boy about three years old, and a little blonde girl that’s holding her hand.

She sits next to me, the little girl on her left, the stroller in front of her. Upon better inspection, I realize I know her. Tyler Kane has four kids, all blonde like him. This must be his wife.

“Kennedy Kane, right?”