“And how does that relate to Eden?” he asked, already wincing in anticipation of Sarah’s frustration with his denseness.
His sister didn’t disappoint. She threw her hands wide. “How in the hell does your brain think so fast on the ice? I don’t get it.”
“Sarah.”
She heaved a sigh. “By not taking the chance, you may not have to deal with the downside of the situation, but you’re also missing out on the potential beauty of a relationship. For you and Lily. Besides, not having relationships because you’re afraid of hurting Lily in itself is hurting Lily. What kind of role model is that? Would you want Lily putting her life on hold the same way?”
He thought about it. “No.”
“No. And honestly, as long as you stay in Lily’s life, that’s all the stability she needs. Look at me and Griff and the girls. Griff goes away for long periods of time. We all live with the fear that one day we’ll be told he’s never coming home. You come and go from the girls’ lives weekly. And they’re fine. They’re happy and well-adjusted and thriving because I am their constant.”
“You think so?”
She smiled and gestured toward the girls, who were running to the top of the slope to roll down into the leaves again. “There is your proof.”
Beckett imagined introducing Eden and Lily and smiled. Nodded. Excitement sparked at the center of his body.
Lily splashed into the leaves, rolled, and sat up. Grinning ear to ear, autumn leaves stuck in her blonde curls, she looked at him. “Did you see that, Daddy?”
Beckett laughed, then told Sarah, “Maybe you’re right.”
“Go for it, Beck.” She clasped her hands around one knee and leaned back with a sly grin. “If for no other reason than so I can meet the woman who finally got you to walk away from a puck-bunny-threesome offer so you could make out with one anti-hockey chick in the corner. She’s got to be something else.”
Beckett was going to have to have a talk with the new Russian about keeping what happened with the team in the bars, with the team in the bars. “Fucking Andre.”
16
Eden walked into the Verizon arena feeling a lot like she had the first time she’d stepped on an ambulance—filled with a mix of anticipation, excitement, and hope, all wrapped up in a straitjacket of fear.
She’d overcome those fears and thrived. Eden hoped she could do the same with Beckett.
“Let’s walk around,” Gabe said beside her, his excitement palpable. “Pre-skate won’t start for another ten minutes.”
Whatever pre-skate was. Eden wasn’t asking too many questions. She was already overwhelmed. Today, she wanted to get an overall feel for this huge chunk of Beckett’s life. Simply making that purposeful decision to take him home, show him who she really was, and love him openly had been a major breakthrough in her life. Now, she was recovering with baby steps.
The halls were filled with a sea of fans in royal-blue Rough Riders jerseys. Excitement crackled in the air. Concession stands lined one side of the row, retail outlets the other side. She followed Gabe into a storefront where he picked up a Rough Riders scarf. While she waited, Eden found jerseys exactly like the one she wore and ran her hand over Beckett’s last name emblazoned across the shoulders.
“Aren’t you glad I made you wear it now?” Gabe asked, coming up to her.
She grinned. When he’d picked her up, she’d been in a regular sweater. They’d argued for ten minutes over her wearing Beckett’s jersey until Gabe had refused to take her to the game in anything else.
“Do you like the guy or not?” Gabe had asked.
“Yes, I like him,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I want to have his name tagged on my back like property.”
“It’s not about ownership,” Gabe argued, passionate. “It’s about support and pride and team spirit. It’s about wearing the name of the guy who impresses the hell out of you with his dedication and talent.”
That was the argument that made Eden cave. Because when she stripped away her fears, Beckett Croft did impress the hell out of her—in more ways than she could name.
Now, she relented. “Yes, I’m glad you made me wear it.”
Gabe grinned and laid his new scarf around his neck. “Let’s go find our killer seats.” He crossed the aisle and started down the stairs between sections. “Not that you’re going to appreciate them,” he shot over his shoulder, “since you didn’t appreciate standing rinkside.”
“Maybe I should have brought one of the other guys,” she teased.
“Don’t even.” He finally stopped and pointed to a row. “Right here.” Then he looked at the rink, ten rows and maybe thirty feet away. “Amazing.” And cut a serious look at Eden. “I want you to marry this guy. Do you hear me?”
Eden burst out laughing.