Changing Lines (Bellevue Bullies 5)

For Tristan.

Through the program, which Jude and I fund, we give the women a lump sum to restart when they’re ready to leave the shelter. Since Tristan didn’t feel safe going back to the dorms, we found her a wonderful little apartment close to campus and also to the police station. She felt safe when we moved her in, and I felt like we had won. She was going to do big things. I remember standing in the middle of her living room when she looked over at me with her big brown eyes and wild, curly blond hair.

“I guess since my living situation is under control, I need to figure out what to do about the baby.”

Both of our gazes fell to her growing belly. My heart ached as I stared at her. I had gone through another fifty surrogate profiles, and I wasn’t happy with anyone. I couldn’t decide, and it was pissing Jude the hell off, but this was going to be the woman carrying our baby. She had to be perfect. I swallowed hard as I whispered, “You could keep it.”

She shook her head, her curls whipping against her face. “I can’t. Call me selfish, but I don’t want kids. I was on birth control, and this still happened.”

I hated how jealous I was of her. I’d basically stood on my head with Jude’s sperm inside me, hoping it would swim for my eggs. I don’t think people really realize how unsexy that is. “Then we’ll figure it out.”

Tristan’s gaze met mine. “Or you could adopt it.”

Remembering those five words will always give me chills.

They meant our dreams were coming true. But now, with the news of us moving, what if that dream is about to crash into the boards?

Happy Wife, Happy Tristan

Jude

I hate the pained look on Claire’s face.

My gorgeous wife is the most important thing in my existence, and I hate to let her down. We have so much planned. When we bought this house, it was to bring our baby home to. We were ready to make this Casa Sinclair, raise this amazing baby we’ve been blessed to get. But now we have to do that in Tampa Bay. I don’t even know if Tristan will be okay with that. What if she decides not to give us the baby now? I was just starting to feel like this was all real. We’ve had so much disappointment the last three years, but the more I get to know Tristan, the more I feel it’s really going to happen.

For Claire, though, she’s felt right about it since the beginning.

I’ll never ever forget that moment.

* * *

“Jude!”

I was playing Xbox with Jayden and Jace. It’s very rare when we all can get on Call of Duty together, but that night was the night.

“Jude!”

“Babe, what?” I say, knocking off my headphones. “I’m in the living room.”

She comes running in. Her hair wild, almost windblown. It’s changed over the years. When we first met, she had such bright, almost Ariel-colored red hair, but now it’s more of a strawberry-blond. She stopped dyeing it about three years ago when we started trying. It was one of those things she read that could help her get pregnant. I’m surprised how much I love it. I loved her red hair, but after all these years, I find that I just love her. All of her.

She drops down beside me, almost in my lap, as she grabs my shoulders. “I need to talk to you.”

I kiss her nose, a grin on my face. “I can tell. What’s up?” Tears gather in her eyes, and I drop the controller before turning off my headset. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Listen, I got Tristan into her apartment, and everything is great!”

My heart swells. The work we do at the shelter is probably my second favorite thing about my job. First is actually playing, but the second is being able to help people. I’m the highest-salary-capped player, and we don’t need all this money. My mom is married to an ex-hockey player and has three hockey-playing sons. My sister Lucy is also very successful in her design business and married to a hockey player, so Mom is set. We don’t need to support her. But everyone else… They need us. Claire is so devoted to the shelter, and it not only makes me want to do more, but it fills me with such pride.

“That’s wonderful. Does she feel safe?”

“Yes,” she gushes, her face red. “But it’s more than that.”

I draw in my brows. “What do you mean?”

“She asked if we wanted to adopt her baby.”

I couldn’t do much more than blink. “I’m sorry?”