by Toni Aleo
“Were they awful?”
“Yes, so bad. Elaine told me they were just as bad at home.”
“They were,” Wren teased, smiling. “Jensen was my first kiss, and he was so awkward about it.”
Antoine laughed hard, from the gut. “I don’t doubt it. But now, I don’t think he’s awkward at all when he kisses ya.”
Wren’s face deepened with color as she met his gaze. “He’s all right.”
He scoffed at that as she swam backward. “Either way, look at all of you. Getting married, married, and engaged. Babies coming, it’s nice. I’m a proud papa.” Reaching out, he squeezed Jensen’s arm. “The happiest for you though, after that awful divorce.”
Jensen shrugged. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“It wasn’t that good either. Her mum is always asking about you when we see her at the market. Mum’s chest puffed up the last time we saw her. She goes, ‘Jensen got married to a beauty, and they’re having a baby. Plus, he’s bringing the Cup home.’” He laughed, shaking his head. “We’re damn proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“And you’re a shoo-in for the Vezina.”
Jensen made a face. “Not sure yet.”
Wren laughed at that. “You broke records this year, and you’re the best. So yeah, it’s yours.”
He looked over at her and smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yup. I know it.”
“So I guess I gotta dedicate it to you two, then? Since you both know?”
His father looked over at Wren, and they both nodded. “Seems legit,” she said as his father said, “I agree completely.”
Shaking his head, Jensen laughed along with them as the sliding door opened and his mum’s voice filled the back. “Ant, love, time to change your bandages.”
His father’s shoulders drooped as he waved her off. “Em, later.”
“No, honey, we can’t mess up the schedule because the kids are here. Come on now,” she said, coming to his chair and taking the handles in her hands.
Covering her hand, Jensen asked, “Mum, you need help?”
She shook her head, reaching out to cup his face. “No, honey, stay out here with your bride. We’ll be out in a jiffy.”
Grumbling, Ant shook his head. “Make sure you exercise, Wrenya, you hear?”
“Yes, sir,” she called as she leaned on the side of the pool, her chin on her hands.
“Dad, you know her name is Wren, right?”
He shrugged. “That’s what I said.”
His mom clucked her tongue. “He said that to me yesterday. Probably needs his ears checked. Puck probably shattered his eardrum or something.”
Wren snickered as they made their way inside, and he shook his head. “They’re calling you Wrenya, right?”
She smiled as she shrugged. “They are. But it’s nice. Leave it.”
He glared. “Make me crazy, those two.”
“They’re amazing.”
He smiled as she came close, leaning her chin on his shin. “They are.”
“Your mom is a cooking machine. Vaughn and Wells weren’t kidding.”
Leaning back on his elbows, he nodded. “Yeah, that’s all she does when I’m here, cook and feed me. I had to tell her last night to take it easy on you.”
Wren glared. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I care about your health. I gain an easy ten pounds when I’m home.”
“That’s rude,” she decided, and he scoffed. “I love food.”
“I’m aware.”
She glared, and he sent her a wink as she shook her head. “So, you haven’t been home in a while?”
“Nope, almost ten months. But I saw my mom about eight months ago. She came to see me before I left Colorado.”
“Wow, why?”
“Busy. I knew I wanted to be traded, and when it went down, I knew I had to put in a crazy amount of work to get noticed by the Assassins.”
“If they hadn’t noticed you, they wouldn’t have brought you to the team.”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but I knew I had to work harder.”
Moving her finger along his calf, she smiled. “You’ve always been the hardest worker.”
“I have. I don’t give up easily,” he said, and she looked up at him.
“Well, I know that firsthand,” she teased, and his lips curved wide.
“Damn right, you do.”
Holding his gaze, she pressed her lips together. “Wanna get in?”
He shook his head. “Rather just watch you.”
She pursed her lips at him, her eyes flashing with mischief. “Like watching me? All wet and slippery.”
“You’re evil.”
She giggled as she kicked off the side, going under the water before coming up, running her hands down her face. “It’s super nice in here.”
“It’s even better from right here. Every once in a while, I get a nice peek of that ass.”
She rolled her eyes as she held his gaze. “But if you’re in here, then you get a closer look.”
He thought that over. “You could be right about that.”
“I am right, always right.”
He laughed hard. “We both know that’s a lie.”
She glared. “I am!”
“Sure,” he said before he moved the towel that was on his lap and slowly slid into the pool. “Man, it does feel good in here.” It was a hot day, hotter than he expected, but the water was nice and cool. He had put the pool in for his father, for his therapy, but since his legs were so messed up, he hadn’t gotten to use it that summer. But he would. His dad was a fighter and didn’t give up, which Jensen guessed was where he got it from.
“Told ya,” she said, swimming toward him. “Oh, I have to tell you something.”
His brow furrowed since she looked so distraught at that moment. “What?”
Stopping in front of him, she said, “We might have to go shopping if my dress doesn’t fit for the party.”
He laughed. “I thought it was something bad.”
She gave him a dry look. “Shopping is bad.”
“Eh, not too bad when I’m with you,” he answered, and her face broke into a grin before she reached out, wrapping her arms around his neck and then her legs around his waist, like a koala. Her belly pressed into his as his arms came out, holding her close. But then she paused.
“Is this okay?”
His face wrinkled. “Why wouldn’t it be okay?”
She shrugged, her fingers dancing along the top of his back. “I don’t know.”
Leaning his nose into hers, he closed his eyes. “It’s perfect.”
When she pressed her lips to his, his heart slammed into his chest as he kissed her back, holding her as close as he could. She felt damn good in his arms, and soon he was harder than the steel pipes he stood between most of his life. As her mouth moved with his, his body shook with need, but there was no way he was taking her right there in his parents’ pool. Even if he had paid for it, that was disrespectful. But man, he wanted her. Sliding his hands down her back, he cupped her butt as she pulled back, her dark eyes meeting his. “Well, great hand placement, Jenny.”
His lips quirked against hers. “I mean, you said I can get a closer look at this fine ass.”
She was trying not to smile as she ran her fingers up the back of his neck. “Are you saying I have a great ass?”
“The best I’ve ever seen, and that’s no damn lie.”
He fully expected her to ignore his comment. But instead, her grin grew as she pressed her lips into his top one. “Well, thank you.”
“You are very welcome,” he muttered against her lips, his hands sliding lower on her thick ass, squeezing her as his body shook. “You’re entirely too sexy in this bikini, by the way.”
Closing her eyes, her face broke as she giggled loudly. “Stop.”
“Never.”
“You’re making me blush!”
“Good, I love the color,” he said as their eyes stayed
locked. “I love it all.”
Her lips pursed as she leaned into him, holding his neck tight, and just as she was going to kiss him, they heard his mother say, “I love newlyweds.”
But then his father added, “No hanky-panky in my pool!”
And with that, they were both falling over each other laughing.
He hadn’t felt more alive in his entire life.
“I can’t get over how beautiful you are, Wrenya.”
Wren looked up from where she was cutting up carrots and smiled. Jensen’s mom, Emma, couldn’t say her name right at all, but Wren wasn’t correcting her, and she wasn’t letting Jensen either. She found it endearing. But even she had to admit that everyone calling her beautiful, at every turn, was making her feel all kinds of ways. She wasn’t used to it. It wasn’t like her family told her she was beautiful all the time, but the Monroes never stopped reminding her. “Thanks, Emma.”
“Ma chou, Mum,” she said, patting Wren’s back as she walked behind her, getting some water. Wren had no clue what ma chou meant, but she was going with it. Since they had arrived in Jensen’s home country and then traveled the two hours from the airport to a rural part of Canada, Wren found Vaughn and Wells hadn’t been joking when they said Jensen was from the backwoods of Canada. The sheer number of moose she had seen in the matter of hours of being there was a little outstanding. And awesome. She loved every second. But she loved Emma Monroe and adored Jensen’s dad, Antoine, or Ant, as he insisted she call him, more than ever. When she had met them so long ago at Jensen, Vaughn, and Wells’s draft day, they hadn’t paid her much attention. But from the moment she’d stepped into the house, they’d both showered her with love, and she realized why Jensen was the way he was.
Because he was his parents’ world.
“Mum,” she repeated, and Emma beamed at her. “I’m done.”
“Good, good,” she said, taking the carrots and throwing them in the pot. “Potatoes next.”
Wren got to work, a little unsure of herself since she wasn’t much of a chef, not that she would tell Emma that. She’d already complained that Wren wasn’t feeding Jensen enough, and Wren wouldn’t dare tell her that Jensen was the one who usually got the food. Apparently, it was her job, and she would try to do that. Though, Jensen had already joked that he didn’t trust her cooking. A grin pulled at her lips as she looked back to where Jensen sat in the living room with his father, hanging out while the ladies worked in the kitchen.
He was lounging on the sofa as his father sat in the recliner, his legs up since Emma had just changed his bandages. The men looked like two peas in a pod, and Wren knew Jensen was beyond happy to be home. And so was she. Especially with Ant, he was funny, and she could see so much of Jensen in him. While she enjoyed and loved Emma—she was a good woman, very sweet—Wren couldn’t help but feel there was a little animosity toward her. She couldn’t blame Emma. Her son got married and was having a kid, and she only found out about it a month ago. She hadn’t mentioned it, nor brought it up, but Wren felt it coming.
“I bet you’re excited to see your mom next week. It’s been a while, yes?”
“Yeah, I am. It was before I got pregnant, and she keeps saying she’s ready to get her hands on my belly, whatever that means.”
Emma laughed. “I should tease her, tell her I got to go first.”
Wren met her with a smile. “Yeah, she wasn’t too pleased we came here first. She wants to see us. But this was planned first, and we’ll be there for almost two weeks with the wedding and all.”
“Yeah, she told me the same.” Emma looked up, a smile tugging at her weathered face. “It’s all a surprise, I’m sure. Especially with my Jensen. She probably didn’t expect that.”
Wren shrugged. “I don’t think anyone did, really.” She laughed then. “Especially us.”
She shouldn’t have said that. Emma’s brows pulled together. “So you didn’t have a crush on him before? He’s always had one for you, ma chou.”
Wren chewed on her top lip as she slid the knife along the potatoes. “I mean, I’ve always thought he was a very attractive man, but I never thought he had a crush on me. I didn’t find that out until after we—”
When she paused, Emma waggled her eyebrows. “Got it on? That’s what you call it, right?”
Wren sputtered with laughter as she choked on an inhale. “That.”
Emma nodded. “He is so damn quiet and shy, at least around you, he was. But he used to tell me that he was going to marry you.”
Wren’s mouth dropped open as a nervous laugh left her lips. “No!”
“Yes! He came home one summer and said ‘When Wrenya is old enough, I’m going to tell her how I feel.’ I waited and waited, and nothing. Then that other girl comes home, and he’s marrying her. I was very confused.”
Wren’s heart was in her throat. “Wow.”
“Very upset. I didn’t like her.”
“You didn’t?” Wren asked with a grin.
“No, not like I like you. But then, what did I expect? If he weren't going to go after you, someone would snatch him up. He’s so handsome, obviously from my side of the family.”
Wren giggled as Ant called from the living room, “Lies, Wrenya. Don’t listen to her. He’s my boy, and that baby will take after my side.”
Wren smiled as she looked down, praying to God that the baby came out looking just like her and nothing like Bradley. Just thinking of him made her gut hurt. It worried her to no end, but there was really nothing she could do about it. Though, the more she thought about leaving the safety and comfort of the Monroe home, the more she realized she’d probably see him when they went back home. She wasn’t sure if Wells had invited him to the wedding, and she couldn’t ask, but more than likely, he’d show up for the party for the Cup. It was huge for Vaughn and Jensen, and the whole town would all be there. Maybe she could skip?
That was an idea.
“Obviously, he’s delusional, and we know Jensen takes after me.”
Wren winked at her. “Of course.”
“You’re my favorite.” Wren beamed but then instantly felt bad. Was she Emma’s favorite under false pretenses? Or was it real? Shit, this wasn’t supposed to be this hard, but it was. She loved Emma and Ant. The last three days had been a blast. Once they got there, the two of them spoiled them, laughing and eating, just being together. Ant couldn’t walk much, but he tried. Though Emma wouldn’t let him go on the stupid walks Jensen was forcing on her. While it was sweet that he was taking her doctor’s orders, and she knew she should have felt bad for sneaking candy when he fell asleep at night, she didn’t.
Maybe she should reevaluate.
Bad life choices. She did that a lot.
Other than that, her time with the Monroes was going great. Every morning, they enjoyed the beautiful summer weather in the backwoods of Canada before spending the afternoon in the pool, and she felt like she was at home. Ever since getting there, she had been herself. Things were good between her and Jensen. Great, even. She felt herself letting him in somehow. Though, maybe she wasn’t. She wasn’t sure, but she was trying. She was. She knew that, but she had an inkling that he was still upset about their fight. Maybe she was overthinking it because when they were close, or even in the same room, he looked at her like she was the sexiest piece of cake he had ever seen. It was mind-blowing, and she loved it. His quick smiles, his sweet looks, and his caresses… God, she yearned for them and more, but she wasn’t thinking too much about that. Just him. And her. And his family.
“So, how far along are you now? Almost seven months? Yes?”
“Yes,” Wren answered, slowly chopping as she chewed on her lip. “I’m due in September.”
“Oh, good month. Maybe Ant will be better by then, and I can come to America for the birth. I want to see my grandbaby when he makes his debut.”
“We’d love that, and if not, once everything is settled because preseason will be starting, we’ll come here,” she promised, and she meant it
. They had been so good to her, accepting her from the moment she stepped on their land. She was thankful for that because once they got home next week, it wouldn’t be as easy as it was here. She knew her family would be full of doubts and questions once they arrived.
“That would make my day, but I understand, which is why I’ll try to come there. Hopefully, Ant can come,” Emma said as she stirred the pot of meatballs she was cooking.
“We’ll work it out.”
They shared a smile before Emma reached out, squeezing her hand. “You’re a good girl, Wrenya.”
Guilt flushed through Wren as she looked back down, cutting the potatoes and feeling like anything but a good girl. She felt like a fraud, like she should tell them the truth, but she couldn’t. The baby was Jensen’s, and that was that. She wasn’t lying. This was their normal, and they were good with it.
Everything else was a bit up in the air, but that was certain.
The kid was Jensen’s.
“You two have been married almost a month?”
Running her tongue along her lips, she nodded. She had been waiting the last three days for this conversation. They hadn’t been alone, she and Emma, they were almost always with Ant or Jensen. So she knew it was coming, that Emma was upset about it, and that worried her. “Yup. A month tomorrow, actually.”
Emma nodded as she reached for the bag of pigs’ feet out of the sink, and Wren quickly covered her mouth as she watched her mother-in-law begin to clean them. “Well, at least you two are married before he comes. Though, nowadays, things are so different. No one cares about having babies out of wedlock.”
Dropping her hand, Wren shrugged. “Jensen does.”
Emma looked up and smiled. “Because he’s a good man. A gentleman.”
“My mom said the same thing.”
“’Cause she knows. We did well with him.”
That made Wren’s smile grow. If her mom were there, she would have gushed all over Emma. There wasn’t a moment when Elaine didn’t worry that she was doing right by Jensen, but Emma always said that Elaine Lemiere was the best thing to happen to their family. “You guys did.”
Emma looked up, meeting her gaze, and then she looked away. “I need to admit something.”
