One of our team members will go to Seattle. If Lainey agrees with my plan, it’ll be me.
I’ve just finished getting dressed and styling my hair when I hear the alarm buzz downstairs, signaling Lainey is home. I find her in the front entryway, trying to get Kody out of his snowsuit before he takes off down the hall. He’s definitely my son. He has two speeds: fast and faster. He was crawling by six months, standing by eight, and walking by nine. Now he’s bumbling around like a drunken, miniature frat boy. He’s also in the 99th percentile for height and weight, meaning he’s going to be a big boy, just like me.
“Da!” he yells. He starts flailing, batting at Lainey’s hands, when he sees me. I’m not sure if he’s actually calling me Dad or if he’s just making noise because he can, but I’m going to pretend it’s the former.
Lainey raises her hands in defeat, and he rolls over, then pushes himself to a stand. He looks like an overstuffed marshmallow, his arms sticking straight out as he bumble-weaves over to me. I crouch down and put my arms out, ready to catch him. He makes it halfway before he falls, but he doesn’t give up. He pushes back up unsteadily and stumbles the last few steps into my arms. “Good job, little man!”
I lift him into the air and make airplane sounds. He giggles and squeals. I tuck him under my arm like a snowsuit-covered football and close the distance between myself and Lainey.
She has one arm out of her jacket and one still in. I slide my fingers into her hair, tip her head back, and kiss her—with tongue—while Kody wriggles and laughs under my arm.
I release her and take a step back. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself.” She arches a brow and shrugs the rest of the way out of her jacket. I set Kody down on the mat and help him out of his snowsuit. Once he’s free, he plunks himself down on the floor and starts going through the contents of Lainey’s purse, which would be fine if he didn’t try to shove everything into his mouth like it’s food.
“Give that to Mommy.” Lainey plucks a lip balm from his chubby fingers. He yells his displeasure until she replaces it with a soft hockey puck. It immediately goes in his mouth.
“He must be teething again.”
“He’s chewing on everything these days—like a little beaver, aren’t you?” Lainey picks him up and tickles his side, heading for the living room, which has slowly been overtaken by his toys.
We’re in the process of trying to divide the space so the whole thing doesn’t look like some kind of toddler amusement park.
Lainey sets him down in front of one of his educational toys that lights up and flashes . . . and plays annoying music, but he loves it and it keeps him entertained while we make dinner, so we deal with the noise.
“How was your afternoon at the spa?” Lainey went with some of the other wives. She deserves the break, because she moms it hard-core most of the time.
It’s been baby steps all the way: getting her used to worrying less about finances, infusing her into my life and my world, acclimating to the media attention. I don’t think that’s something she’ll ever be particularly comfortable with, but she seems to be handling it well, as long as I don’t throw too much at her at once.
She holds her hands out and wiggles her fingers. They’re painted Chicago colors.
I take her hand in mine and kiss her fingertips. “I like these.”
“I bet you do.” She steps into me, lowering her voice. “And I bet you can’t wait to see what they look like when they’re wrapped around your cock later.”
I can feel my eyebrows trying to hit the ceiling. She’s certainly not wrong, but Lainey generally isn’t quite so boldly explicit. She bites her lip, and her cheeks flush pink. I smirk and say nothing, waiting.
“Violet told me to say that,” she blurts.
“That sounds about right. You can tell Violet thanks for the hours of discomfort I face as a result, since I have to wait until Kody’s in bed to have that experience.”
She makes a face and looks over her shoulder to where Kody is happily playing, not getting into trouble. “We could put him in his room for ten minutes.”
I laugh. “I think I’ll take the prolonged anticipation, but I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Maybe we can get him into bed a little early tonight.”
“I’d like that.” She smooths her hands down my chest with a soft sigh, then steps back, aware if we keep touching and teasing each other we’re setting ourselves up for quick and dirty later, and that’s not part of my plan for tonight.
Lainey and I fall into our usual dinner routine, which means she tells me what to do and I do it while simultaneously getting all up in her personal space.
She stands in front of the fridge, bending to grab something from the crisper, so I take the opportunity for what it is and move in behind her. When she rights herself and steps back, she collides with my chest. I take the bag of carrots from her and kiss her neck. Lainey relaxes against me, tilting her head to the side, so I kiss all the way to her earlobe before I toss the carrots on the counter.
When she opens a cupboard to get a measuring cup, I step in and grab it for her. We move around each other, stealing kisses and furtive touches the entire time. Dinner prep is our foreplay.
“How was your meeting with your agent this afternoon?” Lainey asks as she sets the frying pan on the burner and brushes by me so she can get to the spice cupboard.
I pause in my carrot-chopping mission. “Good. I have something I want to discuss with you.”
She sets the ground ginger on the counter and turns to face me. “That sounds serious.”
I tug on her apron—team themed—and pull her closer. “It’s not serious bad. I just have some options I want to run by you.”
“Okay.” She glances over at Kody. He’s chewing on a book. It’s meant to be chewed on, so she refocuses on me.
“So we’ve talked about the Seattle expansion draft . . .”
She nods. “A lot of the girls are speculating who they’re going to keep safe. You have a no-trade clause, which makes you one of the nine.”
“That’s right, unless I opt to waive the no-trade clause for the expansion draft.”
Lainey’s eyebrows pull together. “But why would you do that? You’re team captain, and you love it here.”
“My contract expires in two years—I’ll be traded eventually. I talked to my agent, and if I waive the clause, Seattle will pick me up.”
Lainey chews her bottom lip. “Is that what you want?”
I pull her lip free from her teeth. “We would be closer to your family.”
She flattens her palm against my chest. “But these guys are like your family. You have years with them.”
I cover her hand with mine. “They’re not my partner, though—you are.”
She nods slowly. “I’m just getting used to everything here. If you’re traded, we’d have to move at the end of the season, wouldn’t we?”
“The timing would be good, though. Your contract with the aquarium is up soon. I’m sure they’d be happy to renew, but I also know you want to work on your PhD. And being in Seattle would make it a lot easier to see your family.”
Understanding hits her, and she crosses her arms. It would be cute if she didn’t look so irritated. “That can’t be the reason you waive your no-trade clause. I won’t take you away from your family so I can be closer to mine.”
“You miss them.”
“We can’t jeopardize your career and everything you’ve worked this hard for just so it’s easier for me to see my family until you get traded again.”
I pick her up and set her on the counter. “First of all, going to Seattle won’t jeopardize anything. And this isn’t just about my career or me anymore, Lainey. This is about what’s best for you and me and Kody, the three of us together. And if being closer to your family would be better for you, then it automatically makes it better for Kody and me.”
“You’d have to leave all these people you care about.”
“Not all of them.” I cur
l my hands over her knees. “Alex and Violet are going to Seattle.”
“They are?”
“This isn’t public yet, but they’re signing him as the head coach. He knows the general manager of the team personally. They want me. Players get traded all the time, Lainey—people come and go. A lot of contracts are up in the next year or so. If you say yes to this, my agent is ready to make a call. He’s already been in talks with the owner in Seattle. They want to sign me for five years, and they’re offering an extra million a year as incentive—but money aside, it would be a good move for us as a family.”
“How long have you been thinking about this?”
I part her legs and step between them so I can get a little closer. “A while.”
“It’s a big change, RJ.” She links her hands behind my neck, fingers sliding into the hair at my nape.
“Only for one of us. You’re the one who’s had to deal with the most change between us. Look, Lainey, those six weeks we had in Alaska were the best I’d had in my entire life, and the year that followed was dark without you. Having you back, falling in love with you all over again, and Kody for the first time, it’s made me a better man.” I clasp my hands behind her back so I can feel anchored.
“I want us to do this together. Make decisions together, figure out life and how to parent and how to get our kid to eat green things. I want to love you. I want to get razzed by your brothers at Christmas dinners. We’ll be closer to both of our families, since mine is on the West Coast too. It makes the most sense, doesn’t it? If you want to stay here, then the no-trade clause stays in effect—but if you want Seattle, then I lift the clause and we go.”
“You’re sure?” She bites her lip.
“Positive. Whadya say?”
“I say . . . let’s go to Seattle and start a new team.”
Lainey pulls me in for a kiss that lasts until Kody comes up behind me and hugs my leg, reminding me that we have a few hours before we can celebrate this decision privately.
I pick him up. “We’re going on a new adventure, little man.”
He pats both of my cheeks and grins, as if he understands. Lainey gets him a piece of frozen fruit stuffed inside a little mesh bag to chew on while I help get his dinner ready.
After we eat, I decide if we’re celebrating one thing, we might as well celebrate two. Lainey’s agreed to move to Seattle, so I’m pretty confident that means we’re in it for the long haul.
“I’ll take Kody up and get him ready for bed.” I kiss the top of her head.
She drops a tea bag in her mug and looks up at me. “I can do that.”
“I’ve got it. You enjoy your tea—we’ll be down in a few to say good night.”
She smiles up at me. “Thanks.”
I take him upstairs, change him into his jammies, and make a stop in our bedroom. “I need your help tonight, little man, okay?”
“Da!” He shoves his fingers in his mouth.
I slip my hand under a pair of socks and find the box. Closing the drawer with my hip, I take a deep breath. I’ve practiced this a million times over the past couple of months, what I’m going to say, how I’m going to do this. But my family is right—I don’t need a grand gesture, because that’s not what Lainey likes.
She likes simple and thoughtful.
I flip the box over between my fingers and take Kody back downstairs. Lainey’s tucked into the corner of the couch, reading a magazine.
I set Kody on the floor and hold up the small box, tied with a white ribbon. “Can you give this to Mommy?”
I pass it to him, not sure if handing something like this over to an eleven-month-old is actually a good idea or not. The first thing he tries to do is shove it in his mouth.
I pull it away from his mouth. “Take it to Mommy.”
I point at Lainey, and he bumbles his way over to her, holding the box in one fist. “Ma!” I follow behind him and make sure he doesn’t try to eat it again.
She sets the magazine on the table and uncrosses her legs. Sitting forward, she holds out her arms, ready to catch him if he falls. “Hi, baby, you look like you’re ready for bed. Do you want Mommy to come up and tuck you in?”
He waves the box around in her face, and her gaze shifts from Kody to me. She tips her head in silent question.
“Give the box to Mommy.” I drop down in front of her and help steady Kody’s hand—sort of, since mine is shaking too.
“What’s this? My birthday isn’t for another two months.”
“It’s not a birthday present. Go ahead and open it.” I set Kody on my knee.
There’s a wet spot on the box and some teeth marks, but that’s par for the course around here these days.
The ribbon unfurls as Lainey tugs the end. I kiss the top of Kody’s head as she opens the lid, my stomach in knots, my palms sweaty. She withdraws the tiny velvet box inside.
“RJ?” Her eyes are wide and already hazy with the promise of tears. I love that about her, that I can see her emotions play out on her face as she experiences them.
Kody grabs for the pale-blue box, so I give him the pieces and set him on the floor. He plops down beside me—not the best wingman, but he isn’t even a year, so I can cut him some slack. He slaps the two pieces together and squeals with delight.
“Let me.” I turn the velvet box toward her and flip it open. The light on the side table hits the diamond, making it glint and throw prisms on the floor, which Kody tries to catch, giggling happily.
“Oh!” Lainey’s hand flutters to her mouth, and she seems caught somewhere between laughter and tears.
“I love you, Lainey—both of you, so much. I thought those weeks in Alaska with you were the best of my life, but I was wrong. Every day with you beside me is better than the last, and I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you—all you have to do is say yes. Marry me?”
The sound that comes out of her is definitely half laugh and half sob. “Yes. A million times yes. I love you, and I can’t imagine my life without you and Kody.”
I slip the ring out of its cushioned home and slide it onto her finger. Lainey throws her arms around me and kisses my neck, my cheek, and then finally my lips, whispering I love you over and over.
Kody uses my knee to pull himself to a stand, shouting, “Ma!”
We both laugh, and I know that—despite the lack of romance—this is exactly the kind of proposal that works for us, because Kody is part of every single equation.
We take him up to bed. When he sees the ring on Lainey’s finger, he tries to pry it off, and when that doesn’t work, he tries to put her hand in his mouth.
Lainey holds his favorite teddy bear in front of him as a distraction. He grabs for it and cuddles it to his chest. We kiss him good night, put on his music, and turn on the night-light before we leave his room.
“This is beautiful. It’s exactly what I would have picked for myself,” Lainey says as we uncork a bottle of champagne so we can have our own private celebration.
I debate whether or not I should take the credit for it. “Remember when I took Stevie shopping over the holidays?”
“She needed something for some kind of event, but you came back empty handed.”
“I may have lied about that.”
“I figured it was just an excuse for the two of you to get some time together.”
“Well, there was that too. But really I wanted her help picking out the ring. It was between that one and another one.”
“You’re so sneaky.” She grabs the front of my shirt and pulls my mouth down to hers. “I can’t believe you’ve been holding on to this for months!”
“I was just waiting for the right time to ask. I wanted to make sure you were ready.”
“Still, that’s a long time to hold on to that. And I can’t believe Stevie never said anything.”
I laugh. “She knows better.”
Lainey bites her lip, a coy smile turning up the corner of her mouth. “You know, if we’re being completely ho
nest with each other, I have something I should probably tell you.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“Remember that time you taught me to drive when we were in Alaska?”
“Of course.” I had a hard-on the entire time. Lainey behind the wheel of a pickup is sexy as hell.
“So, I told you I didn’t have a license, not that I didn’t know how to drive.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I used to drive my dad’s pickup all the time. I just never bothered to get a license, because I didn’t like freeway driving—and you were so excited about teaching me, so I didn’t want to ruin it for you, or me, really.”
I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her tight against me. “Now who’s the sneaky one?”
“It was a little white lie.”
“I guess that means we’re even, doesn’t it?” I drop a kiss at the edge of her jaw.
“Mmm. A lie for a lie. I think we’re all done with those, aren’t we?”
“Definitely. But this one served a purpose. Are you ready for a little private celebration, future Mrs. Bowman?”
“Very ready.”
I spend the next hour showing Lainey with actions, and words, exactly how much I love her, and that I never want to be without her, ever again.
EPILOGUE
LIFE IN TRAINING
Rook
Four months later
Lainey’s fingers are in my hair, tugging gently as her hips move in tandem with my tongue. Tomorrow I’m making her my wife in the same location I fell in love with her: Kodiak Island. So tonight we’re having a little precelebration.
Well, actually, in about an hour Lainey’s parents and my mom are coming over so Lainey can have a night with her girlfriends, and I’m going out with the guys. Bar options are limited out here, so we’re going to have a campfire and drink some beers at one of the cabins down the road. It’s the same place Lainey first stayed, except I bought it, demoed the cabin, and had a brand-new one built. It might be a little overkill, but I wasn’t sure my family’s four-bedroom cabin was going to be enough for us—and I’m planning to spend a good part of my summers here, so I might as well have room for my extended family and friends. The new cabin has eight bedrooms, eight baths, two kitchens, two great rooms, and a massive dining room. It also has a guesthouse with three bedrooms.
A Lie for a Lie Page 26
