“She’ll be fine, dude,” Dom added.
“Yeah.” Kaden nodded. He knew in his head she would be, but right now his heart was too fragile to understand that. She was his mom. He had money at his disposal; there had to be something else he could do for her.
Speaking of giving anything to help, Ali crept into his thoughts. He wanted to ask Dom how she was doing, if he’d seen her lately, instead, he decided to listen to his sister’s advice and send her a text message, knowing damn well he wouldn’t get a response.
Kaden: Hey, hope you and the baby are doing okay. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.
Kaden: I miss you.
Before he hit send with the last text, he deleted it. Then typed the message again and sent it before he could change his mind. Why do I do this to myself?
“She’s fine too, Kaden,” Dom said, reading Kaden’s mind. “Why don’t you call her instead of texting? Better yet, just show up at her door. Some girls dig that element of surprise.”
“Like Hailee just loved seeing you pop into the club at lunchtimes just to ‘surprise’ her?”
“Well, I said some girls.” Hailee wasn’t one of them. Dom ran his hand over the side of his neck and the tattoo sticking out from under his t-shirt. “Plus, you never know until you try.”
“Yeah, well genius, I’ve tried. I’ve been to her place and she won’t even answer the door to me. I keep texting because I’ve tried to call and it goes straight to voicemail. I just don’t know what to think anymore.”
Dom was trying to be helpful, and he was probably right. But rejection was hard enough over text. He waited and waited, but no text response followed, just like he thought. But he refused to give up.
* * * *
“Mom, Kassie, come on in.” Kaden led them into his loft. “I would’ve picked you guys up, and we could’ve gone out to dinner.” Showing them down the hall to the living area, he passed the closed door to the spare room, and tussled with a desire to fling the door open and show them what was inside. But Ali needed to be the first to see that.
“Kaden, can we just order a pizza?” His mom knew the way to his stomach was through pizza. “You don’t need to feed us fancy meals every day. I don’t really feel like going out today. Plus, I told you that you should go do something with your friends, or with Alison. You don’t need to spend every second with us, and we can fend for ourselves occasionally, right?”
Kaden waved them off. “I spend plenty of time with my friends. And I’m at the rink most of the time anyway. It’s you guys that I don’t get to see often. But I would if you moved here,” he added. They were on the fence now about Pittsburgh. He hoped with some more pressure, they’d just say yes and he could start planning.
“Kaden, let’s not start this again, okay? I’m tired.” She huffed, acting exhausted, but it seemed put on. “Honey, I don’t mean to be rude, but your loft, it looks a little empty. Are you going to redecorate soon? We could help. I have some ideas that would be perfect for that corner over there.” She pointed around the empty room.
“Yeah, it is kind of empty. But it’s fine for now.” He had no desire to redecorate just yet. With any luck, he’d be sharing the loft with Ali soon, and she’d help him fix it up. He made sure his mom sat down and was comfortable before he took a seat himself.
Concentrating on her, he considered that she didn’t appear as tired as she acted. Maybe she was just tired of hearing him ask her to move to Pittsburgh, and was faking it.
“You know, since we’re on the topic. I still think even if you guys just moved here for part of the season… I could get you a house or apartment, whatever you wanted, and it would be like your vacation home? It would give us more time to be together. Kass, you could finish your degree, since your classes are online, or you could enroll here locally, whatever you want. And as far as your part-time job goes, you wouldn’t have to work; I could help with expenses. But if you wanted to, there’s plenty of opportunity here in the city.” Everything would work out if they moved to Pittsburgh. As long as I don’t get traded, that is.
“Kaden, you’re as stubborn as Mom.” With a smile, Kassie nodded in their mother’s direction. “With a one track mind, too.”
“Kaden, I really don’t want to discuss—”
Putting his hand up to alleviate her stress on the topic, he shook his head. He wasn’t giving up for good, but just for the moment. No reason to get her riled up. “It’s merely an idea. Think about it.” He sat back in his seat. “If it’s pizza you want, I have a few good ones on speed dial.” Obviously.
“Will Alison be joining us?” his mom asked, ignoring his talk about pizza.
“Oh… I don’t know, she’s—” Kaden searched his mind for something to say to change the subject. Anything.
“Busy. Right? Dear, I’d really like to meet her. Don’t I deserve to meet the girl that occupies my son’s heart?” She tilted her head in her dramatic way and clicked her tongue. His mom wasn’t asking.
“So, pizza?” Kaden’s only response fell on deaf ears.
“When can I meet her?”
Talk about a one-track mind. What am I supposed to say?
Kassie was right, he was as stubborn as their mom. That’s why he knew better than to hope she’d give up. He took a heavy sigh and looked at his sister before he started. “Okay. Mom, it’s kind of complicated right now.”
“What’s so complicated about asking her to dinner?” his mom countered. She wasn’t being a smart ass, just her fun-loving self, and definitely a mom.
“It’s a little more difficult than that at the moment.” He wrung his hands and contemplated how much he was going to confess. Hanging his head and focusing on the floor he continued. “We’ve hit a rough spot in our relationship.”
“Rough spot? What does that mean, exactly?” his mom questioned.
Kaden waited for Kassie to open her mouth and spoil his secret, but she didn’t. Still looking at the floor, he continued. “I thought she wanted some guarantee of our future. You know, commitment.” This was harder than I ever thought it’d be, to dance around the whole truth, while still trying to get some motherly advice.
As Kassie spoke up, and he tensed. But instead of ratting him out, true to their sibling relationship, she added a jab, and at the perfect time. “Did you scare her off with visions of grandeur, living in your super-man-cave-bachelors-pad?” She added a grin, but he knew it was secret code between them. She knew his issue and wouldn’t be blabbing it.
“Possibly.” Kaden grinned and shook his head.
“So you suggested you two move in together?” his mom questioned. Her face was scrunched up in confusion.
“Yeah.” He nodded. Yep, that’s kind of what I did.
“Kaden Michael, you look me in the eye and answer me one thing.”
He pulled his attention to her, looking right into his mom’s eyes. “Yes?”
“Do you love this girl?”
“I really do, Mom. I’ve never felt this way before.”
“Have you told her this?”
“Uh, no.”
“So you suggested a future with her, but haven’t confessed your feelings for her? No wonder the poor girl is conflicted. I thought I taught you better than that.” His mom sat back, appearing relaxed and satisfied. A smile tugged at her mouth. “Sweetheart, you need to tell her that. Not me.”
Saying the actual words was something he never had much luck at. It’s not that he didn’t want to say them, but fear kept him from doing so. What if he wasn’t worthy of a girl like Alison? But maybe Mom was right.
Alison had run out of their discussion after he suggested they be a family; maybe he had missed expressing an important part of being a family. “Yeah. Ironically, Dom may be able to help me out with that.” His friend’s wedding might be the perfect setting. “Speaking of Dom, he wanted me to invite you both to the wedding.”
His mother grinned sweetly. “Good way to change the subject, Kaden. But that’s
very nice of Dominic. He always was such a nice young man. Tell him that while I appreciate the thought, I’m still not feeling up to going out to a big event. Kassie might enjoy the night out, though. And don’t think for one minute that this conversation is over.” She pointed at Kaden before turning her attention to Kassie, and patted her daughter’s knee. “Dear, you should go. Have some fun. You spend so much of your time with me. Maybe you’ll meet a nice young man, possibly one of Kaden’s teammates?”
Oh god, my sister and one of my teammates? That’s the last thing I need on my plate. The thought of Kassie hooking up with one of them ruffled his protective side. He knew what these guys were really like. Hell, he knew what he was really like, before Ali.
“Mom, maybe another time. I can’t leave you here by yourself,” Kassie protested.
“Alright, both of you, I’m only going to say this once, so listen up and listen good. I might be getting on in my years, and I know you think I’m fragile at the moment. You’re scared; I get that. Cancer is scary. We know that better than anyone. But I’m better. We can’t let this take over our lives or how we act. I’m perfectly capable of being left alone. So, Kaden if you want to spend time with Alison instead of watching over me, that’s perfectly okay. And Kassie, if you want to go to the wedding and have a good time, that’s okay too.”
Kassie scooted closer to Mom and took her hand. “Great speech, Mom. But you’ll never be alone. We won’t allow it. And as much fun as the wedding sounds, I’d rather be here with you. Maybe Kaden is right about us getting a place here. I’d be more comfortable leaving you alone in our own place versus a hotel. Maybe I would go explore the city, maybe even find a nice guy. But today, right now, that isn’t the case. So instead, you and I will go down to the hotel restaurant, have a nice dinner, maybe even catch a movie. Together.”
Kaden’s focus was now stuck on his mom trying to push Kassie into mingling with his single teammates. Who does that? “Okay, if that’s what you want to do, that sounds fun. Kind of. But let me know if you change your mind. The invite is still open.”
“Kaden, it’s fine. You’ll get out for an evening, and so will we. But we’re not done discussing your girlfriend. When you find the perfect opportunity, make sure you take it. It might just be what she’s waiting for.” She glared at him with the “mom-look.” The look that he knew meant business.
Maybe some time away would be good. He wouldn’t have to deal with conversations like this. Even if she was right, like always.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Alison
Alison checked her phone again; no new messages. But this time she shoved it into the desk drawer. She was aware that she’d looked at it way too many times today. It’d been about a day since Kaden had last messaged her. Just because she never answered him, didn’t mean she wasn’t thrilled that he was checking on her.
He continued to claim that he missed her, and that’s what she needed to hear. She just wasn’t sure how to respond. After he suggested they do this as a family and make it work, she wasn’t sure what to think. Did he want to be with her, or had he suggested it just because she was pregnant with his baby? She wanted him to want her. Not just do the right thing.
“Just call him.” Hailee groaned from behind her. “You know you want to. Trust me, even I know that you want to.”
Deep down, Alison did. But wanting to and letting herself were two very different things. She wouldn’t chase him. She ran her hand over the gentle swell of her belly. She didn’t think it wasn’t an obvious bump, especially if she wore the right shirts. I miss him so much. I just want him to want us, not just go through the motions. Her heart ached. It isn’t worth getting upset over. She had more important things to worry about. Like taking care of this little one.
“Ali, I know both of you well enough to know that you’re meant to be together. You need to stop pushing him away, and he needs to step up. I know, how about we go to the game tonight? Dom can get us seats. It’ll be fun. We won’t even have to sit in the family box with the other WAGS. He can get us seats in the crowd.”
“Oh, I don’t know…” Going to the arena to watch Kaden was not her idea of a good time right now. In case he decided the family life wasn’t for him, she needed to be okay without him. Unfortunately, Hailee didn’t think the same as her.
“Give me one good reason why.”
“I have to teach—”
“Ali, I know that you don’t have any lessons tonight. Try again,” Hailee countered with a smug expression.
“I… I don’t feel very good.” She stuttered and held her hand on her belly.
“It’s called being knocked up. Got any more?”
Alison scowled at her friend but gave a little laugh. Seeing Kaden would be a slippery slope. Seeing him again would bring back all the feelings she’d tucked down deep in order to prepare to raise this baby on her own. Part of her wanted to jump at this opportunity. She did miss him. When I finally am face to face with him, it will have been planned. Like at Hailee’s wedding.
“C’mon. It’ll be fun.” Hailee pushed.
Heat filled Alison’s face, and her head began to feel dizzy. This is why I don’t answer his messages. I want to believe him so badly. But I know how bad it will hurt if he leaves just like my dad did. And worrying causes stress, and that isn’t good for me or the baby. She was almost positive that her blood pressure was rising. Taking three deep, slow breaths, she did her best to calm down.
“Look, Kaden isn’t even in goal tonight. It’ll be fun. Plus, I’m tired of going to the games by myself.”
Hailee had a point. If Kaden was the backup tonight, then she probably wouldn’t even see him. She’d get to see Dom play and get to enjoy the delicious arena snacks. The grumble in her tummy told her that baby liked that idea, too. It would be nice to get out. I can do this, and it will be fun. Plus, a peek at Kaden couldn’t hurt.
* * * *
Hailee convinced Alison to wear her Renegades jersey. Her newer jersey was O’Conner, but she had a Tyler Kidd one too, since he used to be her favorite. Alison opted for the Kidd jersey. There was something that didn’t feel right about wearing Kaden’s jersey tonight. Any worries that the Kidd jersey would be too snug were put to ease the moment that she slipped it on. It was still loose enough on her that her tiny bloated belly stayed hidden.
At least she was able to convince Hailee for them to take her car. She figured Hailee could go home with Dom, and she could leave as early as she wanted to, instead of having to wait on Hailee to leave.
Hailee got them into the team parking garage with her family pass, and that made it easier to get into the arena, since they avoided the lines out front. The Renegades game was a sellout, like always.
Alison wasn’t a “private box” kind of girl. She liked being in the arena with the other fans. And she loved cotton candy almost as much as she loved the barbeque pork nachos. Hailee dragged her along as she pushed through the other spectators until they were at their section, which luckily was right by the concession stand that sold the pork nachos.
“I just love it here. Thank you for talking me into coming, Hailee. There’s nothing like the smell of the ice, or even the sound that the skates make as they’re cutting through the frozen surface. The aroma of popcorn and nachos. I smell kielbasa. Do they sell kielbasa now?” Her stomach rumbled.
“You must be excited.” Hailee laughed. “It’s like you’re narrating ‘Ali and Hailee’s trip to the ice hockey arena.’ And yes, they do sell kielbasa now. Do you want one? Because they’re way down there. But I’ll go get you one if you and baby want.” She pointed off in the distance, about three or four sections down.
Alison took a deep breath in. Mmm. She missed the smell of Rivers Arena. Her heart ached a little once she remembered they were here to see the Renegades play. It was still exciting to be here, just different. Because she missed Kaden. She wanted to be the girl in his jersey bragging that she was the only one that would get to go home with him.
“No, I’m good for now. But thanks. See you in there. Don’t be too long; warm-ups are going to start soon.”
There was no line at the barbeque stand, so Alison got her nachos and headed back to her seat in no time. Their seats were in the lower bowl, because that’s where she liked to sit. They were also only two rows behind the goalie.
“These seats bring back memories,” she teased as she got comfy in her seat and took a bite of nachos filled with cheese and savory barbeque shredded pork.
“Yeah…” Hailee stared dreamily off in the direction of the ice. “I probably wouldn’t have been able to do that if it weren’t for you. You pushed me. Thank you for that.”
Back when Hailee and Dom were still separated and Hailee knew that she wanted to get him back, Alison helped get tickets for the game. The tickets were right behind the goal, and she knew Dom would be starting that night. They made a huge sign, and Alison encouraged Hailee to hold it up for Dom to see. The other guys saw it too. And the camera operator. And then everyone in the arena. But it worked, and they were now going to live happily ever after. As they should.
Even though these were almost the same seats, Alison didn’t see tonight having the same outcome as that epic night. Dom would be in goal, and she would be gone before Kaden exited the locker room. What she forgot about was warm-ups. She blamed pregnancy brain.
The music got louder and the team entered the rink one by one.
SHOOTOUT SAVE (The Renegades Series Book 6) Page 13
