For hours, Jade and I don’t leave the dance floor. My face hurts from smiling and laughing. And this dress? I don’t think I’ll be returning it. It smells like sweat and champagne.
The party has died down and the few of us left are sitting in the living room at Jack’s house. He has this huge sectional. Me and Jade, Declan, Scarlett and Leo, Ash and the girl that’s been with him most of the night are all sitting on it. Tyler is sitting in an armchair across from me and Jack is in another. A guy named Johnny Maverick is sitting on the floor between us all, leaned back with his legs kicked out in front of him.
The guys are heckling Leo about getting married, but when I check his reaction, he doesn’t look like it bothers him one bit.
“Married life is great,” Maverick says. He’s the only one here that’s already walked down the aisle. “Don’t let them scare you off. Nothing better than knowing someone always has your back. Plus, sex. Lots of it. They wish they were getting laid as much as us.”
“Speak for yourself,” Ash chirps. “Your wife doesn’t even live here. How often can you really be getting it on?”
“Does phone sex count?” he asks.
Ash sucks in a breath through his teeth, a playful smile on his lips. “Gray area, but I’ll give it to you.”
I inadvertently glance at Tyler and find his gaze on me. I managed to dodge him all night long, but this isn’t the first time I’ve caught him looking my way. I break eye contact first, but he speaks for my benefit.
“Dakota, Maverick’s wife, is still in college back in Arizona.”
My face warms. I was feeling slightly out of the loop, but I didn’t want to break the atmosphere with a thousand questions to figure out everyone’s backstory.
“Oh, right. I keep forgetting you don’t know everyone,” Scarlett says.
“It’s fine. I’m figuring it out.”
“Who am I?” Ash asks.
“Trouble. That’s who you are, Ash Kelly.”
Everyone laughs.
“Sorry to be the first to cut out, but I should get going.” Tyler stands and smiles at Leo and Scarlett. “Congrats, guys. Thrilled for you.”
Leo gets up to shake his hand and pull him into a one-arm hug. “Thanks for coming.”
Tyler waves to the group, letting his stare hold on me a beat longer than everyone else.
After he’s gone, other people start leaving. Declan, then Ash and his girl say their goodbyes, then Scarlett and Leo.
Jade and I follow them out, but linger in Jack’s driveway to wait for Sam.
“God, I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun,” I say, spinning in a circle with my arms out. My coat falls open and the air bites at my skin, but I don’t care. I’m not even drunk. A little tipsy, maybe.
Jade, on the other hand, is well past tipsy.
“Sam’s here!” She tosses her arms up when headlights turn down the street. “Oh, no. That’s not him.”
We take off up the street anyway. She links her arm through mine, and we sway and sing. Good thing most of the neighbors know us. Her steps slow suddenly and pull me backward.
“Creeper alert,” she whispers loudly.
I stop singing and look up the sidewalk where a guy paces ahead of us.
“Not a creeper,” I say.
Tyler turns at the sound of my voice. He has his phone up to his ear, but he drops it as I shorten the distance between us.
“What are you doing out here?” I ask, wondering for a second if he’s going to try to talk to me again.
“Everly isn’t home, and when I call her phone, it’s saying it’s no longer in service.” Panic flashes in his eyes.
“She probably just turned it off. Where was she going?”
“I don’t know.” His jaw flexes. “She was gone when I got home this afternoon from the game. She left a note that said she’d be back by midnight. I didn’t think anything of it.”
I glance at the time on my phone. It’s almost two.
A car comes to a stop next to us. This time it is Sam. I look between an expectant Jade and a stressed-out Tyler. He’s got his phone back to his ear.
“Go,” I tell her. “I’m going to stay and help him track down Everly.”
“You want us to wait?” she asks.
“No. I’ll call an Uber.” I hug her.
She hesitates.
“I’ll be fine. Thank you for tonight.”
She smiles. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Tyler drops the phone to his side and tips his head up to the sky. He lets out a growl. “Fuck, Everly.”
If I had been drunk, I think seeing him like this would sober me right up. “Where would she go?”
He looks at me like he didn’t realize I was still here. “With River if I had to guess, but I have no idea where he lives.”
“Okay. Do you have his number?”
He gives his head a quick shake.
“Where do they like to go?”
“I don’t know.” He runs a hand through his hair.
Ash comes out the front door, shrugging into a leather jacket. “I called Declan; he doesn’t have River’s number either, but he thinks his last name might be Stafford or Stamford, something like that.”
“Thanks,” Tyler clips.
Ash comes to stand with us and nods to me.
I smile at him, but Tyler steals my focus. He’s freaking out and I don’t know how to help.
“Her Instagram,” I say as I unlock my phone and search her name. Nothing immediately comes up. “Are you following her?”
“I don’t have an account,” Tyler says.
Right. I knew that. I might have had a moment of weakness and looked him up a few times over the years.
“We’ll find her.” I place a hand on his arm, ignoring the sparks it sends shooting up my fingertips.
“Found him,” Ash says, looking at his phone. “River Stevenson. Declan was way off. Want me to send him a message?”
“Can I see?” I ask.
He hands me the phone and I scroll until I see the photo Everly had shown me of him and his ex. The record store. It’s a long shot, but it’s something. “I might know one place to check.”
Tyler’s eyes light up with something like hope.
“The record store where he works, Empire.”
Tyler takes off toward his car. I follow.
“Do you want me to try somewhere else?” Ash asks. “We could split up.”
Tyler shakes his head as he throws open the driver’s side door. “No, stay here in case she comes back. I’ll call you if we find her.”
Seated in the passenger seat, I buckle up as Tyler peels out of the driveway. He shifts and it draws my attention to the car.
“You bought it.”
He gives me a quick glance as I run my hand along the dash next to the cobra logo. For just a second, he flashes a playful smile. “Second thing I bought when I signed my contract.”
“What was the first?”
His grin falls.
“Well, it’s beautiful.” It’s an unexpected thrill to know he did this for himself. Tyler didn’t come from a family that had a lot of money, and never really wanted for a lot of things, but owning a ‘67 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 was a dream he talked about like other people talking about going to the moon. Sure, it’d be awesome, but what were the chances of it happening?
“She wasn’t when I bought her. Restored just about every piece.”
“You did it yourself?”
“No. I wish.”
The atmosphere shifts back to tense when he takes a turn, and the record store comes into view.
“There,” I say. The streets are dark and quiet. Most of the businesses are closed this late. Even the bar a block away has closed up for the night.
Tyler lets the car idle in front of the store.
“The sign says it closed at ten,” I say.
“That’s River’s car there.” He points to an old Mazda in a metered spot. “I’m just gonna check the door. If she’s not here, I don’t know where else to look.”
He looks so desperate and hopeless. I rest a hand on his arm. My throat tightens. It’s hard to believe that after all this time a simple touch could still make me feel so many things. But now is not the time to get caught up in the past. “We’ll find her.”
His dark head nods and then he leaves me alone in the car while he runs to the front door and pulls. It opens and he disappears inside.
Seconds turn into minutes and I’m so close to getting out and going in when he finally comes out with his arm around Everly’s shoulders.
“Oh no,” I say quietly, and get out to help him.
“I can walk,” she says, but then stumbles as she tries to pull away from us.
“I only had two beers. Or maybe it was four. I’m not very good at drunk math.” Her glazed stare lands on me. “I don’t think I can go to school today, Ms. Vaughn.”
“No, I don’t think you can either,” I say. “Good thing it’s the weekend.”
“You’re eighteen, Ev,” Tyler says through clenched teeth.
“Oh, please, you drank when you were my age. I know you did.”
“You were supposed to be home hours ago. And why is your phone off?”
“My dad cut off my service. I was going to text from someone else’s phone, but I don’t have your number memorized.” She looks at her brother and then reaches out and touches his face. “You look so mad, big brother. I was fine. I can take care of myself.”
A muscle flexes in his cheek. “Yeah? How exactly were you going to get home tonight?”
“River would have brought me home as soon as everyone left.” She yawns and her shoulders slump forward. “I’m really tired all of a sudden. Can you lecture me later?”
“Sure, Ev. I’ll lecture you when it’s more convenient for you.”
Tyler’s jaw flexes as she goes limp next to him. I move in to help steady her. She reeks of alcohol and cigarettes. I hold my breath as I take the other side and we guide her into the car. Tyler’s car doesn’t have a back seat, so I have to squeeze in next to her.
It’s quiet as we head back to the house. Everly rests her head against my shoulder, and I wrap my arms around her so she can use me as a pillow. I watch Tyler, feeling like I’m seeing him and all the stress he’s under more clearly. His hands tighten around the steering wheel, and he mutters under his breath, but I can’t make out anything other than the multiple f-bombs he drops.
“She’s safe,” I say softly, and place my hand on his bicep.
He nods, but the leather creaks under his grip.
Walking into Tyler’s house the second time is surreal. Three guys wait in the doorway as Tyler helps his sister inside: Jack, Ash, and Declan.
I amble behind him awkwardly unsure if I should wait to talk to him or just go ahead and call an Uber.
Tyler looks over his shoulder while I’m still deciding. “Give me five and I’ll drive you home.”
Declan steps forward on Everly’s other side.
“Declan,” she murmurs happily.
“Hey, Little Sharpie.” He takes some of her weight from Tyler. “This looks like more than one beer.”
“You’re lucky your brother found you and not me,” Jack calls to her back. His dark stare narrows as he watches Tyler and Declan all but carry her up the stairs.
“You’re all hypocrites. You guys drink all the time,” she fires back.
They get her upstairs and disappear, then I’m back to not knowing what to do with myself.
“Where was she?” Ash asks.
“The record store with River.”
“What was he feeding her? Jell-O shots?”
“I don’t know. She said she just had a few beers.”
“She’s gonna be hungover as shit in the morning.” Jack grumbles under his breath as he stalks to the door. “Call me if you guys need anything.”
Ash watches everything with amusement. “Little Sharpie is going to have hell to pay tomorrow. I do not envy her that.”
“Yeah, this whole ‘team of big brothers’ thing is intense,” I say. It’s obvious in the thirty seconds I’ve been here that she has a group of guys, her brother’s teammates, that all care about her and have been helping look out for her. I’m glad for her, but also can’t help but wonder what that must be like. Awesome or overbearing? I’m guessing a little of both.
Ash laughs. He has a way about him that makes the moment feel less tense. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Yeah. That would be great.”
I follow him into the kitchen.
“I have wine or beer, liquor.”
“Alcohol doesn’t sound that great right now,” I admit, picturing Everly’s ashen face.
“Right. Water it is.” He fills a glass and sets it on the island.
I take a seat on one of the large barstools in front of it and drink slowly.
Declan comes down soon after.
“How is she?” Ash asks.
“Sleeping. Ty tried to get her in the shower, but she passed out cold. Where in the hell was she?”
“The record store where River works,” I answer.
Declan shakes his head. “I told her that guy was no good.”
“We’ve all told her that,” Ash says. “I’m pretty sure she’s dating him just to piss us off.”
“Did Jack already take off?” Declan looks around for him.
“Yep. Stormed out of here all pissed off that Little Sharpie was drunk.” He grins.
“She knows how to worry the shit out of all of us, that’s for sure.” Declan blows out a breath and runs a hand over his jaw. “I guess I should get back too.”
“You’re welcome to crash here,” Ash offers.
“Nah.” Declan grins and it transforms his face into a less serious, more boyish expression. “I finally get to practice tomorrow, and I want to get there early.”
“All right. See you then.” Ash gives him a salute and Declan leaves.
“You guys have a whole team bonding thing going on that I was not prepared for,” I admit.
“You? Tim Vaughn’s niece doesn’t know hockey players?” His brows lift.
“When Uncle Tim talks about his hockey days it’s usually about certain games or achievements. I don’t think he ever mentioned raising teenage girls with his teammates.”
Ash laughs good-naturedly. “Yeah, well, I guess this is a unique situation, but I don’t doubt that he would have done whatever his guys needed.”
I nod, sure he’s right.
Ash’s gaze lifts above my head and I turn to see Tyler. His hair sticks up around his head and he walks like a man that’s run a marathon and is about to collapse.
“Beer?” Ash asks.
Ty nods and falls onto the stool next to me.
“I’m off to bed.” He slides the beer to Ty and then smiles at me. “Glad I finally got to meet you tonight, P. Vaughn.”
“You too,” I say before he steps out of the room.
Tyler tips back the bottle and takes a long drink. His throat works and I watch the column of this neck, noting how much he’s filled out over the years. He was always muscular but he’s broader now. Everywhere.
He sets the bottle down and looks at me. All the things I’ve despised about him are hard to remember when he looks so broken.
“Thank you. I don’t know how I would have found her without you.”
“You would have. You have a lot of people that have your back,” I note, meaning the teammates that showed up here for him and his sister. “But you’re welcome.”
“What the hell was she thinking?” He looks at me like he expects me to have the answer.
“I’m not sure, but go easy on her, okay?”
His gaze narrows.
“Or don’t. Sorry. It isn’t my business.” I hold up both hands.
“No, I want to know. You’re smart and you know more teenagers than I do. What would you do?”
“She’s been through a lot it seems. I don’t think yelling at her is going to do anything. Talk to her. Hear her out. Set boundaries and rules, but don’t lose sight of the fact that she’s here and she’s safe. That’s what matters.”
His jaw works back and forth, but he nods. “I’m sorry you got pulled into this.”
I find myself reaching out and taking his hand. It jolts me every freaking time, but this time I can feel how it affects him too. I keep contact for a few more seconds as I say, “I’m glad I could help. I keep telling you I like Everly and I mean it.”
“And me?” he asks, gliding his thumb along my palm. “Still hate me?”
I hold his gaze. My heart races and I struggle to put my feelings for him into words. Do I hate him? Of course not. I’m not sure I ever did. But I’m not a masochist either. I almost didn’t survive him the first time, and this grown-up Tyler with the weight of the world on his much broader shoulders could wreck me.
“No,” I finally say. “I don’t hate you.”
“Well, that’s something.” He tips back the bottle again. “I think you’re right. She needs routine and rules, stability that she hasn’t really gotten from me and the half-assed job I’m doing trying to look out for her.”
“I think you’re doing a really great job, all things considered.”
He makes a face that shows his disappointment in himself.
“I should get home.”
“Yeah, of course.” He sets the bottle down. “Let me drive you home.”
“It’s okay. You should stay in case she needs you. I have an Uber on the way.”
“All right then. I guess, thanks, again.”
“Bye, Tyler,” I say as I stare into his dark green eyes. My pulse skips.
“Bye, Pipes.”
I make it all the way to the front door before my resolve crumbles. I walk back into the kitchen. Tyler is tossing the beer into the trash. He looks up when I enter, and a hopeful look crosses his face.
“I’ll do it,” I say. “I will look after Everly, be her nanny, or whatever.”
“You will?”
“Yes.”
He rushes me and hugs me, squeezing the air from my lungs. “Thank you.”
Any final hesitation I had leaves when he pulls back, and I see the relief on his face. He just aged backward by about four years.
“She obviously needs a female influence amidst all your teammates,” I say the last part jokingly but I’m serious. Holy overprotective hockey players.
“Thank you. I will pay you whatever you want and there’s a spare bedroom upstairs that Ash said you could have.”
I quirk a brow.
“I ran it by him earlier in case you said yes,” he admits.
Those nerves are back as I imagine waking up in the morning to a sleepy-eyed, shirtless Tyler. That sounds…amazing, and also like torture. “I don’t know. Us sleeping under the same roof feels like…a lot.”
“Okay, whatever you want. I’ll text you my schedule and leave the details up to you, but the offer to stay is open, and name your price.”
I’m probably going to regret this in the light of the morning, but I find myself nodding. “No payment necessary. Consider it a favor. I will chill with her while you’re gone. Let’s just start there.”
