Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 73002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Yet, an awkward silence fell over the table, and Wells almost screamed in frustration. But thankfully, Wren clapped.
“Well, bottoms up, boys! To good times with family.”
After clinking the shots together and downing them, Wells leaned back, glancing over at Matty. He seemed tense, and it was killing him. This was supposed to be their vacation. Matty looked over, his gaze meeting Wells’s. They stared at each other for almost a full minute, their eyes urging the other’s, almost having a silent conversation in which Wells explained that Matty was being an uptight dick. Matty apparently didn’t feel the same, and when Wells’s eyes started to darken with annoyance, Matty slowly shrugged, which caused Wells to roll his eyes.
He was going to kill Matty.
“So, Matty,” Wren said then, stealing Matty’s attention. Wells was thankful, but then even more annoyed. He didn’t like Matty acting like this. He knew Matty got weird with people—he was very private, obviously, and he didn’t really like to talk to people that much—but shit, these people were basically an extension of Wells. Yeah, Wren could be bitchy. Vaughn was—well, Vaughn. Jensen was great, and so was Brie. So really, it was only Wren and Vaughn that Wells could understand being awkward with but not Jensen and Brie.
Hell, a rock could get along with those two!
“Wells was telling me that you got to see your sister and niece a couple weeks ago.”
Matty nodded, his shoulders unclenching a bit. It was a good start to relaxing, Wells guessed. “Yeah, Ashlyn is my niece’s name. She’s perfect.”
The way he gushed made Wells’s heart blow up in his chest. Wren grinned. “Do you have a picture of her?”
“I do,” Matty said, almost eagerly, as he pulled out his phone. As he did that, though, Wells looked across the table at Wren, confused. He had shown her the picture already, sent it in the family group text thread weeks ago. But she just shook her head slowly with a look that said, “Cool it.”
Okay, maybe she wasn’t that much of a bitch and, really, might be the best sister in the world.
Swiping through some photos, Matty’s face lit up as he held the phone out to Wren. “Scroll left, and that’s us with her. I even got one of Wells and her. He’s gonna be a wonderful uncle.”
“I’ll be better,” Vaughn announced.
“Over my dead body,” Wells threw at him as Jensen laughed.
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll be Gunner’s favorite. I’m Daddy.”
Vaughn rolled his eyes while Wells laughed. Across the table, though, Wren and Brie were gushing over Ashlyn. “She is a doll baby! My goodness, she looks just like her daddy, doesn’t she?”
Matty nodded. “Yeah, but she has Avery’s eyes, and I guess, my eyes.”
Wren looked up, meeting Matty’s gaze, and then smiled. “She does. She’s beautiful,” she said, handing him back his phone.
“Thank you. I think so, and I can’t wait to meet my new niece or nephew.”
Brie lit up. “I didn’t know Avery was pregnant again. I’m surprised Baylor didn’t tell me.”
Matty clammed up, his eyes going wide. “I don’t think they’ve told anyone.”
Brie nodded. “Oh! That makes sense. It’s probably early. My lips are sealed.”
“Wait,” Vaughn said, holding up one finger. “Baylor, who played with us on the Assassins. Sinclair’s wife. As in, my captain.”
“Yes,” Brie said with a nod. “Follow me, okay?”
He looked at her and then waved her on. “Go.”
“Jace, who is Avery’s husband, is also Jayden’s brother. Avery is Matty’s twin sister.”
Vaughn blinked then looked to Jensen, who was blinking too. “So, wait. Isn’t Jace Sinclair married to the commissioner’s daughter?”
And Matty went rigid again. Fucking Vaughn.
Brie obviously didn’t know this answer, so she looked to Jensen too, who then looked over to Wells. “So, let’s change the subject.”
“No. You’re the commissioner’s kid?” Vaughn asked, pointing to Matty. “Matthew Haverbrooke, center for the Rangers. How did I miss this? Did you miss this, Jensen?” Jensen kept his lips pressed together as he held Wells’s gaze. A silence stretched between them, and Wells closed his eyes. He loved Vaughn, he loved him more than a gay man should love a straight man, but damn it, he was about to ask the one question that didn’t need to be asked at that moment.
Please don’t ask if his dad knows he’s gay. Please don’t ask.
“You look different on the ice. You wear a shield, don’t you?”
Wait, what? When Wells looked over, Vaughn had Matty in a scrutinizing gaze as Jensen looked back and forth, completely in awe. But, when Wells glanced back to Matty, he was just smiling. “I gotta protect this pretty face. You feel me on that, don’t you, Jensen?”
A long pause followed, and then everyone burst out in laughter. As he laughed, his stomach hurting from the motion, Wells glanced over to Matty, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. Matty was smiling, a true smile, his eyes light and happy. Wells knew it could all be the tequila, but he didn’t care.