Page 49 of Hooking
“Everything’s fine,” I say, sitting on the couch crisscross apple sauce style. “I had an emergency OB appointment this morning. I know it wasn’t on the calendar, and I didn’t want to worry you, but I think you should know. I was contracting last night and had some abdominal pain, so I called last night and was seen today.”
“Shit. Why didn’t you call me when it happened?” he says, as I hear him get out of bed and move around his room. “Fuck it. I’m coming home.”
“Keep it down, Halloway,” I hear Tremblay mummer in the background as Channing unzips his suitcase.
I fiddle with the fleece blanket draped across my legs as I hear him mumble curses under his breath. “Channing, uh. I really don’t think it’s necessary that you come home,” I say, as silence fills the line. “I mean, I want you here, but management doesn’t even know we’re seeing each other. You can’t just waltz out of that hotel and tell them you need to come home because of my baby.”
“Fuck, I know,” he says, in a sigh of defeat. “When I get back tomorrow, we’ll schedule a sit down with all parties and make them aware.”
“Thank you.”
“I just wish you would have called me.”
I release a breath as I absentmindedly rub my belly. “Well, I tried after I got out of the appointment, but you were a little busy.”
“If you can’t reach me, call Hayley, Mr. Richards, anyone for that matter. Understood?” he says, as if he’s slightly panicking.
“I got it,” I say, with a smile. “I’m sorry I woke you from your pre-game nap.”
He releases his breath, and I hear the bed squeak under his weight. “It’s okay. I miss you, and I’m glad I got to talk to you.”
“I miss you too. I’ll let you get back to your pre-game routine,” I say, pausing for a moment to stop myself from saying what I really want to say. I love you. I feel the words could roll right off the tongue, but the thought of saying those words and him not reciprocating stops me. “I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”
I quickly hang up the phone and toss it on the coffee table. “God, you’re such a chicken shit,” I scold myself before moving to make myself a quick bite to eat. “I love you. Why can’t you just say it out loud,” I groan as I wait for the leftover pasta to reheat. “Chicken shit.”
I’m snuggled deep under the covers in Channing’s room when I feel the king-size bed dip beside me. The covers shifting, as two muscular arms pull me back to a hard chest. The smell of mint and bergamot fills my sense as my body relaxes into the hold.
“I missed you,” he says, into my ear before placing a kiss on the back of my neck.
“What time is it?”
He chuckles a little as I groan and turn over in his arms. “A little after ten. I figured I would wake you up so we could eat before meeting with the team.”
I sit straight up in bed and stare at him as I realize what he said. Meet with the team. When I told him we had to tell management, I thought it would be at least a week or two, but I should have known it would have been sooner, especially after seeing his reaction last night.
A jolt of nerves moves through my body. My stomach flips, and my head spins as I jump off the bed and move to the toilet in the ensuite, emptying the contents from last night’s snack sesh. I should be nervous. This is what needs to be done, yet part of me is freaking out.
“Hey,” Channing says, pulling my hair from my face. “Are you okay?”
I shake my head as I sit back on my heels. “Sorry, just got a little nervous.”
“I get it. But it needs to be done,” he says, handing me a wet washcloth to wipe my mouth. “What’s got you so worried?”
“Mr. Richards is like a second father to me,” I say as I remember back to when I started working for the team. He always warned us about his players. He especially warned us when Channing joined because he had quite the reputation, and he didn’t want to see us fall victim to the shenanigans that came along with dating a hockey player. Well, unlucky for me, I fell hard for Channing. “You know he warned Hayley and me about getting involved with hockey players before we even thought about working for the team. You specifically.”
He scoffs as he leans back against the bathroom counter. “Well, looks like he should have warned you about the asshole you tried to marry.”
“You may be right. But you almost fathered a baby to a puck bunny.”
“I knew it wasn’t mine. I always wrapped my tool.” I stare at him with an incredulous look. “Except when it came to you. Which I can’t say I’m mad about.”
I rinse my mouth in the sink and stare at myself in the mirror. Channing comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, placing soft kisses on the column of my neck. “You were always it for me, Cassie. I was scared. I had a lot of shit happen in my life to make me that way. But now more than ever, I know for sure, that I’m not going anywhere. Your end game.”
I turn in his arms and bury my face in his chest as I relax slightly. “Thank you.”
“Let get dressed and get this meeting over with.”
Channing’s hand lightly rubs my thigh as we sit next to one another. Mr. Richards, along with Lucas Stone, the team GM, Talya, and one of the team lawyers sit opposite us. Channing had just dropped the bomb on all of them that my baby is in fact his baby. The moment the word leaves his lips, Talya smiles like a Cheshire cat, while Mr. Richards’ stare shoots daggers to the back of Channing’s head.
