Scarlett gives him a sheepish look. “I haven’t exactly told him that I’m marrying the captain of his hockey team just yet.”
“Oh, shit. This just keeps getting better. Between your grandfather and our old man, I’ll be praying for the two of you,” Jax says before grabbing his beer and heading back to the table where Griff and Carse are sitting. “It was good talking to ya, sis,” he calls over his shoulder.
I notice the change in Scarlett’s posture and demeanor almost immediately. Goddammit, Jackson.
Gently grabbing her chin, I look into her whiskey eyes and shake my head. “Hey, don’t listen to him, he was only giving us a hard time.”
“No, he’s right. What will your dad think of this? He’ll probably think I’m some gold digger only marrying you for your money and status.” The words rush out of her in panic and I’m consumed with the urge to put her at ease.
“Scar, you’re about to become the owner of the NHL team I play for. If anyone looks like they’re marrying for money or status, it’s me in this situation. And my father will gladly point that out, I’m sure,” I say, but it doesn’t seem to work because she goes on as if she hadn’t heard a word.
“And my grandfather will probably scold me for fraternizing with a player. Oh my god, I wouldn’t be surprised if he just sells the team once he forbids us from marrying each other.”
I place my hands on each of her shoulders and meet her frazzled gaze. “Scarlett, take a deep breath with me,” I tell her and watch as she deeply inhales and exhales along with me. “Good. Now, do you have your engagement ring with you?”
“Yes,” she answers, her brow wrinkling in confusion.
I take one of my hands off her shoulders to look at my watch to see what time it is. “Do you think Joseph will still be awake? It’s a quarter after nine.”
“I’m not sure, probably.”
“Alright, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go to your room to grab your engagement ring and a glass of water to sober you up a smidge, then go to your grandfather’s room. There’s no sense in delaying the inevitable; I think it’s better to get it out of the way. Especially now that some of the team knows, I think it’d be worse if he heard the news from someone else.”
Scarlett’s expression sobers before she nods in agreement. “It’s your funeral, Wilson,” she says before turning toward the elevators. I fight back a groan at the extra swing in her hips as she walks away from me.
I don’t follow her out of the bar right away, instead, I head back to the table and toss some cash on it. “We’re headed in for the night,” I tell the guys, grabbing a bun from the bread basket sitting in front of them to give to Scarlett.
“Have fun, Benny Boy,” Carse teases.
“But not too much fun,” Jax adds.
“Don’t listen to him, have all the fun you want, B,” Griff says before I turn and toss my middle finger up at them as I make my way to the elevators where Scar is waiting for me.
She turns and gives me a saccharine smile that has me rolling my eyes and tossing the bun to her. Like I said, my fiancée would probably be endearing if she didn’t drive me wild.
10
October
“It’s about time the two of you caught on to my matchmaking,” my grandfather says with a mischievous smile.
I have to blink several times in rapid succession for my brain to process what I’ve just heard. Maybe that bread didn’t soak up the alcohol as well as Bennett had hoped.
My grandfather thinks he played matchmaker?
“And how do you suppose you played matchmaker?” I ask a few moments later after my mouth can catch up to my brain.
He rolls his eyes at the pair of us sitting across from him in the small sitting room of his suite. “I may have heard whisperings of a past between the two of you. And the look on Bennett’s face when he saw you in my office that first day was all the confirmation I needed. Tell me, Firefly, how many players have I suggested you take back to your office to talk to?” he questions.
I notice Bennett’s posture stiffening and his fist flexing once, then twice, at my grandfather’s question.
“One,” I answer and watch Bennett’s shoulders relax at my response.
“And when did I happen to inform you about the stipulation of ownership?”
“During that meeting, right before Bennett walked in,” I reply, slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
“Bennett, how many family and friends preseason skates have we done during your time with the organization?”
