“Yeah, the last one, Wren, was skinny as all hell and not that pretty. But you, you’re gorgeous.”
Wren smiled. “And not a skinny bone on me,” she teased before coming up the stairs and holding out her hand. “It’s wonderful—” But before she could finish, his father pulled her into a big hug.
“Family doesn’t shake hands, girl.”
Wren’s lips were still curved as she hugged his father. Pulling back, he held her hands, looking her up and down. “I don’t remember you being this pretty. Em, was she always this pretty?”
“I was thinking the same. She’s gorgeous now. Looks just like Elaine.”
“She sure is. Goodness. Here, have a seat right here beside me. Son, go put everything up. Let your mum fuss over you a bit.”
Looking to Wren, Jensen smiled. “You good?”
“Why you asking that? Of course she is. Go,” his father scolded, his hands still holding Wren’s. She sent him a nervous smile, but she didn’t look panicked, which he took as a win. He knew she was nervous about his parents liking her, and he was glad they were making a fuss over her. Not that they wouldn’t have, but he had been nervous too.
Leaning over, he pressed his lips to her temple. “I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” she said as his dad took her attention.
“Now, hit me with some names. He needs a strong name. Antoine is a good one.”
Jensen’s mom laughed. “Please don’t do that to my grandbaby.”
As his mom led him inside, Wren’s laughter ran down his spine. His mom directed him to their room, which used to be his old bedroom until it was completely redone with an added bathroom. She had decorated it with all the memorabilia from Jensen’s youth in hockey. All kinds of pictures of him growing up with his stick in his hands adorned the walls, along with photos of all the major moments. When he had won the cup when he was a junior, which was awesome since he had beaten out Wells and Vaughn on the US team. They had talked so much shit, but Canada wasn’t one to mess with. A big picture of the day he was drafted made him smile because it wasn’t just him, it was his parents along with Vaughn and Wells. Then one of them and Wren too. She looked so small next to all of them as they all cheesed for Elaine. That was a good day, and he couldn’t help but grin ruefully as he took in Wren and him.
How the hell hadn’t she known?
His hand lay on her hip, and she was basically clinging to him, her face so bright, her grin so big.
They were so young.
With a smile as he set the bags on the end of the bed, his mother asked, “Good trip in?”
He nodded. “Great. I’m glad to be home.”
“We’re glad to have you two here,” she said, coming to him and taking his biceps in her hands. “You look happy.”
His lips quirked as he nodded. “I am.”
“And seeing you with her. The way she looks at you. My goodness, it’s breathtaking.”
He rolled his eyes gently at that. “Mum, we’ve been here ten minutes.”
“And you two haven’t taken your eyes off each other at all.”
Patting his face, she turned, demanding in French that he follow, but he didn’t move. A stupid grin came over his face as he shook his head. He wanted to believe his mom, he wanted to believe what was in his heart, but he could still hear Wren’s words of uncertainty in his head. Man, he hated them, but he knew they were just words. Things were changing.
He could feel it.
“I feel, in my heart, that this can count as my exercise.”
Looking down at his wife as she swam in a circle in his parents’ pool, Jensen laughed, shaking his head. “We’ll walk when the sun goes down.”
She let her head fall back. “You’re ruining my life.”
His father laughed beside him. “Why do you have to exercise?”
She held her hand out to him. “Exactly.”
Laughing, Jensen shook his head as he took a long pull of his beer. “Her doctor is advising her to since he thinks she’s putting on too much weight with the pregnancy.”
Antoine scoffed. “Please, she’s perfect.”
“That’s what I said,” Jensen said when he looked back to her, and her lips pulled up a bit. “But I want to make sure she’s healthy.”
“Ah, well, ya gotta stay healthy, Wrenya, or you’ll end up like me,” Antoine pointed out, shaking his head. “And this hurts. I refuse to have you ever be like me, you hear me?”
Her lips pressed together. “Yeah, I’ll go walking later.”
“Good girl.”
Jensen shared a grin with her before leaning back, his feet in the water as she swam around, letting the sun kiss her face. She looked carefree, happy, her hair spread out in the water as her belly peeked out. She was wearing a black bikini that hardly covered her ass, but he wasn’t complaining. Her breasts were swollen and delectable and were the main reason he had a towel over his lap. “How’re your parents, Wrenya? I haven’t talked to your dad in months.”
Wren laughed. “Because he’s hiding. He hardly talks to me.”
“Me either,” Jensen added. “But he’s doing well. Try texting him.”
“Ah, I hate texting,” his dad said, waving him off. “But I’ll try. And your mum is good?”
Wren smiled. “She is.”
With a nod, he asked, “Wells won’t be upset that we can’t make it to the wedding, will he?”
“No, not all at. He understands, honest.”
“Okay, good. We were worried, but he said the same. Such a good boy.” Letting out a pained sigh, he shook his head. “Damn legs.”
“Just get healthy, Dad, that’s all we want. Vaughn said the same.”
“Ah, my Jo. I love that kid. He’s so damn cocky.”
“Beyond. You know his girlfriend is pregnant too.”
“Yeah, he called and told us. I hear she’s a good girl.”
“She is, really good,” Jensen agreed. “They’re completely into each other.”
Antoine chuckled loudly, filling the backyard with his laughter as he leaned back in his chair. “Funny, I remember when all you boys were here that summer, and no one could even talk to a girl. Wells was the worst—we all know why now—but still, I remember just laughing at you guys. I tried so hard to help, pushing girls at you, but all of you would just shut down. Even Vaughn.” Antoine shook his head as Jensen laughed while Wren smiled.
Wren smiled. “And not a skinny bone on me,” she teased before coming up the stairs and holding out her hand. “It’s wonderful—” But before she could finish, his father pulled her into a big hug.
“Family doesn’t shake hands, girl.”
Wren’s lips were still curved as she hugged his father. Pulling back, he held her hands, looking her up and down. “I don’t remember you being this pretty. Em, was she always this pretty?”
“I was thinking the same. She’s gorgeous now. Looks just like Elaine.”
“She sure is. Goodness. Here, have a seat right here beside me. Son, go put everything up. Let your mum fuss over you a bit.”
Looking to Wren, Jensen smiled. “You good?”
“Why you asking that? Of course she is. Go,” his father scolded, his hands still holding Wren’s. She sent him a nervous smile, but she didn’t look panicked, which he took as a win. He knew she was nervous about his parents liking her, and he was glad they were making a fuss over her. Not that they wouldn’t have, but he had been nervous too.
Leaning over, he pressed his lips to her temple. “I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” she said as his dad took her attention.
“Now, hit me with some names. He needs a strong name. Antoine is a good one.”
Jensen’s mom laughed. “Please don’t do that to my grandbaby.”
As his mom led him inside, Wren’s laughter ran down his spine. His mom directed him to their room, which used to be his old bedroom until it was completely redone with an added bathroom. She had decorated it with all the memorabilia from Jensen’s youth in hockey. All kinds of pictures of him growing up with his stick in his hands adorned the walls, along with photos of all the major moments. When he had won the cup when he was a junior, which was awesome since he had beaten out Wells and Vaughn on the US team. They had talked so much shit, but Canada wasn’t one to mess with. A big picture of the day he was drafted made him smile because it wasn’t just him, it was his parents along with Vaughn and Wells. Then one of them and Wren too. She looked so small next to all of them as they all cheesed for Elaine. That was a good day, and he couldn’t help but grin ruefully as he took in Wren and him.
How the hell hadn’t she known?
His hand lay on her hip, and she was basically clinging to him, her face so bright, her grin so big.
They were so young.
With a smile as he set the bags on the end of the bed, his mother asked, “Good trip in?”
He nodded. “Great. I’m glad to be home.”
“We’re glad to have you two here,” she said, coming to him and taking his biceps in her hands. “You look happy.”
His lips quirked as he nodded. “I am.”
“And seeing you with her. The way she looks at you. My goodness, it’s breathtaking.”
He rolled his eyes gently at that. “Mum, we’ve been here ten minutes.”
“And you two haven’t taken your eyes off each other at all.”
Patting his face, she turned, demanding in French that he follow, but he didn’t move. A stupid grin came over his face as he shook his head. He wanted to believe his mom, he wanted to believe what was in his heart, but he could still hear Wren’s words of uncertainty in his head. Man, he hated them, but he knew they were just words. Things were changing.
He could feel it.
“I feel, in my heart, that this can count as my exercise.”
Looking down at his wife as she swam in a circle in his parents’ pool, Jensen laughed, shaking his head. “We’ll walk when the sun goes down.”
She let her head fall back. “You’re ruining my life.”
His father laughed beside him. “Why do you have to exercise?”
She held her hand out to him. “Exactly.”
Laughing, Jensen shook his head as he took a long pull of his beer. “Her doctor is advising her to since he thinks she’s putting on too much weight with the pregnancy.”
Antoine scoffed. “Please, she’s perfect.”
“That’s what I said,” Jensen said when he looked back to her, and her lips pulled up a bit. “But I want to make sure she’s healthy.”
“Ah, well, ya gotta stay healthy, Wrenya, or you’ll end up like me,” Antoine pointed out, shaking his head. “And this hurts. I refuse to have you ever be like me, you hear me?”
Her lips pressed together. “Yeah, I’ll go walking later.”
“Good girl.”
Jensen shared a grin with her before leaning back, his feet in the water as she swam around, letting the sun kiss her face. She looked carefree, happy, her hair spread out in the water as her belly peeked out. She was wearing a black bikini that hardly covered her ass, but he wasn’t complaining. Her breasts were swollen and delectable and were the main reason he had a towel over his lap. “How’re your parents, Wrenya? I haven’t talked to your dad in months.”
Wren laughed. “Because he’s hiding. He hardly talks to me.”
“Me either,” Jensen added. “But he’s doing well. Try texting him.”
“Ah, I hate texting,” his dad said, waving him off. “But I’ll try. And your mum is good?”
Wren smiled. “She is.”
With a nod, he asked, “Wells won’t be upset that we can’t make it to the wedding, will he?”
“No, not all at. He understands, honest.”
“Okay, good. We were worried, but he said the same. Such a good boy.” Letting out a pained sigh, he shook his head. “Damn legs.”
“Just get healthy, Dad, that’s all we want. Vaughn said the same.”
“Ah, my Jo. I love that kid. He’s so damn cocky.”
“Beyond. You know his girlfriend is pregnant too.”
“Yeah, he called and told us. I hear she’s a good girl.”
“She is, really good,” Jensen agreed. “They’re completely into each other.”
Antoine chuckled loudly, filling the backyard with his laughter as he leaned back in his chair. “Funny, I remember when all you boys were here that summer, and no one could even talk to a girl. Wells was the worst—we all know why now—but still, I remember just laughing at you guys. I tried so hard to help, pushing girls at you, but all of you would just shut down. Even Vaughn.” Antoine shook his head as Jensen laughed while Wren smiled.
