“Were they awful?”
“Yes, so bad. Elaine told me they were just as bad at home.”
“They were,” Wren teased, smiling. “Jensen was my first kiss, and he was so awkward about it.”
Antoine laughed hard, from the gut. “I don’t doubt it. But now, I don’t think he’s awkward at all when he kisses ya.”
Wren’s face deepened with color as she met his gaze. “He’s all right.”
He scoffed at that as she swam backward. “Either way, look at all of you. Getting married, married, and engaged. Babies coming, it’s nice. I’m a proud papa.” Reaching out, he squeezed Jensen’s arm. “The happiest for you though, after that awful divorce.”
Jensen shrugged. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“It wasn’t that good either. Her mum is always asking about you when we see her at the market. Mum’s chest puffed up the last time we saw her. She goes, ‘Jensen got married to a beauty, and they’re having a baby. Plus, he’s bringing the Cup home.’” He laughed, shaking his head. “We’re damn proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“And you’re a shoo-in for the Vezina.”
Jensen made a face. “Not sure yet.”
Wren laughed at that. “You broke records this year, and you’re the best. So yeah, it’s yours.”
He looked over at her and smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yup. I know it.”
“So I guess I gotta dedicate it to you two, then? Since you both know?”
His father looked over at Wren, and they both nodded. “Seems legit,” she said as his father said, “I agree completely.”
Shaking his head, Jensen laughed along with them as the sliding door opened and his mum’s voice filled the back. “Ant, love, time to change your bandages.”
His father’s shoulders drooped as he waved her off. “Em, later.”
“No, honey, we can’t mess up the schedule because the kids are here. Come on now,” she said, coming to his chair and taking the handles in her hands.
Covering her hand, Jensen asked, “Mum, you need help?”
She shook her head, reaching out to cup his face. “No, honey, stay out here with your bride. We’ll be out in a jiffy.”
Grumbling, Ant shook his head. “Make sure you exercise, Wrenya, you hear?”
“Yes, sir,” she called as she leaned on the side of the pool, her chin on her hands.
“Dad, you know her name is Wren, right?”
He shrugged. “That’s what I said.”
His mom clucked her tongue. “He said that to me yesterday. Probably needs his ears checked. Puck probably shattered his eardrum or something.”
Wren snickered as they made their way inside, and he shook his head. “They’re calling you Wrenya, right?”
She smiled as she shrugged. “They are. But it’s nice. Leave it.”
He glared. “Make me crazy, those two.”
“They’re amazing.”
He smiled as she came close, leaning her chin on his shin. “They are.”
“Your mom is a cooking machine. Vaughn and Wells weren’t kidding.”
Leaning back on his elbows, he nodded. “Yeah, that’s all she does when I’m here, cook and feed me. I had to tell her last night to take it easy on you.”
Wren glared. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I care about your health. I gain an easy ten pounds when I’m home.”
“That’s rude,” she decided, and he scoffed. “I love food.”
“I’m aware.”
She glared, and he sent her a wink as she shook her head. “So, you haven’t been home in a while?”
“Nope, almost ten months. But I saw my mom about eight months ago. She came to see me before I left Colorado.”
“Wow, why?”
“Busy. I knew I wanted to be traded, and when it went down, I knew I had to put in a crazy amount of work to get noticed by the Assassins.”
“If they hadn’t noticed you, they wouldn’t have brought you to the team.”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but I knew I had to work harder.”
Moving her finger along his calf, she smiled. “You’ve always been the hardest worker.”
“I have. I don’t give up easily,” he said, and she looked up at him.
“Well, I know that firsthand,” she teased, and his lips curved wide.
“Damn right, you do.”
Holding his gaze, she pressed her lips together. “Wanna get in?”
He shook his head. “Rather just watch you.”
She pursed her lips at him, her eyes flashing with mischief. “Like watching me? All wet and slippery.”
“You’re evil.”
She giggled as she kicked off the side, going under the water before coming up, running her hands down her face. “It’s super nice in here.”
“It’s even better from right here. Every once in a while, I get a nice peek of that ass.”
She rolled her eyes as she held his gaze. “But if you’re in here, then you get a closer look.”
He thought that over. “You could be right about that.”
“I am right, always right.”
He laughed hard. “We both know that’s a lie.”
She glared. “I am!”
“Sure,” he said before he moved the towel that was on his lap and slowly slid into the pool. “Man, it does feel good in here.” It was a hot day, hotter than he expected, but the water was nice and cool. He had put the pool in for his father, for his therapy, but since his legs were so messed up, he hadn’t gotten to use it that summer. But he would. His dad was a fighter and didn’t give up, which Jensen guessed was where he got it from.
“Told ya,” she said, swimming toward him. “Oh, I have to tell you something.”
His brow furrowed since she looked so distraught at that moment. “What?”
Stopping in front of him, she said, “We might have to go shopping if my dress doesn’t fit for the party.”
He laughed. “I thought it was something bad.”
She gave him a dry look. “Shopping is bad.”
“Eh, not too bad when I’m with you,” he answered, and her face broke into a grin before she reached out, wrapping her arms around his neck and then her legs around his waist, like a koala. Her belly pressed into his as his arms came out, holding her close. But then she paused.
“Yes, so bad. Elaine told me they were just as bad at home.”
“They were,” Wren teased, smiling. “Jensen was my first kiss, and he was so awkward about it.”
Antoine laughed hard, from the gut. “I don’t doubt it. But now, I don’t think he’s awkward at all when he kisses ya.”
Wren’s face deepened with color as she met his gaze. “He’s all right.”
He scoffed at that as she swam backward. “Either way, look at all of you. Getting married, married, and engaged. Babies coming, it’s nice. I’m a proud papa.” Reaching out, he squeezed Jensen’s arm. “The happiest for you though, after that awful divorce.”
Jensen shrugged. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“It wasn’t that good either. Her mum is always asking about you when we see her at the market. Mum’s chest puffed up the last time we saw her. She goes, ‘Jensen got married to a beauty, and they’re having a baby. Plus, he’s bringing the Cup home.’” He laughed, shaking his head. “We’re damn proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“And you’re a shoo-in for the Vezina.”
Jensen made a face. “Not sure yet.”
Wren laughed at that. “You broke records this year, and you’re the best. So yeah, it’s yours.”
He looked over at her and smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yup. I know it.”
“So I guess I gotta dedicate it to you two, then? Since you both know?”
His father looked over at Wren, and they both nodded. “Seems legit,” she said as his father said, “I agree completely.”
Shaking his head, Jensen laughed along with them as the sliding door opened and his mum’s voice filled the back. “Ant, love, time to change your bandages.”
His father’s shoulders drooped as he waved her off. “Em, later.”
“No, honey, we can’t mess up the schedule because the kids are here. Come on now,” she said, coming to his chair and taking the handles in her hands.
Covering her hand, Jensen asked, “Mum, you need help?”
She shook her head, reaching out to cup his face. “No, honey, stay out here with your bride. We’ll be out in a jiffy.”
Grumbling, Ant shook his head. “Make sure you exercise, Wrenya, you hear?”
“Yes, sir,” she called as she leaned on the side of the pool, her chin on her hands.
“Dad, you know her name is Wren, right?”
He shrugged. “That’s what I said.”
His mom clucked her tongue. “He said that to me yesterday. Probably needs his ears checked. Puck probably shattered his eardrum or something.”
Wren snickered as they made their way inside, and he shook his head. “They’re calling you Wrenya, right?”
She smiled as she shrugged. “They are. But it’s nice. Leave it.”
He glared. “Make me crazy, those two.”
“They’re amazing.”
He smiled as she came close, leaning her chin on his shin. “They are.”
“Your mom is a cooking machine. Vaughn and Wells weren’t kidding.”
Leaning back on his elbows, he nodded. “Yeah, that’s all she does when I’m here, cook and feed me. I had to tell her last night to take it easy on you.”
Wren glared. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I care about your health. I gain an easy ten pounds when I’m home.”
“That’s rude,” she decided, and he scoffed. “I love food.”
“I’m aware.”
She glared, and he sent her a wink as she shook her head. “So, you haven’t been home in a while?”
“Nope, almost ten months. But I saw my mom about eight months ago. She came to see me before I left Colorado.”
“Wow, why?”
“Busy. I knew I wanted to be traded, and when it went down, I knew I had to put in a crazy amount of work to get noticed by the Assassins.”
“If they hadn’t noticed you, they wouldn’t have brought you to the team.”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but I knew I had to work harder.”
Moving her finger along his calf, she smiled. “You’ve always been the hardest worker.”
“I have. I don’t give up easily,” he said, and she looked up at him.
“Well, I know that firsthand,” she teased, and his lips curved wide.
“Damn right, you do.”
Holding his gaze, she pressed her lips together. “Wanna get in?”
He shook his head. “Rather just watch you.”
She pursed her lips at him, her eyes flashing with mischief. “Like watching me? All wet and slippery.”
“You’re evil.”
She giggled as she kicked off the side, going under the water before coming up, running her hands down her face. “It’s super nice in here.”
“It’s even better from right here. Every once in a while, I get a nice peek of that ass.”
She rolled her eyes as she held his gaze. “But if you’re in here, then you get a closer look.”
He thought that over. “You could be right about that.”
“I am right, always right.”
He laughed hard. “We both know that’s a lie.”
She glared. “I am!”
“Sure,” he said before he moved the towel that was on his lap and slowly slid into the pool. “Man, it does feel good in here.” It was a hot day, hotter than he expected, but the water was nice and cool. He had put the pool in for his father, for his therapy, but since his legs were so messed up, he hadn’t gotten to use it that summer. But he would. His dad was a fighter and didn’t give up, which Jensen guessed was where he got it from.
“Told ya,” she said, swimming toward him. “Oh, I have to tell you something.”
His brow furrowed since she looked so distraught at that moment. “What?”
Stopping in front of him, she said, “We might have to go shopping if my dress doesn’t fit for the party.”
He laughed. “I thought it was something bad.”
She gave him a dry look. “Shopping is bad.”
“Eh, not too bad when I’m with you,” he answered, and her face broke into a grin before she reached out, wrapping her arms around his neck and then her legs around his waist, like a koala. Her belly pressed into his as his arms came out, holding her close. But then she paused.
