Forever Pucked(52)

"But she doesn't even know you. You could be a mass murderer. You could  be like that guy from American Psycho who throws a chainsaw down a  stairwell after he has a threesome." Violet shudders and turns to  Charlene. "I should never have watched that movie."

"It wasn't that bad."

"Not that bad? I didn't sleep for three weeks."

Violet's exaggerating, but she did have a few rough nights.

Lance winks at Violet. "Don't worry, I'm not a mass murderer."

"But how does she know that?"

"I'm a public figure in the hockey world. Everyone knows my business in the bedroom, or at least they think they do."

Violet links her arm with mine. "Do girls give you their keycards?"

I tuck her into my side. "Not anymore."

"But they used to?"

"Not all that often."

"What constitutes often? And what the hell is wrong with these women? That seems dangerous."

"You didn't know Alex, and you went back to his room the first night you met him," Charlene points out.

"That's different."

"Not really," Lily says.

"Like you're any better? You sucked Randy's face after he busted in on  you in a bathroom! And then he locked himself in a bathroom with you  after you defaced all his underwear!"

Lily blushes. "The underwear defacing was a misunderstanding."

"Whatever. I'm making a point. Alex played on the same team as Buck. I  was introduced as his sister. He couldn't murder me without everyone  knowing it was him, so it's totally not the same as handing over a  keycard to a perfect stranger."

"That's true," Sunny agrees.

Lance points to an ABC store, maybe because he's not interested in  continuing the conversation. "I'm gonna stop and grab something. Anyone  need anything?"

"We can drink in the streets here, can't we?" Violet jumps up and down, her boobs bouncing with the movement.

"Want me to get you a water, or maybe some juice, sweets?" Miller asks  Sunny. "You need a snack? I'll get you a bunch of stuff, 'kay?"

She adjusts the brim of her oversized hat so she can tilt her head up for a kiss. "That'd be great."

I stay outside with Sunny while the rest of them go into the store. I put an arm around her shoulder. "You doing okay?"

She takes off her hat and leans her head on my chest. "I'm so good,  Alex. I know you worry, but me and Miller, we're made for each other,  just like you and Violet."

I nod. I see how he is with my sister. "You know you don't have to wait for me and Violet to get married before you do, right?"

Sunny laughs; the sound matches her name. She puts a hand on my cheek.  "Please don't take offense to this, but I'm not waiting for my wedding  because I'm worried about stealing your spotlight."

"That's not what I meant." Shit, I feel like an asshole.

"You can't help it, Alex. You're used to being the center of attention.  It's what you know, and that's never been an issue for me. It's where  you belong. I get what it's like to be the center of someone's universe.  I'm that for Miller. And he's that for me. And now that's what this  baby is for both of us."

"I don't think people realize how strong you really are," I admit. "I  don't know that I'd be handling this situation as well as you."                       
       
           



       

"It's as hard to be the shadow as it is to be the light, Alex."

There's some real insight in that. "When did you grow up?"

She laughs again and hugs my arm. "While you were off playing hockey and getting famous."

"I mean it, though. Don't feel like you have to work around mine and Violet's plans."

"Miller and I want to wait. We've talked about it, and I want to do all  the planning and fun stuff, and I want Mom to be part of that. I think  it'll be good for her and me to have that experience together. There's  just too much happening in all of our lives for me to be able to enjoy  the process. I don't want to be stressed about it like Violet's been.  And I don't want to rush it. This baby was unexpected, but he's not  unwanted, and while we might be doing things out of order, we're going  to wait until after he's born, so we can plan things properly."

"Wait. Did you say he?"

Sunny clamps a hand over her mouth. "Oh, poop. I wasn't supposed to say  anything. It's ninety-percent probably a boy, but we have to wait for  the next ultrasound. You can't tell Miller I told you."

"I won't."

"And you can't tell Violet."

"Okay." It'll be a challenge to keep this news to myself. "Who knows?"

"No one. Just you."

"Not even Lily?"

She drops her lying face. "Okay, Lily knows."

"Which means Randy knows."

"But that's it. If you tell Violet, she'll tell Charlene, and Charlene  will tell Darren, and then the circle of knowledge will expand, and  everyone will know."

I run a hand through my hair. "When's the next ultrasound?"

"Not for another three weeks. You're going to tell Violet aren't you?"

I'm going to be an uncle. I get to spoil some kid and do all the awesome  things without dealing with the fallout afterward. Of course I want to  tell Violet. Then I kind of want to get her pregnant so we can do it,  too.

"Have you told Mom?"

"I wanted to wait until she comes to Chicago in a couple of weeks."

I sigh. "I'll keep my mouth shut." If Violet finds out I knew and didn't  tell her, she'll be hurt. All I can do is hope someone doesn't slip  before Sunny has a chance to disseminate the information.

The conversation ends when everyone comes out of the store, stocked with  beverages. Violet has an entire bag. "Look!" She opens it to show me  the contents. "They have shooters! Let's all do one! Except you, Sunny."  She bends and kisses Sunny's stomach through her dress. "We don't want  to get the yeti baby drunk."

"She had a few while she was in there," Lily informs us.

Violet passes out the shooters and makes us all toast to vacations and  cock love. Thankfully, in Vegas our behavior doesn't seem out of the  ordinary. We stroll the Strip, sipping on drinks and baking in the hot  sun, stopping in at the occasional casino to cool off and gamble. At  first Violet will only play the nickel slots, but then I coerce her into  sitting down at a blackjack table, and she wins two thousand dollars.

On the way back, Sunny has to pee, and the closest place is a  twenty-four-hour wedding chapel. All the girls decide to go with her, as  always seems to be the way.

I check my phone while we're waiting. I've been avoiding the buzzing in  my pocket all day because I want to enjoy this time away. It's been a  long time since I've done anything like this. And it's a lot different  with my fiancée and my friends than it was when I was a rookie.

"Shit." I have twenty new messages from my mom.

"What's going on?" Darren asks.

"It's the never-ending guest list additions."

"Someone needs to cut those women off," Miller says.

"What women?" Lance perks up.

I gesture between Miller and me. "Our mothers. This whole wedding would be a lot simpler if they would stop interfering."

"You could solve the whole problem right now if you wanted." Randy  motions to the flashing Twenty-Four-Hour Wedding sign above our heads.

I laugh, because obviously it's a joke.

"I actually thought that might've been the reason you wanted us all to  come along." Miller stuffs his hands in his pockets. "They're gonna do  the same thing with Sunny. We already know that. It's another reason to  wait until after the baby."

The girls come tripping out of the chapel. Well, Violet's tripping, the  rest of them are giggling. "The cutest couple in the world is getting  married by Elvis." She falls into my arms. "We should get married by  Elvis. Actually, I think there's a choice between Elvis and Marilyn  Monroe, or maybe it's Gwen Stefani."                       
       
           



       

For a few seconds I think she's serious, and I'm actually considering it.

Then she burps wine cooler in my face.

"I'm hungry. Is anyone else hungry? Can we go eat?"

We find a restaurant close by, and I load Violet up on carbs and water so she's not a sloppy mess.

At some point before the food comes, Randy excuses himself to the  bathroom, and Lily follows right after. They come back fifteen minutes  later, together. Lily's cheeks are flushed, and her eyes have that  glazed look about them.

Violet points at Randy's face. "You've got vagina in your beard, Balls."

Randy strokes his beard self-consciously.

"Not possible," Lily says. "He wasn't eating at the Vagina Emporium; I was having a snack at the Moody Dick Café."