The Keeper: Chapter 16

“Dude, your wife is a fucking smoke show, Hayes.” One of the younger guys on the team taps my stick as we skate out into a line for the national anthem, his eyes locked on Lindy, and I can’t even be annoyed. She’s fucking gorgeous, standing behind the goal, her eyes locked on me.

“Watch it, asshole.” Jace glares when he stops next to me. “That’s my little sister.”

“Shit. Sorry, Cap.”

Jace ignores him and turns my way. “She’s wearing your jersey.”

“Yeah, she is.” I don’t even care if it pisses him off.

“She’s worn my jersey since the day I was drafted,” he grumbles. But something about it doesn’t sound as pissed now as it did earlier.

I glance over to him as the singer moves to center ice. “Husband trumps brother.”

“Not even sorry about that, are you?” he taunts.

“Not even a little fucking bit,” I bite back just before the anthem starts, and we all stop talking. Time to win a game.

There’s an electricity in the locker room after our win that’s ratcheted up a notch by the fact it was a shutout against a team that’s been killing it all season. Reporters are looking to get soundbites they can take back, and I’m not in the mood to talk just yet. I’m new to this team and don’t need any egos getting bruised if they try to make the win all about the shutout. But even taking extra time in the showers doesn’t do the trick this time. As soon as I walk over to my locker, one of the reporters I recognize stops me.

“Easton. How does it feel to win your second game with the Revolution? Do you think the team is gelling?”

“Yeah, man. We’re gelling, and it feels great. I’m just trying to find my place among the incredible players on this team. So far, so good,” I tell him and reach for my bag, ready to get dressed and get out.

“There have been rumors that you and the captain, Jace Kingston, have some bad blood between you. Any truth to the rumors?”

Before I can answer him, Jace joins in and throws an arm around my shoulder. An arm I can’t shrug the fuck off in front of a camera. The two of us stand there—me with a still noticeable bruise from my black eye and him with a fresh blueish-purple bruise on his jaw from earlier.

“Alex, Alex, Alex,” Jace placates the reporter. “I’ve known Easton since he was in high school. He’s a damn good goalie. Pretty sure tonight speaks for itself. There’s no bad blood between us.”

“So, Jace, tell me. What did you get Easton and your sister for their wedding then?” Alex pushes with a slight edge to his voice. He knows we’re full of shit. And he wants to be the reporter to prove it.

Jace laughs and looks at me, suddenly serious.

“I gave them my blessing, Alex. Now get out of here so we can get dressed and on the bus.”

Alex turns around to his camera man. “You heard it here first, folks.”

As soon as the camera is off, Jace yanks his arm away and shoves my shoulder. “You fucking hurt her, and I will kill you, Hayes. You hear me?”

“Oh, right,” I mock him. “Something new. Gee, thanks.”

Jace stomps away like a bratty toddler, and I get dressed as fast as possible, then grab my shit to get on the bus. Traveling after a game sucks. My body aches, and the last thing I want to do is sleep on a plane.

I’m expecting the reporters and fans when I walk out of the locker room. What I’m not expecting is to nearly get tackled by a five-foot-two, hundred-pound blur as she throws herself at me.

I drop my bag and grab Lindy as she wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around my shoulders. “You were so good out there tonight, hockey boy.”

Her mouth crashes over mine, and our tongues collide. I take two steps forward and lean her against the wall as loud clapping starts thundering in the background. I pull my head back and rest my forehead to hers. “Damn, princess. I might need you to come to every game if you’re gonna greet me like that.”

She nibbles her bottom lip, then kisses me again, softer and slower. “I have to fly home tonight, but I’ll be watching and waiting tomorrow.”

“Waiting for what?” I ask, intrigued. I’m not ready to let her go. Not when she feels so right.

“For you to come home,” she whispers like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and damn, I like the sound of that.

“Come on, Hayes. The bus is leaving,” Boone tells me as he walks by.

We don’t get so lucky with Jace.

He stops next to us and clears his throat. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

Lindy looks around, playing dumb. “I’m sorry. Are you talking to me?”

“Madeline . . . please.” The words are quiet but strong.

She looks at me, and I lower her legs to the floor. “Go talk to your brother, princess. And call me when you land.” I drop a kiss on her head, and I hold her close as long as I can, then glare at Jace. “Don’t fucking hurt her.”

He gives me a quick nod, then wraps an arm around Lindy to guide her through the crowded hall.

Goddamn. I love that woman.

I look over my shoulder to find Easton watching me walk away, and okay, maybe I add an extra little sway to my steps. Then I laugh at myself. Who am I kidding? He’s not watching my ass. He’s staring at his name and number on the back of my jersey.

Oh, I’m so cashing in on my promise to greet him in this and nothing else tomorrow night.

“Madeline. Watch where you’re going,” Jace snaps as he opens the door to a small room off the locker room they just exited.

I turn around once the door closes behind us and shove my brother. “Twice my size or not, Jace Kingston, I will kick your ass if you ever lay a hand on my husband again.”

“What the hell, Lindy?” He takes a step back and eyes me like I’m a feral cat.

And you know what? Maybe I am.

“You hit him,” I whisper-shout, not wanting the rabid press outside those doors to overhear us.

He points to his face like a little tattletale. “He hit me too.”

“You hit first.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Since when are you a bully, Jace?”

“Since he married my baby sister,” Jace huffs out, and I take an angry step toward him and enjoy the look on his face as he backs up. Good. He should be scared of me. Serves him right.

“Do you hear yourself? I’m not a baby, Jace. We got married. Get over it. It was what we both wanted. He didn’t take advantage of me. I promise you, he didn’t. I swear to God, I don’t understand why everyone thinks he did. It was my idea, for fuck’s sake. Why is everyone so mad? Why do they all think he’s going to hurt me? I trust him, Jace, and I don’t trust anyone.” I squeeze my fists at my sides, trying to calm the building fury. “He didn’t hurt me. I’m not sure Easton Hayes ever could. It’s not in his DNA.”

I take another step toward my brother, more anger and hurt urging me on. “And if anyone . . . and I mean anyone in our entire family had bothered to ask me, I would have told them all it was what I wanted. What I’ve always wanted. He’s it, Jace. He’s always been it. So unless you all want to push me away, you need to get over this shit with Easton. He’s on the team. He’s signed a contract, and there’s a no-trade clause. So he’s here to stay. And that’s a good thing because where he goes, I go. He’s not hurting me, but you are.”

I cross my arms over my chest and wait for that to sink in, so utterly over this argument, even if it’s the first time I’ve finally been able to say all this and know, for a fact, I mean every word of it.

“Madeline . . .” Jace’s voice softens, and his shoulders drop. “Do you love him?”

“With my whole heart and soul, Jace. He didn’t just save my life eight years ago. He’s saved it a million times in a million little ways since then.”

A muscle ticks in Jace’s jaw. “Why the fuck couldn’t you have waited to do it with all of us? You could have at least dated for a while. Seriously, let us all get used to you being an adult and shit.”

My brother is a lot of things. Eloquent is not one of them.

“Maybe because I did what felt right to me. I married him . It had nothing to do with any of you.” Exasperation mixes with anger and creates a dangerous cocktail in my blood. “You’re all so into each other’s business, but you’ve never given me that.

You want to control my life. All of you do. But it doesn’t go both ways for me the same way it does for the rest of you. I’m not an equal in your eyes. Not for any of you.”

When he doesn’t say anything, I wait and watch the emotions play out on his face.

He knows I’m right.

“Jace . . . I’ve been through hell, and I’ve come out on the other side a pretty well-adjusted woman. But you know what I’ve spent my life doing?”

He doesn’t say anything, so I push harder. “Do ya? No . . . No guesses?”

He shakes his head, and I laugh a soundless laugh. “Funny. Because it revolves around all of you. I did what you wanted. What of you wanted.

Does any of that sound familiar? Because it’s the stuff I’ve heard from all of you my whole life. It’s like you all thought you needed to fill in for—”

“Dad,” he finishes my sentence for me.

“I never knew him, Jace. He doesn’t mean anything to me. He’s the man who cheated on my mother and died doing it. I didn’t need him.”

“He wasn’t a bad man, Madeline. He was just bad at love. At least, romantic love. He was great at loving his kids, and even before you were born, he loved you. He was so excited when your mom announced she was pregnant,” Jace tells me almost wistfully. “I wish you had a chance to have him in your life. He would have done a better job than we did.”

My heart stutters as emotion swells in my throat. “But that’s the thing, Jace. I didn’t need him because I had all of you. I never felt like I was missing anything. I didn’t hate that you all thought you knew better than me. Not when I was a kid. And I’m not stupid enough at twenty-three to think I’ve got everything figured out. But I’m also competent enough to know what I want and what’s worth fighting for. I’m lucky enough to be loved and smart enough to hold on with both hands and fight for it. So I’m going to need you to back off or get out. Those are your options.”

Holy shit.

I think that was all a lie. Because this incredibly strong woman I’m projecting right now is shaking like a leaf on the inside, wondering where in the hell I ever got the courage to say all that.

Jace throws his arms around me in a hug that feels like it might squeeze the life out of me. “When did you grow up, baby sister?”

I close my eyes and fight back the tears I know are right there, burning behind my lids. “Apparently, when you weren’t looking, big brother.”

He runs his hand over my head and squeezes tighter. “Did I ever tell you after the cops left and we were all at Hudson and Maddie’s house . . . you and me and Easton were in the family room, while your mom was in the kitchen with the others. The doctor had given you a sedative, and you fell asleep on the couch. Your head was leaning against Easton’s chest. And I swear, I don’t think he even took a deep breath because he didn’t want to wake you up. We were down there for fucking hours, and he wouldn’t let anybody move you. When Ashlyn wanted to put you to bed, I stood up to pick you up, but he wouldn’t let you go and carried you to one of the bedrooms himself. He was nineteen, Lindy, and I think we all knew then that nothing would ever be the same between you two.”

I step back so I can see his face, so hurt and confused. “Then why? Why is everyone reacting like this?”

“It’s not fair, but maybe we associate Easton with the night we almost lost you. You’ve got to understand you weren’t the only one traumatized that night. With our family, it’s always been us against the world, and we almost lost you. You want us to cut you some slack, but you’re going to have to do the same. Maybe we all held on too tight after that, but Lindy . . . you’re ours to protect. We circled around you.”

A fist pounds against the door, followed by a distinctly pissed-off male voice. “Let’s go, Kingston. You’re not on that bus in five, it’s leaving without you.”

“Fuck off, Smitty. I’ll be there,” Jace calls back, then wipes the tears from my cheeks. “Maybe we held on too tight.”

“I’ve got to be able to breathe, Jace. I deserve to be treated as an equal. I earned that.” My heart tightens in my chest, unable to believe I’m having this conversation here.

. In a smelly locker room.

“You have. And I’m sorry. I guess I forgot for a few minutes how much he’s always cared for you.”

“He loves me, Jace.” My voice shakes, but I will not break.

“Yeah, I know. He told me earlier. I guess . . . Well, I guess I just forgot that for a minute.”

“Try to remember, big brother. Because this man who you all want to make out to be a bad guy . . . he’s already got abandonment issues, whether you realize that or not. You of all people should get that. Both of you had moms die when you were young. Only, unlike you, he never had a dad to lean on. He had Kenzie and eventually Jules and Becks. And he thought he had all of you, but he was shown just how wrong that was as soon as he got traded, came home, and all of you decided he wasn’t worthy of your family.”

“Madeline.” Jace looks horrified.

Good. He should be.

“That’s not . . .” He trails off, and there’s another bang on the door.

“Time’s up, Kingston.”

I wrap an arm around my brother. “I’ve still got to battle it out with the rest of them, but it would be really nice to have an ally. And maybe while you’re at it, give my husband the apology you owe him.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he tells me as he grabs the doorknob.

“Jace,” I stop him. “Do better.”