Our Overtime: Ice League Book 1 (The Ice League Series)
Our Overtime: Chapter 37

I think she thought that I’d forgotten. Silly girl, I never forgot.

Every year that we weren’t together, I went out with random guys from whatever team I was on and drank this night away until I blacked out. Because this date, her birthday, inevitably made me think about her and it was too painful. It was the fact that I knew she was somewhere in the world celebrating and I didn’t get to be a part of it. It cracked my heart open. I shoved all memories of her in a little box in the back of my mind, but that box bust open every September 29th.

But this year would be different. Jules turned 32 at midnight and I wanted it to be memorable for her. I wanted it to be her best birthday.

I recruited Paige, Max, Smitty, Ashlie, and Canyon to all help celebrate. Canyon’s part didn’t come in until tomorrow though- we were making pancakes for her- the special kind with the tiny marshmallows.

I’d taken Canyon to the store with me earlier in the week to pick out a necklace. It was simple and elegant and so very much Jules with just a single white diamond hanging from a silver chain.

Canyon was thoroughly pleased with the purchase. The only thing that bugged me was the fact that he said he usually just made his mom a homemade card because his dad never took him shopping for her and never gave her a cake. The fact that she hadn’t been dotted on and cared for pissed me off so damn much that I felt the urge to punch another wall harboring inside of me. What a son of a bitch to have a baby with a woman and then keep her as a wife just to treat her like shit. I wished like hell I could turn the clock back, but I needed to let go of the anger and move forward and make sure she was treated the way she deserved.

My plan for tonight was to go out on the town with her, treat her to a five-star dinner and then go dancing and get absolutely shit-faced and have the most fun. We’d finish the night up with some Taco Bell like we had in our early 20s… but this time we wouldn’t be crashing in a crappy dorm room, but at my home.

Paige and Ashlie helped me pick out my outfit because I was kinda nervous. They picked dark wash jeans and a nice button-down. It was a bit busy for my taste, but apparently it was the “in” style. Jules usually just saw me in sweats. As much as we’d been hanging out the past couple of weeks, we hadn’t gone on an official date; it had been more of hanging around with her and Canyon, which I loved, but I was excited to get some time with just her tonight when she was off mom-duty.

I rang the doorbell and watched through the glass paneling as she came down the stairs and it just about knocked the breath out of me.

She opened the door shyly and peaked around it, “It’s weird not having Canyon race me for the door,” she said quietly.

I stepped inside and looked her up and down. She looked drop dead gorgeous tonight. I didn’t give her much to go on in terms of dress, or time to get ready- only about an hour between the end of the barbeque and when I picked her up, but it didn’t really matter. She could be in her pajamas and I’d still replace her the most attractive woman in any bar. But tonight, she had on an off the shoulder little dark red dress that hugged all her curves. She pinned her long, wavy hair to one side, so it ran down her one shoulder and was so long it reached her boob. It was light brown at the top and went to an almost blonde at the bottom. The left side of her neck and shoulder were exposed, and damn if I didn’t replace everything down to her toes sexy.

“What? This okay?” She asked nervously.

I gave a solemn nod, “Perfect. I’m going to have blue balls all night,” I told her, causing her to cackle. She was never one to hold back her true laughter and it made me chuckle.

“My girl, c’mere,” I pulled her into me and looked down at her, rubbing her bare arms. “Happy birthday.”

Surprise registered on her face and she cocked her head to the side, “Well, not until tomorrow.”

“You mean midnight,” I corrected her. “Going to give you the best birthday,” I told her matter of factly.

“Is that so, Mr. Scott?” Her eyebrows lifted. I loved holding her tiny body against mine. “Remember my 21st? That was your doing,” She bit her lip and shook her head.

I looked up at the high foyer ceiling and thought back… her 21st…

I snapped my neck down, “Oh, shit, that was 21?” I asked her with the sudden flash of a memory of me throwing her over my shoulder and hauling her out of a Windsor bar and holding her hair back that night in the shitty motel room. We went to Canada so we could all drink. That was our first official bar night together because she’d been too nervous to go out before then. She was way more of a light weight than we’d both expected at the time.

I cracked a smile at the memory, and she continued to shake her head.

“I forgot about that one,” I told her. “Well, if you need me to hold your hair back tonight, I am at your service,” I said valiantly.

She rolled her eyes, “I learned how to hold my liquor in this past decade.”

“We’ll see about that, Mom,” I gave the end of her hair a tug, and must’ve brushed her boob in doing so, causing her to freeze up and release a quick breath. I felt the heat rising in me, but I’d have to ignore it for now, “No bra tonight, eh? Trying to kill me, girl.” I winked at her and gestured for her to exit.