Pucking Wild: A Reverse Age Gap Hockey Romance (Jacksonville Rays Book 2)
Pucking Wild: Chapter 2

“I need to hear you say it, Rach,” I say again.

Rachel smiles, her eyes suddenly watery. “Tess, I love you so fucking much.”

“I love you too,” I say quickly. “And only my love for you has me asking this now. You deserve an out if you need it. I mean, you haven’t known these guys long, Rach. And it’s a big freakin’ leap. Marriage is…well, it’s a legal quagmire—”

“Tess,” Rachel says again, lifting a hand to cup my face.

I still at the touch.

“I don’t need Lawyer Tess with me right now. I’m good,” she says with a gentle nod.

I suck in a breath, letting it out. “You’re good?”

“I’m really, really good,” she replies. “Tess, they’re the ones.”

“They’re the ones?” I echo.

“They’re the ones,” she repeats. “Tess, I’ve waited my whole life to feel like I make sense. Always searching for the reason. My reason. I thought travel was my reason. Then maybe it was medicine. And I do, I love medicine,” she adds. “I love healing what’s broken in others. Each time I think it heals a little something in me too.”

I smile. She’s certainly helped heal me. She found me at my lowest and gave me a home and a friendship I wouldn’t trade for the world.

“And then Jake found me in Seattle,” she says with a smile. “And when he found me, I found me too. I’m who I’m meant to be now. With them, I’m me. Jake, Caleb, and Ilmari, they’re my reason. So, I’m not walking down that aisle tonight. I’m running. I’m running to them, Tess. I’m going home.”

That word. Home. It stirs something deep inside me. I’ve never had a place that felt like home. I envy her that she’s found hers at last, even as I’m so happy for her I could burst.

“Fuck,” I huff with a laugh. “We should have written that down.” I look around distractedly.

“What are you looking for?”

“Your phone. You just wrote your vows. Say exactly that, and you’ll have the whole house in tears.” As I snatch up her phone and unlock it, there’s a scuffle out in the bedroom.

“Ouch, you’re shoving me,” Harrison grumbles.

“Well, then, walk,” Jake huffs. “Just don’t let me see Rachel.”

“Jake, you’re being a little dramatic right now,” says his twin sister from behind them.

Both the guys are dressed to kill in suits that fit them so well it looks like they were poured in. And Amy looks gorgeous in a little black number. She’s got Jake’s coloring—the dark hair and pretty hazel eyes. But the line of her jaw is more feminine, the features of her face softer. And, of course, he’s almost a foot taller.

Harrison calls out, “Rach, we’re coming in!”

I block the doorway with my body. “Absolutely not. He’s not seeing her before the wedding.”

Jake stands between Harrison and Amy, both hands covering his eyes. “I don’t wanna see her, Tess. I just need to talk to her. Babe, I need to talk to you! I’m kind of freaking the fuck out!”

My protector mode surges. “Jake Compton, are you having second thoughts?”

“What?” he squawks. “No. Fuck no. Get out of my way, and I’ll marry her right here, right now. I wanted to marry her the night we met. Rach, tell her I’m not backing out!”

Deep inside the closet, Rachel laughs. “What’s wrong, angel?”

“Shit, can I drop my hands?” he says.

“I wish you would,” Harrison mutters.

“You look ridiculous,” Amy laughs.

Jake drops his hands, blinking at me as he takes me in. Then his face splits into a wide smile. “Whoa, Tess, you look dynamite. Green is definitely your color.”

I smile, soaking in his compliment. But I know I look great in green. And the cut of this dress really does wonders for me. It’s got these cute off-the-shoulder sleeves and a structured bust that gives the girls a great lift. The silky skirt flows down to the floor, fluttering around my ankles.

“Nice try, handsome,” I say, crossing my arms. “But you’re not getting past me.”

“I don’t want to get past you,” he replies. “And I swear I don’t want to see her before it’s time. I just—Seattle, I need to talk to you about something!”

I glance over my shoulder to see Rachel standing there with a sappy, lovesick look on her face. God, they’re both hopeless. “What do you need, Jake?”

“I just talked to Caleb, and apparently he asked Mars to stand in as his best man when Cay and I get married,” Jake calls.

“Well…I think that’s really sweet,” Rachel calls back. “Cay’s not really close with anyone else but you.”

“Yeah, and then Mars asked Cay to stand in as his best man when he gets married to you,” Jake goes on.

“So, what’s the problem, angel?”

He groans. “Alright, well, I’ve got our twins out here because I really think we need to settle this once and for all,” he calls, one hand each on Harrison and Amy’s shoulders. “Seattle, I know you may want me to be your best man but—”

“What?” Harrison cries, slapping Jake’s hand off his shoulder. “No fucking way, asshole. Rachel is my twin. I will literally stab you in the throat if you try and take this from me. I’m best man.”

“See, this is the problem,” Jake calls. “Your brother is threatening to murder me if I’m your best man!”

Inside the closet, Rachel is laughing. “Jake, you know I love you, but Harrison is my best man.”

“Damn fucking straight,” says Harrison. “You’ve been a Price for all of three hours. I’ve been a Price for almost thirty years. You want a job, be their ring bearer.”

Jake holds up his hands in surrender. “Hey, man, that’s cool with me. I totally agree. You should be her best man. That’s what I wanted to say. I’ll hold the rings. I’ll hold her flowers—”

“I’m holding her flowers,” I say, my hands back on my hips. “Best friend holds the flowers.”

“Right, Tess holds the flowers,” Jake corrects. “Why don’t—how about I stand up with Mars, huh? I’ll just stand over by Caleb and Mars,” he calls out for Rachel’s benefit.

Rachel smiles. “That sounds great, babe. Was that your only concern?”

He groans again, glancing to Amy. “Well…there’s still the issue of who’s going to be my best man when I marry Cay. And babe, I love you so fucking much—”

“Hey, don’t even try it, jerk face,” Amy huffs. “I flew all the way from Japan for this. I’m your best man.”

“And that’s what I want,” Jake says quickly. “Am, it’s you and me. Comptons for fucking life. I want it to be you, I just—” He sighs, glancing over his shoulder at me.

That’s when I finally crack a smile. “You just don’t want to hurt Rachel’s feelings or make her feel left out. Right?”

“Exactly,” he says, relief etched on his face at being understood.

God, this man is too damn precious. He’s like if a golden retriever came to life and started wearing bespoke Armani suits. And here I was grilling Rachel about needing an exit. What’s the point? No matter where I might take her, this man will just follow us. Jake Compton Price is Rachel’s end game. I have absolutely nothing to worry about by putting her happiness in his hands.

“I’m coming out,” Rachel calls.

“NO!” Four voices say at once.

Jake slaps his hands back up over his eyes as she steps around me. She moves into the doorway, the tail of her gown whispering across the carpet.

“Wow,” Harrison huffs, his dark eyes wide as he takes in his twin for the first time in her rocker glam wedding look. “Sis, you look…holy shit.”

“That good, huh?” she says with a laugh.

He steps forward, quickly wrapping her in a hug.

“God, this is fucking torture,” Jake groans.

“You really do look amazing,” says Amy, tears shining in her eyes.

“Thanks,” Rachel replies, slipping loose of Harrison’s hug. “Alright, we’re officially calling this Twin Summit to order,” she declares. Then she turns to Jake’s sister. “Amy, I would never dream of taking the spot that only you can fill. You’re Jake’s best man tonight. No question.”

Amy nods.

“And H, you’re mine,” she adds.

“Of course,” he replies.

Rachel places one hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Angel, look at me.”

“No,” he replies. “I don’t want to jinx us.”

“I don’t believe in superstitions,” she says gently. “Besides, I think Twin Summit rules outweigh wedding superstitions. I want you to look at me.”

Slowly, he turns, dropping his hands. The moment he sees her, I swear my heart skips a beat. That look he gives her, it’s the look of pure love. His whole face changes from one of anxiety and worry to one of unbridled joy.

“Oh my god,” he says, struck breathless by his bride’s beauty. “Baby, you look fucking amazing.”

“So do you,” she replies, sniffing back her tears.

“Fuck, I wanna marry you right now.” He cups her face with both hands.

“I love you so much,” she murmurs.

“I love you,” he replies. “God, my heart’s beating a million miles a minute,” he adds with a nervous laugh, taking one of her hands and dropping it down to his chest. Her fingers splay over his heart as she gets to feel it beating for her.

Inside my own chest, the dull thumping of my jaded heart echoes in its loneliness. Battered and broken, she beats in survivor mode. It pulses to the cadence of a single word. It’s a harsh reality. A life sentence.

Alone. Alone. Alone.

I tune out that sound, focusing instead on my friends. This is their moment.

“H, when you married Somchai, I thought it would change us,” Rachel admits, glancing at her brother. “And it did, but now I realize it’s supposed to change us. Somchai is your person now. He’s your number one, not me.”

Harrison just nods.

She turns the other way. “Amy, I really hope you’re okay with this, because I love your brother so goddamn much. And I swear, I’m going to be so good to him—”

“I know,” Amy assures her. “I’ve never seen him so happy, Rachel. You and Cay and Mars, you deserve him. And he deserves all the happiness you can give him,” she adds, eyes shining as she smiles up at her brother. “I just want you happy, Jake. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“Then you approve?” Jake says, his hands still holding steadfast to Rachel.

Amy nods again. “Yeah, I do. I defy anyone to see you four and think you don’t belong together,” she replies. “You got everything you ever wanted…and a few things you didn’t even know to want,” she adds, and we all laugh.

“God, isn’t that the truth,” he replies.

“So, we’re all good?” Rachel says, glancing between them. “The twins are good?”

“I’m good,” Amy replies still smiling.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Harrison echoes.

“Jake, you’re good?” Rachel adds, her gaze landing on him.

He nods, still calmer being in her arms.

“What about you, Tess?” Rachel calls, glancing at me. “You approve of this chaos? A four-way L.A. wedding?”

I huff a laugh and smile. “I had a feeling we’d all be standing here eventually. You’re too unorthodox for your own good.”

“Well then,” Rachel replies, taking Jake’s hands in both of hers. “Jake Price, I want to marry you. Tonight. But first, I want to watch you marry Caleb.”