Overtime Read online

  Kacey sat up a bit straighter. “Why aren’t you married yet, Liam? You’re how old, thirty-three?”

  He nodded which was good because, for a second there, she thought she was being a bit rude. “I got married young, twenty, but when I got drafted, she started cheating on me. I tried to make it work, but she didn’t want to be with me,” he said softly with a shrug. “Really sucked, but that was eons ago. Now, it’s hard to find a woman around my age who doesn’t have kids already. I don’t want to deal with baby daddy issues.”

  “True that,” she said, tipping her drink to him.

  “But also a woman who wants a long-term relationship with a hockey player. It’s tough being married to someone who’s gone most of the year.”

  “I’m used to it,” she commented and he smiled. Man, he really was pretty. If only he would stimulate her more than her just wanting to bang him. Because, even though he was saying everything she wanted, she was bored. He was too clean-cut. That was the problem. She wanted to reach over and mess his hair up. Paint some tattoos on him and grow him a beard. Maybe have him cuss a bit more. He was just too nice.

  “Yeah, I bet, growing up with hockey all your life.”

  “Yeah, it’s in my blood.”

  “Which is so awesome. I watched you in the Olympics, but I didn’t know how gorgeous you were,” he said and then he blushed.

  Fucking blushed.

  She wanted to sigh, but instead, she asked, “Are you nervous?”

  His brow came up and he asked, “A little, why?”

  She smiled sweetly, hoping that she didn’t come off as too much of a bitch, but she was sure she was about to. “Because you’re being kinda boring, not like you were at the party.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I guess I’m more nervous than I thought.”

  “Sorry if that’s rude,” she said quickly at his defeated look.

  “No, not at all,” he said, waving her off. “It’s just…well… Karson is my friend, and I asked him if it was okay—”

  “You asked my brother if you could take me out?” she deadpanned.

  She should think that was sweet. She should.

  “Yeah, I mean, he’s your brother, my friend, and teammate. I don’t want bad blood between me and him if I started dating you without his permission.”

  His permission? What the fuck?

  “It doesn’t matter what he thinks though. He doesn’t control me, or own me, for that matter,” she added and he nodded.

  “Oh, I know, but I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t gonna freak out on me.”

  Yup, too clean-cut for her. She wanted a man who wanted her and didn’t care about anything else.

  “You’re mad,” he observed and she looked up to meet his apologetic gaze.

  “No,” she lied, tucking her hands in her lap to keep from clenching them. “I’ve always been Karson’s little sister, the girl no one wants to date because they are scared of him. It gets to be annoying.”

  “Oh, I want to date you. I wasn’t lying when I said you are gorgeous, Kacey. But I did that for damage control. If he would have said no, then I probably still would have taken you out.”

  That perked her interest. “Karson said yes?”

  “Yeah, he was really for it, actually. Calmed my nerves a bit. But when I picked you up and, man, you’re really lovely, I guess my nerves got the best of me.”

  Karson said yes? To a guy?

  “You’re still mad.”

  She was staring at him. Her brows were pulled together while she chewed on her lip.

  Karson said yes?

  “Sorry, I’m still caught up on the fact my brother said yes. He never agrees to anyone dating me.”

  A dazzling grin curved Liam’s lips, and Kacey found herself breathless as he said, “He knows I’m a good guy and I won’t hurt you.”

  She wanted to drop her face flat on the table and moan. She knew that too, so why was she fighting this? He wanted a dog, he was looking for a woman to marry him, and he was nice. Plus, he was nervous, so that was the reason he wasn’t as funny as she liked. Liam Kelly was a good guy. Karson thought so and she needed to trust that.

  She needed to try.

  Leaning on her hand, she smiled. “Good, ’cause I’m in the market for a good guy who won’t hurt me.”

  Grinning ever so sinfully, he said, “Then I’m thinking I’m that guy.”

  Matching his grin, she smiled up at him, and before she could say something along the lines of she hoped so, her phone rang. “Oh shit, sorry. I should have turned it off,” she said as she dug it out of her purse. She went to turn the ringer off but saw that it was Karson. She declined the call, but as she went to put it back in her purse, he called back. She eyed her phone and then looked across the table at Liam. “I’m sorry, let me make sure everything is okay.”

  “Of course,” he said sweetly and she smiled as she answered the phone.

  “Karson, I’m on a—”

  “Lacey went into labor and we are at the hospital. Get your ass up here now,” he barked and then he hung up.

  Stunned, she looked up at Liam and his eyes narrowed. “Everything okay?”

  “No, Lacey went into labor. She’s early. I gotta go,” she said, throwing her phone in her purse and standing up. Then she realized that Liam had driven her. “Fuck, can you drive me to Vandy? If not, I’ll get a cab,” she said frantically.

  “No, I got you. Let’s go,” he said, throwing a twenty on the table. As they started for the door, his hand fell to the middle of her back and he said, “Don’t worry, I’m sure everything will be fine.”

  Nodding, she prayed he was right.

  Looking down at the little bundle of pink, Kacey could hardly see her brand-spanking-new niece with her tear-filled eyes. As the baby looked up at her through her goo-filled brown eyes that had a slight blue tint around the middle, Kacey decided that Mena Jane King was by far the most gorgeous baby she had ever seen. Moving her finger down Mena Jane’s sweet curve of a cheek, a tear slowly rolled down her own cheek.

  “Hello, my sweet Mena Jane. I’m your auntie, and I’m gonna be your best friend,” she said softly as she looked down at her, her eyes full of all the goodness in the world. The baby looked just like Karson, spitting image, with basically nothing of Lacey. But it was still early. Kacey was sure she would favor her momma in no time. Or the King genes were so strong that this was the product and, man, what a product. She was perfect, and Kacey wanted a little baby of her own so damn badly.

  Glancing up at where Karson was moving Lacey’s hair behind her ears, looking at her like she’d just given him the world, which she had, his eyes were so full of love it hit Kacey square in the chest. She wanted that. She wanted all this. The birth was magical and her sister-in-law was a beast, that’s all she could say. Karson, ever the doting husband, was amazing during the birth, and Kacey prayed she gave some support too. Just from the grin on Lacey’s face as she met her gaze told her she did, or that the drugs were working very well. She was going to take her first assumption and run, though.

  “She’s perfect, guys.”

  “She is,” Lacey agreed as Karson still stared at her.

  “You’re perfect. You did so great, baby,” he whispered against her cheek and Kacey smiled, looking back down at her sweet niece.

  “I’m gonna make sure you are always protected,” Kacey whispered. “You have so many people who love you.”

  Mena Jane just kept staring at her and it warmed her soul. This little girl had Kacey completely wrapped around her finger and nothing would ever hurt her. Not while her aunt was around.

  “Sorry to pull you from your date,” Lacey said then and Kacey waved her off, cuddling Mena Jane closer to her.

  “This was way more important,” she assured her, and then she glanced over at Karson. She knew this probably wasn’t the place for this, but she had to hear it from him. “You told Liam yes to dating me?”

  Lacey smiled as Karson shrugged. “He’s a good dude