Page 5 of Pucking Forbidden

It takes him a few moments to respond.

Julian: Heading to Chicago.

That surprises me a little. I figured he’d celebrate with the guys or something. Before I can question him further, he sends me another message.

Julian: I gotta get going, but I’ll check in on you later, okay?

My giddiness dims. I don’t want to stop talking yet, but he’s a busy guy. I know that.

Hadley: Okay, sounds good. TTYL!

Julian: Later.

I set my phone aside and stretch out on my bed to stare up at the ceiling. Julian’s question rolls over in my head.

Then why are you still there?

CHAPTER TWO: WILD CARDS

HADLEY

Later that evening, when I see the incoming FaceTime from Grace, I don’t even hesitate before answering.

The screen fills instantly with noise.

“I’m telling you, if Owen buys one more baby gadget…” Stacey declares.

“I would die for one of those!” Rylee exclaims. “I’m dropping it into Zander’s Amazon cart right fucking now!”

“Hi! Hi!” Grace, as type A as ever, is trying to wrangle everyone together, her blue eyes bright and her dark brown hair swept up into a loose bun on top of her head. “Wait, can you hear us?”

Five faces crowd the screen in a chaotic blur. Grace, Skyler, Rylee, Stacey, and Sutton are all trying to talk at once, the camera shifting as someone readjusts their grip. They’re all together, which makes my chest ache a little bit with longing. It’s become a little ritual for them all to get together once or twice a week for brunch, then they call me for a big virtual group hang. This fierce, tight-knit group of women, all married or engaged to the team's top players, had completely wrapped their arms around me, pulling me into a sisterhood I never knew I needed.

I can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, I can hear you,” I say, tucking my legs under me on the bed. “Barely. I’ve told you all before, you need to stop mumbling.”

I’ve only recently felt comfortable enough to really tease them, but they’re all good sports about it.

“RUDE,” Skyler shoots back immediately, pointing at the screen with one hand as she pushes her glasses up her nose with the other. Her brown eyes are shimmering, and her dirty-blonde hair falls around her face in soft waves. She’s wearing a T-shirt with the yellow Batman logo on it.

“You just made her point,” Sutton chuckles. She’s rocking a new haircut, layers falling past her shoulders with streaks of purple among the brown locks.

Rylee leans closer, her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, Ciara’s tiny coo echoing faintly somewhere off-screen. “Hi, babe! We miss you.”

“I miss you guys too,” I admit softly, and I do.

More than I expected.

“Okay, wait, hold on,” Grace cuts in. “One at a time. We need structure.”

“Since when do we do structure?” Skyler fires back.

“Since Rylee started wailing about a wipes warmer like it’s a life-or-death situation,” Sutton says.

“It is life or death,” Rylee insists. “Can you imagine what cold wipes must feel like at three in the morning?”

“I can imagine,” Stacey cuts in dryly, bouncing slightly where she’s sitting, her red curls moving with her. “And yet somehow, my children have all survived frigid wipings.”