“It’s been a while and they grow fast at this age.”
“I can tell. How’s…the boys?” I’m referring to his best friends from college, men who are like family to him. Including the man who took Briar away from me.
“All good. Royal is a dad now, had a baby girl. You know Briar had another baby—a little boy. And Dash and Willow are expecting as well.”
“Not Atlas?” I ask, referring to his billionaire friend.
“Lily’s on tour. They’re saying in the next two years.”
“Glad everyone is doing well.”
“What about you?”
“I’m good. I met someone.”
“Yeah?” He grins. “Is she here?”
“She is.” I look around but Serena has wandered into the gift shop. “I’ll introduce you in a minute.”
“I’d like that.” He pauses. “Are you happy?”
“It’s still new, but yeah. I’ve been keeping things casual but I can’t do it anymore. I don’t want to.”
“You deserve to be happy, West.”
“You sound like my buddy Bodi.”
“He sounds like a smart guy.” He pauses again. “Did I tell you Aspen’s pregnant with a little boy?”
“No! Congratulations, man. Is she here?”
Before he can respond, I hear my name and Aspen comes running across the lobby and then throws her arms around me.
“It’s so good to see you!” she says warmly. “You look great.”
“Thanks—you look pretty good too.” I turn, looking for Serena, who’s come out of the gift shop but is hanging back, holding Joey’s hand. “Babe! Come meet my friends.”
She slowly walks over to join us with a friendly but reserved smile. “Hello.”
“Guys, this is Serena. And Joey.” I slide my arm around her. “Babe, this is Banks Christensen and his wife, Aspen.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she says, her smile growing warmer.
“And this little terror is Maisie,” Banks says, tickling his daughter and making her giggle.
“I’m familiar with that level of terrorism,” Serena says with a laugh.
“How long have you guys been dating?” Aspen asks.
“A little while,” I interject, opting not to get into specifics. “This is her first trip to a hockey-related event like this, figured I’d throw her in the deep end.”
We all chuckle.
“You’ll be fine,” Aspen says to Serena. “In my experience, everyone is welcoming. Especially at events like this where team rivalries are essentially put on hold.”
“You guys want to get breakfast tomorrow before we head out?” I ask.
“We were planning to keep it simple because it’s going to be a long day,” Banks says, “but if you’re down with either room service or the hotel restaurant, I’d love the chance to catch up.”