The Risk Read online

  “I don’t look back with regret on life, Holly. I am stable enough to provide an amazing life for this baby as well as you if you’re open to the idea. I’m ready to be a dad, even if we didn’t plan it this way. We have a great family to support us and this is one baby that will be loved as much as possible.” Logan assured me as the thought of my parents crossed my mind.

  “Here in Canada at least,” I murmured as he went quiet. “I don’t know if the family in New York will feel the same way.”

  “Fuck them if they don’t. You have us, Holly. We’re going to get through this together.” Logan held me close to him as a tear slid down my cheek, longing for them to be happy about this. I knew it wasn’t part of their plan.

  We showered and dressed after we finally made it out of bed. Logan assured me that his family enjoyed sleeping in so it wouldn’t matter. I slipped back into my jeans and a t-shirt boasting his team, tying it into a knot to make it fit. I blushed and laughed for a moment as Logan tilted his head at me.

  “What is it?” He asked, walking over to me to kiss my forehead.

  “I have the other shirt you have me tucked into my pillows so I can smell you at night. It made me feel closer to you.” I clung to that scent the last few weeks, practically draping it all over my body. I didn’t want Shelly to know I had it.

  “How about you just sleep here with me from now on?” Logan asked as I looked up at him. He pressed a kiss to my mouth, and I considered the future. Would Shelly hate me?

  “I think we need to ease into that. I’m still in school, Logan. We can decide that later.” I murmured as he nodded slowly. We headed out to the driveway, taking Shelly’s car back to the house as my nerves knotted up in my stomach. I loved the family and hoped that they’d support us, but the constant fear of disappointment filled me up. I was used to not being enough to my own family and this would bring them shame. The only bonus for them would be that the father was someone well-known and rich, though they’d pick apart his past with women.

  I shifted in my seat as we pulled into the driveway and Logan took Shelly’s usual spot. Staring at the house, I reached deep inside of myself for strength. I knew that when we left the house tonight, everything would be just fine. Logan got out of the car, bringing me back to reality as I blinked. He opened my door, reaching for my hand as I flashed back to the night of the picture. I ran away from him that night but here I was more than happy to be seen with him. Well, mostly. I was still anxious. We walked up to the door, and it was flung open as Shelly tried to glare at us.

  “You two are such liars.” Her eyes pinned Logan at first before moving to my face where she smiled. “Why did you tell me this was a ransom’s baby? I knew you weren’t like that!” Shelly hopped outside and hugged us as Logan chuckled.

  “I don’t even know if this baby is mine. We’re scheduling a paternity test for this week before we make any final decisions.” He spoke so casually that even I was stunned and Shelly pulled away to stare at him.

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” She hissed as Logan laughed and I let out a breath.

  “Damn right I am. This baby is all mine.” Logan puffed up like a bird as I blushed, not sure about how to feel about his bragging. We hadn’t known each other that long, and I was knocked up after all. I was a shy girl, and I had a feeling that I was going to get embarrassed by Logan a lot. He led us inside and we greeted his family with hugs and I melted as Moira wrapped her arms around my waist. She asked if I was really having Logan’s baby and I blinked as I met his eyes.

  “I am, sweetie. Are you ready to be an aunt?” I asked her as everyone looked on. We made our way to the table and Linda brought out eggs, bacon, pancakes, and a bowl of fresh fruit. Logan got me a cup of decaf coffee and I added some heavy cream before stirring it.

  Logan fixed a plate and looked over at me with a smile.

  “I guess you guys want to know how the hell this happened,” he began as I stabbed a grape with my fork. I loved fruit right now. “I’ll keep the details to a minimum.” Shelly made a gagging sound as I sighed heavily. “You can all do the math and this is fast. We’re still reeling from it all but I know this.” He locked eyes with me. “The night of that dinner after the first game, I saw the most beautiful woman walking across that restaurant towards me. I think my world spun out of control in that instant and I fought all of it. I knew that she was your friend, Shelly. I knew that I’d told you for years not to go after my friends and I could see that you loved Holly. I want you to know I really tried.” She nodded with a small smile.

  “I might have gone out with a few players over the years, by the way.” She told him as Logan rolled his eyes.

  “I assumed as much. You were never good at listening to me.” Logan smiled at her as he reached for his coffee. “I left it alone that night. It was during our hike that everything started.” Shelly tapped her finger in her chin as she seemed to be thinking.

  “Was Logan the friend that was sick and needed help studying?” She asked as I blushed. “You left the movies to… see my brother. Huh.”

  “Yeah. That is when things started and I knew that I was crazy about this girl. We were still fighting it and somehow, the issue forced itself the night those pictures were taken. Holly learned about the paparazzi and some of the women in the sport all at once. It was a rough night, and we ended things that night. I guess fate had already made a decision for us but it took a while to figure that out.” He looked at his parents with a serious expression. “I didn’t plan this and I take the responsibility for it. I am going to do right by Holly and this baby and give them a great life.”

  “Are you two going to remain together?” Linda asked as he looked at me.

  “I want us to try. This is slightly out of order but I’ll take her out in public now and we’ll try. Either way, I am going to love the baby and support her as the mom.” His words melted me and I smiled at him, feeling his hand on my leg under the table. We continued with breakfast and talked about our vague plans as Shelly asked about the dorms and what would happen with school.

  “Well, she can’t have a baby in the dorms so we could upgrade to an apartment for the two of you.” Logan looked at his parents and they nodded in agreement. “There is also a good chance that her parents won’t support this.”

  “They pay for school?” Shelton asked as I nodded.

  “I’ll pay for everything she needs,” Logan offered as my mouth dropped open.

  “I get access to my trust fund when I turn twenty-one. I can pay back everything then and I’ll be fine. My grandparents loved me and wanted the best for me.” I stammered as Logan looked at me.

  “We will figure something out,” Linda said as I stared at her. “I loved you like a daughter the moment we met, Holly. I could see there was something special in you and I think I’d choose you for this role myself. I’m happy about it and we’ll work through the hard parts. You have our support.”

  I cried that day. I knew that they supported me and my baby. They might be all I have right now. I was due to visit my family for Christmas in two weeks but I was trying to decide what to do. I wasn’t showing too much so they wouldn’t know a thing if I didn’t tell them. I also knew that it was getting close, and I’d have to tell them. I wanted to be honest and seal my fate with my family.

  I chose the weekend before the holiday to call them from Logan’s house. I was staying there or at his parent’s house every weekend and needed the support. He was home and sitting on the couch as I paced, too scared to dial.

  “I’m here, Holly. You can do this.” He assured me as I stared at him. I sighed and dialed the number, walking outside for some fresh air.

  “Holly? Is something wrong?” I heard my mother’s voice and took a deep breath. “Are there changes to our holiday plans?”

  “Maybe. I suppose that’s up to you,” I murmured before she asked me what I was talking about. “Mom, I have something to tell you. I’m… I’m pregnant.” There was silence on the other
end until I heard her screeching to my father, sinking to the deck.

  “What the hell is going on, Holly?” My dad’s voice boomed through the phone as I started to cry.

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t plan this. It just happened.” I knew that I was losing it and I felt Logan sit beside me.

  “We sent you there for school and to get a good education. I didn’t want you leaving New York, but we gave you a chance. Now you call with this news. Who is the irresponsible boy that you got involved with? Is he going to stick around or leave it to us to pay for you?” I gasped as Logan reached for the phone.

  “Listen, asshole. Your daughter is an amazing woman and I am lucky to have her in my life. I am not some young kid or even in college, so don’t worry about her. She’s going to be just fine and our baby will be loved. She doesn’t need anything from you but you’re going to miss out if you push her away. You’re going to miss everything.” I jumped at his words and listened for my dad’s response.

  “I don’t know who you are but my Holly was a good girl before she went off to that school and met you. Are you sure you’re ready to handle this? A baby is a lot of work.” He sounded so cold, and I closed my eyes. “It’s a lot more than just a night with a woman. It’s a lifetime commitment.”

  “It’s one that I’ll do a better job of than you did. You should never talk about her this way. I’d never do it to my kid and I’m glad that you aren’t going to be in our lives.” Logan ended the call, pulling me into his arms. “Fuck, Holly. I can’t believe what a jerk he is. I don’t want him to be a part of this.”

  “It is what I expected from him, Logan. I’ll bring the family shame this way and there was never a moment that I thought otherwise. If it wasn’t my major, it was the school I was in. I was never enough, but you made me feel like I was.” I held him tight and cried into his shirt. I didn’t know if they were accepting this or not. I didn’t know if I’d be there for Christmas. I just knew that Logan was here for me as well as his family. They were already proving that to me every single day. “I’m fine with whatever happens, Logan. I am. Moving here was one of the best things I’ve ever done and it led to meeting you and Shelly. I met a family. I am going to have a baby in a few months. I’m scared as hell but I know this will be fine.”

  “It will. I promise you, it will.” He held me as I let it all out, grasping onto hope for my future.

  Epilogue

  Logan

  Six months later

  Holly ended up spending that Christmas with my family. Her parents wouldn’t talk to her and my family pulled her closer. It was a good thing since I traveled a lot and didn’t want her alone. She stayed with my family or at the dor ms if I wasn’t in town, depending on the day.

  We found out that we were having a son a couple of months after the holiday. I was thrilled and couldn’t wait until he’d be old enough to join me on the ice. I was already going to The All-Star Game this year in Boston and my family was going to be there to watch. I was sharing a room with Holly and making a romantic weekend out of it when we weren’t with my parents and sisters. She decided to move in with me once her spring semester ended about a month before the baby was born. Shelly was moving to an apartment, and we made it a two-bedroom in case she wanted to stay the night on a school day. She was going to finish it out with help from my parents and get her degree.

  We were traipsing all over Boston when I wasn’t on the ice, alone and with my family. We took in all the sights and met fans, posing for pictures when asked. We didn’t hide our relationship and Holly suggested putting it right out there. Her growing stomach caused a lot of talk and mention of broken hearts all over the world but Holly took it in stride. She knew that she was it for me.

  I told her every day.

  We set up a nursery a couple of months before Braden arrived and after the huge baby shower that my mom threw for Holly. We got everything we needed from friends and family and even a generous gift card from her family. It was a start but even Holly was wary about everything. We wanted Braden to be surrounded by positive people and they needed to prove a lot to both of us.

  I painted it a soft green, and we decorated it in a hockey theme. Of course, we did. He would be on the ice as soon as he could walk. Holly was stubborn about her role in all of this and refused to let me treat her like a porcelain doll like I preferred to. She was pregnant and had to be careful. Holly reminded me that she was young and healthy and should be active. Once she came out her shell, she was quite feisty and fun to be around. When she was around Shelly too long, I teased them that they were too much.

  I knew that I was in love with Holly the day that we found out we were having a son but I didn’t tell her until we were sweaty and sated in bed that night. I was leaving the following week for some away games and she was horny as fuck for me. When I told her in the dark how much she meant to me, Holly kissed me tenderly before telling me that she loved me.

  Epilogue

  Holly

  The day my life changed

  I went into labor on a warm day in May while we were at Mom and Dad’s for dinner. Not my parents but his. I was talking to mine, but we were working through the past and the present. Old wounds were hard to heal.

  Anyway, we were having lunch as I tried hard not to move at all. I was huge and uncomfortable, so ready to have this baby. Shelly was here with her boyfriend of three months, Killian. He was a senior at college and a great guy. Moira was crushing on him big time and I laughed as I sipped lemonade and felt pain wash across my back. This was intense, and I considered not ever having a baby ever again before I felt a kiss to my lips.

  Logan made it to the third round in the playoffs but they lost the seventh game. He was bummed out as a hockey player but excited to welcome Braden into the world. That gave him the entire off season to help me, short of working out and spending some time with the team. Today, I was being spoiled with my favorite foods and relaxation as I waited for this to end.

  I was in the bathroom yet again when I felt a twinge in my stomach and something leaking down my leg. I knew that I wasn’t wetting my pants and gasped as I grabbed a towel. I screamed for Logan from the hallway bathroom and heard someone at the door. Logan opened it and stared at me as I held the towel to my body, asking me what was wrong.

  “I think I’m in labor,” I told him as tears slid down my cheeks. He called out to his family that we needed to get to the hospital and helped me into the living room as more liquid seeped into the towel. Shelly squealed and hugged me before Moira tackled us, making me laugh as Logan tried to pry them from me.

  “I have to get her to the hospital. Get back,” he told them as Mom pulled the girls away and then hugged me tight. She promised that she’d be there soon since I told her I wanted her in the room along with Shelly when I gave birth and Linda kissed my cheek before Logan rushed me to his car. We went to the Rockyview General Hospital and Logan pulled up to the curb before running inside for a wheelchair.

  He was ridiculous.

  I was taken to labor and delivery while he parked the car. My room was large and private, and I settled into the bed as nurses came in to check on me. My water did break, and I was beginning to dilate though slowly. The sweet blonde woman told me to relax and let nature take its course and I watched as Logan walked into the room. He was gorgeous, and I wished again that our baby would look just like him. He still took my breath away, even when he was acting like a caveman.

  “What did they say? I can’t believe they wouldn’t let me park there,” he grumbled as he took the seat beside me.

  “I am moving right along but we get to relax for a while.” I smiled at him as he reached for my hand. “I’m glad you’re here with me, Logan.”

  t“I wouldn’t be anywhere else, baby.” He told me with that crooked smile that helped to knock me up. He leaned in to kiss me and I closed my eyes as our lips brushed together. When I opened my eyes as he pulled away, Logan was looking at me warmly. He licked his lips and set a velvet
box on the bed as I gasped. The baby moved, and I held my stomach as I took this moment in. “I want you to marry me when things settle down, Holly. I want to make this official because I’m madly, deeply in love with you. I love this baby already and I want us to be a family.”

  “Logan,” I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I stared at him. “Yes, yes, and yes. I’d love to be your wife.” He kissed me again, and I felt emotions taking over as I began to cry. Logan opened the box to show me a gorgeous diamond ring with a modest square stone surrounded by small, sparkling diamonds and pulled it out to slip it on my finger.

  “My fingers are swollen,” I wept as he got stuck just under my knuckle. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a chain, securing the ring on it and placing it over my neck.

  “I was prepared for that. I just needed to ask you this because it’s been eating away at me.” I smiled at him.

  “The whole half a year that we’ve been together?” I teased as he shrugged. “I was in love from the moment I saw you.”

  “Me, too.” We heard voices and Mom and Shelly walked into the room. Dad was staying out in the waiting room with Moira, who was a little shy about being here. Mom walked over and asked me what the nurses told me, and I relayed everything as Shelly came to the other side of the bed. We waited together as Mom shared stories of Logan when he was a baby, making Shelly laugh hysterically. I couldn’t ask for a better birth experience. I thought about my parents and asked Logan to get my phone from my purse. I smiled as he kissed me and sent a message to my mother that I was in labor. I assured her that I’d send a picture as soon as I could.

  I smiled at Logan and reached for the chain.

  “We have some news,” he told them as Shelly looked down the chain to my finger, holding the ring.

  “Oh!! Mom, look at that ring!” Shelly cried out as Mom took in the shimmering diamond.