is a good girl. She cares about people. If you explain your situation, promise
to be there for the kid, take him to hockey practice, and pay his doctor bills, ya
know? I bet she would help you,” Phillip reiterated.
“Who says I want to be there for the kid?” Erik asked. “I told you I don’t want a
kid.”
Phillip pinned him with a look. “I know you had a shitty childhood because of your
shitty father but you are not that guy, especially if you don’t want to be. You are
Cooper’s son, too, and Cooper’s son wouldn’t let his child go through life without
knowing him. My best friend wouldn’t do that, either. Jeez, Erik, all kidding aside,
you are better than that. Call Piper, talk to her.”
Erik laid his beer on the counter and buried his face in his hands. He moved his fingers
through his hair, pulling slightly, hoping to wake himself up from this terrible dream.
Phillip made this all sound so easy to fix, but it couldn’t be. Piper wouldn’t want
to help him; she wouldn’t want to marry him and he definitely didn’t want to be married.
This wouldn’t work, but then again what if it did? What if he could stay in Nashville,
continue to play for the Assassins, and be close to his family and his unborn child?
Phillip was right: He couldn’t run out on this kid. He might have been a dick to Piper
but he didn’t want to be that way to his kid. His stepfather would be so disappointed
and Erik would hate to do that to him. Cooper was his saving grace and Erik owed him
everything. He didn’t want to be anything like his real father, Jasha. Would being
of Jasha’s blood overcome what Cooper had worked so hard to instill in Erik?
What about Piper? What was he supposed to do about her—she scared him because she
was the one and only girl he’d been with that he still felt something for. She had
a way of making him open up and he hated that, because the people he cared about most
always left. The only people who had ever stayed with him and supported him were his
family: Jakob, Alla, and Cooper. What if he allowed himself to fall for her, to go
for the white picket fence—God, what was he thinking—it didn’t matter. It would never
happen. This was a marriage of convenience and it would be over in three months’ time.
Besides, he was no prize; he was a mess and he wasn’t sure Piper even wanted him,
even if it was only temporary. He needed to convince Piper that this was a good idea.
Looking up, he found Phillip watching him. Taking in a deep breath, he said, “Okay,
I’ll do it.”
“You’re going to call her? I think you should do it in person,” Phillip told Erik,
who was picking up his phone off the couch.
“No, I gotta call Koey first, have him call the lawyers to draw up the papers and
get everything ready. This will have to happen fast. Especially so neither of us has
time to change our minds.”
Phillip looked over at him questioningly. “She hasn’t said yes, though.”
Erik nodded. “No, but she will.”
He’d make sure of it.
Chapter 4
Erik had called
four
times.
Piper sat at her drawing desk with her pencils now neatly organized. Not because she
was a neat freak but because Erik calling had put her on edge. She had rearranged
her desk, checked and rechecked her email, and done just about anything else to keep
from answering his phone calls. What the hell did he want? It had been two days since
she had seen him. Had he changed his mind? Did he want to be in their child’s life?
Surely not. He was probably calling to yell at her some more.
But when he called her cell for the sixth time, Piper decided she couldn’t ignore
him any longer. She didn’t like it when he did that to her, and she believed that
you treat people the way you want to be treated. Even if that person is an idiot.
She’d rather break his kneecaps with a hockey stick than talk with him again.
Asshole.
“Hello?” she answered
to be there for the kid, take him to hockey practice, and pay his doctor bills, ya
know? I bet she would help you,” Phillip reiterated.
“Who says I want to be there for the kid?” Erik asked. “I told you I don’t want a
kid.”
Phillip pinned him with a look. “I know you had a shitty childhood because of your
shitty father but you are not that guy, especially if you don’t want to be. You are
Cooper’s son, too, and Cooper’s son wouldn’t let his child go through life without
knowing him. My best friend wouldn’t do that, either. Jeez, Erik, all kidding aside,
you are better than that. Call Piper, talk to her.”
Erik laid his beer on the counter and buried his face in his hands. He moved his fingers
through his hair, pulling slightly, hoping to wake himself up from this terrible dream.
Phillip made this all sound so easy to fix, but it couldn’t be. Piper wouldn’t want
to help him; she wouldn’t want to marry him and he definitely didn’t want to be married.
This wouldn’t work, but then again what if it did? What if he could stay in Nashville,
continue to play for the Assassins, and be close to his family and his unborn child?
Phillip was right: He couldn’t run out on this kid. He might have been a dick to Piper
but he didn’t want to be that way to his kid. His stepfather would be so disappointed
and Erik would hate to do that to him. Cooper was his saving grace and Erik owed him
everything. He didn’t want to be anything like his real father, Jasha. Would being
of Jasha’s blood overcome what Cooper had worked so hard to instill in Erik?
What about Piper? What was he supposed to do about her—she scared him because she
was the one and only girl he’d been with that he still felt something for. She had
a way of making him open up and he hated that, because the people he cared about most
always left. The only people who had ever stayed with him and supported him were his
family: Jakob, Alla, and Cooper. What if he allowed himself to fall for her, to go
for the white picket fence—God, what was he thinking—it didn’t matter. It would never
happen. This was a marriage of convenience and it would be over in three months’ time.
Besides, he was no prize; he was a mess and he wasn’t sure Piper even wanted him,
even if it was only temporary. He needed to convince Piper that this was a good idea.
Looking up, he found Phillip watching him. Taking in a deep breath, he said, “Okay,
I’ll do it.”
“You’re going to call her? I think you should do it in person,” Phillip told Erik,
who was picking up his phone off the couch.
“No, I gotta call Koey first, have him call the lawyers to draw up the papers and
get everything ready. This will have to happen fast. Especially so neither of us has
time to change our minds.”
Phillip looked over at him questioningly. “She hasn’t said yes, though.”
Erik nodded. “No, but she will.”
He’d make sure of it.
Chapter 4
Erik had called
four
times.
Piper sat at her drawing desk with her pencils now neatly organized. Not because she
was a neat freak but because Erik calling had put her on edge. She had rearranged
her desk, checked and rechecked her email, and done just about anything else to keep
from answering his phone calls. What the hell did he want? It had been two days since
she had seen him. Had he changed his mind? Did he want to be in their child’s life?
Surely not. He was probably calling to yell at her some more.
But when he called her cell for the sixth time, Piper decided she couldn’t ignore
him any longer. She didn’t like it when he did that to her, and she believed that
you treat people the way you want to be treated. Even if that person is an idiot.
She’d rather break his kneecaps with a hockey stick than talk with him again.
Asshole.
“Hello?” she answered
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