She stood, kissing the top of my head. “Whatever you choose, whether you’re with my son or not, you’re always welcome with me and Larry. Come and visit with Huey. We mothers have to stick together.” I gave her another watery smile. “And just know, if you do decide that being with them is worth the hardships and the hurdles, we’ll stand right behind you, supporting the four of you.”

She squeezed my shoulder and left, leaving me reeling and confused all over again.

Chapter Forty

RIGBY

The first game back, I played like I had something to prove. But now, we were playing five away games in a row and I was just fucking tired. I went out with the guys after our third win in a row, and drank one beer while River got hammered. He’d been doing that a lot recently. Getting wasted after every game, until I had to drag his ass back to the hotel. He’d almost gotten in a fight in Chicago at some dive bar when someone had a go about Nova. He was volatile, and honestly, I was worried about him.

As Ludo and I struggled under his weight, getting him into the elevator back up to our rooms after the game with San Jose, I knew this shit had to stop.

Ludo grunted as River tipped to the side. “Fuck, this guy is heavy. How the hell does he push himself around the ice without a pack of goddamn sled dogs?”

I huffed a laugh. “Quads of steel?” Fishing our room key out of my pocket, I opened the door, thankful that we were only three rooms down from the elevator.

Ludo was still grumbling under his breath. “Needs to lay off the fucking protein.”

We shuffled River inside and let him fall face first onto the bed. Better this way if he puked in his sleep. Ludo and I stared down at him, this man who’d seemed so in control, so stoic for all the years I’d known him, but was now crumbling like an ancient fortress in front of my eyes.

Shaking his head, Ludo turned to stare at me. “I’m worried about him. So is Muss.”

I nodded, because Muss had told me. So had Coach Toons. Like I had any control over the big fucker and his locked-down feelings.

“Me too.”

Ludo cocked his head at me. “Just so you know, the team is behind you. Me and Muss, we’ll go to bat for you if the team is the only reason you’re… you know, not pursuing things with your girl. They shouldn’t get that kind of say in our personal lives.”