Rushing the Goal (Assassins #8)(58)

Karson grinned. “We are excited. Nervous, because of all the issues after Mena was born, but at least, this time, we know what to do.”

“She’ll be fine. Lacey is the strongest chick I know. Don’t tell your sister I said that,” Jordie laughed and Karson grinned. But Jordie was right, Lacey was one strong chick. With beating cancer and then living her dreams by making lingerie for breast cancer survivors, Benji wasn’t the only one that looked up to her. But Kacey, Jordie’s wife and Karson’s sister…that woman was scary strong. She kicked their asses as the Assassins’ strengthening coach and owned her own gym, one that Benji had no desire to go into. She’d made Benji cry at least twice. So, yeah, he gave her a wide berth when it came to fitness.

“Yeah,” Karson agreed, and then he sent Lucas a grin. “Heard Fallon is going for baby number five, trying to tie with the Adlers.”

Lucas’s face went white. “Who the hell told you that?”

“Heard it through the grapevine,” Karson laughed and everyone snickered at Lucas’s alarmed expression.

“Dude, no. I’m getting my shit cut. I can’t do any more. Have you met Emery? That baby is her mother made over. And I’m sorry, I love my wife, I do, but she’s insane. I can’t do her pregnant again. She’s so damn hangry.”

Tate laughed. “It’s probably ’cause Aiden took all the awesome genes.”

Lucas let out a long breath. “That kid. I’m gonna strangle him. He has a girlfriend. A f*cking girlfriend. Do you all remember what your first girlfriend was like at sixteen?”

The guys snickered as Benji grinned. He had done a whole lot of nasty things at sixteen, which made him cringe for his buddy.

“Do you know what it’s like to have the sex talk with your kid? Oh no, because I’m the only one here with a teenager.”

That got him a round of old guy cracks that he did not appreciate, but Benji thought it was funny. “Man, it’s not right without Adler not being here,” Tate said and everyone nodded. It was weird. He had been the most adult out of all of them and had such a big presence.

“Yeah, he was our old man. Now we have to settle for Brooks,” Vaughn said sadly and Lucas glared.

“Fuck off. But yeah, it does suck without him.”

“Yeah, someone should tell him to come back,” Karson said with a nod.

“He’s happy,” Benji said, leaning on the table. “He loves coaching the girls’ hockey team, and he’s really good at it. I heard he’s got a stacked team for the boys.”

“Oh, yeah, especially with how good Owen and Evan are,” Jordie said with a nod, speaking of Shea’s boys. “Who’s all going to the games this weekend?”

The ones closest to Shea raised their hands as Benji said, “I’ll be there for the girls, but I’m not sure about the boys.”

“Yeah, me too. I think Lacey has a doctor’s appointment that day,” Karson said, and Jordie looked over at his brother-in-law.

“Need us to watch Mena?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind.”

That was one of the biggest things that Benji loved about the Assassins. Everyone was family. No matter if there was blood involved, though most of it was blood, since everyone was married to someone’s sister. Or someone’s niece was married to someone’s brother. That always made Benji laugh. The Phillip/Jude feud was just hilarious. But other than that, the team was one big family, and Benji appreciated that. He needed that, but he wanted what they all had. He was too old to be like the rookies, f*cking around and partying. Plus, he didn’t drink. But sometimes he didn’t fit in with the older guys because he wasn’t married and didn’t have children. Which was another reason he stayed in his room a lot. He just felt left out, but as he sat there, joking with his friends, talking about their families, he was actually upset he hadn’t allowed himself to enjoy this before.

When Jordie took him by his shoulder, shaking him, Benji laughed. “Dude, it’s good having you here!”

Benji grinned as a lot of the other guys nodded in agreement. He had gotten so used to not putting himself in a position where his sobriety could be tested that he had become a recluse. But to his surprise, as his friends drank and hung out, he didn’t even care to drink. His glass of pop was good for him. He watched Jordie, worried about his friend, but Jordie was good too. Being with Kacey and having Ella really woke that dude up.

Benji was jealous of that.

Meeting Jordie’s gaze, he shrugged. “I don’t know why I didn’t come down sooner.”

“’Cause you’re a loner,” Vaughn laughed and everyone joined in.

“Leave him alone. I don’t blame him for liking Game of Thrones more than us,” Jordie added and Benji laughed.

“I don’t know, I think he’s acting different,” Karson said and Lucas nodded.

“Yeah, something is up. I just can’t decide what it could be.”

Lucy.

It was all Lucy.

Or at least, he thought so. He had never felt happier in the last twelve years than he did now. When he wasn’t playing or practicing, he and Lucy were texting or FaceTiming. She was adorable and funny, and he could tell she was hesitant. But, he knew she was slowly getting comfortable with him. She had been so stressed lately, and he hated that. He wanted to fix it, but she wouldn’t let him. She was independent, and that was one of the things he liked so much about her.