A Puck Between Us
Chapter 33
Tim dropped us off and we made our way up to the room, after checking in.
I knew I needed to find a place for us to stay, but the hotel was gonna have to do for a little while.
The apartment that I was in for the past two years, with a teammate, just wasn't going to cut it anymore. I had a family now.
~~~
I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket.
"Hello?"
"Hey, heard you were back. What do you say we go get something to dri-- oh that's right, you're still a baby. Let's just go get a bite to eat."
Typical Chad...
"I don't know if I can... I have some people with me." I tried to say quietly, but I saw Addison look up, out of the corner of my eye.
She walked over.
"Just do whatever you want. We are fine here! Really." she whispered, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Oh, alright man. I'll see you soon then!" He said back and he sounded almost disappointed.
"Actually, Chad?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind if I brought two guests with me?"
"No problem! You know I like to entertain a crowd!"
"Perfect. And don't worry, I'll pay." I joked.
"No problem. You wanna meet me, or what?"
"Can you pick us up at the hotel were staying at?"
"Sure thing, dude. Just text me where you're at."
"Okay, thanks. I'll see you in a little while."
I hung up and pulled Addison down on the bed with me.
"Ready for dinner?" I asked her, pulling her in to a tight hug.
"No, Jeff... You just go."
"I want you guys to come with me. I don't want you guys to be in the background while I am out with everyone. I want you to be right there with me."
"But Je--"
"But nothing. Get ready. I will change Emerson." I told her, kissing her before she walked away.
~~~
I put a small pair of jeans in the baby, over a onesie, and then a sweatshirt.
I went into the bathroom, brushed my teeth and hair, and changed my sweatshirt.
"The boys are all ready!"
"Yeah, well you guys don't have to do your hair... So shhh." Addison said back and I couldn't help but smile at her as she looked at me through her reflection in the mirror.
~~~
When Chad saw us walk into the lobby, I swear his jaw dropped.
He walked up to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said- "Nice to see ya, buddy."
That was it.
That was not Chad LaRose.
I could tell he felt awkward, and Addison took it upon herself to try to make him feel comfortable.
"Hi, I'm Addison! Nice to meet you, Chad. I've heard a little about you-- pretty much how funny you are."
He cut her off, and he was in a noticeably more comfortable mood.
"I am not funny- I'm hilarious... And I'm hungry, so let's go!"
We walked out to his car and I put Emerson's carseat into the back.
Addison strapped him in and pulled herself into Chad's pickup right next to the baby.
"So where we going?" I asked him, while we pulled out of the hotel parking lot.
"My house. I'm gonna barbecue some stuff up. A few of the guys are coming over and bringing the kids and wife's. That cool with you guys?"
"Yeah, that's great." I told him, turning back and winking at Addison.
"I'm sorry guys, I don't want to make this awkward for you."
"No it's fine! This is awesome!"
I think this is an easier way to introduce everyone to Addison and our son.
~~~
We pulled into Chad's driveway and I couldn't help but notice the 'FOR SALE' sign on the front yard of the house next door. Maybe I would have to look into that.
We got out of the car and I got Emerson out, walking into Chad's house.
His two dogs immediately ran up to us to greet us at the door and the smaller of the two, jumped up, licking Emerson's face and he giggled.
"Peyton, down." Chad said, and the dog did just that.
I put Emerson down and he ran over to the living room with both of the dogs, on the floor.
At least he will enjoy this.
'Ding-Dong'
The doorbell rang and Chad walked over to answer it.
It was Cam and his Wife Cody and their little boy Nolan, who was almost 2.
I exchanged hugs with the two of them and then gave Nolan a high-five.
"Come here, Nol. I have a friend for you!" He said, bringing him into the living room with Emerson.
"Hey guys, this is Addison."
"Addi, this is Cam and Cody Ward."
"So this is her? The famous Addison... It's about time we met her!" Cam joked, shaking Addison's hand.
"He never stopped talking about you." he joked to her.
Well not really joking cause it was true, but she didn't know that.
"So great to meet you!" Cody said, also shaking her hand, but pulling her in for a hug afterwards.
"Oh my!" Cody said, gasping.
"What's wrong?" Addison asked her, and you could sense the fear in her voice that something had happened.
"Your ring... It's beautiful!"
"Oh." Was all Addison could say and she blushed.
"Wow! Skinner's really got a girl!" Cam said, patting my back.
Just wait until you go into the other room, I thought to myself.
This was gonna be interesting.
I knew I needed to find a place for us to stay, but the hotel was gonna have to do for a little while.
The apartment that I was in for the past two years, with a teammate, just wasn't going to cut it anymore. I had a family now.
~~~
I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket.
"Hello?"
"Hey, heard you were back. What do you say we go get something to dri-- oh that's right, you're still a baby. Let's just go get a bite to eat."
Typical Chad...
"I don't know if I can... I have some people with me." I tried to say quietly, but I saw Addison look up, out of the corner of my eye.
She walked over.
"Just do whatever you want. We are fine here! Really." she whispered, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Oh, alright man. I'll see you soon then!" He said back and he sounded almost disappointed.
"Actually, Chad?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind if I brought two guests with me?"
"No problem! You know I like to entertain a crowd!"
"Perfect. And don't worry, I'll pay." I joked.
"No problem. You wanna meet me, or what?"
"Can you pick us up at the hotel were staying at?"
"Sure thing, dude. Just text me where you're at."
"Okay, thanks. I'll see you in a little while."
I hung up and pulled Addison down on the bed with me.
"Ready for dinner?" I asked her, pulling her in to a tight hug.
"No, Jeff... You just go."
"I want you guys to come with me. I don't want you guys to be in the background while I am out with everyone. I want you to be right there with me."
"But Je--"
"But nothing. Get ready. I will change Emerson." I told her, kissing her before she walked away.
~~~
I put a small pair of jeans in the baby, over a onesie, and then a sweatshirt.
I went into the bathroom, brushed my teeth and hair, and changed my sweatshirt.
"The boys are all ready!"
"Yeah, well you guys don't have to do your hair... So shhh." Addison said back and I couldn't help but smile at her as she looked at me through her reflection in the mirror.
~~~
When Chad saw us walk into the lobby, I swear his jaw dropped.
He walked up to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said- "Nice to see ya, buddy."
That was it.
That was not Chad LaRose.
I could tell he felt awkward, and Addison took it upon herself to try to make him feel comfortable.
"Hi, I'm Addison! Nice to meet you, Chad. I've heard a little about you-- pretty much how funny you are."
He cut her off, and he was in a noticeably more comfortable mood.
"I am not funny- I'm hilarious... And I'm hungry, so let's go!"
We walked out to his car and I put Emerson's carseat into the back.
Addison strapped him in and pulled herself into Chad's pickup right next to the baby.
"So where we going?" I asked him, while we pulled out of the hotel parking lot.
"My house. I'm gonna barbecue some stuff up. A few of the guys are coming over and bringing the kids and wife's. That cool with you guys?"
"Yeah, that's great." I told him, turning back and winking at Addison.
"I'm sorry guys, I don't want to make this awkward for you."
"No it's fine! This is awesome!"
I think this is an easier way to introduce everyone to Addison and our son.
~~~
We pulled into Chad's driveway and I couldn't help but notice the 'FOR SALE' sign on the front yard of the house next door. Maybe I would have to look into that.
We got out of the car and I got Emerson out, walking into Chad's house.
His two dogs immediately ran up to us to greet us at the door and the smaller of the two, jumped up, licking Emerson's face and he giggled.
"Peyton, down." Chad said, and the dog did just that.
I put Emerson down and he ran over to the living room with both of the dogs, on the floor.
At least he will enjoy this.
'Ding-Dong'
The doorbell rang and Chad walked over to answer it.
It was Cam and his Wife Cody and their little boy Nolan, who was almost 2.
I exchanged hugs with the two of them and then gave Nolan a high-five.
"Come here, Nol. I have a friend for you!" He said, bringing him into the living room with Emerson.
"Hey guys, this is Addison."
"Addi, this is Cam and Cody Ward."
"So this is her? The famous Addison... It's about time we met her!" Cam joked, shaking Addison's hand.
"He never stopped talking about you." he joked to her.
Well not really joking cause it was true, but she didn't know that.
"So great to meet you!" Cody said, also shaking her hand, but pulling her in for a hug afterwards.
"Oh my!" Cody said, gasping.
"What's wrong?" Addison asked her, and you could sense the fear in her voice that something had happened.
"Your ring... It's beautiful!"
"Oh." Was all Addison could say and she blushed.
"Wow! Skinner's really got a girl!" Cam said, patting my back.
Just wait until you go into the other room, I thought to myself.
This was gonna be interesting.