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“I guess it was,” I say. “My dad taught me about what makes furniture last. A lot of time goes into a well-made piece of furniture. I saw an opportunity in the market at a time when I needed an outlet.”
“An electrical outlet?”
“No, outlet also means something to focus your energy on. I started Cypress Lane after Chloe and my husband died.”
“Oh. And now you’re really rich, right?”
I laugh. “I guess I am.”
“I mean, you have a plane,” Cora says. “And you got us this great beach house.”
“I’ve had the best time here,” I say softly. “And it’s not because of the place, it’s because of you guys.”
Cora grins. “Me too.”
“So you said earlier that you used to want to be an astronomer. What do you want to be now?”
“A cancer researcher. I told my mom when she was sick that I wanted to find a cure for cancer when I grow up.”
My heart swells with pride. Cora reminds me so much of myself; she loves fiercely.
“I think you’d be great at that,” I say.
“Thanks.” She looks up at me. “What did you want to be when you grew up?”
“Oh, I went through lots of stages. Garbage collector, figure skater, veterinarian…but mostly, I wanted to be a mom.”
Cora takes my hand. “And you are.”
I sigh softly, then smile as I see Luca turn his head in our direction, the rest of him buried in the sand.
“My mom told me when she was sick that I’ll always be her daughter and she’ll always be my mom, no matter what,” Cora says solemnly. “Same with you and Chloe.”
My eyes flood with tears. “Thank you. I know she’s always with me.”
“Babe, come get buried!” Luca calls.
I groan and shake my head, trying not to laugh. “I don’t know if I’m up for that.”
“Come on, it’s our last day here.”
Luca growls Incredible Hulk-style and busts his arms out of the sand coffin he’s in, then sits up.
“Your turn,” he says, shaking the sand off and coming toward me.
“Come on Abby, do it!” Jack says excitedly.
“Please!” Emerson begs. “We won’t bury your face.”
If I do it, I’ll have sand in places I didn’t know sand could be. I give Luca a pleading look.
“C’mon.” He winks and grins.
My heart races, as it does every time he winks, grins or winks and grins at me. I’m definitely in love with Luca Campbell.
“It would be a good memory for us,” Cora says from next to me.
I look down at her and scoff. “Traitor! You know I can’t say no to that.”
I lie down on the sand, closing my lips so I don’t get any in my mouth. Luca and the kids set to work burying me, and even as the sand is piled on top of me, I feel light in this moment.Chapter Twenty-SixThree months later
LucaThe locker room is buzzing with excitement. I pause as I step inside and look around, taking in the carpet with out team logo and the light wood lockers, each with a perfectly pressed jersey hanging in front.
Playing in the NHL was a dream for me growing up. In some ways, I’m still the little boy who gets charged up every time I skate onto the ice because it’s time to play hockey. The magic of the game has never faded for me.
Even those of us lucky to make it to the highest level of the game aren’t guaranteed anything. Hockey is a very physical sport, and I’ve seen guys leave the ice on stretchers during games they had no idea would be their last.
Our team’s forwards have the best protection in the game in our enforcer, Knox Deveraux. For as pissy as he gets when we prank him, Knox would lay down his life for any one of us. The other teams know it, too. Anton, Vic and I would get laid flat if our opponents didn’t know they’d have to answer to Knox for it.
When I look over at him, he’s wrapping his stick in silence. Knox doesn’t like to be fucked with or even spoken to before a game. We respect that during games that count, but all bets are off when we play charity games.
Tonight’s game is our season opener, though, so everyone’s serious. On the walk to my locker, I see a rookie, about to play his first NHL game ever. There’s no greater feeling in this game than making it to the top.
And the nice thing about not knowing if you’ll stay at the top, for me, is the way it forces me to live in the moment. Matt and Danielle’s deaths are also part of the reason I stop to take things in now, like seeing my name on the back of a Blaze jersey. I take out my phone and snap a photo.
This game has an added level of excitement for me because Abby is in the stands. She and the kids have on their team colors and are sitting in the friends and family section. This is the first time I’ll raise my stick and blow a kiss not just to the kids, but to the woman I’m in love with, too.
