“Did you know Dad is the younger than me?Five whole years.”
“That older than me!”Tori’s eyes were wide, like what Ian had just said was not possible.
“Right?I am an OLD man.Dad and Uncle Mike are the same age.”
JP let Ian know wordlessly with his gaze that he still didn’t think Ian was old.Never had, never would.Ian grinned at him, winked, those eyes warm and adoring.He felt that love — all the way down to the balls.
He could put up with a thousand of Mike’s opinions for that.
Tori waved her feet in front of his face.“Dad!There are toesies here!”
“There are?”He reached in the wrong direction, as if looking for them.“I can’t find any toesies.”
“Oh no!Daddy!Dad is blinded-ed.Hims can’t see no more.”
Good grief.He started to laugh, and grabbed Tori’s toes, pretending to eat them.
She squealed for him, and they were all laughing — all of them.
This was fucking magic.
And yeah, he wasn’t giving it up.Not this time.Even if a miracle happened and he was able to play professionally again.He would find a way to make it work for all of them.
This was going to outlast hockey.He knew that now.
This was forever, and he wanted to hold on.
ChapterSeventeen
“Are you ready to go, guys?”
They were going to swimming lessons for the kids.
All of them.
It was good for JP to be in the water; it was good for him to get out of the house.It was good for the kids to swim.
It was a win-win-win.
If he could get them in the fucking SUV.
“Are you sure you want me along to do this?”JP asked for about the eightieth time.
“You can help your son be brave while I keep up with your adrenaline junkie, let me jump in the deep end daughter.”
“I’m just not sure about being in the water,” JP admitted, making a face.“Maybe Peter’ll help me be brave.”
“It should feel amazing.Mike says it’ll be great for you.He’s meeting us there to help you get in the pool.”
JP was going, dammit.
“Oh yeah?Getting in and out were my biggest worry.”JP sighed, then squared his shoulders.“Okay, guys, let’s get going.Your Daddy signed you up for swimming lessons so we’re doing this.”
“The water is fun!”Tori bounced.
“It’s scary…”
“Petey, it’s a big baftub.”Tori glared at her brother.“Be brave.”
