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Nina’s laugh fills the room. “You’re a lot nicer to her than you have been to me tonight. I’d be jealous if she weren’t so cute.”

I grunt in response, unclipping Betty’s yellow onesie, but I can’t help myself. I glance up to see Nina watching me with a small smile. “What?”

She shrugs, and the motion makes her blonde hair shimmer in the light. Shimmer? Look at me turning into a poet. “Nothing. You just look like a natural. You’re going to make someone very happy one day, Rhode.”

Swallowing, I shift my gaze back to Betty. Yeah, I want mini versions of me skating around, but I also want them with the right person.

Betty’s got drool dribbling from her mouth, so I lift her onesie and wipe it away. “Do you want kids?”

“Honestly?” Nina plops down on my guest bed. “I haven’t thought much about kids. Right now? No, but I can’t decide what I want for dinner, much less how I’ll feel in ten years, so probably one day. I just want to focus on myself for now. Save money for my living expenses in Argentina.”

“What are you going to do after that?” I ask, needing to know more about her life.

“My dream’s to start my own studio one day, but I’ll need to save for that, so for now, I want to sell mugs and plates online. Teach classes on the side. I want time to figure out the rest of my life.”

That’s what I need—more time.

I’m impressed with her direction, but a pang of envy hits me. Once I latched onto my NHL dream, I never let go. Never got the chance to explore other options outside of the League.

Part of me always wonders who I would’ve been without hockey, but those days are behind me. It’s funny how sometimes dreams turn into jobs. I’m in my thirties, so it's time to settle down.

“What about you?” She hands me another packet of Wet Wipes from the diaper bag. “Do you want kids?”

I pinch Betty’s tiny feet. “Yeah, I do.”

“Well, that shouldn’t be too hard since you could probably get someone pregnant by sneezing on them.”

I almost laugh, but I rein it in.

Nina hands me some rash cream. She’s quiet for a moment, but it feels like her thoughts are screaming at me. “Is everything okay, Rhode? You’ve barely looked at me all night, and you’re only giving me one-word answers. I’m not mad at your cat if that’s what this is about. My back feels fine now.”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what’s wrong?” She pauses, twisting her hands in my comforter. “You don’t have to push me away if that’s what this is about… I know you don’t think about me like that anymore.”

She doesn’t have a clue how much I’m thinking about her, but I only want her because I can’t have her.

That’s all.

She needs to find someone her own age that enjoys doing goat yoga or some shit, but I’m not about to tell Nina that every time she touches Cruz, I want to tackle the kid. “I’m good.”

She hands me a clean diaper, and our fingers brush. Her touch feels like a shock, so I flex my hand.

“Are you sure?” she asks. “You can talk to me. I have big ears too.”

I battle the urge to grin at our inside joke. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

At least that’s not a lie. My body’s always aching. Gritting my jaw, I focus on changing Betty’s diaper, but Nina’s gaze burns my cheek.

“If you didn’t want me to come tonight, you could’ve said something. I’m not great at being in new places, so if you don’t want me here, I’ll go because it seems like I’m making you really uncomfortable. Do you want me here or not?”

Her words hit like a flying puck. I can’t concentrate when she’s in the room, and that’s on me, but I’ve got a headache from clenching my jaw so hard. I don’t want to be the one to tell her to leave, so I end up staring at her with an open mouth while Betty kicks her tiny legs.

Nina's neck turns splotchy, and her breathing becomes ragged like she’s just finished a tough workout.

She reaches for her bag and grabs a piece of cinnamon gum, stuffing it into her mouth. She chews like her life depends on it and suddenly leaps from the bed. “You know what? I’ll go. I’ll see you at the event next weekend. Good luck with your games.”

I mutter a curse. “Nina, wait.”