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I lifted my chin. “Get in. You look like you could use the soak.”
He didn’t argue, stripping down and climbing in. We’d gotten a huge hot tub, because none of us found sitting too close to each other in the hot water particularly appealing.
“I just told River, and now I’m telling you. I’m going to get Nova back. You can either help me or get out of the way. I love her, man. I’m sick of hurting both of us like this, for what? Fucking hockey? I’m so damn rich now, I could retire and live comfortably for decades. I have you to thank for that, and I know it. But she’s worth more to me than anything.” I leaned forward, so I could meet his eyes. “I want you guys with me. She loves you too, and I am one hundred percent fucking certain you guys love her. Sack up and help me get her back.”
“Are you done?” he huffed. I nodded, and he was silent for a long time, then met my gaze. “What's your plan?”
I grinned. “First, we clean up River, and then…”
We discussed how to win back our girl long into the night, and for the first time since Nova left, I slept soundly.
ChapterForty-One
NOVA
I’d settled into a routine.I’d wake up, feed Huey, take him for a walk in the morning sun, and then come home to work while he napped. When he woke up for lunch, I’d play with him for a little while longer, go to the store to buy some kind of instant meal for my dinner, and then he’d play or nap or watch the colorful baby shows while I worked some more. Then I’d feed him, bath him and put him to bed, and that was when I did the bulk of my daily work.
I’d struggle to bed about midnight, and be up at six in the morning to do it all over again. It wasn’t the most healthy routine, really, but there was happiness in predictability. At least, that's what I told myself.
So when Julieta called and insisted that she had a babysitter and I was coming out with her, I wanted to argue. But she was pretty insistent. Julieta was a force of nature when she wanted to be. So I messaged the guys and asked if they’d watch Huey for the night, all the while feeling guilty as hell that I was abandoning my baby as soon as it was inconvenient to look after him. Of course the guys agreed.
Julieta said I was being ridiculous with the guilt thing. I was fucking twenty-four, not fifty-three, and did I think she was a bad parent for wanting a night out with her husband and her brand new bestie?
Of course not, and I realized Julieta had talked me into a corner. She should have been a lawyer. So that was the reason I was dressed in my only clubbing dress, with heels that were probably too high. My face was painted for the first time in months, and I kind of looked hot. Maybe I could find a nice guy to kiss tonight, but not take home.
Devan had said to drop Huey off when I was ready, and honestly, I felt more nervous rocking up to their house dressed like this than I did about going out for the first time in months. I stopped in front of the house and tugged at the hem of my dress. Unclipping Huey’s seat, I walked up to the door like I was walking up to the gallows: heart pounding, palms sweaty, my breathing so loud I could hear it echoing in my ears.
As I knocked, the door opened almost immediately. Then I frowned. Rigby’s mom’s smiling face greeted me. “Nova! It’s so good to see you, sweetheart.” She dragged me into a hug, and I patted her back one-handed. I was kind of embarrassed to see her dressed like a hoochie, as my grandmother would say before she died. She stepped back. “Oh, don’t you just look smoking hot.”
“Mrs. Engman, it’s nice to see you again.”
She made a tsking noise. “Lorraine. You must call me Lorraine. Mrs. Engman is my mother-in-law, and that woman is a dragon of epic proportions. Don’t tell Larry I said that,” she whispered conspiratorially. “Boys, Nova’s here,” she yelled over her shoulder, reaching for Huey’s car seat. “Let me take the handsome boy. Hello, sweet thing!”
A man that could only be Rigby’s dad appeared around the corner. He grinned at me, thrusting out his hand. “Larry Engman. You must be Nova. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
I winced. I just bet he had. I stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Are you guys down for a visit?”
Larry nodded, dropping into a squat in front of Huey’s seat with a groan. “Look at you! Such a big strong boy already.” Huey seemed immediately enamored with Larry, kicking his legs. “Look at those hockey legs. See that, Lorraine? Next generation is here. We should give Rigby his old mini’s gear for Huey.”
Lorraine looked at me and rolled her eyes. “I think we might let him get to the crawling stage before we put skates on him, don’t you think?”
Watching them dote on Huey was making feelings well in my chest that would definitely result in me destroying my eye make-up. “I have to get going. Can you let the guys know I’ll pick him up tomorrow morning?”
Lorraine looked over my shoulder. “You can tell them yourself.”
I looked over my shoulder, and all the guys were standing there, looking mouthwatering. Rigby was rocking the mountain man look in dark blue jeans, white sneakers and a check shirt that clung to his pecs and biceps like it wanted to be part of him. Devan was wearing dark, tight chinos, and a rust-colored button-down that seemed to make his skin even more deliciously golden. River was wearing black jeans that seemed to scream for mercy around those hockey thighs, and a white shirt that was loose and cool, but stretched across the places that mattered.
In short, they looked fucking delicious.
Rigby grinned at me. “Your mouth is hanging open, Fireball.”
Hearing his nickname for me had the dual effect of knocking me out of my blatant perusal, and making my heart ache. I shook my head. “Sorry, I didn’t know you guys were going out. I’m happy to stay in and mind Huey. I must have gotten our wires crossed about which night it was.”
I’d message Julieta in the car and beg off. It would be a relief after seeing the guys looking like that. They were obviously hitting up the clubs, and looking like that, probably going home with some pretty girls they didn’t have to share.
There was a long silence between us until Lorraine huffed. “We’re here to babysit, Nova.” My head whipped between her and the guys.
Rigby was nodding. “We’re going out with you, but if we don’t hurry up, Julieta will pregame too hard and we won’t make it to the club at all.” They bundled me out the door, and before I knew it, I was in the back seat of River’s SUV.
