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“A surprise?” I ask, turning to face him.
Dave nods. “He called us last week, said he wanted to turn the playroom into a library.”
I walk around the room, running my hand over the smooth wood of the shelves. “It’s perfect,” I say. “But… why?”
The younger man smiles. “He said you and Tabby love to read. And he wants to make sure you have a place to do that. He wanted it done before the furniture arrives.”
“Furniture?” There’s already a loveseat in here and a desk with a chair.
“He ordered three oversized chairs. Said that no one needs this desk any longer, so we’ll move that out when we go.”
I spin around in the center of the room. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
Dave chuckles. “You don’t have to thank us. We just do the work. Your man is paying the bills.”
I shake my head. “Oh, he’s not my—” I stop myself. What is Duke? He’s my boss, and we’re supposed to be friends. But I need to admit how much more he is than that. He’s important to me. Not just because he’s Tabby’s father, and I love the little girl. I care for him too.
As I stand there, staring at the beautiful shelves, I realize Duke has been paying attention. He’s noticed what I love and what I need. I’m not the only one feeling more than professionalism. Duke has made this room for me, for us, and it’s not just because Tabby and I love to read. I can feel his presence in the room, even though he’s not here.
“Thank you,” I murmur again, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “This is amazing.”
Dave nods, and Mike grins at me. “Glad you like it. All we have left to do is the ladder.” He motions to the ground and the lumber scattered there.
“Ladder?”
He motions to a rail attached across the top of the shelves. “Duke said if you and Tabby are going to have a fairy tale library, it needs to have a ladder you can swing from, like princesses in the movies.”
I snort, then I crack up. As Dave and Mike stare at me like I’ve lost my mind, I laugh and laugh. This is exactly what I needed after the long morning I had. Waving my hand, I gasp out, “I’m sorry. Excuse me. I’ll get out of your way.”
I make my way from the room, wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes. But it’s impossible to ignore the gooey feelings in my chest. Did Duke know how much this would mean to me? It’s not just the shelves or the chairs or the ladder. It’s the fact he listened to me, paid attention to what I love, and did something special.
Yes, things are complicated, but I can’t keep lying to myself. I care about him more than I should and more than I want to. He’s right—we can’t let anything physical happen between us, especially now. If Lily needs me, and I end up having this surgery for her, I don’t know how long the recovery time is or what that means for my time with Duke and Tabby. Even considering that I might need to leave them makes my stomach twist.
That’s just adding trouble to an already complex situation. I don’t want to think about it. Right now, all I want to think about is that a wonderful man built Tabby and me a library. I’m not sure I can resist falling in love with a man like that.
Duke
Trainingcampisthesame as it is every year—too short, but also too fucking long. There’s not enough time for us to gel properly, but by the time we get to the season opener, we’re all champing at the bit to play an actual game. We have preseason showdowns, but everyone knows they aren’t as competitive. The atmosphere in the stands isn’t the same either.
So, I breathe a sigh of relief when I park outside the stadium for our first game. As I step out of the car, adrenaline hits my veins. The air is electric, filled with the excited chatter of fans as they stream inside. I make my way to the locker room, feeling the familiar sense of purpose.
My teammates are already getting ready. Everyone prepares for a game differently. Some of them joke around to blow off steam while others remain focused and silent. I give everyone the space to do their own thing, keeping watch on the newbies to make sure they’re solid. Already dressed and ready, Travis Lancaster taps his heels on the ground, his knee bouncing as he looks at something in front of him. I don’t see anything there, but whatever. He looks ready, so I leave him to his vacant staring.
The coaches come in, giving us last-minute instructions and pep talks. I listen intently. This is almost certainly my last first game, and I need to start the season as I plan to go on. It’s my last chance to shine, to show the world what I’m capable of.
We cycle through our warm-ups, and when we return to the locker room, Hargreeves gives his last give-’em-hell speech before we head back out to the ice.
As we step out onto the ice, the crowd roars. The sound of their excitement rattles through me. This is what I live for, and energy courses through me. We stretch our legs, skating around the rink, before we head to blue lines for the national anthems.
The house lights dim, and our singer steps onto the ice. She does a great job, as always. But though I have respect for both Canada and the United States, I can never stand still before games. I shift, shuffling my feet on the blue line, barely making out any of the words as she drones on.
That’s when I glance across the rink and see June.
She and Tabby are in the family section, both of them wearing jerseys with my number. June is rocking back and forth as she chews on her thumbnail. Her anxiety wafts across the ice to me, hitting me in the center of the chest. She’s worrying about me, and it tugs at my heart in a way it shouldn’t. But I haven’t figured out how to keep her from affecting me yet. I don’t think I ever will.
Does she know how much her presence means to me? Her eyes bore into me, watching with fierce intensity. I wonder what she’s thinking, what she’s feeling.
Tabby catches her attention, though, throwing her arms around June’s waist. June’s worry fades when she looks at my daughter, and she smooths Tabby’s hair back, smiling down at her. Seeing them together—it’s like watching everything in my world align. Having them there for me feels right, like we’re an actual family. It’s clear June loves my daughter. And I can’t help it—I love June.
