Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100661 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100661 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
My heart fluttered.
That was very sweet. I’m already drinking the tea and eating the crackers, and I’m going to keep some of the candies in my bag and next to my bed. Thank you.
You’re welcome. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.
One night in mid-October, Chicago suffered a painful loss. After shouting expletives into a throw cushion on my couch, I messaged Joe.
How come you weren’t on that last power play? The puck was right there by the crease! You’d have scored.
Coach wanted me to rest my shoulder.
Are you okay?
I’m okay.
Also yes. I’d have scored.
I smiled at the screen. I could just hear him saying those words, and I knew the exact expression on his face.
How are you feeling?
Great. Officially in the second trimester. Morning sickness gone.
Glad to hear it. It’s 14 weeks now, right?
Yes! I’m impressed you know that.
Good. I like impressing you.
What are you up to this weekend?
I’m going to a birthday party for my niece Vivian. She’s turning 3.
Who does she belong to again?
She’s Austin and Veronica’s youngest. The party is at their house.
Do your brothers still want to murder me in my sleep?
Austin has actually stopped growling when your name comes up. Progress!
I’ll take it.
At Vivian’s party that weekend, Austin came over and sat down next to me on the couch.
“How are you?” he asked. “Everything going well?”
“Yes. The dizziness has subsided. The morning sickness went away. And I have a little more energy.”
“That’s good.” He folded his arms. “I wanted to ask you if you’ve bought a crib yet.”
“A crib?”
“Yeah.” He cocked a brow. “You know, where your baby will sleep?”
I laughed and slapped his arm. “I know what a crib is. But no, I haven’t bought one. I’m going to turn the second bedroom at my house into the baby’s room at some point, but I have to get my desk and bookshelves and office stuff out of there first, then get the walls painted. Why do you ask?”
“I thought I’d make you one.”
My jaw dropped, and tears welled in my eyes. My oldest brother made gorgeous furniture out of reclaimed wood, mostly dining sets, but he could do anything. His work was featured in design magazines and showcased in high-end galleries throughout the Midwest. He had a waiting list a mile long. “Oh, Austin. Really?”
“Yes. We just need to talk about what kind of wood you’d like.”
“I’d love that so much.”
“When you’re ready, I’ll come over and help you clean out that room. Don’t move any furniture on your own. And don’t paint it by yourself either. You shouldn’t be around the paint fumes.”
“Okay.” Slipping my arms through his, I tipped my head against his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said gruffly. “I’m happy to do it. But you know, it shouldn’t have to be me.”
“Austin, be fair—he doesn’t live here.”
He grumbled under his breath.
“And he’s being so generous. Did I tell you he sends me enough every month to pay my mortgage plus my car payment plus utilities and my health care premium?”
“No.”
“Well, he does.”
“Is he going to move up here when the season is over? At least for the summer?” Austin wasn’t giving Joe an inch.
“We haven’t gotten that far,” I admitted. “But I’m not asking him to.”
“He should want to. You’re going to need help. A baby is a lot of work, trust me. You shouldn’t be alone.”
“I’ll be fine. Look, I know you’re my big brother and you’re protective of me, but ease up on him a little, okay? He’s in the NHL. It’s not like he’s a mechanic or lawyer or something and could work anywhere. He has to live where he’s contracted to play. But he’s going to be here as much as he can. He promised he won’t let me down.”
Austin harrumphed, jerking his chin. “He better not. Or he’ll have to answer to me.”
I smiled. “Believe me, he would like to avoid that.”
At the end of October, Kelly gave birth to a third daughter she and Xander named Dakota Mae. I went to visit them a few days after they got home from the hospital and found Xander in the kitchen, tiny Dakota nestled in the crook of one arm as he rooted around for something in the fridge.
“Here, let me take her,” I said, quickly washing my hands at the sink before reaching for the sleeping baby.
“Thanks.” Xander carefully transferred her to my arms. “I’m trying to make Kelly a sandwich and give her a little time with Jolene and Serena,” he said, naming their two older daughters. “The three of them are all cuddled up in our bed watching a movie.”
“How’s everyone feeling?”
“Good,” he said, taking out lettuce, cheese, tomato, mustard, and turkey. “The baby has been fussy and won’t sleep unless someone is holding her, but that’s how the other two were also. Nothing new.”