Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 53034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
She and Bash are taking a trip to Fiji in the offseason, and she’s pretending she’s excited about it to him, but secretly she’s freaking out about wearing a swimsuit the entire time, her very fair skin getting crisped in the sun, and the possibility that the water there will give her an IBS flare.
“I’d love that,” I say. “I need to buy a couple suits myself for our trip.”
“Sunday?”
“I can’t do it that day. Lucien’s sister and brother-in-law are coming to visit.” I mentally consider my schedule. “What about Wednesday afternoon?”
“I might be working. I’ll check my schedule and send you some options for dates.”
“Perfect.”
Lucien recently told me the full extent of his sister’s battle with cancer. She’d just found out she was pregnant when she was diagnosed with the same kind of breast cancer that killed their mother. After many conversations with her husband and medical team, she and her husband made the agonizing decision to end the pregnancy.
I’m excited about meeting her. She’s been cancer-free for eight months. Their visit will just be for the weekend, but we’re going to make the most of it. We have a dinner reservation at Harry’s restaurant Friday night and a home game Saturday night.
Suki hugs me when Lucien and I tell her we’re leaving.
“This was so beautiful,” she says. “Thank you for everything you did.”
“You deserve it. And it was mostly Mara and Harry.”
She stands back and cups my face in her hands. “I haven’t gotten a chance to say welcome to the family. You already felt like part of it, but officially. Carter says you’re a huge asset to the team.”
Before, I would have made that into a quip about having a huge ass. But Lucien has taught me—through endless compliments—not to put myself down anymore.
“Thank you. I love everyone I work with.”
“I’ll need a few weeks after the baby is born, but then the girls and I want to be part of the new thing you’re doing to help the team connect with people who have disabilities. Whatever you need.”
“Really? Because I’m looking for team ambassadors. One of the things we’re doing is giving away seats at every home game to people with disabilities and their caregivers, and I want them to have someone to show them around the arena and make sure they’re taken care of.”
She smiles brightly. “We would love that.”
“Great. Let’s talk more about it at the next foundation meeting.”
Lucien hugs her and says, “Keep that bun in the oven for another few weeks, okay?”
She laughs. “I’m going to try. If you guys make it to the championship, it might get a little dicey.”
Of course, Carter wants to be there for the birth of their child, but it would be hard for the team to lose him during a championship run. Family first, though. Everyone on the team, including my dad, believes in that.
“Are we going home?” Lucien asks as we walk out of the restaurant.
“Yes, it’s going to be an early night for me.”
I love traveling with the team, but it’s exhausting. Flying out in the middle of the night. Getting to hotels before sunrise. And a boyfriend who’s still running on game adrenaline after games and loves to fuck his way to sleepiness.
Not that I’m complaining. I’ve never had so many orgasms, and he always puts me before himself in bed.
“Anything you need me to do before we leave tomorrow?” he asks.
“Will you get me some Sour Patch Kids?”
“Yep. Is that it?”
“Oh crap, I’m going to need tampons.”
“I got you. Just send me a picture of the box.”
We’re leaving early tomorrow for Vancouver—the first game against Kyle’s team since the wedding. I’m not stressed about it, though. The entire internet is talking about this matchup and planning to watch with popcorn, and I’m sure Lucien will make it worth their while.
And even though I don’t care what happens to Kyle anymore, I won’t complain about having a front-row seat while my man beats his ass.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lucien
* * *
Three Months Later
* * *
“How was she?” Suki whispers, setting her bag down on a side table.
“Absolutely perfect.” Talia gazes down at the sleeping bundle in her arms.
She and I babysat Carter and Suki’s six-week-old daughter while they went out for dinner. The other three girls are spending the night with Leo and Mara, who are taking them swimming and bowling.
Rachel Amelia Stanton arrived in the middle of the night, all of us showing up to the hospital with no regard for visiting hours. I got emotional when Carter brought her out of the hospital nursery to show her to us, tears shining in his eyes when he told us her name.
They named her after his late sister. She had Carter wrapped around her tiny little finger from the moment he saw her.
I’ve never been around babies, and I had no idea how loud they could scream. Rachel started crying so hard I thought my eardrums would split about an hour after Carter and Suki left. I was ready to call 911, honestly, but Talia had me hold her and walk around the kitchen while she warmed up a bottle of breast milk.