Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
He chuckles. “Yes, Eric. You.”
Jankovic was my mentor when I joined the Capitals. I didn’t set the NHL on fire like Z did in his first few years. In fact, my first few were spent on the penalty kill line, and I was constantly worried about getting cut. Haru Jankovic was our captain. He took me and some other young guys under his wing, showing us the amount of work we needed to be putting in to get into true NHL shape. It paid off in my fourth year when I started getting extended minutes on the ice with him. For the last two years, I’ve been on the first line and made the all-star team. Being captain on an NHL team is a big responsibility and knowing that my mentor recommended I take his place means the world to me.
“Wow, of course. I’d be honored. Do I need to come back to DC for this?”
“No, it can keep. We’ll announce all of this next week before pre-season starts. You enjoy the rest of your vacation. You have a lot of work to do when you get back.”
I hang up the phone and Z has a huge smile on his face.
“Congratulations, man! Hawthorne Lions always rise to the top.” He gives me a slap on the back. “Best winger I ever had.”
I text Julia immediately and let her know. I’d run up and tell her in person, but I need a minute to process—plus there’s a fire to maintain.
Later, as the sun is setting, the temperature drops to a nice seventy degrees with a cool breeze. We sit out in lawn chairs, monitoring the kids as they cook the hot dogs for themselves and the adults. They begged us so we relented. Now, we sit and eat the half-burned, half-cold hotdogs like they were from a five-star restaurant.
The kids are now burning marshmallows for dessert.
Evander gets a little too close to the fire and Sugar calls out, “Don’t play in the fire or ya’ll will pee the bed.”
All five kids snap their heads to look at her and then each other. They aren’t sure who exactly she was scolding, but they all take a step back—except for Nash.
“I pee bed. Don’t care.”
The rest of them giggle but stop when I give them the “you better not make fun of him” look.
Sugar’s phone beeps and she looks, smiles, then hands it to Julia.
“Now that deserves a celebration,” she responds handing it back.
“What was that?” I ask.
She glances at the kids and says under her breath, “Our old classmate was denied P-A-R-O-L-E.”
Sugar knows a few lawyers in Minnesota and asked them to keep tabs on Parker. He ended up with multiple charges of sexual assault, and some were truly horrific. Julia dreaded testifying, but he ended up taking a plea deal for leniency. He received a fifteen-year sentence and is now up for parole. Over the last few months other women started coming forward with accusations dating back to his high school days. The cases were beyond the statute of limitation, but the parole board agreed to hear their victim impact stories. Getting denied is great news and hopefully he’ll stay in that cold Minnesota prison for his entire term.
After a few campfire songs and unscary ghost stories I stand up. “I’m gonna grab another drink. Anyone need a refill?”
“I’m good,” Julia says.
I notice her glass is still full. “Did you not like the wine?”
“It didn’t go with my hotdog, but it’s fine. Just don’t want a headache later.”
I kiss the top of her head. “Wanna water?”
She nods.
Sugar holds up her empty glass with a smile. “I thought it paired well with tonight’s pork. I would love a refill.”
I bring Sugar a refill, Julia her water, and beers for me and Z.
A few minutes later, Kara and Evander lean against each in a lounge chair, their eyes slowly closing.
Z stands up and stretches. “I think it’s time for our little crew to turn in.”
A chorus of “Noooooo” comes from them.
“Yep, you heard him,” I say as I rise with him. He and I are on bedtime duty tonight. “Everyone below the age of seven needs to have teeth brushed, pajamas on, and under the covers in fifteen minutes.”
The girls share a room with twin beds and the boys have a bigger room with two queens. Kurt and Evander sleep together while Nash gets his own. (Bed wetter).
After turning off the lights around the cabin, I head to mine and Julia’s bedroom. It’s spacious with a view of the waterfall. The lights are out and the room is empty, so I quietly open the bathroom door.
“Hey, you in here?” I ask.
“Don’t come in,” she calls from the toilet, but it’s too late. It’s not like I haven’t seen her pee before.
“Sorry, babe. Let me—“