Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Cal rolls his eyes, and Rook doesn’t bother with commentary. He just takes the puck clean from one of their guys and sends it my way without looking like he’s trying.
I catch it automatically, cutting across the ice, letting them think they’ve got a shot before I shift my weight and take it.
The puck snaps into the net.
Iron Knights: 7
Blue Steel: 2
“Go, Kane, go!” Blair cheers from the stands. I glance over my shoulder to find her—fully pregnant and ready to deliver any day now—standing on her feet and clapping her hands. “That’s my man!”
“Blair, honey!” I call over toward her. “Could you cheer from a sitting-down position?”
She sticks out her tongue at me, but thankfully, she plants her cute, very pregnant butt on the bleachers. It’s safe to say, with Blair being pregnant, every protective instinct inside my body is on full alert.
I glide back into position as Blue Steel tries to take another go at us, but just as the puck is pitched across the ice, something hits me full force.
It’s not physical, but everything inside me locks up and consumes my focus to the point that I can’t register anything else but her.
Blair.
I turn to find her still in the stands, but she’s back on her feet and one hand is gripping the railing near the plexi, while the other is pressed low on her stomach. Her face is pale, her breathing uneven—but when her eyes find mine, it’s not fear I feel from her.
It’s urgency.
And pain.
Blair’s in labor.
I’m moving before the thought finishes forming. I skate hard for the edge, not bothering to slow properly before I step off the ice, yanking my helmet free and tossing it behind me. My skates are next after that.
By the time I reach her, I’m in only my socks and she’s bracing through another contraction, her body tightening and her breath catching.
“Hey,” I say, already reaching for her, my hands gripping her arms gently. “Talk to me.”
She huffs out a breath that almost sounds like a laugh. “I think…” She pauses. “I think…” She winces and pants. “My water broke.”
And I don’t hesitate. I scoop her up in one smooth motion, cradling her as I move toward the arena’s exit.
“Kane!” she exclaims. “Put me down!”
“Uh-uh, baby. You’re in labor.”
“I’m aware.” She sighs. “But I don’t need you to freaking carry me!”
“Fastest option, baby,” I shoot back without regret. “Also, I look good doing it.”
She huffs a weak laugh, and I take that as confirmation I made the right call.
The doors slam open when I push through them, the cold air hitting us as I head straight for the Suburban, everything else fading out.
Nothing matters except getting her home.
Nothing matters except making sure Blair and our baby are okay.
“One more push, Blair.”
Dr. Howard’s voice is steady, but it barely registers over the sound of Blair’s breathing and the way her hand tightens around mine. I lean closer, brushing my thumb over her knuckles, grounding her the only way I can.
“You’re strong, Blair. So fucking strong. I’m so proud of you.”
“I know,” she says, and I want to laugh at how my woman can still be so sassy while she’s trying to push a baby out of her body.
“Do you also know that I love you?”
She flashes a little smile at me. “Yep. I know that too.”
“Good.” I press a kiss to her forehead. “Because I do love you. So fucking much.”
“That’s really great, Kane, but can we focus on me right now? I’m kind of in the middle of something here.”
“Right, right.” I grin at her and press one final kiss to her forehead.
Another contraction hits, stronger than the last, and she bears down with everything she has. I feel it in the way her body tenses, in the way her grip tightens, in the way the entire room seems to hold its breath with her.
She pushes and pushes and pushes.
And then, the sounds of our baby’s first cries fill my ears.
“It’s a girl!” Dr. Howard exclaims.
A girl. Another Slater girl.
Our girl.
They place her on Blair’s chest, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as stunning as the look on Blair’s face when she sees our daughter.
“Oh my goodness, you’re so beautiful,” Blair whispers to our baby. “The most beautiful girl in the whole wide world.”
I lean in slowly, pressing a kiss to Blair’s temple. “I love you. I’m so proud of you.”
She looks up at me. “I love you too. So, so, so much.”
Silence settles between us as we both just gaze down at our daughter. She’s tiny and perfect and has eyes like her mama and light hair like mine.
“She’s…” I start, then stop, because there isn’t a word that fits how I’m feeling. I let my forehead rest briefly against Blair’s. “She’s everything.”
Blair smiles, her eyes still locked on the baby. “She is.”