Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“Uncle Dame!” Theo says excitedly.
“Hey, buddy. Whose jersey are you wearing?” Dame shouts through the plexi with a grin.
Theo turns around and shows him his personalized jersey. It says Duke and has the number ten—his dad’s old number. And his mom’s.
“That’s nice, Thee,” Dame says and nods at Marissa and Liam. He looks at me again. “He still doesn’t know you’re here?”
“Not unless you told him.”
He shoots me a look and skates away toward where Finn is still stretching.
“Dad said there’s cotton candy here,” Theo announces.
“We’ll get you some later,” Liam says. “The game is starting soon.”
“Okay.” Theo hops off my lap and slaps the plexiglass. “Let’s go, Finn! Let’s go, Finn!” He glances at me over his shoulder. “He stretches a lot.”
I laugh. “He has to.”
I glance up and see Damian skating next to Finn, and I can tell he’s trying not to be obvious as he herds him in this direction. The surprise on Finn’s face as he skates up is worth gold. He smiles wide when he reaches me and puts a gloved hand on the plexi. I stand, hauling Theo up with me as I get closer.
“Finn!” Theo slaps the glass near the glove as if giving him a high five.
“I like your jersey,” he tells Theo. His gaze drops down my body when he looks at me again, his expression darkening. “I love yours.”
I smile. “Did I surprise you, or did you know I was coming?”
“I was hoping,” he says, glancing at Theo as I set him down. “Try to behave for my girlfriend, Theo.”
Theo’s little jaw drops and he frowns. “Joshlyn was my girlfriend first.”
“Yeah, well, she’s my girlfriend now, and I’m the last boyfriend she’ll ever have.” He winks at me and skates off.
My heart skips a beat and my stomach dips as I watch him skate away. He makes statements similar to that all the time and every time, I’m shocked.
“That was practically a proposal,” Patrick says behind us.
“He can’t possibly be jealous of a child,” Liam says, laughing. “Fuck, he really is like my brother.”
“I don’t know if I should congratulate you or feel sorry for you,” Marissa says as she starts laughing. “At least he’s cute and can get away with it.”
Theo crosses his little arms and glares toward the ice. “Tell Finn he’s not your boyfriend, Joshlyn.”
Even Patrick laughs at that one.
“I’ll tell him,” I say, picking him up and setting him on my lap again as we watch everyone get off the ice.
Soon, the announcer starts talking and the arena goes dark as the strobe lights switch on. Smoke pops up from each corner, and the announcer starts going on about the team and the history being made tonight. The crowd goes wild and continues as each player is announced. When Will skates out, they get louder. When Finn skates out, it gets so loud, I’m pretty sure I’ll need to borrow the ear protectors I put on Theo.
The place calms down as the game starts, and I’m enthralled watching Finn at the faceoff. He gets the puck and the crowd goes wild again. My heartbeat is competing with the cacophony of the game around us. Marissa gets up and goes with Patrick and Theo to get cotton candy.
“They play so well together,” I say to Liam.
“I know. I’m impressed,” he says, flinching when someone hip checks Damian right in front of us.
“I feel like this is the only team sport where you can hit opponents like this and not start a riot,” I say, jumping out of my seat as Finn gets near the puck and passes it to Will, who scores.
“WILL HAMILTON!” the announcer shouts.
Liam and I jump up and down like lunatics. The crowd roars. The announcers get louder and more excited. As loud as I’m screaming, I’m pretty sure my voice is going to be gone by tomorrow. The other team gets close a few times, but our goalie stops each puck, and the Owls get most of the possessions. Finn scores his first goal, and between my wildly beating heart and my screaming, I think I might faint. My phone buzzes and I look down to see a text from Marissa, along with a picture of Theo with his parents up in the box.
Marissa: Theo wanted to come see his mom
Me: LOL I’ll be up in a minute
Marissa: no! Stay. I got this.
Me: you sure?
Marissa: positive. Watch your man!
I grin and set my phone away. “They went upstairs because Theo wanted to see his mom.”
“Of course, he did.” Liam chuckles. “I don’t know what she’s going to do if Rosa is a mommy’s girl.”
I sputter a laugh. “Rosa is going to be the ultimate daddy’s girl. I almost feel sorry for Lach.”
He laughs and nods in agreement. “If she’s anything like her mother, I have a feeling we’re all fucked.”