Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Laiken lets out a low whistle. “That guy needs a reality check that’s not on TV.”
Jax’s brows furrow. “Did he really say he wants to put Nora on camera? On a reality show?”
“Yup,” Steele says, crossing his arms as he leans against his locker. “That’s exactly what he said. There’s no way Callie will let that fly.”
“There’s no way I’m going to let it happen,” I grit out. Just saying it makes my blood pressure spike.
Steele lifts a brow. “Is that so? You get a say in the matter?”
I meet his gaze without flinching. “Yeah. I do.”
Respect flickers in his expression before one side of his mouth hitches with amusement. “Does Callie know you’re making decisions for her now?”
“Nope,” I admit, “but she will.”
I’m done watching her carry the weight of everything while Zane coasts through life without consequence. And I’m done watching Nora grow up without the kind of steady, safe presence she deserves.
Zane might be her biological father, but let’s be honest, that’s where his contribution ends. I’m not going to sit back and let either of them pay the price for his failures.
Steele nods. “Good for you, man. She deserves someone who’s willing to step up.”
“Thanks.” I sling my bag over my shoulder, offer a quick goodbye, and push through the locker room door.
The second it clicks shut behind me, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
I don’t have to look at the screen to know who it is.
Twin intuition is a legit freaky thing.
I swipe to answer. “Hey, Willow. What’s up?”
“Is everything okay?” She sounds like she’s on full alert.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Why?”
“I don’t know,” she mutters. “I just had this feeling you needed me.”
I huff out a quiet laugh. “Have I ever told you how unsettling that sixth sense of yours is?”
That comment makes her chuckle. “Welcome to being a twin. There’s something in your voice. You sound like you’re about to punch someone or profess your undying love. Which is it?”
“The situation is complicated,” I say with a groan.
“So,” she muses, “not hockey.”
I scrub a hand down my face as I step into the corridor. “Her name’s Callie, and she has a daughter. Along with an ex who doesn’t deserve either of them.” There’s a pause before I admit, “He also happens to be one of my teammates. Zane.”
The beat of silence from her end says it all.
“Damn,” she whispers. “You’re already in deep, huh?”
“I’ve been in deep for a while now. And there’s no way I can continue to sit back and do nothing. Not when she’s carrying the weight of the world. She and her daughter deserve better. They deserve someone who’ll show up for them every damn day. Not just when it’s convenient and fits into his schedule.”
Willow doesn’t joke or tease. “Whatever you need to do, I’m one hundred percent behind you. Always have been. Always will be.”
Just like that, the last of the tension leaks from my shoulders as I push through the exit and head toward the parking garage. “Thanks, sis. That means more than you know.”
“This woman must be really special to have you tangled up like this.”
“She’s so much more than that,” I admit. “You’re going to love her. And Nora? She’s incredible. Smart as hell, sweet as can be, and funny in that way that sneaks up on you. She’s got this little dimple when she smiles…”
I stop myself as a slow grin spreads across my face.
“I can’t wait to meet her. Hopefully soon. Like the next time you guys play Mav’s team. Hint, hint.”
“We’ll see about that. It might be a little too soon.” I click the button to unlock the truck as I step into the cold air of the garage before admitting, “I want them so damn much, but I don’t know if Callie will ever believe I’m not like her ex.”
“Then show her. Every day. Not with big promises, but with small things. Real things. Until she understands the difference.”
I jerk the door open, climb into the driver’s seat, and start up the engine.
Zane had his chance and he blew it.
Now it’s my turn.
And I’ll be damned if I let Callie or Nora slip through my fingers the way he did.
21
Callie
From beneath my lashes, I steal a glance at River.
He’s smiling at Nora like she hung the moon in the sky, completely captivated by the way she insists on feeding herself. Her fist is wrapped around the handle of her fork as she stabs noodles and tender bites of beef with toddler-like determination. There’s sauce on her chin, cheek, even eyelashes, but he doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, he looks enchanted. As if she can do no wrong.
Why can’t I stop staring?
Even when I force myself to refocus on the plate in front of me, my gaze unconsciously drifts back to him. It’s easier to watch River when he’s so wrapped up in Nora and doesn’t notice me looking.