Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 130307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
So she did have a boyfriend.
Maybe it was so new she didn’t want to tell me before, or maybe she didn’t feel like she needed to, but now that she knew she’d be staying here, she had no choice.
It made absolutely zero fucking sense that jealousy licked at my spine. I didn’t want her — not like that. I wanted a reliable, uninterested nanny who would take care of Ava and leave me the hell alone.
And yet…
I cleared my throat. “That won’t be a problem.”
“Oh, are you sure?” Chloe asked, smirking.
She reached for her phone in the pocket of her robe, holding the screen toward me.
And where she laughed, I groaned — not sure if this was better or worse than what I’d been assuming.
Staring back at me from that mirror-like screen in her hand were three asshole cats.
Exactly Zero Interest
Chloe
The weekend flew by in a tornado of boxes and helping hands, both Friday and Sunday filled with Will and his teammates moving boxes for me whenever they didn’t have practice or a game.
Their schedule was insane. Friday was a day off after the Boston game, and then they flew out for their away game on Saturday. They returned Sunday morning and still had practice even after the game and travel.
It made sense why he wanted me to move in. How the hell could he take care of himself with a schedule like this, let alone a five-year-old?
I’d tried to help with the unloading, but no sooner would I grab a box than a big, burly hockey player would quickly take it from me — usually with a wink, a smirk, and a reassurance that I should just relax.
Vince Tanev was there, whom I remembered was engaged to Maven. Jaxson Brittain was also helping, and I learned that he was dating Grace — Vince’s sister. But apparently Grace loved to travel, and so when Maven and Livia came over on Sunday afternoon with a large basket of wine, cheese, and fruit, Grace didn’t accompany them.
“Okay, when Will said he was moving you into the pool house, I was worried,” Maven said when she set the basket on the kitchenette counter. She looked around appreciatively. “But this is more like a penthouse.”
“It’s too much,” I agreed, tucking my arms so tight around me they felt like a straitjacket as I watched Vince dump another box in the bedroom after asking me where it went. He swung by where we stood long enough to sneak a kiss on Maven’s cheek, who batted him away.
“Like hell it is,” Livia argued, propping her ass up onto the granite. “You’re saving his ass. If I were you, I’d be asking for a gold card, too. And maybe a G-Wagon.”
Maven laughed, and I cracked my neck before blushing when they both swiveled their heads toward me at the loud sound.
God, I was so awkward.
“Listen, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can easily lose yourself when you start getting involved with this team,” Maven said, her eyes soft as she approached me. One hand reached out to squeeze my arm. “So, Livia and I are always here to rescue you.”
“Starting with a girls’ night next week,” Livia added, hopping off the counter. “This bitch has wrangled me into DIY wedding crafts, which is utter bullshit considering how much money her soon-to-be husband makes.”
“It’ll be fun and you know it,” Maven teased her.
Livia scoffed. “You can’t call anything that doesn’t include a peg and a bottle of lube fun, bestie.”
“Liv!”
Maven tried to scold her, but was bent over in a laugh now as Livia winked at me. I couldn’t help it — I cracked a smile.
Who the hell were these girls?
I loved them already.
“Anyway, I’m not going through that torture alone. Grace is supposed to be in town, too, so I’m wrangling both of you into it with me,” Livia said, pointing at me as she floated past. “We’ll text you the details.”
She swung out the door, teasing one of the hockey players carrying in my cat tree on the way.
Maven smiled at me when she was gone. “I got your number from Will. I’ll add you to our group text. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“I gotta run. Make sure these boys clean up after themselves,” she said. “And hey, Chloe?”
“Yeah?”
“Welcome to the family. We’re a bit crazy, but I promise we’re fun.”
I couldn’t explain the way my heart expanded at that comment, at the word family. I thanked her, and then she was out the door with a princess wave, walking in stilettos in a graceful manner that would have been impossible for me to achieve.
The rest of Sunday was a blur.
I hadn’t packed that much over — at least, I didn’t think so. Still, with three cats to get settled and limited time to move things from my house to Will’s in-between practices and games, it felt like I had blinked and the weekend was over.