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)
And my chest locked.
I thought it was a heart attack at first, and I bolted up from where I was reclined on the couch, clutching my abdomen as the unfamiliar sensation seared through me.
But before true concern could set in, a strange noise barked out of me.
A laugh.
A… laugh.
It rattled the rust off my rib cage, the first roll of it shocking me.
And then the girls pivoted toward me, their necks nearly snapping in the process. Their eyes were wide, their conversation and excitement muted.
And I laughed again.
I bent at the waist, coughing a bit like my body didn’t fucking remember how to do this properly. That made me laugh even harder, my hands braced on my knees, eyes watering.
God.
I was laughing.
Really laughing.
I peeked at Chloe and Ava, who stood completely still and gaping at me in the middle of the room. It sent another rip through me, and I fell over sideways on the couch, clutching my stomach as I laughed and laughed and laughed.
It hurt as much as it healed. It was as painful as it was a relief.
I didn’t know I even could laugh anymore.
But here I was, unable to keep it together after a ridiculous dance routine put on by my daughter and her nanny.
I was still trying and failing to school myself when the girls blinked and looked at each other.
“Daddy’s laughing,” Ava whispered, shaking her head. Then, her eyes doubled in size, the biggest grin I’d ever seen spreading on her face as she started jumping with Chloe’s hands in hers. “Daddy’s laughing!”
They squealed together before they were barreling toward me, and I held up a hand, unable to tell them through the fit of laughter to stay away from me. I was still sick, even though I probably wasn’t contagious anymore.
But they didn’t care.
They tackled me, Ava flinging her arms around my neck as Chloe squeezed me in a tight hug around my waist.
I shook with a laugh that was nearly silent now, like an old wheezing man who couldn’t catch his breath. And there we were, a pile of giggles on the fucking couch as Ava and Chloe tickled me and squealed and celebrated like we’d just won the Stanley Cup.
In many ways, I knew this was even better.
“You’re laughing, Daddy! You’re laughing!” Ava squeezed me tight.
“I can’t believe it,” Chloe mused, releasing me to sit back on her heels and wipe the tears from her eyes. She stared at me for a moment longer of disbelief, and then she jumped up, thrusting her finger into the air like a superhero. “I’m baking a cake!”
“I’ll help!” Ava yelled instantly, jumping off my lap to chase after Chloe as she ran toward the kitchen.
“I think this calls for Funfetti,” Chloe said, pulling a box from the pantry. “Wouldn’t you say?”
“And tons of sprinkles!” Ava confirmed.
Then, she whipped around, her little eyes on me before she sprinted toward where I was still trying to gain my composure. She grabbed my hands in hers and tugged until I stood, and then she was dragging me to the kitchen.
“Come on, Daddy! We’re baking a cake!”
“It’s a school night,” I said pathetically, blinking away the tears that laughing had formed in my eyes.
Chloe and Ava both protested against my weak argument, and I threw up my hands in surrender, sliding into a barstool at the island to watch them bake.
As Ava measured out ingredients, Chloe’s gaze caught mine over her head, a sense of wonder in her brown eyes. She smirked, shaking her head, her cheeks shading the prettiest pink.
And my heart sank to my feet.
Because in that moment, on a seemingly insignificant Sunday night, I felt the power of something I thought I’d never experience in my life.
Family.
Noah Balboa
Chloe
It was a warm, sunny day about a week after Will was feeling better that we ambushed him with a barbecue at the house.
He was grumpy about it for all of ten minutes, glaring at me and Arushi for our role in it all while his teammates carried in coolers full of beer and meat. But a few kisses on the cheek from Maven, Livia, and Grace, combined with Ava being supremely thrilled that she had swim buddies for the day, made the frown between his brows slowly disappear.
The guys had practice earlier in the day, but had the rest of the afternoon and evening off before tomorrow’s practice. Then, they’d be on a flight to Atlanta.
I didn’t know how they did it, how I could look around the backyard and find so many seemingly calm and collected men when I knew they felt the stress of the season weighing on them. Then again, they loved hockey. This team was like their family.
And the Cup was within reach.
I knew that was driving Will, and I imagined it was the same with all the guys. Tampa hadn’t won the whole thing since early in the 2000s, even though our team had had many winning seasons.