Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66977 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66977 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“Again, doesn’t everything?” Gently wading my feet is accompanied by a sassy smirk. “Even helping Kolby with contract negotiations requires that.”
Unlike my brothers and all the other men close to us – including Harvey – Kolby isn’t married.
He hasn’t even had a girlfriend for longer than a summer.
From first glance one would assume he has commitment issues; however, having done the evaluation myself, it's more about the risk to reward point he’s at in his career. Hockey players don’t exactly get to play the game forever and from what I’ve deduced?
He just wants to focus on getting as much ice time as he can before he has to hang them up.
Slater tosses a water toy to the end of the pool to keep the girls momentarily occupied. “Arley.”
“I was looking into private preschools.”
My confession causes his attention to cut to me. “Why?”
“Statistically speaking-”
“Not my favorite words when it comes to our girls.”
“It’s the optimal window to introduce them into a more structured day to day setting that will house a more successful educational path.”
His brow pinches together in displeasure. “What’s wrong with the one they’re on now?”
“It lacks routine.”
“But-”
“Organization.”
“But-”
“Reliability.” I wave back to my curly haired daughters that are frantically waving at me for some reason. “All the studies show children need in order to flourish.”
“They don’t lack love.”
Redirecting my gaze to him is attached a sweet grin. “They don’t, Cowboy. And just because they start attending school or developing a can’t have a fort movie day with daddy on a random whim doesn’t mean you suddenly love them less.” I let my toes inch over to touch his. “It actually means you love them more because you’re willing to put them first. Same as you are me.”
He bashfully beams, leans back onto his palms allowing the sunlight to caress his glistening chest, and sighs, “I suppose a little more structure won’t hurt anything.”
“It’ll definitely make handling the holidays a little easier versus the Mad Max: Grandparents Rule situation we face now.”
Louder chuckles are followed by him leaning over to plant a kiss on my tankini bearing shoulder. “Speakin’ of grandparents, your dad texted about an hour ago. Said they’ll be pickin’ up the girls for lunch and keepin’ ‘em for the night so that Mommy and Daddy can do those things Mommy and Daddy have had trouble doin’ lately.”
Between his work schedule and two creatively cock blocky children, dry spell would be a compliment at this point.
I clamp my teeth down on my bottom lip to trap a moan from escaping. “You know they’re talking about moving back to Dalvegan.”
Slater’s eyebrows launch to the gorgeous Hawaiian sky. “Is that right?”
“Well,” a tiny head bounce occurs, “Mom is talking about it. She wants to be closer to all of her grandchildren now that there are so many, while Dad is trying to move further away. Says we’re all too close if we can keep visiting this much. He’s thinking Australia.”
His carefree cackling grows in strength.
“Guess we’ll see who wins that argument when they come out for Christmas. Who knows. Maybe we use our hockey connections to bribe him to our side. More babysitters is always a good thing.”
His boisterous laughter becomes too irresistible for the girls to keep their distance from.
Who could blame them?
I never could.
Still can’t.
And no matter what data life tries to deter us with, I know I never will.
I will always find my way to Slater Wahl, and he will always find his way to me.
***