Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 90524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
I kind of think she likes being included rather than depended on.
“Actually…” Joeski stretches out while adjusting Bella in her bright blue cable knit sweater covered arms, “we’re here for family skate.”
“Huh?”
“I arranged for the spouses and significant others-”
“Slayers,” Bricks casually informs over her shoulder.
An annoyed eye roll is immediately executed causing me to quietly chuckle. “The Slayers and the kids-”
“Hatchlings,” corrects our equipment manager for a second time.
“ForKrisKringleSake,” she growls through gritted teeth yet again receiving more snickers while my daughter makes silly faces at whoever is making them at her. “I worked with management to arrange it so that post pracky, the day before long road stretches, we could have team family days – consisting mostly of the aforementioned, but also others that might be missed like besties and brothers and cousins. Yes, you still have post work ‘ish to do before you fly out tonight, but at least this way, with a small break to family skate, you boys get a little more time with your family, and they get a little more time with you.”
Despite my best efforts, my voice still comes out mostly air, “You did that for us?”
“Well, yeah.” She innocently shrugs. “I know it isn’t easy having to spend this much time away from the people you love, especially this close to a holiday – even if it is just Turkey Day – so I thought I would try to do something to make it just a bit easier.”
I wanna tell her how much I love that.
How much I love that she’s stepping into her role not as a nanny but as the woman that belongs to the captain.
The woman whose job it is to care and lead off the ice while he’s on it.
Except technically that’s not her role.
No matter how much I fucking wish it was.
And considering the fucked-up circumstances that brought us together – that she’s still clueless about despite my mother’s less than subtle hints for me to confess – I doubt it ever will be.
“Bricks, oh wait,” Joeski shoots him a sassy smirk, “is that right? Is that what I’m supposed to call you or do you have some sort of strange and unusual title like Lord of The Lances or some ish?”
He quirks an eyebrow of intrigue pushing me to immediately shut that shit down. “Net. We’re not callin’ you that, bro.”
His small chuckle is attached to an innocent shoulder shrug.
“Bricks brought me in because he was under the impression pracky was almost over, and it’d be okay to let everyone start getting laced up but wanted me to double check with you since you are the captain who knows the coach’s schedule.”
“Yeah.” Playfully poking Bella in the tummy grabs her attention as well as her giggle. “Now’s good.”
“We skate together now?!” My daughter enthusiastically asks at the same time she reaches out for me.
“Da!” Delivering a peck on her cheek is followed by handing Bricks my stick. “You wanna tell the boys?”
“Yeah!!!”
“In Russian…”
“Daaaa!”
I rearrange my frame to face them. “Go ahead. Call ‘em over, Princess.”
“Boyssssssss!!!!” Screeches the tiny ice girl wannabe in my arms. “Dumhere!”
Collectively the group of men, including Coach, skate over to where they’ve been summoned.
“What do you need, Princess Bella?” Snowman sweetly investigates. “Uncle Groffee’s bucket?”
Out of all the actual hockey gear she encounters, that’s the only one she’s obsessed with.
“Nooooo…” she mischievously answers on a shake of the head. “It family time!!!!”
Almost every face cocks to one side in confusion.
“You skate with us!” Bella exclaims while joyfully clapping.
Thankfully, Joeski has motioned the others in, revealing the people that light my teammates eyes up the way these two do mine.
“Whaaaattttt!!!!” escapes several players mouths as the members of their inner circles flood the tunnel.
Excitement and laughter spread rapidly through the area during the process of getting our own gear put away and everyone else put in theirs. People cluster together in various areas yet it’s my family and Coach’s that end up on the bench.
Joey holds Bella in her lap to make it easier for me to put on her skates, but my daughter’s squirrel like nature makes the whole thing ten times more fucking challenging than it needs to be. “Princess…get still, please.”
“Uncle Frosty!!!” She frantically waves to the man whose dad came out to join him. “Uncle Groffee!!!” Her movements have her flailing around damn near causing my arm to catch a blade. “Look! Look! I got Princess skates!”
“Bella.”
My grumpy tone instantly receives a pout.
Recalling the painfully silly shit I’ve heard her nanny say is what inspires me to try my own. “Penguin pause, please.”
All of a sudden, her entire frame goes completely stiff with her tiny hands glued to her sides.
“Nice lingo, Daddy,” Joeski slyly compliments.
“Spasibo,” I cheerfully retort while working quickly to get both of my daughter’s feet situated.
“Thanks for this, Joey,” Blanc states her direction as he holds the door open for his kids to take the ice. “It was needed.” He gives Marigold, his wife, a dreamy eyed glance. “For all of us.”