Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 532(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
I groan out loud. “Why does she keep doing that?”
“Because you’re her baby,” he says.
“I have chest hair and a beard. I think I’m past the baby stage,” I say, and he laughs. “I’ll call her now. I was hoping to spend some time in the city. Viktor said I can crash at his condo and so did Max.” I mention my two brothers-in-law. “I have a couple of people I want to hit up while in the city.”
“I bet you do,” he says, chuckling. “Just remember to come home without a mark on you.”
“I can’t be held accountable about that,” I say. I think back to the time I went home and had scratch marks all down my back when I took off my shirt. “Fuck, I think she even drew blood,” I say out loud.
“Okay, well, call Mom and tell her what your plans are, or she’s going to start planning a welcome home barbecue like she always does.”
“I’m staying for two weeks,” I say, and he gets quiet. “I set up a two-week training session with Ivan at his ranch.” Ivan is a Russian hockey coach who kicks my ass every single summer. He makes me come back bigger and better.
“I heard that he makes the guys barf the first day of training.” I nod my head.
“He’s the most intense off-season coach out there. I have that hockey camp for the month, and then I want to see if I can go back to him for another couple of weeks before preseason starts.”
“Come out guns blazing, I see,” he says. “I have to run but give Mom a call.”
“I will,” I say and disconnect just in time because the GM, Hartley, comes out of his office.
“Justin, right on time,” he says and stretches his hand to mine, and I shake it. I walk into the pre-camp meeting and sit on one of the empty chairs as we go over what I thought of the season and things I want to change. When I get up and walk out of the room, I grab my bag at the same time as the metal door shuts behind me.
I’m closing my trunk when I hear my name being called, and I look over to see Ryder, the defenseman. “Have a great summer. Hit me up when you get back.”
“Will do,” I say. When I get into the car and put on my glasses, I have no idea how this summer will change the rest of my life.
Chapter Two
One Month Later
Caroline
“Dylan!” I yell from the bathroom while I attempt to apply mascara, but it’s so old that it’s dried out. “Ten-minute warning,” I say, turning the knob on the rusty sink to slowly add some water to the mascara. I swirl the brush in the tube, and it helps a little bit but not much. After one coat, I give up, closing it and opening the cracked mirror medicine cabinet. The bathroom is from the seventies, for sure, with moss green tiles everywhere. What used to be white grout is discolored to a dark yellow now. The tub is the same moss green color with lines of rust down it.
Walking out of the tiny bathroom, I turn off the lights, then step right into the living room that holds the small kitchen table with two chairs. Dylan sits on his knees while he eats his cereal, holding my phone in his hand as he watches YouTube videos about hockey. All he does every single time he has my phone or is on the computer is watch hockey plays or highlights. I think it’s why he got so good. That and the fact he loves the ice.
“I’m going to go get dressed,” I say, but he barely looks up from my iPhone. Walking into the bedroom I share with him, I open the closet door and see the six items that I own hanging. I grab the pair of jeans I wore yesterday and pair it with my gray and white striped short-sleeve shirt, tucking it in the front of my jeans. Then I pick up my black running shoes and slip them on.
The sound of my phone beeping lets me know that it’s time to go. “Mom!” Dylan shouts. “Time to go,” he says, and I walk out of the room and look at him. He takes his bowl to the sink and gets on his tippy toes to turn on the water and rinse it out. His shorts from last year are way too short for him this year and a bit too tight around his waist, but until I get my paycheck, they will have to do.
“Are you ready?” I ask him, smiling when he turns around wearing his own smile. His happiness lights up the room and my heart. He’s missing his two front teeth, his eyes are a baby blue just like his father, and his hair is a mixture of blond like me.