Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Lachlan offers a sympathetic smile and looks at Theo, who’s still hopping. “You ready to go to the rink with me and your grandpas?”
“I thought we were going to meet new friends?” he pouts.
“You’re also going to meet new friends,” Lachlan says. “One of them will be here soon.”
My stomach tightens. It could be anyone, but knowing my luck … I push down my nerves. No. The universe wouldn’t be so cruel.
“Yes!” Theo says, snapping me out of my thoughts as he pumps his fist in the air. “Are you coming, Mommy?”
“Mommy’s tired, buddy. We’ll go get ice cream when we’re done and bring one back for Mommy,” Lachlan says.
Theo shoots me a smug look. “I told you Dad lets me have ice cream for lunch.”
Lyla raises an eyebrow. “For lunch? That’s news to me.”
“Theo, that’s not exactly true,” Lachlan says.
“It is true. You said Mommy would be mad at you if we told her we had it for lunch.”
Lyla glares at her husband, who looks like he wants to crawl into a hole right now. As he should.
“It was one time,” Lachlan argues.
“This is the second thing you keep from me. That I know of.” She shakes her head as she starts walking toward the kitchen.
“She’s hangry,” Lachlan mouths behind her. “Let’s get you cleaned up, Theo.”
“I want Mommy to help me.”
“Theodore, we talked about this,” his dad says in his stern dad voice.
“Apparently, you talk about a lot of things when I’m not around,” Lyla comments as we all walk into the kitchen. “Maybe I’ll start keeping secrets with this baby. See how you like it.”
She opens the fridge and starts taking things out to make her usual granola bowl, when Lachlan walks over and grabs her by the shoulders to turn her to face him.
“I let him have ice cream for lunch once, and it was the day you had ice cream for lunch because you couldn’t stomach anything else,” he says.
“It’s not about the freaking ice cream, Lachlan.” She pulls away from him and shuts the fridge. “The other day it was ‘don’t tell Mommy you fell at the rink and got a boo-boo.’ Today, it’s ice cream. Who knows what will be next? I don’t like this little ‘let’s keep secrets from Mommy’ BS.”
“Jesus Christ.” He runs a hand through his hair. “He fell and scraped his knee. I didn’t want you to worry for no reason. It’s not like we’re starting a boys-only club without you or something.”
I start busying myself with the dirty dishes and pretend I’m not here. She’s usually only this upset with him when she’s hangry, but she’s 36 weeks pregnant and paused her life for the baby and her husband's hockey team. It’s a lot. Luckily, Lachlan always knows how to appease her.
“You’re my best friend, Lyla James. I tell you everything,” he says quietly, wrapping his arms around her from behind. Whatever he’s whispering in her ear works, because when he turns her to kiss her, she looks lighter than she did a second ago.
“Fine, I believe you. Stop crowding me,” she says, nudging him, but she’s smiling at him.
Lachlan grins and walks back to Theo. “Let’s go get ready.”
“Why do you always kiss Mommy?” Theo asks as they walk out of the kitchen.
Lachlan chuckles. “Have you seen Mommy? If it were up to me, I’d kiss her all day.”
“That’s just weird.”
We share a laugh as I dry my hands. They’re not perfect by any means, but they share a love unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
“How are you really feeling?” Lyla asks as we walk to the door.
“I’m fine, really. It’s not what I wanted to deal with on my birthday, but it is what it is, right?”
“Have you spoken to him?”
“Once.” I sigh as we stop at the grand foyer. “Honestly, I think I’m all out of tears. I’m more upset about who he cheated with than the fact that he did it … which is kind of sad. ”
“The Gracie girl?”
I purse my lips. “Yep.”
Lyla sets a hand on my shoulder. “You deserve better than him. I hope you know that.”
“I do. Thanks.” I smile a little and set a hand on her stomach, laughing when I feel a little kick. “She’s definitely going to be a soccer star like her mom.”
Lyla huffs out a laugh. “I just want her to be in my arms already. My back is killing me.”
The doorbell rings as I grab my bags and keys.
“Call me if you need anything,” I say as I reach the door and unlock it.
“I will,” she says. “Have fun tonight.”
“I will.”
I smile as I pull the door open, but it falls—along with my heart—when I find Finn Barlow standing on the other side.
So it begins.
11
JOSSLYN
Behind me, I hear Theo and Lachlan’s footsteps and force myself to open the door wider to make way for him to walk in—and hopefully, for me to step out quickly.