Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“Hey, squirt,” I say, hauling her into my arms. She squeals before trying to wriggle away when I blow a raspberry against her neck.
Ava watches, a smile tugging at her lips.
I nod toward the blonde at my side. “Remember Coach Ava from the clinic?”
Kia’s face lights up in recognition, but she quickly ducks her head against my neck, giving Ava a shy wave.
I almost laugh.
Kia, shy?
Yeah, right.
The kid doesn’t have a shy bone in her body.
“It’s nice to see you again,” Ava says. “Have you been practicing some of those hockey moves since I last saw you?”
Kia straightens in my arms, all bright eyes and bouncy curls. “I had a lesson with Coach Jay on Saturday! It was fun.”
Ava smiles at her. “I’m glad. Having fun is the most important thing.”
Kia nods before turning back to me. “Can we get popcorn and a pretzel?”
I narrow my eyes. “Did you eat dinner?”
She gives me a mischievous smile. “We had grilled cheese.”
“You sure about that? ’Cause I don’t want Mom yelling at me for feeding you junk food again.”
Her grin widens, and I get the feeling she’s playing me, but I can’t say no to her. “All right, fine,” I grumble, setting her down. “If Mom says otherwise, you’re in big trouble.”
She grabs my hand and pulls me toward the concession stand as Ava trails behind us. We load up on popcorn, pretzels, and drinks before settling on the bench next to my mom. She greets Ava with a smile, but I can tell she’s surprised to see her again. Mom knows I don’t bring girls to family events. She’s definitely going to have questions.
As the game gets under way, I can feel my attention split between Ollie on the ice and Ava beside me. Kia has climbed onto Ava’s lap, and Theo is practically glued to her other side, asking a million questions. It’s moments like this—seeing her here with Kia, with my family—that make me realize how much I want her to be part of my life.
Ollie’s skating out there like a pro. He’s definitely got moves. I’ve watched him grow from a wobbly kid, clutching the boards, to a player who commands attention when he’s on the ice. Every time he gets near the puck, anticipation builds. Then he makes a break for it, weaving through the defense, his eyes locked on the goal.
The arena erupts when he scores, the sound deafening in the small rink. Ollie pumps his fist in the air, and for a second, our gazes meet across the ice. All I see is my little brother, beaming with joy as his teammates swarm him in celebration. In that moment, I’m proud of the player he’s become.
If Ollie continues to grow and improve the way he has these past three years, there’s no way that Division I schools won’t be vying for him to play for their programs. It makes all the hustling I’ve done while in college totally worth it.
How could I regret any of it when I’ve been able to give my siblings everything they need?
Dad would be proud that we’ve managed to hold everything together in his absence. It wasn’t easy, but we’ve done it.
A thick lump of emotion rises in my throat. When my gaze gets snagged by Mom’s, her lips lift into a soft smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes, and I get the feeling she’s thinking about him as well.
After Ollie’s team pulls off a win, all the fans flock to the lobby. They talk about the highlights and grab snacks while waiting for the players to get released from the locker room. I glance over at Ava, who’s still chatting with my mom. It would be hard not to notice that Kia’s hand is wrapped in hers, as if they’ve known each other forever.
Fifteen minutes later, Ollie finally emerges, grinning from ear to ear.
We bump fists. “Good game, little bro. You were on fire out there.”
He shrugs, trying to play it cool, but I can see how much he’s buzzing from the win. “Thanks.”
I ruffle his sweat-soaked hair. “Keep playing like that, and you’ll have college coaches knocking down your door.”
His eyes light up, but he jerks his shoulders again, trying to downplay it. “Yeah, that might be cool.”
“It would be more than cool, dude. It’d be amazing.”
Mom comes over, gathering Kia and Theo. She looks at Ava with a warm smile. “Thank you for joining us tonight. I know it meant a lot to Ollie.”
Ava smiles back. “I had fun. I’d love to do it again sometime.”
Mom glances between the two of us, and I know she’s filing this moment away for later interrogation. “We’d love to have you.”
As we say our goodbyes, I slip a little extra cash into Mom’s pocket, and she squeezes my arm, her eyes shining with appreciation. “I love you, Hayes.”