“They’ve given me something precious—love—and I am going to spend the rest of my life loving them right back, no matter what your thoughts on the subject are. I’m not after Jacques’s or Linc’s money. They know that. I’ve proven it to them.” I locked onto Pierre’s stare and faced off against him, not breaking eye contact until he nodded and blinked.
“I also never wanted this—” I said to Sophia and gestured to the gulf between us, “—us, fighting like we are. I miss my best friend, but I won’t fight for you anymore. Jacques has communicated his feelings, and I respect them. So, if you want to stay, lunch is at 1:00 p.m. Cara, Alec, and Monroe will be arriving shortly. If you decide to leave, you still have time to go before they get here, if that’s what you’d prefer. I’d like for our first Thanksgiving to be celebrated together, but that’s entirely up to you.”
“Carina, I…,” Sophia exhaled on a sigh and rubbed her forehead. “I don’t understand how you can fall in love with someone in a matter of a few hours—”
“It started before that,” Jacques interjected. “But you don’t care, do you?”
“No, that’s not what I was going to say,” Sophia reassured him, finally starting to act like the warm, caring woman I knew she was. “I was trying to tell you that I don’t understand how it happened in a few hours.”
Jacques squeezed my hand tight, and I held my breath, waiting to see what she would say. Trav stood behind us, his arm around my waist, and Linc stepped closer to Jacques, the four of us a united front in front of them.
“But I can see how in sync you are here.” Sophia met each of our gazes and shrugged. “Maybe it was a spark at the beginning that you assumed was love—”
I sucked in a breath. She was being condescending, and she didn’t even realize it, but I couldn’t let my own frustrations ruin any chance at a resolution here.
“—but it doesn’t matter. Looking at you now has changed my mind. I was mistaken and for that, I’m sorry. We’re sorry. The way you lean on and support one another… it’s the same way Pierre and I are there for each other.”
Pierre nodded at her words and added, “I’m sorry too. If it’s okay with all of you, we’d like to stay for lunch. We’d also like to know our grandchild.”
“We’d like that,” I answered. “Would you like to see the nursery? Perhaps Jacques can show you while I keep an eye on what’s cooking.”
“How about we wait and do it together?” Pierre suggested.
There was a knock at the door before Alec stuck his head in and called out, “Mom, Dad, Happy Thanksgiving.”
I couldn’t help my grin at his ludicrousness.
It only felt like a few months ago that I’d been alone in the pool house, listening to my ex-husband fuck his girlfriend, wondering what would become of my life. Now, I was surrounded by the people I loved—my partners, my daughter and her partners, and even Jacques’s parents. I’d found something so much more than I ever hoped. I found family. It truly was something to be thankful for.
thirty-six
Travis
Carina’sgriponRusty’shand had turned his knuckles white. Her face was red, sweat dripping down her temples. She panted, out of breath, but she was nearly there. Peanut’s head was crowning. One more push, and Peanut’s head would be free.
“You’re doing so well, beautiful,” Jacques said through the cell phone.
“Get here, please,” Carina begged.
Jacques was at the tail end of a road trip. He’d been about to get on the ice when Carina’s contractions started in earnest. He’d been calling every hour to get updates, but we hadn’t told him it had progressed—Carina didn’t want him distracted while he was on the ice with a bunch of dudes with knives on their feet and a bullet being fired around.
When the buzzer at the end of the second period sounded, Carina’s contractions were five minutes apart and had been for a couple of hours, so I made the decision for her. I called Keeley Fisher, the Seals’ PR person, and Sawchuck, the second assistant coach, as well as messaging Jacques. We’d hightailed it to the hospital and been admitted straight into the birthing suite.
Carina’s labor had slowed from there. Hours of her contractions getting more intense, then backing off had passed. It was as if Peanut was giving Jacques a chance to get here. But it was going to be close.
They’d played the Sharks, so flying from San Francisco was only a ninety-minute trip. But moving a whole hockey team was never quick, especially when there were compulsory media appearances. I had no idea where he was, but he was about to miss the birth of our child.
“Jacques, Peanut’s head is crowning. You have five minutes at most. If you’re close, sprint.”
“I’m on my way. Getting there as quick as I can.” There was a rustling in the background, and he murmured something away from the cell phone.
Penny stood over my shoulder. “Carina, big push with the next contraction. Baby’s head is nearly out.”
Carina groaned, and her whole body shook as another contraction gripped her.
“That’s it, darlin’. Push,” I guided and reached out to support Peanut’s head as Carina shouted out, curled in on herself and pushed.
I watched in awe as a tiny head of black hair emerged, my hands looking huge as I held Peanut steady. Our baby was perfect. Tiny eyelids with long lashes, a button nose, perfect adorable little ears, and rosy-red bow lips. Carina fell back, and my breath hitched. “Carina, Peanut’s perfect,” I gasped, tears brimming in my eyes.
