Page 165 of Penalty to the Heart

“Yeah, you do that.” I laugh, staring at my brother’s face.

“Are you crying?” Jack asks, confused by the tears streaming down my cheeks.

“You better fucking believe it! I’m so fucking happy to see you,” I sob before hugging him with all my strength.

“First, I wake up to you crying, and now you’re hugging me? Did somebody die or something?” Jack mumbles, still confused. “And where the hell are we anyway?”

“We’re at the hospital. Don’t you remember?” I ask once I release him from my bear hug.

“Remember what?” but just as he asks that question, his memory starts coming back to him in waves.

“Shit. We totaled Nichols’s car, didn’t we?”

“Actually, you totaled it. You were the one driving.”

“Great, now you’re going to tell me I owe you a car.” He rolls his eyes at me, and I swear it’s the second-best thing I’ve seen all day.

“You don’t owe me anything, Jack. I… owe you everything.”

He continues to stare at me with that confused expression on his face, coaxing me to tell him everything that has happened in the last six months. From the night of the accident to me being suspended from the team. Meeting the love of my life and winning the Stanley Cup. His wife giving birth to their baby boy, Jack, just a couple of hours ago.

When the doctor on duty arrives with a nurse and a wheelchair in tow, Jack is all up to date and, by the look in his eyes, back to his old self.

“Good evening, Mr. Donovan. So glad to finally meet you.”

“Save introductions for later, Doc. I got more pressing things to do than wasting time talking to you,” he says assertively. “Caleb, help me up.”

I rush to his side and lift him up from the bed, pulling his arm over my shoulder so he can keep his balance.

“Actually, I wouldn’t recommend doing that just yet. Not until we’ve run some tests,” the doctor reprimands, but Jack isn’t having any of it.

“Listen here, Doc,” Jack replies, pulling at his white coat. “My beautiful wife is downstairs with our newborn, and like hell, I’m going to stay in bed for another minute just for the benefit of it. If you want to stop me, then go ahead and try. I fucking dare you.”

The mad look in my brother’s eyes is enough to have the doctor and the nurse hesitate while I help him sit in the wheelchair.

“Didn’t you hear my brother? Get out of the fucking way!”

Stunned, they both step aside while I wheel my brother into the elevator. But as we ride down to the second floor, I can’t help but hug him again.

“Another hug?” He chuckles, amused. “Did you hit your head or something?”

“Kind of, yeah.” I laugh. “Just fucking love you, that’s all.”

He grows silent, staring at the door.

“I love you too, asshole. Always have. Always will.”

My vision blurs again with a fresh batch of tears, but as the elevator’s doors swing open, I wipe them away, get inside, and wheel Jack to Erin’s room as fast as possible when we reach the second floor.

“I can take it from here,” Jack says, wanting to wheel himself into the room on his own. I stand back and watch Jack’s eyes grow misty as he stares into his wife’s face, his baby boy lying in the bassinet beside her.

“Hey beautiful,” Jack coos before pressing a tender kiss on Erin’s lips.

“Jack?” Erin whispers in exhaustion, forcing her eyes to slowly flutter open.

“Hi,” he coos while gently caressing Erin’s cheek.

“Hi,” she sobs when she realizes it’s Jack, right there at her side. “Are you really here? Am I dreaming?” she asks, cupping his face in her hands.

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