Page 21 of Scoring with my Bestie's Ex

“I told them to stay in the cabin,” he mumbles. His shoulders slouch forward. “Ben just came to live with Cameron, his mom, and me. Ben’s mother is sick. We thought that coming on vacation would help them bond…”

At the park, the boys’ dad hugs them both and then takes them back to their cabin. I hope that life starts looking better for all of them soon.

By this time, the seagulls have claimed Bella’s and my food, so we head back toward our own cabin.

“Do you have kids?” Bella asks.

“No. I want them someday, but right now I’m too busy and famous for kids or even relationships,” I say.

“Too famous?” Her brows pinch together.

I shrug. “Being an NHL player gets me a lot of public scrutiny. I’m a private person, and I’d rather wait until after I retire to start a family.”

Bella’s frown deepens. “But that means you’ll be putting it off for a while, doesn't it?”

I laugh softly. “I’m getting close to the end of my career as a professional player. I’m going to retire in a year or two. That’s not too long to wait.”

“I suppose not.”

“And then once I’m out of the spotlight, I’ll be able to dedicate time to my wife and kids. I’ve seen the toll that fame and commitment can have on my teammates. I don’t want to put someone else through that.”

Bella nods and sighs. “I suppose that goes double for kids, huh? Like, you choose to be in the spotlight. Kids can’t make that decision, but it still affects them.”

Her question piques my curiosity. “Do you have kids?”

Bella shakes her head.

“Do you want them?”

She sighs as we reach the cabin once more. Steven quickly leaves his cabin and starts messing with a wet hammock, watching us.

Bella doesn’t speak until we’re back inside.

“I wanted kids once. But the last few years have made me reconsider,” she answers as we head to the kitchen.

“Do you mind if I ask how come?”

Bella laughs. “No. You can ask me.”

“Okay.” I grin at her. “Then how come?”

“I’ve been very focused on my career,” she answers. “Working to get to a point where I’m financially stable enough to take the risk of getting my designs out there.”

She bites her lip as she glances out the window to find Steven staring at us from his cabin, looking like he’s auditioning for a role in a soap opera.

I close the blinds. “There, now he can't see us. Unless he starts using binoculars. Then we’ll have to call in the authorities!”

Bella smiles and shrugs, “Steven kept pushing for us to start a family,” she admits. “And I started to think about what kids would be like on top of everything else…the more he pushed, the less I wanted them.”

I get some juice from the fridge. “Now you don’t have to worry about him.”

“No.” She beams at me. “I finally get to decide what I want for myself. I might just choose a plant instead, much lower maintenance!”

Chapter nine

Bella

Another storm blows in overnight.

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