Page 48 of Make Your Move

“Have a good day at work, supernova.”

Nova’s eyes shimmer beneath the lights above, and she gives me a smile, nodding. Her lips part, as if she’s going to say something else. Her weight shifts on her feet, as if she’s going to make a move. She looks at Posey, back to me, and then turns around to walk away.

She gives us one last glance and a small wave before disappearing through the door that opens up to the driveway. I hear the sound of it closing behind her, and then it’s just Posey and me. I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do with her. The other night was the first time I’ve had a small child in mycare for a few hours. This is an entire day, and I don’t know what we’re going to do.

I look at Posey and she’s reaching for my earlobe, pulling on the soft skin. “Well, I guess it’s just you and me, Poe.”

Her bright blue eyes meet mine, and she smiles the brightest smile. She doesn’t say anything, but then again, I don’t know what kind of response I was expecting. I look around the kitchen and see Nova had started to get things out to make eggs. Setting Posey down, I walk over and gather the supplies before glancing down at her.

“Do you want to help me with breakfast?”

Posey’s face lights up, and she runs over to the counter, grabbing one of the stools before trying to drag it over with her. I laugh at the sight of her in her pink pajamas pulling on a chair that’s much bigger and heavier than her. I help guide her, taking the brunt of the weight from her as I assist her in bringing it over to where the eggs are.

I lift her up, and she watches carefully as I show her what we’re doing. Posey nods and waits for me to crack the eggs before she starts stirring them with a splash of milk. I slide her chair over, making sure she doesn’t touch the hot stove as I help her pour them into the pan. She claps her hands after it’s done, and we make sure to wash our hands before I set her back down to play.

I watch the whirlwind of blonde curls run out into the living room before she comes back with a toy for me too. A smile pulls on my lips, and I sit down on the floor in front of her, watching in amazement as she starts to tell me what to do.

She’s fierce and fearless—an exact replica of her mother.

“Hey Linc,” Ford starts, his voice hesitant as his eyebrows pull together. “You know you brought a kid with you to practice?”

A chuckle rumbles in my chest, bubbling up my throat as I look at Posey and back at him. “Oh shit—I mean shoot. I did, didn’t I?”

“Hey, Posey,” Carson says as he walks past us, a smile stretching across his lips as he rubs his smelly glove on the top of her head. “Where’s your mom?”

“She working,” Posey tells him with a swift nod. She’s the star of the show right now, and I can’t help but laugh at how she has every grown man here wrapped around her little finger. I walk over to the locker room, setting her down on the ground before I crouch down to her level to talk to her.

“We’re going to wait out here until the rest of the guys come out, and then we’ll go in.”

Nash walks in, and I turn to look at him as I stand up. He looks down at Posey, greeting her again before smiling at me. “You know, when you first moved in, I was afraid you were going to be terrified of Posey. It’s nice to see how you are with her.”

I don’t tell him that I was terrified when I first met her. I don’t tell him that she’s quickly situated herself inside my heart, along with her mother. I would put my life on the line for both of them.

“She’s a great kid,” I say, nodding as we both look down at Posey. Nash realized Nova left her with me this morning, and he was a bit surprised at first. He had an appointment earlier this morning, so he couldn’t help out with her, but that was fine.

Posey is my responsibility today, not his.

“Things haven’t been easy for Nova, but she’s done a great job.”

I nod, agreeing with Nash as his words settle within my soul. “Was he around for anything?”

“Dane?” Nash asks me as we still stand outside of the locker room. Posey isn’t paying attention to us as she’s looking at all the sticks along the wall. “No. They were on and off during her pregnancy, but he got a job on the other side of the country and was insistent about moving. Nova didn’t want to, so they broke up. He wasn’t here when Posey was born, and he signed over his rights not long after.” He pauses, the muscle in his jaw twitching as pain washes through his eyes. “He’s never seen her except for pictures.”

Nausea rolls in my stomach, and I can feel the anger spilling over into my veins. My brain can’t comprehend how Nova must have felt during that time. How Nash probably wanted to rip the man to shreds. I want to shove my fist through his face, but I’m also mad at my fucking self.

I should have checked in on Nova.

I should have known what was going on.

“I’m going to see if Mia is here and if she can maybe occupy Poe for a little.” He sees the confusion on my face, so he offers some clarification. “She’s Coach Landry’s daughter. She’s interning in the PR department for the franchise this season.”

“That would be great,” I tell him, nodding in agreement. Nash leaves Posey as he heads down the hall, and I dip my head into the locker room. “Carson! Throw me some of my gear.”

Taylor walks over, carrying a bunch of my shit, and dumps it out into the hall with me while the rest of the guys get dressed. I get into my gear in the hallway, and when the guys clear out, I head in to get my skates. Posey comes in with me, wandering around the room with her eyes wide as she looks at the cubbies along the walls.

I walk over to Posey and scoop her up into my arms. Her cheeks are rosy and cold already. Grabbing one of my extra beanies, I pull it over her head, tucking her bright blonde curls beneath the soft knit material.

When we step back out of the locker room, Nash still isn’t back so I take her down the tunnel with me, feeling the coldness of the ice as we get closer to the rink. I check the zipper of her winter coat, and we stand by the benches, watching the guys skating around.

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