Page 7 of Make Your Move

“Fair enough,” he agrees as he rolls his head back to look up at the ceiling. “Have you talked to dad recently?”

I nod my head as I look back at the ceiling, feeling the twinge in my heart. Our father truly became a shell of a person after our mother’s death, but he tried his best. It was a heartbreak he never recovered from. He continued through the motions of life, trying to be there for Nash and I as best as he could, but he fell short.

Since Posey was born, he has been much better. I think she helped heal his heart in a way. Every now and then he would grow a little distant, and we wouldn’t hear from him for a week or so, but he’s better about coming back around now.

“I talked to him a few days ago,” I tell my brother as I fold my hands over my stomach. “I was going to take Posey to see him on Wednesday, if you want to come along for dinner.”

Nash rolls up onto his butt and scoots to the edge of the bed. “I’ll check my schedule, but if I’m not doing anything, I’ll come along.”

“He would love that,” I tell Nash as I sit up and watch him walk back to my bedroom door. Nash’s schedule is a little busier than mine, so he doesn’t see our father as often. “Hey Nash,” I call out as he pulls the door open and looks back at me. “Maybe Lincoln would want to go along too. You know, since he doesn’t really have any family, and it’s been so long since he’s been back here. It might help him adjust and feel comfortable.”

A smile lifts the corners of Nash’s lips. “Always thinking of everyone else,” he says gently as he stares at me. “I’ll say something to him. Good luck tomorrow, Nova. I know you’re going to crush it.”

“Fingers crossed I don’t have a breakdown when I drop her off.”

My brother smiles at me, and the warmth radiates from his face. “Even if you do, it’s okay. Everything will always be okay.”

I smile back at him. “Thanks, Nash.”

He slips through the door, pulling it shut behind him. Just before it closes, I catch sight of Lincoln in the doorway of his own room. Time stretches, and he’s paused, his gaze colliding with mine. My mouth instantly goes dry, and I see the corners of his lips twitch just before the connection is severed. The door shuts, and the moment comes to an abrupt halt, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I spend the night tossing and turning, trying to ignore the fact that Lincoln Matthews is right here across the hall. The moon brought him home, just like the tide, but that doesn’t really mean a thing.

He can leave just as easily as he came.

CHAPTER THREE

LINCOLN

“Are you ready to head out?”

I turn around in the kitchen with a bottle of water and a banana as I see Nash standing there. His eyes look tired, and he runs a hand through his unruly dark blonde hair. It doesn’t even look like he bothered to brush it, so I can only hope he took the time to brush his teeth.

“Are you ready?” I ask him, tilting my head to the side as I pull open the peel of the banana. “You look like you just rolled out of bed.”

His mouth opens wide, and he lifts his hand as he shields his yawn. “I did. I missed my first alarm, so I’m getting a little bit of a late start.” He pauses and rolls his shoulders. “Throw me one of those,” he says as he nods his head in the direction of the produce basket.

Grabbing a banana, I toss it to him, and he catches it without hesitation. I look at the clock behind him on the wall, noting that it’s almost six thirty. “How long of a drive is it to the practice facility?”

They opened a new rink a few years ago that serves as their training facility, and it’s where the team practices. We have a few weeks until the first preseason game, but since we’re gettingcloser, they’re really amping up the number of practices and our training regimen.

I can only imagine it’s as intense as it was in Orchid City.

Just as Nash is about to respond, movement in the living room catches my eye as a whirlwind comes tearing through the room. A tiny body with bouncing blonde curls comes running into the kitchen as a fit of laughter escapes her. She’s about as graceful as a newborn deer, and she flies past Nash.

“Whoa, Posey!” Nash laughs loudly as he moves out of her way and tries to grab her. His hands just miss her, and she disappears around the island.

“Get back here, you little menace!” Nova yells out as she comes hobbling after her daughter. She has one heel on her foot, and the other is tucked beneath her arm with a hairbrush. She looks flustered, but there’s still a smile on her lips as she chases after her.

I’m watching her when I feel something collide with my leg. My gaze drops down beside me, and I see Posey right next to me. She’s having a fit of giggles, and she starts reaching for me, her little hands pawing at my leg. “Up, up,” she says in a rush as she hops up and down.

My eyes widen, and I stare down at the little creature, unsure of what to do. My experience with children is nonexistent, and they scare the living shit out of me.

The little girl bounces up and down again, her movements growing more frantic. “Hurry!”

I don’t think and simply react as I slide my hands beneath her armpits and hold her torso as I lift her into the air. She kicks her feet, reaching for me as she continues to giggle. Nash is watching me with a shit-eating grin on his face as he can see how fucking awkward I feel.

Posey rests her little hands on my chest and collarbone as I hold her against my side. She feels so light in my arms, and asawkward as I feel, I’m also weirdly at ease. Nova is out of breath as she comes into the kitchen, and she manages to get her other heel on her foot before she stands upright.

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