Page 8 of Make Your Move

She lets out a breath, smoothing her hair along the side of her head as she looks at Nash and then at me. It’s like a supersonic collision as our gazes meet across the room. She sees Posey in my arms, and her eyes widen slightly as she takes in the sight of us.

I move away from the counter, closing the distance between the two of us as I walk over to Nova. She blinks like she’s in shock, and I watch the way her slender throat moves while she swallows hard. My heart begins to beat faster as I stop in front of her and tip my head down to look at her. There’s a little over a foot height difference between us.

Nova looks up at me with a pink tint breaking out across her cheeks. Her makeup is done, her hair slicked back in a low bun. I allow myself a moment to look her over as I take in her beige-colored slacks and her white blouse that’s tucked in. Gone are the sundresses I grew accustomed to seeing her twirling around in when we were younger.

Nova Simmons is a fierce fucking woman, even if she still has the freest soul.

“I believe this belongs to you.” I smirk as I pull Posey away from my body and awkwardly hand her to Nova.

She takes the small child from my hands, and a smile breaks out across her face as she taps her finger on Posey’s nose. “This one has a habit of running away when it’s time to do her hair.”

“I can’t say I don’t blame her,” I concur as I watch her set the toddler down on one of the stools at the counter. She squirms, but doesn’t get down, and she moves her body around as Nova tries to brush her hair. It’s like watching someone trying to wrangle an alligator.

Nash leans across the counter, and he crosses his eyes while he sticks his tongue through the gap in between his teeth. Posey lets out a squeal and tries to reach for him as she lets out a hearty belly laugh.

“You’re not helping, Nash,” Nova scolds him as she fights back her own laugh. Nash rolls his eyes and starts talking to his niece while Nova manages to get her hair pulled back into a ponytail. “There, we’re done,” she tells her daughter as she scoops her up and puts her down on the floor.

Posey walks around and stops right by me. I look down at her as she tilts her head back as far as it will go. She pushes her pudgy fingertip against my knee. “Who you?”

“This is Lincoln, baby,” Nova tells her as she walks over to the fridge and grabs a container of fruit and yogurt. “He’s friends with Uncle Nash and is going to be staying here.”

Posey blinks three times as she assesses me. Her eyes narrow, like she’s trying to figure me out. Finally, she takes a step away and lifts her hand to wave. “Hi.”

“Hi, Posey,” I say softly as I smile and wave back at her. Nova scoops her back up and walks into the dining room. I see her through the open space as she sets her daughter in her highchair and sets up her breakfast. Nova smiles at Posey, and my heart feels like it’s going to explode.

I was jealous when I found out Nova was in a relationship. Finding out she was having a baby with him was a kick in the chest. But seeing her now with her daughter…motherhood looks beautiful on her.

“We should probably head out,” Nash tells me, breaking through the moment and my thoughts. I quickly look over at him, but he isn’t looking at me. He’s slipping his feet into a pair of sneakers while grabbing his keys from the counter. “It’s only a fifteen-minute drive to the training facility, but traffic can beshitty in the morning.” He looks over at the dining room, raising his hand. “Have a good first day at school, Poe!”

Posey waves both of her hands and kicks her feet. “Bye-bye!”

“Have a good day back in the office, Nova,” he says to her before he disappears into the foyer.

“Good luck at practice, Lincoln,” Nova tells me as her eyes meet mine through the doorway. Her smile illuminates her face, and for a moment, I’m transfixed.

The front door shuts, pulling me from the moment. “You too,” I reply with a smile before quickly exiting the room. The words replay over in my mind as I head out the front door and walk out to the street to Nash’s car. What a stupid response that made absolutely no sense.

I resist the urge to smack my forehead with the palm of my hand and climb into Nash’s car. My door is barely shut before he’s pulling away from the curb. He turns on the music, and we ride to practice listening to his pre-game playlist. Nash taps his hands on the steering wheel, and his antics are enough to distract me from the anxiety building within the pit of my stomach.

We get to the training facility, and Nash pulls into the parking lot where the other players are. A few stragglers are still walking into the building, so we aren’t the last ones to arrive. He takes me through the entrance, introducing me to some of the other people as we walk to the locker room. I recognize most of the guys since we’ve played against each other.

Nash and I sit down on the bench in the changing room together, and two other guys walk over to greet us. I instantly recognize the one and smile from the familiarity. His onyx-colored hair is a little longer than the last time I saw him, and he brushes it away from his forehead. Carson Ford. We played juniors together and spent the past few years playing against each other.

He was just traded to Aston two seasons ago.

The other guy I know from the few times I’ve seen Nash over the years. Rowan Taylor is one of the best goalies in the league. He’s played for Aston for the past five years, and his record is impeccable.

“Linc, you remember Rowan, right?” he says, motioning to the goalie. “If you don’t remember Ford, I’m really going to question whether or not your brain is intact.”

Carson smiles at me and slaps my hand. “What’s up, Slinky? It’s good to see you back here.”

“Hey, Matthews.” Rowan smiles as he holds out his hand to shake mine. “We’re glad to have you joining us.”

“I’m glad to be here,” I tell the two of them as I look around the room at the rest of the guys. There’s a level of uncertainty when you play with people you’ve never played with before. Finding that synergy and rhythm together can sometimes be a challenge, and we all need to be on the same page on the ice. I’ve played with Carson before and a few of the other guys, so I’m hopeful it won’t be too bad.

Carson sits down beside me, and Rowan goes over to his corner spot, and everyone starts to get dressed. While we’re getting ready, the assistant coach comes in and introduces me to the rest of the team. We all exchange our pleasantries before hitting the ice.

As my blades hit the slick surface and I begin to move toward the center, I take a moment to soak it all in. Using the power in my legs, I skate around the arena watching the rest of the guys as they all come on. Rowan slides into the net and starts stretching while everyone else warms up their muscles.

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