Page 87 of Puck Princess

Callie puts her hand on my chest. “Just breathe.”

“Remind me why we are doing this?” I say through my teeth.

“So we can be together. So we can fall asleep together and wake up together and do everything together like you said the other night.”

I close my eyes, nodding and breathing deep. “Right, right, right.”

She stretches onto her toes to kiss me. “We got this.”

And I gotta admit, when she says it like that, I believe her.

We walk back inside, and Summer chucks a protein bar at me. “Hey, bro, think fast!”

I catch it before it hits me in the face. “What the hell?”

“The guys said you’re getting grumpy, so I figured you need a snack. You know, before the pizza gets here.”

“Pizza? Sweet! I’m starved.” Dax is still sitting on the stool drinking a beer.

“Doing nothing works up an appetite,” I grumble.

Callie steps in to defend him. “His shoulder blade is out.”

Dax nods. “See? I’m injured. Doctor says so.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Moral support.”

I open my mouth to say something, but Callie unwraps the bar and shoves it in my mouth. Probably for the best, honestly.

Spencer peacocks in the room like he owns it. “Cute place, Sharpe. Not really the kind of pad I pictured you in though, Callie.”

I want to question why he’s picturing anything about my girlfriend, but my mouth is still full.

Callie levels him with a neutral look that only I know is lethal enough to kill. “And how would you know what I want, Spencer?”

Something I can’t read flashes across his face. But Lance calls my name from the hallway.

“Something else is being delivered and they want to know where to bring it. I think it’s a dresser.”

As much as I want to see this play out, I walk into the hall. Sure enough there’s a dresser and some end tables. All at once, I regret letting Callie talk me into all new furniture. Then again, she did it while we were naked in bed, so… I don’t have many regrets.

I direct a few of the college guys to take the end tables to the living room, but Lance helps me with the dresser.

Callie is busy helping Summer reorganize the kitchen, but Spencer is nowhere to be seen.

Good. I hope he left. Actually, I hope he’s crushed somewhere under the new velvet sofa.

I’m heading into our room with the dresser when Callie calls out. “That goes in the spare room!”

The spare room.

Otherwise known as the nursery. It’s still mostly empty except for the hockey memorabilia still clinging to the walls. I’m more than happy to ditch all of it to make space for our baby.

“Is that a signed Gretzky?” Lance all but drops the dresser as he rushes towards the jersey hanging behind glass on the wall.

“Yeah. I bought it when I got my first professional paycheck.”

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