Page 73 of Born of Ice

“I’m Emett!” he proclaims excitedly. “And I’m gonna be the best hockey player when I grow up!”

“Are you now?” Sava asks, amused.

“Mm-hmm, that’s why Mommy brought me here today. So, I can train with The Axe.” I will never stop being amused by the way he makes Exton sound like a god. Never.

At the word “Mommy” Severin shoots a look Aurora’s way, staring at her in shock. “That pretty girl is your mommy?” he asks Emett who is giggling now.

“Yeah! The prettiest mommy in all the world,” Emett says as Rory tucks in a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, hercheeks taking on a new shade of pink that has nothing to do with the cold air.

The tension floods the air as suddenly as Severin’s appearance, and I look around to see if I’m the only one who’s noticed it, but when my eyes snatch to Exton’s he looks oblivious to all but the box at his friend’s feet.

“Are you planning to reveal the big mystery behind the huge box with a f—” Exton stops himself, casting a glance at Emett’s curious face and clears his throat. “Fabulous bow on top?” he amends, and both Rory and I are barely suppressing our chuckles.

At least she seems to be out of the stupor.

“Oh,” Sava says, looking down to the said box as if he’d forgotten it was there. “Um, this is for Electra. It’s a helmet. You know for when you decide to play hockey together again,” he adds sheepishly, and I smile, feeling genuinely excited for probably the weirdest gift I’ve ever received but then again, I’ve never had hockey gods as friends before, so there’s that.

“How considerate of you,” Exton states drily.

“Are you also dating Miss Electra?” Emett suddenly speaks up and we all freeze and then turn to his inquisitive eyes. “Because I think Mr. Axe already is, and if you’re not, can you date my mommy? You think she’s pretty, right?”

“Jesus Christ! Emett!” Aurora hisses, followed by a long groan before she covers her face with both hands.

“What? I’m just looking for you,” he says like he’s at least a fully-grown teenager and not the smartest four-year-old I’ve ever met, and I’m pretty sure he meant he’s looking out for her but he is still a four-year-old and everything he comes up with sounds infinitely better. “Everyone in kindergarten would die,” he says with extra exaggeration.

Aurora’s voice seems to have left the building and she only shakes her head.

Exton can no longer help himself and bursts out laughing. “Kid, have I told you that you are my favorite yet? When we have a son, I want him to be just like you.” He pats the top of his helmet.

Is it just me or did I hear him say we?Who, we?Who is he referring to? I guess he does have a girlfriend then.

But just then that weird hallucination of a dark-haired boy with icy eyes flashes in front of my eyes again and for some reason, this time I can’t blink it away as fast. And it’s as if Exton can sense exactly what picture my mind has conjured up, in which puddle I’m sinking anew because he gives me a quick glance with the most promising wink.

Now, what’s that supposed to mean?

“Come on, champ, let’s go practice some more before you marry off your mom to some stranger.” Exton claps his shoulder and steers him away, winking toward Aurora’s grateful gaze.

“I’m so sorry. Please don’t mind my son, Mr. Minaev. He’s been out of it today. I think all the excitement from meeting Exton Quinn—and now you—gotten to him,” my friend says apologetically.

Severin chuckles, flashing his cute dimple her way. “There’s nothing wrong with him wanting to look out for his pretty mom.”

I did not think it was possible for Rory to blush even deeper, yet here we are. She bites her bottom lip, quickly hiding her reaction. “More like looking out for himself, didn’t you hear him? Everyone is going todiein kindergarten.” She clucks her tongue. “Mind you he doesn’t even go to kindergarten yet.”

“He’s thinking ahead, and I kinda like it,” Sava muses and gets interrupted by his friend.

“Hey, pretty boy, get your skates on and your ass out here. Emett is gonna hand it to you,” Exton calls out to him, making the little boy in question sparkle with glee, and feeling so, so special.

The ice around my heart thaws a little more.

Yeah, he’d be great with kids…

“My man, Axe, you need to keep up with practices if you want to be back on the real ice,” Severin jokes, but I don’t miss the pointed way Exton ignores his comment.

And apparently, Severin doesn’t either because he adds, “We miss you. The team is not the same without you.”

I only notice his hands tighten on the handle of his hockey stick because my eyes are tracking him like my own shadow. “Spare me the bullshit, Minaev,” he bites out, and I get a sense Exton didn’t mean to let that slip—yet it did. Along with a look of anger I’ve only seen in his eyes back when my physical therapist was here. And when he punches that wall.

It’s the kind you go for a kill with and the simple talk about his beloved team brought it out.

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