Page 62 of On Thin Ice

“Very funny. So when? And what can I do to help?” I tried to control the swirling thoughts in my brain.Yes. I wanted her to move in so I could be there for her and help her with her pregnancy and when our daughter arrived. But I was also scared shitless that I would screw something up or get in over my head. I shoved those feelings aside. I wanted to be a part of my daughter’s life, and Ally’s, so badly.

“Uh, I don’t know. I just decided today, so I have no plans.”

“You having no plans is weird,” I teased.

“Don’t worry. I started making a list before you called.”

I chuckled. “Of course you did. So what’s on the list? Is it like demands or plans?”

She shrugged. “Maybe both.”

“You can have whatever you want,” I readily said.

“You might come to regret that.” Then she pulled out a notebook.

“You really did start a list. Wait, what’s on the first page? Looks like pros and cons.”

She quickly flipped a few pages into the notebook. “It’s nothing, and of course, I made a list. Being pregnant is the most unplanned thing that’s ever happened to me. I have lists foreverything.”

“Okay. Hit me,” I said, unable to keep the broad smile off my face. This was going to be a good thing.

***

“We have two days until she gets here, and I have a list of things we need to do,” I said to the guys in my condo. It’d been six days since Ally had agreed to move in with me, and between her work and my game schedule, we’d finally managed to iron out all the details. We were in the middle of a long home-game stretch, so at least I had time to get everything she needed set up. Well, almost set up. That’s why I’d recruited a few guys to help out after morning practice. We didn’t have a game tonight, so no one needed their afternoon naps.

“All right. What are we building first?” Tally asked as Micah started opening boxes.

“What the hell is this?” Micah pulled a long, snake-like pillow out of a box.

“The best pregnancy pillow on the market. It’s supposed to hug her perfectly, I guess. I don’t know. Brooke suggested it,” I said.

Sin smirked. “Aren’t you going to be hugging her?”

Tally groaned. “Don’t start.”

“Why did we bring him again?” Micah teased.

“Because he’s surprisingly efficient at assembling anything that needs an Allen wrench,” Tally said with a shrug.

Sin wiggled his fingers. “Very nimble fingers. Bookcases and the ladies love me.”

I chuckled. “You’re an idiot, but thanks for the help.”

“Always ready to help my teammates. What needs screwing?” Sin asked.

Tally groaned again. “You’ve been waiting to use that, haven’t you?”

“Yup,” Sin said.

“Go build that bookcase.” I pointed toward the large box propped up against the wall.

“On it.” He saluted us with said wrench.

Micah and I started assembling the crib while Tally worked on a cube thing that I’d gotten for storage. I’d managed to get the bassinet set up already and had put it next to the bed.

“This should not be that hard,” I said, looking at all the desk pieces a short while later. We’d finished up the bedroom and Sin was on his second bookcase.

Micah flipped through the manual. “Why is this book of instructions so long? It’s just a damn desk.”

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