Page 99 of On Thin Ice

“Dropping like flies on this team. Tally, Timmy, Santa, now you. We’re supposed to be the hot team of single guys. It’s part of our appeal,” Sin said.

Tally rolled his eyes. “Speaking of ignoring people.”

“I get no love from any of you,” Sin pouted before biting into his sandwich.

I shook my head at his antics and focused on my own food, telling myself that I’d deal with responding to my mother later. I didn’t have the energy right now. She had asked if I’d be home for Christmas, and when I told her that I wouldn’t because either the baby would be here or Ally would be overdue, she replied, “Oh yeah, that’s happening.”

Of course, she then followed it up by complaining about seeing my dad out in town with his latest flavor of the month.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was my father and whoever he was with at the moment. I didn’t understand why Mom had to bring him up. It’d been years since the divorce. And she clearly wasn’t aiming for grandparent of the year since she obviously didn’t give a fuck about the upcoming birth of my child. My decision to keep both of them away from Ally and the baby seemed smarter with each passing day.

Having such a shit example of parenting continued to niggle in the back of my brain, and I hated thinking I wouldn’t be enough for Ally and our daughter when the time came.

Chapter 19

ALLY

Igripped the back of the couch and took a deep breath. Then, a shallow breath. My stomach clenched, and it felt like a contraction, but I wasn’t due for three days, and first babies were supposed to be late.

And Dom was getting on a freaking plane soon to fly home from his road trip.

“Now is not the time, Baby Girl,” I said, my voice tight as I glared down at my stomach.

It was probably just those Braxton-Hicks things. It’s not like the stabs of pain were minutes apart or anything. According to the last baby book I’d read, this was normal.

Not very comfortable, but normal. I glanced at the stopwatch I’d set on my phone. Nine minutes since the last one. Still, no need to panic. It was fine.

I walked into the kitchen to fill my water bottle, then took a sip. This was going to be fine. My computer pinged with amessage, so I headed back to my desk to keep working. I had a few reports to review and emails from clients that needed my attention. Everything was going to be fine.

***

Less than two hours later, it was not fine. Dom was in the air, and my contractions were six minutes apart. I squeezed the armrest on my chair as another one hit. Five minutes and forty-five seconds apart. And they freaking hurt.

And I had no one to call.

Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. I mean, yeah, I had people I could call. Hell, this building was typically full of hockey players, and some of them had partners living with them who I’d gotten to know. But none of them were my family or my best friend. Brooke was probably the closest friend I’d made so far, and that was only because she was a former Striker WAG, but she didn’t live in the building.

I tapped on Darcy’s name and sent her a text.

Ally: I think I’m in labor.

Darcy: OMG! What? Now? It’s early.

Darcy: Go to the hospital.

Darcy: Where is Dom?

Darcy: Are you okay?

Ally: He’s on a freaking plane, and I’m panicking. They’re just under six minutes apart. It could be false labor. Dom should be home in a few hours.

Darcy: It might not be fake. Go to the hospital. Need me to order you an Uber? I know your bag is already packed.

Then she was calling me.

“Don’t freak out, okay? You’re going to kick ass and get through delivery, and then she’ll be here,” Darcy said before I could even say hello.

My laugh was watery, and then I let out a little cry as another contraction hit.

---