Page 58 of Triplet Babies for Pucking Christmas

“Alright, but don’t blame us when you miss all the fun!” Millie teases, heading for the door.

As they leave, the suite feels quieter. I cradle Noah, cooing softly to him. “Your daddies did so good, didn’t they? You’re gonna be so proud when you grow up.”

Noah gurgles, his tiny hand wrapping around my finger.

The VIP door creaks open behind me. I turn, and there’s Jared, looking slightly disheveled but grinning.

“There you are,” he says, striding in like he owns the place.

“That was fantastic,” I say, my heart speeding up as he approaches.

“Yeah?” His grin widens as he closes the gap between us. Before I can say another word, his hand cups my cheek, and his lips crash into mine.

My knees go weak, and I grab his arm for balance.

“Hey, baby,” he murmurs against my lips, his voice rough and low.

“Hey,” I whisper back, kissing him again.

He pulls back just enough to look at Noah, who’s staring up at him with wide, adoring eyes. Jared leans down, brushing a hand over Noah’s head.

“Hey, buddy. You watching hockey with Savannah?” Jared asks, his voice soft.

Noah lets out a little coo, his tiny hand reaching up toward Jared’s face.

Jared chuckles, glancing back at me. “You wanna go say hi to the guys? They’d love to see you.”

I hesitate, chewing on my lip. “I don’t know…”

“C’mon,” he says, his hand sliding down my arm. “They’d be thrilled. And you deserve to celebrate too.”

I glance down at Noah, then back at Jared. His eyes are so damn convincing, full of excitement and something deeper.

“All right,” I say finally.

Jared grins, picking up the bassinet effortlessly. “Let’s go, then.”

He holds the door open for me, and as I step out, I can’t help but smile. Maybe tonight won’t be so complicated after all.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Troy

The locker room is chaos. Loud laughs, the clinking of beer bottles, and shouting everywhere.

Jamie’s talking about the last save he made like it was the damn Olympics, and Axel’s trying to one-up him with a story from the playoffs last year. The energy’s high—everyone’s buzzing from the win.

“Hell of a job, guys,” Jamie says, leaning back against his locker like he’s king of the world.

The door swings open, and suddenly, the noise cuts out like someone hit mute. Every single one of us turns to look.

She’s standing there, cheeks flushed, legs for days in that little skirt, and baby Noah in her arms. Savannah. Inmyjersey.

Holy shit.

I can’t move, can’t breathe. It’s like my brain short-circuits, and all I can think is,I want this exact picture as my lock screen. Forever. So I can stare at her all day.

“Hey,” she says, her voice soft but carrying through the silence. She lifts her hand in a little wave.

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