Page 83 of Enticing

Promise.

ADELAIDE

Life has its ups and downs. Probably the only squats I do.

—Addie’s Secret Thoughts

“How does Izzy like ballet?” Gracie asks me as we sit in the suite at the hockey arena, waiting for the game to start.

“So far she loves it. But it’s only been one class. And your mother won’t even let me pay for it.” Not that I knew where the money was coming from, but I would have found it somewhere.

“Izzy and Lennox are her newest grandbabies, and there’s nothing in the world Mom and Dad love more than their grandbabies. Ask Everly. They don’t see any difference between biological and stepkids. To them, they’re all theirs.”

I look around the suite that’s filled to the brim tonight with Sinclairs, Ryans, and Murphys because apparently, that’s another branch of the family. Everyone is here to see theRevolution play Chicago, since it means all our guys and Hendrix will all be on the same ice.

“Mommy,” Izzy calls out to me, and I turn in time to see her walking Lilah Ryan over our way. “Look, Mommy. Lilah is here to cheer on Leo.” Izzy beams, and Lilah smiles at her adoringly.

“I’m pretty sure she’s cheering on everyone, Izz. Remember what we talked about? Molly’s dad, and his brother, and both of Leo’s brothers are all playing in the game tonight,” I giggle. So does Lilah, but Izzy doesn’t care.

She curls her finger, bringing us both down to her. “So we’re not supposed to tell everyone else that Leo’s the best?”

Lilah bites her lip and tugs on one of Izzy’s curls. “Shh... We’ll keep that to ourselves, okay?”

Izzy’s big brown eyes dance excitedly, and I think I fall in love with Lilah. “I knew it. Okay, yeah. We won’t tell anyone because I don’t want to hurt their feelings when they realize my dad is better than theirs.”

I suck in a breath and chance a glance at Lilah, who looks considerably less shocked than I am. She called himher dad,and damn, she’s not wrong. In the few short months Leo has been in her life, he’s been everything a father should be. And so much more of one than Izzy’s ever had. But still... we haven’t called him that or even discussed it with her or him.

My heart cracks for my daughter. She hasn’t had it easy, but this man who just stepped into her life like he was always there... I’m pretty damn sure he’s never going to let her down. He’s going to be the father I wish I’d had and I prayed my girls would have.

I look through the glass with happy tears in my eyes and watch the team skate on to the ice.

Watch my husband.

Maybe it’s time I give up my pride and my inheritance in return for my freedom.

“Do you need help with Lennox?” Lilah asks as we all pack up after a beautiful Revolution win. I think I forgot how much I actually love this game when I let myself enjoy it.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I want to go down to the locker room area and wait for Leo with Gracie, Everly, and Kenzie.”

“I love the way you smile when you talk about my cousin,” she tells me sweetly and snuggles my happy baby, headphones and all, to her chest. “Honestly, it’s not a big deal. I think Maddox’s closed West End for the night, so we could all go there after without dealing with the public. I can handle them for thirty minutes while we wait.”

“You’re nothing like I would have thought you’d be,” I admit sheepishly. “I’m not sure what I thought, but I guess I assumed you’d be more... I don’t know.”

“Bitchy,” she fills in, and I feel awful.

“No. But maybe higher-maintenance.” I take Izzy’s hand in mine, and Lilah laughs as we move to the elevators.

“Well, now you know. Truth be told, I don’t have a ton of friends. I dropped out of school to go on my first tour, and that doesn’t exactly make it easy to make friends. Family is safer for me, and you’re family now, Addie. We should do breakfast one day when Leo’s away.”

“I’d like that a lot,” I agree and wonder when this big, crazy, beautiful family became mine.

Waiting outside the locker room for the players is a right of passage. A lot of the wives and girlfriends do it. But it’s chaos. There are too many people and too much noise. But my ferallittle girl loves it as she and Molly hold hands and Izzy takes it all in.

Gracie leans into me with a devious little smile that reminds me of her brother’s. “Any chance Izzy would want to spend the night at my house one night? Molly keeps asking, but I wasn’t sure if you’d be comfortable with it. I know they’re young.”

I’d never say yes to anyone else, but this is Leo’s sister. “I think she’d really like that. I’m not sure how she’ll do though. We may have to come get her in the middle of the night. She’s never spent a night away from me.”

“That’s not a big deal. We only live on the other side of the lake.”

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