Page 50 of Sven

“What time are you getting back tomorrow?”

“I’ll actually get back late tonight. I’ll probably get in after midnight, so I’m sure that you and Winnie will already be in bed.So, you can feel free to go to sleep once you’re done watching my game.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help her grin.“You’re so full of yourself.”

“I am, aren’t I?” he said with his cocky smirk that did things to her.

The doorbell rang as she was just about to hang up.

“Who’s there?” he asked with a furrowed brow.

“Alice is coming over to watch the game... if you must know.”

“You’re watching my hockey game with the coach’s daughter?”

“I’m watching the hockey game with my new friend.”

“Well . . . as long as you’re watching.”

“I have to go.”

“I’ll get a goal for you tonight,” he said as she was just about to shut the laptop.

“Get a goal for yourself,” she said, trying to feign annoyance.

“Okay, two goals. One for you and one for me.”

“Goodbye, Sven.”

“Goodbye, Natalie. Let me say goodbye to Winnie,” he said as the doorbell rang again.

She brought Winnie over to the computer.

“Bye-bye, sweet girl.”

Winnie just reached for the keyboard again.

“Bye, Sven. Have a good game.”

“Bye,” he said before they hung up, and she went to answer the door.

“Hi,” she said as she answered the door. “Sorry, Sven was FaceTiming with Winnie.”

“Aww, that’s cute,” said Alice as she bent down to slip off her boots. “I still can’t believe he’s a father. I mean ... I can believehe has a baby, but I don’t know. I didn’t know he’d be so good with her.”

Natalie guided her into the living room.

Alice and Natalie had gotten coffee earlier in the week, and Natalie found she really enjoyed Alice. She was an artist, and she knew a lot about hockey and the area, so that helped because she knew so little about both of those things. Sydney was her best friend, and she’d seen her, too, but she was busy finishing up her residency, so she wasn’t super available all the time.

After a while, Winnie was down, and Alice and Natalie were curled up on the couch watching the game.

Alice let out another cheer as Taylor rammed someone into the board.

“How long have you and Taylor been together?”

“We got together over Christmas, so going on four months.”

“Wow, you guys seem pretty serious.”

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