Page 181 of Waiting Game

Cole: Fucking doctors. What do they know?

Jude: Right?

Cole: Your wife must have been upset?

Jude: Mercy wasn’t happy about it… no. Frightened her :/

Cole: Ugh, shit.

Jude: Yeah. Things aren’t too good between us, tbh

Cole: That sucks to hear.

Cole: If there’s anything I can do, just let me know?

Jude: Will do, but I doubt it unless you can get me off the LTIR sooner rather than later lol

Cole: I know I’m awesome, but I can’t dole out miracles yet

Jude: Shame, haha

Jude: TTYL

Cole: TTYIAB (Watch out for a delivery from me. Everyone needs cookies when they’re on the LTIR. It should be an NHL bylaw)

Jude: Cheers, man

CHAPTER 35

MIA

Work Song - Hozier

You’d never imaginethat something as tiny as Betsy could be so much trouble/work, but she packs a helluva massive punch to both mine and Cole’s schedules.

Because he has no idea how to look after cats, never mind kittens in need of bottle-feeding, my apartment has become ground zero for the chaos.

I’d complain but Betsy is cute as fuck, and Cupid, who’s recuperated from her surgery but has been down ever since Chuck’s passing, is enjoying having the kitten around—especially when I’m out at night.

She’d always complain when I got back, pissed at me for leaving her in a lurch, but not with Betsy around.

Plus, there’s the added benefit of watching a massive hockey player bottle-feeding a kitten.

Be still my ovaries.

We spent Thanksgiving together. The day after, he had to head to Dallas and they just flew into Boston for tonight’s game. It’s the first time since we got Betsy that he’s left her and I’m not sure who he’s missing more—me or the cat.

Standing behind the bar, I grin at the thought as I watch him slide onto the ice.

Jarvis nudges me in the side. “I got eighty on them to win.”

“Why eighty?” I ask, wincing when I see Cole get slashed with a stick, straight to the back of the calf.

Even Jarvis grimaces. “Why not eighty?”

Distracted as Cole goes down, I question, “I meant why not a hundred? It’s an oddly specific number.”

My eyes lock on a strange interaction between Cole and the goalie who helps him to his feet. Liam Donnghal takes over, helping Cole get back to the bench, but he also interacts with the opposing team’s goalie—they bump fists.

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