Page 41 of Make Your Play

Posey bounces again in Nova’s arms and Nonna offers to take her as she walks around me to the two of them. Posey goes to her without any protest and Nonna’s face inches closer to her ear as they watch the players while Nonna talks to her.

“Poe’s been asking to learn how to skate,” Nova says as she inches closer, her voice dropping low enough that Posey can’t hear her. “Lincoln sent me a picture of skates he bought for her earlier.” She looks at me and down to my stomach before her gaze meets mine. “It’s in our nature to want to keep them safe. Sometimes it feels like it was easier when she was still in my stomach.”

“I’m terrified for him to be out here, honestly,” I admit, my voice quiet as I shake my head to myself. “The world is such a scary place and there are literally so many things that can be a danger.”

“Lord, isn’t that the truth?” Nova gives me a knowing look before she looks back out at the ice to her brother and Lincoln skating. “I don’t know how my parents did it with him playing hockey, honestly. It’s almost worse now with them being adults. The hits are harder and the injuries are rarely ever minor.” She glances back at me again. “I don’t know that I’ll willingly sign my kid up for any of this shit.”

“I mean, Poe is still really little. I feel like her learning to skate comes with the territory with Lincoln, plus having her uncle who also plays.”

Nova purses her lips and nods. “This is true.” She tilts her head to the side. “Just wait until they start influencing your littlebabe. They’ll be wanting to get him or her on the ice as soon as they can hold their head up.”

“Him,” I tell her, a soft smile lifting my lips.

“What?!” She claps her hands over her mouth just as Nash comes skating over to the glass. I turn to look at him, the same time Nova tries to wave him away. “Come back later. You’re interrupting something important.”

Nash’s eyebrows pull together. “What’s going on?” His voice is barely audible but I read his lips.

“I just told her the baby is a he.”

Nova’s head whips back and forth, looking between Nash and I. “Wait, you told him?”

“It accidentally came out the other day,” I tell her with a simple shrug, attempting to brush away the fact that he knows a secret that no one else knows about.

It definitely isn’t the first one.

“Holy shit, this is more serious than I thought,” Nova mumbles under her breath as she turns to Nonna and Posey.

I keep my gaze on Nash’s through the glass as he scans my face, making sure I’m okay as he usually does. “Don’t do anything stupid or get hurt again.”

“I wasn’t that bad of a patient,” he argues, a smirk finding his lips.

“You most definitely were, so you’d better behave out there tonight.”

Nash tilts his head to the side. “Are you going to be the one delivering my punishment if I don’t?”

Oh my god.

Warmth swirls in the pit of my stomach and my mouth is instantly dry at the thought of it. My pregnancy hormones have my libido through the roof and the last thing I need is this man turning me on in the middle of the ice rink.

Suddenly it doesn’t feel as cold as it did when we first got here.

Carson Ford calls Nash’s name, waving him over to where the guys are by the bench. Nash looks at him then back to me as the flames in his eyes burn brighter. My tongue darts out to wet my lips and he winks at me before skating away.

Nova moves back to me, now with Posey in her arms again. “Let’s head up to the suite.” Her gaze travels out to the ice as the guys are heading into the tunnel before she looks back at me. “I’m not going to lie, I’m a little annoyed that my brother knew you are having a boy before I did, but I can get over that.”

“Oh, honey, a boy?” Nonna wraps her arm around my back, pulling me close to her side. “You are just going to have the best time with a little boy. No one loves their mother quite like a little boy does.”

“That’s not true. Little girls love just as hard,” Nova chimes in.

Nonna nods. “They do, but it’s a different kind of love.” Nonna smiles at Nova. “Just wait until your next one. I just know you’ll get your mini Lincoln who will show you exactly what I mean.”

Nova smiles at her, warmth radiating from her expression. “I honestly hope so.” She glances at me as the three of us start to walk together. “Do you have any names picked out yet?”

I shake my head, pursing my lips as we duck out of the way of a cleaning cart rounding the corner. Nonna ushers me away from it and I fall back in step with Nova again. “I have a few I’ve been thinking about it but I don’t know yet.”

“Does this mean we can make the baby shower boy-themed?”

“Might as well,” I tell her with a shrug. Everything I put on my registry was neutral just in case and I left it afterward. The way I found out made it feel a little weird to just randomly announce it to everyone. “I’d rather explain it to everyone theninstead of having to explain what happened over and over to multiple people.”

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