Page 109 of War

I squeeze his hands, refusing to let him go. “Don’t you dare.”

He chuckles. “Fine. Come to the game tomorrow. Just, stay in the stands, ’kay?”

Tyler skates up beside us and holds out a hand to me. “What are you two talking about?”

“Bray. Bray,” Scarlett calls.

The guys swap me for the toddler once again. I’d be embarrassed if I wasn’t still wobbling so much.

Brayden takes off a bit faster, spinning. The sound of Scarlett’s giggles floats on the chilly air.

“He’s a hard nut to crack,” I murmur.

With an arm around me, he hums. “I appreciate how hard you try.”

“Always, Ty,” I peer up at him. “And not just because you want me to. I love that kid. He just needs us to keep showing up for him.”

Angling in, he presses his lips to my forehead.

“When did you learn to skate?” I ask, in need of a subject change.

He chuckles. “I’m Canadian. I was born on skates.”

“Right. You came right out of your mother’s womb with death sticks on your feet.”

Laughing, he spins slowly so we can keep an eye on the kids. On the other side of the pond, Josie is telling Brayden a story as she spins, talking with her whole body, like she always does.

“I was probably three. My parents were still married, and they used to take me out to the pond behind their house.”

“When did they get divorced?”

“I think I was five. My dad met Dory through work. It was anaffair. My mom never mentioned that part to me, but I put the pieces together when I was older.”

I roll my eyes. “That woman is awful. I’m so sorry I didn’t see it when I was with Xander.”

A low grumble vibrates between us.

“Did you just growl at me?”

Pulling back, he hits me with a scowl. “I really would prefer we never mention past relationships again.”

I flatten my lips to keep from laughing. “Past relationships?” I roll my eyes. “I’ve had a whole whoppingone. But yeah, I’d rather not talk about all the women who have owned pieces of you either.”

“There’s been one.” Tyler’s voice is so soft, my head innately tips closer to his, my eyes searching his expression.

Is he going to tell me about the one who got away? My stomach twists in jealousy.

“We don’t need to talk about it.”

“She’s owned me since the first moment I saw her. Knew when I looked into her pretty green eyes that she was my forever.”

A soft breath escapes me as understanding sweeps through me. “Oh.”

Tyler’s lips lift on one side. “Yeah, oh. I remember thinking your eyes were the same color as the ring my mother used to wear on her finger. I forgot about that though until Christmas morning when I pulled the ring from my safe.”

“Ty.”

He shakes his head. “You’re the only girl outside my mother to ever own any piece of me. And now you have a piece of her. It’s how it was meant to be.”

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