Page 51 of Playboy

Unfortunately, that’s life for both of us. Hockey season and baseball season both seem endless sometimes. There’s no way around it. Our lives are going to have to change. Mine will, at least. Daniel can’t just take time off from his hockey career.

I’ve been around long enough to meet many players with families. And every one of them has a spouse who does all the heavy lifting when it comes to day-to-day care. The parent thatisn’tthe athlete. I get it. It comes with the territory. But it doesn’t make the pill any easier to swallow.

Then again, Daniel is determined to be a good dad. Plenty of men wouldn’t be so eager. He’ll show up when he physically can. And I have to remind myself that it’s more than I could hope for from a one-night stand.

“Could you print a picture for us?”

Daniel’s question has me peeking over at the doctor. Is that possible?

“Of course. I’ll print out a few.”

My breath catches. Pictures of our baby? “I’ll have to get a magnet so I can put it on the fridge or something.”

Daniel smirks. “That’s the last gift.”

“A magnet?”

With a chuckle, he presses a kiss to my cheek. “No, a frame for our baby’s first picture.”

Heart stumbling, I lift up on an elbow and study him. His messy hair, his warm eyes, his easy posture. “You got the baby its own picture frame?”

“I got the baby its own album.” His expression is bashful again, but there’s all kinds of joy radiating from him too. “Figure we can add pictures of you throughout the pregnancy and of all the ultrasounds. Maybe pictures of our family when we give them the news and find out the sex?—”

He ticks off one milestone after another, all the moments he wants to commemorate.

All I can do is stare in complete wonder.

I don’t have a photo album to commemorate anything. Not my birth, not my high school graduation. Nothing. Yet Daniel has already started one for our unborn child.

Who is this man, and what do I need to do to keep from breaking him?

TEXT MESSAGES FROM HANNAH’S AND DANIEL’S PHONES

Lennox: Did you take care of that little situation last night, Hannah?

Sara: What situation? What did I miss?

Hannah: No idea what you’re talking about.

Lennox: Oh, so you weren’t hagitated?

Sara: LOL she was so HAGITATED, but I’m sure Daniel handled that.

Millie: What does hagitated mean?

Millie: Actually, if it involves my brother, don’t answer that.

Sara: It’s Lennox speak for she was in a MOOD because she needed to get railed.

Millie: She was fine at dinner. God, I miss everything when I don’t come to the bar.

Ava: She was fine at the bar too.

Lennox: You obviously didn’t see what we saw. Probably too distracted by your HOT HUSBAND.

Millie: Oh, I love hot husband distractions. Tell me more about that.

Sara: Nah, I love Daddy War story time, but right now, I need to hear about what happened after Hall called Hannah HIS!!!

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