Page 98 of Sweet Thing

ChapterTwenty-Six

Hockey Dads. Just like us!

Spotted in the wild! Three Chicago Rebels players visited Lincoln Park Zoo with their children yesterday. The second week of November saw the first frost of the year, which meant the Rebels kids were bundled up in the latest fashions. At almost two, Jane Jacobs, daughter of center Cody Jacobs, rocked a cuter-than-cute Burberry trench while her big-girl friend, Tilly Kershaw, radiated tomboy energy in jewel-embroidered Stella McCartney jeans and a varsity-style bomber jacket from Sadie Yates’s kids’ range. But the true star of the show was Lars’s Nyquist’s daughter Mabel, who shone in her pink shearling bodysuit from Zara, which still allowed enough range of motion for the curious little girl to touch the goats at the petting zoo. The usually stern Lars was seen laughing with his teammates, Theo Kershaw and Cody Jacobs, which we hope can only signals better relationships on the ice! Daddyhood suits you, Lars. Go Rebels!

- Hot Goss

Adeline

The scentsof cooking wafted through the air, picking up strength as I entered the kitchen. Lars stood over the stove, stirring something.

“You cooked?”

“Yep. Come taste this.”

I approached as he held up a wooden spoon coated with a red sauce. My tongue flicked out and tasted. A little spicy, absolutely perfect.

“I thought you wanted me to babysit.” He’d texted to say he had a dinner date with his agent that he couldn’t get out of.

“I lied.” The corners of his eyes crinkled with a smile. “I wanted to make you dinner.”

My heart flipped. A thank you dinner? A goodbye dinner?

In the last week, as Lars’s suspension continued, we’d enjoyed each other’s company, watching movies, cooking for Mabel, and playing songs, despite a faint ticking sound always in the back of my mind. Still no sign of Mabel’s mom, but that last conversation about needing to start my life had stayed with me. The happy-family bubble had to prick soon. It was just a matter of who held the pin.

“I’ll never say no to a man cooking for me. What can I do?”

“Open the wine? I’ve already fed our girl, given her a bath, and put her down.” He nodded at the monitor.

“You’re beginning to sound like an old pro at this, Lars Nyquist.”

He shook his head. “Remember how terrified I was that first day? I didn’t even know I needed to change her diaper.”

“Your face when I told you.” I smiled fondly. “You’ve come a long way.”

He didn’t deny it. “So you know how she says ‘Yabby’ a lot? Today, I’m pretty sure she said ‘Yaddy’. Now before you say anything, I know that it’s a little early in her development for speech, but she’s such a smart girl, that it could be possible. I read today that some babies are speaking at ten months.”

I wouldn’t be the one to point out that Mabel was a few days shy of the eight-month mark.

He eyed me. “You think I’m crazy?”

“You’re just a proud dad.”

He grinned and passed me the corkscrew. “The wine, sweet thing.”

Hiding my smile, I did as I was told. The table was already set with a bottle of red, real napkins, and candles. Between getting plates, silverware, and a block of parm, we criss-crossed the kitchen several times, a domestic dance that made me heady.

“Where did these flowers come from?” A gorgeous bouquet of roses, chrysanthemums, and eucalyptus was set in a pretty vase on the counter. Curious, I plucked out the card.

My dick sends his gratitude. –Jacobs

“Do I want to know?”

“Just Jakey thanking me for getting his wife in the mood to jump his bones.” Chuckling, he filled me in on how Insta images of Baby Mabel had made Zara broody and kickstarted the Jacobs’ love life.

“Lars Nyquist, uterus whisperer,” I said with a grin.

Ten minutes later, we were seated with spaghetti and meatballs.

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