Page 234 of Pucking Sweet

“Idolove to bake,” I murmur.

“See, there you go.”

I groan, breathing through the pain of another contraction as the door bursts open.

“I found him,” Jake cries, one arm on Lukas as he pulls him into the room.

The second we lock eyes, we both break into tears. My heart shatters. “Ohgod—”

“No—” Lukas catches me before I can sink to the floor. “Baby, no. He’s alive. Look at me.” He cups my face. “Cole is alive. His heart wasn’t responding to any of the medications to stop his dysrhythmia. We were out of options. They’re taking him back for a pacemaker surgery now. Okay? He’s alive.”

“He’s alive?”

“He’s still alive, baby.” He kisses my brow. Then he steps away, taking me in from head to toe. “Now, what about you? What’s happening? Where are we?”

Fresh tears well as I cling to him. “I’m sorry. Lukas, honey, I really tried. But he won’t stay in.”

His eyes go wide in confusion. “Well, that’s a good thing, right? We wanted him to come out eventually. So, he’s a little early.” He shrugs, glancing from Claribel to Jake. “Probably means he’s a Morrow, not a Novikov. You know how I always like to be fashionably late.”

I give a weak laugh.

“Come on, babe. We can do this,” he assures me.

“Colton was supposed to be here,” I whimper. “I don’t want him to miss it.”

He nods. “Yeah, I know. But Cole’s busy taking care of his own business now. This is gonna be just you and me. But I’m here, and I’m in this. Game time. We are gonna have this baby, and when Cole gets out of surgery, he’s gonna get to meet him, and he’s gonna be so fucking happy. Yeah?”

I hold his gaze, losing myself in the depths of his pretty caramel eyes. “Yeah…we can do this.” I take his hands in both of mine, giving them a squeeze.

“We can do this,” he echoes, his tone steady and sure. “We’re ready.”

Reassured, I nod. Lukas is my family now. Colton and Lukas and this baby. And we are going to share such a beautiful life together.

He smiles, hope and love shining on his face. “Let’s meet our son.”

85

My tongue feels dry. That’s the first thought I have as I wake in the ICU. I don’t have to open my eyes to know where I am. I know the sounds of a cardiac intensive care unit better than any person ought. There’s that sterile smell hospitals have, and the gentle whir, hum, and beep of all the machines. An oxygen hose wraps around my face.

I don’t want to move. I know what they did to me. I know what sits in my chest, just beneath the skin. And I’m so goddamn grateful. Like the doctors said, with my heart, it was only a matter of time. A pacemaker gives memoretime. Who knows, with advancements to devices and new medications, I could live to be a hundred.

Ten years, a hundred years, I’ll take them all. Every day with my loved ones is a gift I won’t be taking for granted.

Part of me wants to feel angry about it all. My career is over. My last game was my last game, and I didn’t even know it. But I think maybe it’s better this way. There were no tears, no long speeches from the guys. No one had to live with being the one who ended my career with a hard hit. This was such a freak thing. An accident—

Oh shit.

Jamal. That’s his name, right? Skinny kid with glasses. I’ll have Poppy get in touch with him for me. He doesn’t need to carry this. It’s not his fault.

I just have a weak heart.

“Cole?”

I smile. Lukas’s voice is like a balm on my weary soul.

“Hey, bud. I saw you starting to move a bit. You just relax, okay? I’m here.”

“Poppy,” I manage to say, not feeling ready to open my eyes.

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