Page 88 of Second-Rate Superstar

Dropping to her knees in the aisle, Dakota tucked the messy black strands away from my niece’s face. “Hey, Charlie. Do you want to sit beside me?”

She peeked at her mom for approval. Natalie nodded. “It’s fine with me.”

Charlie stood, throwing her arms around Dakota’s neck. “Yes, please.” She hiccupped, trying to calm down after her tantrum.

Getting to her feet, the toddler still held in her arms, Dakota spun to face me. I was sure the expression on my face said it all—that I was in complete and total awe of her—and she blushed, averting her eyes. She fit seamlessly into our family, stepping right in and throwing herself into the chaos without a second thought.

Natalie motioned to a car seat set up for Charlie. Abandoning my carry-on, I moved to help her with the buckles. Placing my hands atop hers on the straps, she let me take over, dropping into the empty seat.

I wasn’t kidding when I told Dakota I could see our future with crystal clarity. And right now, I could imagine buckling our own dark-haired little girl into a seat and heading home for the holidays. I wondered if she would want to get a summer home in Minnesota near Natalie and Jaxon or if there was somewhere else she might prefer. Or maybe she wanted to spend all year in Hartford. It didn’t matter, so long as we were together.

I was moving at the speed of light in my mind, but I didn’t care. My future was seated right in front of me, and I was going to hold on with both hands. She was mine, and I was keeping her. Forever.

“Braxton?” Her musical voice broke into my daydream.

“Yeah?” I was still in a daze, lost in the vision of our life together.

“Are you going to sit down? They’ve closed the doors, and the pilot said we’re going to take off soon.”

Plopping into the seat across the aisle, I reached over to grab her hand, stroking the knuckles softly with my thumb. Sighing, her head dropped back on the headrest, and her eyes drifted shut.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered, my words almost drowned out by the engines turning on.

Head lolling to the side to peek at Charlie quickly, she turned back to me. “I know, but I wanted to. She’s a sweet little girl, but I can imagine getting lost in the shuffle is frustrating, and she’s not old enough to vocalize it. So, she acts out, trying to get attention. I’m more than happy to give her a little bit of my time. It’s simple, but I have a feeling it means a lot to her.”

My heart grew three sizes inside my chest; that small act of compassion for a three-year-old meant even more to me.

Dakota was beautiful inside and out. She was perceptive to others’ needs and was quick to offer emotional comfort. It might seem insignificant in her mind, but she left her mark everywhere she went. Her tiny actions would leave a lasting impression on those whose lives she’d touched.

And I was the lucky bastard she’d let down her walls for. I would never take that for granted. It would become my life’s mission to cherish this woman the way she deserved. I would devote my entire life to her happiness.

Our forever had already begun.

It was early afternoon when we arrived in Minneapolis, where it was a good fifteen degrees cooler than the temperature in Connecticut when we’d left. There was a reason the hometown hockey team was called theFreeze. You were hard-pressed to find a day above freezing in the winter out here. It was great for the thousands of lakes, providing the ideal condition for nature’s outdoor ice rinks, but if you weren’t accustomed to the low temps, it could be a shock.

Case in point: Dakota was shivering the second we stepped off the plane. Immediately, I shucked my winter coat, placing it over her shoulders.

“Layers are the only way to combat the cold, baby,” I whispered in her ear.

Turning around, she saw I was standing outside in only my sweater, and she tried to give back my coat. Placing my hands on her shoulders, my voice grew stern. “Don’t even think about it.”

Dakota’s sigh was so heavy it formed an icy cloud that hung in the air. “I’m wearing two coats now, Braxton. You’re going to freeze to death.”

“We’ll be inside the car in five minutes. I’ll survive.”

“Stubborn ass,” she mumbled.

I smirked. “Maybe I want an excuse to hold you close all evening, sharing body heat to raise my core temp again.”

That got a tiny smile from her. “Wouldn’t put it past you.”

Grabbing our bags from the crew, I led her to one of the two cars waiting to take us to Jaxon and Natalie’s house, an hour away.

Thankfully, the driver had the heat cranked up, and within minutes, Dakota was shedding both coats. Pulling her across the bench seat, I purred in her ear, “Just think, we can spend all weekend cuddled up in front of a roaring fire.”

She melted into my side but countered, “This isn’t a romantic getaway. It’s Christmas with your brother’s family.”

Oh, she had so much to learn. “Do you think the two of them won’t be all lovey-dovey? Because I can assure you, they will. They won’t even notice we’re there.”

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