Page 87 of The Wildcat

Fuck my life.

By the time Cross gets home, the kids are asleep in bed, and I’m sitting on the couch, crying. Sobbing may be more accurate. He comes in and dumps his hockey bag in the mudroom, then moves next to me. “Hey, baby. What’s wrong?”

“I couldn’t figure out what to do about the kids,” I cry.

“What’s wrong with the kids?” he asks, fear lacing his tone.

I shake my head wildly. “Nothing. Nothing is wrong. But they were both asleep, and I didn’t want to wake either of them up to bring them inside. And I didn’t want to leave either of them outside while I brought the other one in because if they woke up alone, they’d be scared, and what if some crazy person came and stole them out of the driveway. And then I couldn’t reach my keys. And Leo said Jax was gonna be a momma’s boy, and he meant I was gonna be his momma. And my mom went on a shopping spree so our kids could have everything they ever wanted at her house. Seriously, she’s better than Santa.” I pause and wipe my eyes, smiling a little when I think about getting to spoil the kids and wake up with them on Christmas morning. “We’re so screwed in a few months.”

“You said our kids, baby,” Cross whispers with awe filling his voice. He pulls me onto his lap and moves my hair out of my face. “You called themourkids.”

“Well, they are our kids. And when that clicked, so did something else, you big pain in my ass.” I smack his big chest.

“Hey. Can we back up to you happy crying because Jaxon’s going to be a momma’s boy and you’re going to be his momma?” His hand cups my jaw and pulls me toward him. “Because those may be my new favorite words.”

“No. We cannot go back to that, Cross. What you did tonight was stupid. And irresponsible. And you or Ares could have gotten hurt. One of your teammates could have gotten hurt.”

“The only one who got hurt was Dolan, baby.” A smile stretches across his handsome face, and I cringe. “I heard a rumor he had to go to the hospital.”

“Cross... stop. I don’t think that’s funny,” I scold, then grab his wrist, needing to be anchored to him when I say this. “I need you to go with me tomorrow to see my parents.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Something clicked tonight, somewhere between Leo’s momma’s boy joke and Kerrigan having a tea party with my mom and Uncle Tommy. And it got cemented when I couldn’t figure out how to get them both safely in the house at the same time. If heaven forbid, something ever happened to either one of them, I’d want to know. I’d need to know. Because I’d want to slay all their dragons for them. And if either of them ever came to us and told us something awful happened to them, I’d hope they’d go to the police and report it so that person who did it could be punished.”

“Baby . . .”

“I’d like you to take me to my parents’ tomorrow morning. Then I’d like to go to the police department.” A heavy weight feels like it’s crushing my chest, but there’s a hope there too. One I’m trusting to push away the weight after tomorrow.

“I’ll hold your hand every single step of the way, Everly.”

I close my eyes and nod. “No running.”

“Never again.” Cross presses his lips to mine, and I lay my head on his chest and listen to the heavy beat of his heart.

“I don’t want to wait until June to marry you, Cross.”

“I’ll print you a schedule tomorrow. Pick a Saturday we don’t have a game and tell me where to be, baby. I’ll do whatever you want. I just need you, Kerrigan, and Jax.”

“And our families. We have to have them. Lindy’s mom is an event planner. Once we get a date, she’ll make it magical.”

“It already is.” Cross’s heart beats steady and strong against my cheek, and I thank God for magic because I think he was my birthday wish come true.

Keith Dolan, formerly of the Pittsburg Pythons hockey team, was convicted today on three counts of aggravated sexual assault in the first degree, and two additional counts of aggravated sexual assault in the second degree. He’s been sentenced to forty years in a maximum security prison. With the chance for parole after thirty years. He will be on parole supervision for life as a registered sex offender. The first woman of the five women who came forward, Ms. Everly Wilder, said that she was grateful that this predator was off the streets and that he could no longer hurt another woman. She thanked her husband for giving her the strength to come forward.

#KroydonKronicles

EPILOGUE

“It’s hard to believe it’s been a year,” I say to my husband as we walk along the sandy beach at our family’s Jersey Shore compound, which Cross added to a month ago when we bought a house here too. Jax is chasing Kerrigan, who’s flying a beautiful butterfly kite that Aunt Nattie and Uncle Brady bought her for her birthday last week. Our girl is really into butterflies at the moment.

“Best year of my life, wife.” He pulls my hand up to his lips and kisses my rings.

“Yeah. It’s been a pretty good one.” I smile when Jax’s chubby legs move faster than his little body can keep up with, and he tumbles into the sand. When Kerrigan turns around to make sure he’s okay, he throws sand in her face, and she ends up in tears.

“Fucking terrible twos,” Cross groans, and I laugh.

“He’s barely a year and a half.”

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