Bracing the Blue Line

by Lindsay Paige

  Liana is supposed to be here any day now, so you can imagine how anxious I've been. Audra seems calmer than me. She's driving me almost to insanity, though. She's ready for Liana to come, and she seems more emotional than ever. From the time I talk to Bo to the time I leave for my game, I've almost made her cry three times and each time, I said something nice! I'm beyond ready for this game tonight. It can let me escape just for a bit.

  Coach builds us up for another win, reminding us of our jobs on the ice. As soon as he gives the order to get on the ice, my phone rings. The guys glance my way at the sound. It's Audra, so I answer.

  “Babe? What's up? The game is about to start? Everything okay?”

  “Neil,” Mrs. Garcia says. So wasn't expecting to hear her voice. “She's gone into labor. She asked me to tell you that she knows it could still be awhile, but-”

  “She's crazy if she thinks I'm staying here,” I breathe.

  Mrs. Garcia laughs. “That's not what I was going to say. She wants you here as soon as you can get here. She's panicking a little and said she absolutely will not have this baby until she talks to you in person.”

  “Okay, I'll be there soon.” When I turn away from my locker, the entire team is staring at me. None of them have left the room yet. “I have to go. Sorry, Coach.”

  He smiles. “Don't worry about us. You've led this team all season. They are strong enough to win without you here, thanks to you. Keep us updated.” Words of congrats spread through my teammates before Coach booms, “Alright, let's go! We have a game to win and Neil has to go officially become a dad.”

  I grin. Baby girl is finally on her way.

  ALL I CAN manage to think about is how beautiful my daughter is. Liana Grace Lawson entered the world at 7 pounds 2 ounces. Right now, she's sleeping in my arms while her momma sleeps. The nurse will probably come for her soon. My parents and the Lanier's will be stopping by in the morning and Audra's parents will be back too, I'm sure.

  “There's the new dad,” Bo's quiet voice comes from the doorway. Almost the entire team is with him, as well as Lucy and Maddie.

  “What are you all doing here?” I whisper.

  “We came to tell you that we won, to check in on everyone, and to congratulate you,” Winston says.

  “She's beautiful,” Grant tells me.

  “Thanks,” I smile.

  “She looks like every other baby I've ever seen,” Vincent comments.

  I hear someone hit him in the stomach, and I softly laugh.

  “She's so cute,” Lucy says, peering over Bo's shoulder.

  “You're in a different world now,” Bo tells me. “She already has you wrapped around her finger,” he adds with a grin.

  “Sure does,” I nod. “Thanks for stopping by, y'all. It means a lot.”

  They congratulate me again before leaving. The nurse comes for Liana, and I look down at her one more time. So unbelievably beautiful. I don't want her to leave my arms ever, but she'll be back. My perfect baby girl. All the things I'll teach her as she grows up flash through my mind. How to walk, talk, and skate barely scratch the surface. It hits me as hard as if I were punched in the gut that I truly have a family now. The Lanier's, the Garcia's, my parents, Audra and now Liana are all part of my family. My life is going to be amazing, and it's all starts with my baby girl. I really hope her first word is Daddy.

  AS ALWAYS, I need to thank my wonderful beta readers for giving me their time to provide fantastic feedback for my guys. Thank you Andrekia, Heidi, Louise, Lucy, Michael, and Rachel.

  A huge thanks goes to one beta reader in particular. Thank you, Heidi, for help my struggling self give this book a title that I'm in love with and fits perfectly.

  Thanks to Kim C. and Jessica P. for choosing the names, Winston and Maddie, for me to use in this book!

  Kathy from K² Editing, thank you for working with me, my deadlines, and for those little comments you leave while editing.

  I really need to thank Alisha from Damonza for designing a cover that met my wants and couldn't be more perfect. Thank you for always being a pleasure to work with and for being so accommodating.

  Lastly, I need to thank Mary Smith. You're my best friend, my writing BFF, and you get me. You're not only helpful with my everyday problems, but you help me with my writing worries.

  LINDSAY PAIGE IS the author of the Bold as Love series, Don't Panic, You Before Me, and Bracing the Blue Line. She is also the co-author of The Penalty Kill Trilogy.

  She has three passions in life: reading, writing, and watching hockey, especially the Pittsburgh Penguins. Among the pile of books to read, stories to write, and games to watch, Lindsay is also focused on completing college.

  Lindsay resides in North Carolina and is inspired by world around her and the people in it. Many of the aspects in her books stem from her love for hockey and her struggles in life and with anxiety, as evident in Don't Panic.

  She is currently working on numerous solo works and a couple of projects with coauthor Mary Smith as well.

  AUTHOR LINKS:

  Blog:

  authorlindsaypaige.blogspot.com

  Twitter:

  www.twitter.com/lindsaypaige11

  Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/authorlindsaypaige

  Pinterest:

  http://www.pinterest.com/authorlindsay/

  Instagram:

  http://instagram.com/authorlindsaypaige