“Do you guys think that we should try to figure out what is going on with Olive?” Myla asked them.
“Have you tried calling her?” Sean questioned.
I nodded. “Yeah, twice.”
Jessica whipped out her phone. “I’ll call a few people and see if there were accidents or anything.
My heart sunk. “Wait, like should I be worried?”
Sean put his hand on my shoulder. “Let us do our jobs and figure out if there is any reason to be worried before you start freaking out.”
Even though they told me not to worry prematurely, I was a wreck inside. I was never one to freak like this but I just had a terrible feeling—a sinking in the pit of my stomach that I couldn’t shake.
Jessica rushed back over to us. “We need to go. Sean, call some cabs.”
“On it.” Sean and Myla both had their phones in hand and dialing within seconds.
Jessica waved to the bartender with her credit card already in her hand. “We need to close out. Put the tabs on here.”
I tried to protest and Sean stopped me. “Dude, let’s get going.”
My mind was racing. “What is going on?”
Jessica grabbed my hand as the rest of our group started to follow me out of the bar. “There’s been an accident.”
Olive
My eyes fluttered open and I flung my arms around. Glancing around the room, I realized I was not in my own bed. An IV was in my arm. The light gray walls looked all too familiar. My entire body hurt.
“You’re awake.” Griffin’s soft voice came from my bedside.
I sat up as best as I could to see everyone crowded in my tiny hospital room. Myla was sleeping, curled up with Jordan and Jessica on the floor in the corner of the room. Gavin, Griffin, Crosby, and Brayden were all sitting in a row in chairs next to my bed. Sean, Simon, and Shaw were standing in a little group, all clutching paper coffee cups.
“What happened?” My voice was weak as I coughed a little.
Shaw sank down on the end of the bed. “You fell asleep at the wheel and hit a tree.”
I gasped. “Oh fuck.”
Griffin grabbed my hand. “Other than a banged-up car and a dislocated shoulder, you’re all right. The doctor said if you had been going any faster, you might have really done some serious damage. Thank God you’re okay.”
“Otis!” He had been left alone for way too long.
Shaw patted my leg. “Rhonda has him. I called her right when Griffin got ahold of me.”
“Thank you.” I looked at Griff, who was wiping his eyes.
“Anything, babe. When you didn’t call, the gang sprang into action and got here as they were doing their initial tests.”
My heart filled with so much love for all the practical strangers crowding around to make sure I was fine. “You guys didn’t have to come here.”
Myla rubbed her sleepy eyes. “You’re part of the family now, Liv. You better get used to having us around. For better or for worse, you’re stuck with us.”
Griffin kissed the back of my hand. “That is, as long as you’ll have us.”
Chapter 18
Griffin
Over the next few months, Liv and I worked on getting into a good rhythm and made the best we could of the distance. She was spending almost every weekend in Queens with me in my townhouse. The row was conveniently owned by my father, so having Otis come was no problem.
After stuffing our faces with Indian takeout, Olive and I settled on the couch to watch the Otters game. It was the first night of the playoffs and Myla had tried to convince us to watch the game at her place, but there was no way I was going to share my time with Liv after not seeing her for a week and a half. Otis weaseled his way between us and was lying with his head in my lap.
“He’s such a damn cock block,” I complained, interlocking my hand with Olive’s and letting them rest on Otis’ burly back.
“He really is.”
The Otters won their first playoff game and I flicked off the TV, stretching. “Bed time?”
Liv hopped up, grabbing Otis’ collar. “Come on, time for sleepies, big guy.”
He sluggishly trudged over to his bed in the corner of the living room.
Olive hopped into bed. “I want to try something.” She threw her hands in front of her face, giggling a little bit.
“Yeah babe. Whatever you want, I’m down.” I got down to my boxers, crawling under the covers.
“Are you sure? Anything?” She gave me the cutest smirk ever as her face lit up.
“Yes. Anything. Anything you want to try, I am game for.”
She hopped out of bed and ran to her bag in my closet.
“Why don’t you just start leaving things here?” I asked while I waited for her to return.
“We’ll talk about that later. I have seriously always wanted to try this ever since I heard about in high school.”
I laughed. “Oh God! What do you have in store for us today?”
She pulled out a few black packages with bright red lettering on them.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I couldn’t control my laughter as I realized what she was holding. “Fucking Pop Rocks.”
She giggled and bounced back in the bed. “Yes. Apparently they make blowjobs fucking incredible. Don't you want to see if it's amazing?”
I put my hands behind my head, leaning back on my pillow. “Go for it, my dear.”
Olive started to kiss down my stomach, still giggling so hard that I could feel her stomach and chest heaving. “Here goes nothing.” She smiled as she ripped open the packet and poured the candy into her mouth. Stroking my dick, she started to play with the head, and the sensation was the strangest and most incredibly weird shit I’d ever felt in my life.
All of a sudden, Liv started gagging. “Oh God,” she mumbled as drool and sticky slime started pouring out of her mouth and down my balls, all over the sheets. I couldn’t control my hysterics as I grabbed my shirt off the floor to try to clean her up a bit. She sat up on her heels, a look of disgust plastered on her face as bright red foam bubbled at the corners of her mouth.
“Holy fuck, babe.” She grabbed the shirt from me to wipe off her mouth, spitting the remainder of the candy out. “There’s no way that is going to work. Your dick’s a little too big to fit all the shit in my mouth and not choke. Well, we can mark that one off as a fail on the bucket list.”
I grabbed her, licking her sweet lips to get the remnants of the candy. “I wouldn't say that was a fail, but I do think we need to take shower.”
The next morning, I sat at the kitchen table, drinking coffee with my calendar open on my laptop.
“Morning.” Liv staggered in, grabbing a mug and filling it to the brim.
“What day is a good day for me to have my stuff delivered?” I throw it out quickly.
“Wait…what?” Olive furrowed her brow as she slid into the seat across from me.
I shut the computer. “I’ve decided I am going to move in with you.”
“Oh, did you now?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“There’s no other place on this earth I want to be more than next to you. If that means moving up there and living above the garage, then so be it. If that means moving to the damn moon, just let me know when the shuttle is scheduled to leave and I will be there. All I care about is you and me, us and we, for the rest of our lives.”
“And you just decided this without even thinking about asking what I want?”
I was shocked by her frustration. “Yes, yes I did.”
“What about the fact that I have a roommate—don’t you think I need to discuss it with him first?”
I reached over the table, grabbing her hand. “I should have asked, not demanded. I just don’t see the point in us making that drive a couple times a week when there is a perfect solution to it.”
“Don’t you think this is all a little too fast?” She got up and started to pace around the small room.
“Maybe? It doesn
’t feel fast to me though. It feels right.”
She sat down on my lap. “I would like it if we lived together. It would make things a lot easier.”
I grabbed her, hugging her as tightly as I could. “Perfect, and I will wait to make any plans until you have a chance to talk it over with Shaw.”
“Thanks. He’s been spending so much time at Simon’s anyway, I bet he wouldn’t even notice.”
“It’s crazy how all of this just came together, isn’t it?”
She put her hand on my chest. “It’s crazy on so many levels. Who would have thought our lives would start because of my dad? And he doesn’t even know it.”
“It’s serendipity, baby. There’s no such thing as a coincidence in this life. Finding you proved that to me the moment I met you.”
“He would have really loved you.” She sniffled as she threw her arms around my neck.
My grip tightened as I breathed in the sweet smell of her lavender and rosemary shampoo, basking in the simple moment where we could both feel each other’s hearts beating, practically in sync. Amazingly, I had all of this because it all started with an end.
Epilogue
Griffin
“That’s it. Watch for his feet!” I called into the ring as Mickey kept his little gloved hand up, protecting his face just like I had shown him.
“How’s our boy?” Liv came up from behind me, one hand on her growing belly, the other on my shoulder.
“Hey momma.” I tucked my wife into my side, resting my hand on her belly just in time to feel our daughter kick at my palm. “Mic is a natural.”
“Just like his daddy,” she purred, making her way over to the ropes. “Hey little man, ready to head home?”
Our son violently shook his head. “I want to keep sparring.” He bounced around the ring as Skelly playfully practiced with him.
“What have you created?” Liv glared at me.
I threw my hands in the air. “You knew this day was going to come eventually.”
“He’s only five, for crying out loud.”
I pointed to our kid as he threw a perfect, quick combination. “No age is too young, as long as he is having fun and doesn’t take it too seriously yet.”
Her voice caught as she grabbed her stomach. “Shit, Griff.”
I grabbed her. “Is it time?”
She bobbed her head frantically. “It’s too early. We need to get to the doctors.”
I glanced up at Skelly. “Hey, can you watch him?” I pointed to Liv. “We need to go now.”
Skelly picked up Mic, propping him up on his shoulder. “You wanna hang with me for a bit, kid?”
Mic’s jubilant expression was all the answer I needed before rushing out the back door and helping Liv up into my truck.
I drove as fast as I could as my wife screamed in pain in the passenger’s seat.
“Just breathe, babe. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Hurry!” She wailed threw gritted teeth, her eyes slammed shut.
I pulled into the hospital, leaving the truck running and rushing to her side.
“Sir!” a cop yelled from behind me as I practically carried Liv into the emergency room.
“She’s in labor. Tow it for all I care.”
Within minutes, we were in a labor and delivery room and the attending was doing an ultrasound. “You’re having this baby today.”
Liv shook her head. “It’s too early.”
The doctor glanced at the chart. “Only two weeks early. Your little girl is ready to see the world, and everything should be perfectly fine.” She beamed down at my wife.
I took Liv’s hand. “I am going to call Skelly and have him bring Mic here.”
Olive nodded. “I’ll be here.”
After calling Skelly and sending a quick text to Myla, I was back at Olive’s bedside.
“Why the fuck did I let you knock me up again?” she snarled as a contraction came on strong. “Remind me of this moment if I ever get baby fever again.”
I kissed her forehead. “Deal.”
Before we could even register what was happening, Myla, Gavin, Brayden, Karla, Jordan, Shaw, Simon, and Crosby were all piling into the room.
“What the fuck? No!” Liv screamed, and Myla went to her.
“Remember what you said to me while I was in labor for ten hours with everyone in my room?” Myla had her hands on his hips, and the amount of sass that could come from such a tiny body was astounding to me.
“That we were family and family went through everything together, for better or for worse.” Liv grunted. “Fine.”
Twelve hours later, with everyone sleeping in the waiting room, Liv and I welcomed our new bundle of joy, Rhonda, into the world.
I snuck out of the room once Liv was finally asleep with our newborn snuggled up in her arms. Mic was curled up in a chair next to his cousin, Raven.
“Want to see your sister?” I asked my sleepy son as I scooped him up into my arms.
With balled fists, he rubbed both of his eyes. “She’s here?” he whispered.
“We have to be quiet. Mommy and Sissy are sleeping.”
We leaned over the bed and I watched Mic’s face as it lit up. “Daddy, she’s so tiny. Was I ever that tiny?”
He rested his head on my chest, listening to my heart beat. “You were that tiny once upon a time.”
“She’s pretty,” he cooed as his chubby cheeks dusted with blush.
“It’s going to be your job as her big brother to always be there for her. We’re family, and that’s what family does,” I whispered.
“We have lots of family, Daddy. It’s big. She has lots of protectors.”
I hugged him tighter, sitting us down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. “You’re right, and we are all family because we love each other.”
“No matter what.” His sweet voice made my smile widen.
“I love you, Mickey.”
He nestled his cheek against my chest as he yawned. “I love you, too, Dad.”
I rocked my son to sleep as I watched the woman I loved cradle our little girl in her arms. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked up and whispered, “Thank you, Mic. None of this would have ever happened without you.”
The End.
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STAY TUNED: Sneak peeks for Hat Trick, a Shots On Goal Standalone hockey romance.
Hat Trick
Sneak Peek
Hat Trick is a standalone sports romance.
Synopsis:
One accident - a freaking car crash.
That’s all it took to send my brother’s and my life into a tailspin with no end in sight. I was going to be something. I was going to be the best. I had the Olympics in my sights. And it all went to shit in one flash. Brayden wasn’t ready to raise a younger sister when I was thrown into his lap. He had his life and everything going for him. Thankfully, he was still drafted to his dream hockey team. The same one dad played for when we were growing up.
It took time, but I started to get better, started to open up, started skating and even dating again. I even thought I found the perfect guy for me.
Isn’t it funny how guys hit on you when they know you’re not available, but when you’re single they won’t give you t
he freaking time of day? I guess the game is more fun that way. And for the captain of my brother’s team, that’s exactly what I was. A hat trick is three goals in hockey. Some say three is a crowd and they might be right.
I was Gavin Hayes' unobtainable goal.
*A No Cheating Standalone*
Dedication
To anyone that has been kicked in the balls by love and still believes in it, this one is for you.
Prologue
Myla
Deep slow breaths.
I could feel every muscle in my body getting ready.
See the jump.
Know how it is going to go.
Feel every movement.
Visualize.
One…
Two…
Three…
I could fly. In those few seconds, I could actually fly.
Pushing myself to limits I never thought possible was incredibly liberating, and pulling off the perfect flying camel was always my favorite. There was something so peaceful about being alone in the rink. My skates gliding over slick, smooth, polished ice…the chilly air nipping at my cheeks and filling my lungs…it was like coming home. I knew I was meant to be there.
Skating around, listening to my Spotify playlist full of angsty punk rock music—it was the best way to fill an afternoon. Right as Blink-182 started singing about going away to college, my skates left the ice and I was in complete bliss.
After landing my best inside axel ever, my eyes snapped to the bleachers to find my mother’s smiling face. She was absolutely radiant, practically glowing as she jumped to her feet, clapping and cheering.
“Do a stag for me!” She beamed as she cupped her hands around her mouth to project her voice out to reach me.
I rolled my eyes, yelling back to her, “Why do you like splits so much? I just don’t get it.”
Low Blow (Shots On Goal Standalone Series Book 4) Page 9