Page 196 of One Winter Knight
“I’ve been seeing Fiona since this summer. I just hadn’t been ready to introduce her to anyone yet. You’re really going to like them. We went over to Dusty’s moms’ last night. Right now I have a game.” I stared at the fancy coffee pot. Could I work this coffee pot before actually having coffee? I wasn’t sure.
“Game? It’s New Year’s Day? Though Jorge has a game today I think.”
“He does, against the Tsunamis. Mine is the charity game, where my team is playing Dusty’s outside of Roganfort center.” Okay. I think I had it?Please don’t let me break the new coffee pot.
“Oh, yes. If Gwen’s going to be there, you can take a couple of tamales out of the freezer and warm them up for her. I wouldn’twant her to go hungry.” She very much enjoyed feeding Gwen, who, being a student until recently, didn’t always have all the food and money she needed.
“Oh! Right! Great news. Gwen got a hockey contract for Christmas. She’s with the Tigres,” I explained. The coffee pot started to make coffee pot sounds. Good.
“She did? I’ll have to text her and let her know I’m proud of her.” My mom sounded happy.
“Gwen would really like that. How’s the cruise?” I took down a mug. Our mugs, the ones I had gotten us with our names on them, were all there.
Oh, the dishes Fiona had bought kinda coordinated.
Amazing.
“I’m having a wonderful time. Did Anita tell you about her house?” Her voice became tentative.
“Yes, she did. I’ll support you in whatever you want, Mamá–and your choices won’t hurt feelings,” I added.
“Thank you. I’m trying to figure out what I want,” she admitted. “You have a pack now. I suppose you will be moving to Anita’s floor? That will be nice.”
“About that…” I started, taking another sip of coffee. “Before I knew that Anita bought a house, I bought a townhouse on impulse. It’s down the street from Dimitri’s and closer to the training center. Now that seems like a good purchase, because there’s room for all five of us.”
“You bought a place?” Surprise laced her voice.
“Something about it spoke to me. I literally closed as you left. I didn’t tell anyone in case it fell through at the last minute." Kinda.
“Good for you! I suppose what you said to me is true for you. I know you like to take care of the family, but you don’t have to do it from the sixth floor,” she assured.
A load lifted from my shoulders. “I know Dad would want me to take care of you.”
“You do. He would also want you to live your life. He would be proud of you,” she added.
“He would?” I’m pretty sure he would, but it was nice to hear. My father had been a huge supporter of me playing hockey, to the point where he would work extra shifts to help afford all the things that came with it.
I made money through my acting and often offered to use it. That had originally been why I accepted my first job–I wanted a new, fancy hockey stick. He made me put nearly everything I made from acting away in a protected account for my future. It was that account that helped buy the apartment building. Hopefully he’d think that that was a good use of it.
Sadly, he never got to see me play a game for the Knights, but he did attend some Bantams games.
“You have a good time at your game. Take care of that pack of yours. Don’t let everything fall to Dusty. I look forward to meeting everyone,” she said. “Te amo.”
“Love you, too, Mamá.” I ended the call. Finishing my coffee, I went back upstairs for a quick shower. Hale kept sleeping peacefully.
Afterwards, I went downstairs to have another cup of coffee and start breakfast. What should I make? There wasn’t much time and I should have some protein.
My eyes fell on the tortillas. The homemade ones from yesterday that Dusty’s moms gave us.
Yes. I’d make breakfast burritos and then Dusty and I could take ours to go. I got out the bacon and the eggs, and everything else I needed, then started cooking.
A few minutes later, I smelled peppermint and heard footsteps. Fiona, wearing only a T-shirt and panties, came into the kitchen.
She buried her face in my side, a little sadness in the bond. I wrapped an arm around her as I cooked with the other. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m apparently not pregnant.” She sniffed. “Not that I expected to be, but there is something a little disappointing about it.”
I gave her a kiss as I turned the bacon. “It’s all right. We have plenty of time to have all the babies.”
