Parental Guidance (Ice Knights #1)(69)
Zara turned around, and her heart sped up just like it always did when she spotted her family. Even after a baby and two years of marriage, she still was hit with wonder every time she saw them. Growing up, she never dreamed she’d get so lucky. Good thing she found just the man to prove her wrong.
Caleb had done his best to try to get Lizzy’s bright-red cowlick to not stick straight up, but despite the amount of water he must have put on her head, it stubbornly stood sky-high. As soon as Lizzy saw Zara, she let out a squeal and did the drunk toddler stumble walk all the way over, only falling three times before getting to the couch and lifting up her arms in an unspoken demand to be picked up.
“Come here, cutie pie.” She picked up her daughter and snuggled her in her arms.
“I see how it is,” Caleb said, sitting down next to her on the couch and giving her a quick kiss that kicked up her pulse rate. “I get splashed in the bathroom, and Mommy gets the cuddling.”
Lizzy let loose with a little baby giggle and reached for Caleb’s playoff beard.
“Are Cole and Ian still coming over tonight with their little broods?” she asked. The dads club they’d formed began when each of the players had given newborn jerseys with their own numbers on them instead of the baby’s daddy’s number. The three of them never seemed to get tired of busting one another’s chops.
“You can’t have your own all-star mighty mites hockey team unless you start early,” Caleb said as he made funny faces at Lizzy. “Cole’s boy might be three, but he’s already skating like his dad.”
“Somehow I think that might be a bit of an exaggeration.”
“Okay, he skates like me,” he said, grinning at her. “A defenseman who can’t wait to get home every night to his gorgeous and extremely talented wife and adorable daughter—at least when you two aren’t traveling with me so you can attend another gallery show opening now that your dad has found his true calling as your promo man setting up shows for you.”
Yeah, that wasn’t heart arrhythmia; she missed a beat every time he said something like that to her, which was pretty much all the time. “Don’t forget we have a couple plans tomorrow.”
His face got serious. “But it’s not a date.”
“Of course not—that would be breaking the rules.” She leaned close and brushed a kiss across his lips. “Five dates and it’s all over, remember?”
“I think I can manage to not date you for at least six more decades,” he said.
“That sounds like the best plan ever.” And it was. It really, really was.
The show’s producer finished chatting with Asha and hustled off the set.
“You two ready for this?” Asha asked, playing a quick game of peekaboo with Lizzy.
Caleb took Zara’s hand, the touch sending a sizzle of anticipation through her, and they both nodded. Then the cameraman started the countdown, and after five, the red light above the lens clicked on.
“So,” Asha said, beginning the interview, “it’s been a little over three years since you two sat on this set after your first Bramble date. I have to say, it looks like it went well.”
Zara didn’t even have to think about it. “Better than I’d ever dared to hope.”
…
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Chapter One
Tess Gardner was just about all peopled out, but leaving wasn’t an option.
Standing in the shadow of one of the potted palms along the edges of the Hayes Resort dining room, she sipped her wine and counted down the minutes until she could go up to her room, slip between the ridiculously high-thread-count sheets at the luxury hotel, and fall back into the book she was reading. They’d barely finished with dessert, and there would be more toasts and lots of dancing celebrating her best friend Lucy’s wedding tomorrow. It wasn’t that Tess wasn’t thrilled for Lucy and her soon-to-be husband, Frankie—she was. However, over the course of the past year, Tess had become a seventh wheel in their friend group. Everyone but her had paired up. Now she was standing off to the side at a fancy lodge resort outside of Harbor City watching Lucy dance with Frankie, Fallon laugh with Zach, and Gina kiss Ford. It was amazing and awesome and awful all at the same time.
Her three best friends were moving on without her. Oh, no one would actually say that out loud. In fact, her girls probably didn’t even realize it was happening, but growing up like Tess had, being shuffled from relative to relative like an unwanted familial obligation, had given her a sixth sense about not belonging. Sure, there was still their weekly girls night at Paint and Sip, but how much longer would that continue? Not long. So even as she knew she’d stand up as one of Lucy’s bridesmaids tomorrow and be genuinely happy for her friends, she’d be resigning herself to the reality of the situation as well.
Everyone left. That’s just how life worked.
Maybe she should get a cat or a dwarf pig or a goat or something to help fill the inevitable friend void. She could name it Kahn and then reenact the great Captain Kirk bellow of Kahn whenever it was time to call it in for dinner. Or she could always go with Darth or Rey. A puppy named Boba Fetch would be pretty funny.
“Gouda and Edam are cities in what country?” one of the guys gathered around a nearby table asked.