Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
I came from the biggest hockey family in the NHL.
Records were set by my grandfather, my father, and now my brother.
I was taught to love the game, but more than that, I learned early the men you play with are your family.
You get on the ice every night and protect them, celebrate the wins, and pick each other up when you fall.
So when we lost Benji, I stepped in to help his wife and kids, but this pull I feel when it comes to them is something more than I can even understand.
Dakota
My life was perfect, until it wasn't.
Gone was the husband I thought I knew and in his place was a stranger.
I saw him change before my eyes.
Then he was gone, leaving me and our girls alone.
I wanted nothing to do with anyone or anything that took him away from me.
But no matter how many times I've told his best friend I don't need help.
He's here doing things for us, and the worst part is, I want him to.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER ONE
dakota
The bed dips beside me as I slowly open my eyes. The sunlight streams in from the side curtains as I wait to see who’s climbing into bed. Soft movement behind me has me guessing it’s one of my girls. I smile and wait for it, then I feel it. The knee in the back as they try to crawl on the bed, then the hand on my shoulder. “Mommy,” Luna says, trying not to speak loud but not knowing how to whisper. “Mommy, I awake.” She leans over me, shoving her face into mine. Her soft brown hair falls around her face and lands on mine, tickling me.
I try not to laugh when I roll over and wrap my arms around her, bringing her to me. “Happy birthday, my little one.” I turn, cuddling her in my arms as I kiss her neck four times. “Four birthday kisses,” I say, kissing her again three times, this time as she giggles in my ear. “So what does the birthday girl want for breakfast?”
She releases a huge sigh as if she’s deciding the future of the world. “I want pancakes.” She turns to me. “No, no.” She holds out her index finger. “Waffles.” Her eyes go big and the smile even bigger. “Wait, no.” She gets on her knees. “French toast.” I wait for it, knowing that she’ll change her mind again. “Mommy.” She claps her hands. “Breakfast taco!” She folds her hands together. “Like Uncle Chrissy.” I throw the cover off me as I slide my feet into my pink Ugg slippers. “Pancake with scrappled eggs.”
“Scrambled,” I correct her, and she nods.
“And sausage.” She holds both her hands outstretched. “With maple syrup.”
“That’s a big breakfast,” I tell her. “Don’t forget, we have your birthday party this afternoon.”
“I’m hungry.” She stands in the middle of my bed in her pink nightgown. “Like a hungry, hungry hippo.”
I chuckle and look at the side table where my phone is, touching the screen to see that it’s just after 6:00 a.m., giving me enough time to make her the breakfast tacos, and she will still be okay for her birthday party.
“Okay, I’m going to brush my teeth, and you should do the same.” I move my hand in front of my nose. “You almost killed me with your morning breath.”
She bounces from her feet to her bum, then scoots off the bed. “Your breath smells gooey.”
She runs out of my room. “Don’t wake your sister up,” I warn softly. She looks over her shoulder and smirks at me when she gets to my door, just like her father.
I stand here for a minute, looking at the side of the bed that has again gone unslept in. I look down at my feet before walking toward my bathroom.
The white floors shine in the sunlight. The four windows brighten the room so much you don’t have to turn on any lights during the day. I use the toilet, then walk over to the double sink, grabbing my pink toothbrush from the middle cabinet. As I brush my teeth, I ignore looking over at Benji’s side of the bathroom. His side still has stuff out from last night when he used it before he went out to meet some friends, instead of staying in with me and watching a movie or just staying with the kids.
I put my toothbrush back before I wipe my hands on the white hand towel. Then I grab my phone and walk toward the double doors. Rain’s door is still closed, which means she’s still sleeping. She’s six going on thirteen, but I think she’s seeing a lot of things kids shouldn’t see. Walking down the winding staircase, I see Benji’s keys on the table at the door. “At least he’s home,” I mumble as I walk past the formal dining room we hardly use.
I make my way to the back of the house, where we spend most of our time. When I walk into the kitchen, I look over to the family room and see Benji sleeping on the couch, one foot on the floor, one on the couch. His pants are unbuckled, and his shirt is lifted on one side. His collar is stained with what looks like red lipstick. Nine months ago, this would have cut me off at my knees. Now, it’s just like a kick in the stomach. I walk closer to him, his head turned to the side where he has the same color of stain on the side of his neck. His scruff from not shaving for the past two weeks is getting thicker, but that’s what you get when you’re on summer vacation. I notice a small plastic bag with two white pills in it on the coffee table.
My blood boils when I hear footsteps on the stairs. I bend down and grab the bag in my hand before turning around and bending to knock his hand. He mumbles in his sleep before he turns his head to the side. The footsteps sound closer, so this time, I bend down and push his shoulder, making his eyes snap open. “Huh?” He looks at me, trying to get his eyes to focus. “What?”