Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 53034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
“Let’s keep it that way for at least the next six decades.”
“Believe me, I plan to.”
I bring her hand to my lips and kiss the back of it. When she smiles back at me, I don’t just see the smile of my beautiful best friend and girlfriend. It’s the smile of my future wife. The mother of my future children. The smile I can’t imagine ever being without.
Epilogue
Noel
* * *
“I was so sorry to hear about you and Angie, Noel.” Vivian Davis puts her hand on my forearm, running it slowly upward. “Oh wow, I didn’t know a forearm could be so strong.”
I sigh inwardly, missing the quiet comfort of my home, where I don’t have to fend off divorcées and fortune seekers several times a day.
This trip has been fantastic. I needed the time to focus just on my kids. The divorce was tough for Chase and Chloe, and they’ve missed me since I moved out.
I’ve missed them too. My kids are everything to me. Even Audra, though our relationship is strained. I’m not angry at her, but if I could get away with it, I’d choke the life out of her husband. He’s a punk who took advantage of not just one, but two of my daughters. Their relationship will never be the same. Kyle Macintire is nothing to me but Audra’s partner. I’ll never call him my son-in-law.
Lucien, on the other hand, is well on his way. He makes Talia happier than I’ve ever seen her. The glow she has isn’t just from all the sun she’s gotten on this trip. It’s also from the confidence and happiness she’s found in a relationship with Lucien.
I never would’ve imagined them together. He’s a menace on the ice, telling our opponents he fucks their mothers in ways that would make a sailor blush. Lucien’s not just a great defender—he’s also my highest scoring one.
I’ve gotten to know him better on this trip. He took Chase out for a day of jet skiing and parasailing so I could take Talia and Chloe shopping. Chase basks in his attention; Lucien is like an older brother to him already.
At age forty-seven, my jet skiing days are behind me. I’d rather relax on the yacht’s deck with a drink and watch the sunset.
Talia comes over to me and Vivian, saving me from small talk with her.
“Dad, can you come help me with something?”
“Yeah, no problem.” I nod at Vivian. “Enjoy the rest of your trip.”
“I hope to see you again.”
I hope not to see her again, so I just offer a polite smile. The market must be rough out there for single fortysomething women, because I’ve gotten everything from mild flirting to a note with a phone number and an offer to suck my dick on this trip. Which is pretty gross when you consider I’m here with my kids.
“Jesus, why are women so thirsty?” Talia says under her breath. “I thought she was going to take off her bikini top and show you the goods.”
“Thanks for the save.”
Talia is the most disgusted of all my kids about women showing their interest in me. Chloe thinks it’s weird and Chase thinks it’s cool. Talia always has the strongest reaction, though.
“She was practically drooling. Does she have any self-respect?”
“Don’t pay any attention to it, Tally. I’m not interested in anything. Nothing casual, nothing serious, and nothing in between. I’ve had my fill of relationships.”
She flicks a glance at me, trying to make sure I’m telling the truth. I don’t know why—we’ve had this conversation several times and I’ve never changed my mind.
My life now is my kids, coaching hockey, and keeping up with a few close friends. I plan to travel as much as I can in my offseason. Angie only cared about being seen by famous and wealthy people when we traveled. I couldn’t give a shit about that. I want to visit rainforests, see icebergs, and eat food from as many countries as I can.
Hockey has been at the forefront of my life for twenty-eight years now. I played as a pro for fifteen years, going into coaching as soon as I retired. The grind is pretty similar either way, but coaching doesn’t take the same toll on my body that playing did.
“Want to do dinner in the dining room we’ve been using?” Talia asks. “I like that it’s private.”
I nod because I like that, too. My kids have enjoyed this trip, and we only have three more days here. We’re going inland tomorrow for sightseeing and a dinner reservation in Saint-Tropez. It’s always been a favorite place to eat when we travel here.
Chase and Chloe are spending another couple weeks with me back in Cleveland, and when they leave, I’ll start preparing for my upcoming season.
Angie always said I’m married to hockey, and I’m fine with that. Hockey can’t cheat on me with the contractor and clean me out in a divorce. From now on, I’m staying single.