In the Game (Lakes Hockey, #3)

by Sloane St. James

I see it in the way he holds him… You never fall faster in love than with your own child.

“Well, I really, really like her.” He sits back and giggles. The giggles turn to laughter. It’s contagious. “What’s so funny?” “Do you want to kiss her?” He teases. I chuckle and shrug. “Do you think she’d let me?” “I dunno, maybe. I’ve never seen her kiss anybody. But she might.” He taps his chin. “She paints her lips when you come over.”

He looks up at her with innocent eyes and a big smile and says, “Did you know that half the koalas in Queensland are infected with chlamydia?”

“And how is he so strong? He’s five! Shit, he was thrashing around so much, you’d think he was getting sent to the fucking chair. What the hell?” My shoulders raise in a shrug. “Ain’t no ‘hood like parenthood. So…wanna get down?”

I break out into a fit of laughter. “I hate to break it to you, but this isn’t going to be the first time that happens, and with a kid running around, our chances of getting privacy are limited, so I’m going to need you to pull your shit together.” I clap him on the back twice. “Let’s go, sport.”

“Well, your mom is kinda like my Cinderella.” “My mom doesn’t drive a pumpkin. She drives a Corolla.”