More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
For the ones with gentle souls and hearts made of gold. (And for the readers who love to see the sweet six-foot-two NHL player use his mouth for something other than talking… Hudson Hayes is for you)
The best part of my job is being in charge of entitled men who think they’re better than me because they have a dick.
It’s me and food, and it’s the longest, healthiest, happiest relationship I’ve ever had.
It’s been the two of us ever since, and she relies on me to give her the life she deserves. Reaching out to the piece of shit who abandoned us when we needed him the most is not demonstrating the strength I try to teach Lucy. No matter how much money he has, I need to come up with another idea.
Light footsteps and a soft giggle break our moment. Lucy, my mini-me, comes barreling into the kitchen, and I’d do anything to protect her.
He’s my best friend in the whole damn world, more like a brother than anything, and to see him hurting hurts me.
I wish I could tell you the hard days get better, but sometimes you have to go through a lot of shit before you come out on the other side.”
A week of job searching has left me empty-handed and on the brink of joining OnlyFans.
“Did you set me up on a blind date? My shirt has a hole in it, Piper. That’s not how I make a good first impression. And I didn’t bring wine. Flowers. Anything.”
“I love my girl to pieces, but I’m not going to hand her the victory willingly. It’s always more fun when she has to work for it.”
“For you, Mom,” I say to the empty room. “Always for you.” One of the overhead lights flickers, and I laugh. “Yeah. I know you’re here. You wouldn’t miss this. Sometimes I can still hear you yelling at me to get the rebound.” I pause, my shoulders heavy and my eyes wet with tears. “Fuck. I miss you, Mama.”
“And I love you for it.” “Love you too, Huddy Boy.”
“What was with the penalty you got earlier? I saw you chirping that dude.” “He liked one of Emmy’s photos on Instagram last week, and it pissed me off. The hit was worth the two-minute timeout I got in the sin bin.” “You’re joking.” “Nope.” “You might be the most deranged man I’ve ever met.” “Nah. Just an idiot in love.”
“She’s not my girl,” Riley grits out.
guess so. I grew up being told if I’m going to do something, you might as well give it your full effort. That means putting in hours and hours of work.
Maybe this can be a friend group. Maybe these women have space for me, and I’m more nervous than I was when I met Hudson at his apartment.
“We don’t know each other,” I say. “What do you want to know?” “You could have a foot fetish.” “I don’t have a foot fetish.” “You could be a murderer.” “I don’t have enough free time to be a murderer, and I saw how good you are with knives. I wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”
He gives me a wave and flips his hat backward before walking toward us. Jesus Christ. Shit like that should be illegal for men to do in public. His gray joggers hug his thighs and his plain white T-shirt stretches across his chest.
“If you wanted to tell me, you would tell me. People are allowed to keep things inside without sharing them with the world.”
“Yeah.” His smile shifts to wistful. “They’re my best friends. I’ve called them in the middle of the night and they’ve answered. We celebrate birthdays and holidays with each other. When someone is going through a breakup, we’ll all sit on the couch and eat pints of ice cream together.” I laugh, and he accidentally nudges my knee with his. “I’m serious. I’d walk through a fire for them, and they’d do the same for me.”
“Green,” he says, and I pass that along to Lucy. That’s my favorite too! Will you ask him if we can be friends?
“Ah. That’s a bummer. I guess I am a romantic. I believe in soulmates and happily ever afters. One person for you kind of thing. I’ve always cared more about emotional attraction than physical attraction. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t like sex. I do. I just enjoy it more when it’s with someone I care about. Which does not include someone I meet at the bar one night and immediately bring home.
She smiles at me, and I savor the damn thing. It feels like a perfect summer day. Sun on your face and wind in your hair.
“Yeah.” Hudson beams at me. There’s still batter in his beard, on his Adam’s apple and his nose, but he doesn’t seem to care. “Lucky indeed.”
“Not in the picture from what she’s told me. I don’t get it. Madeline and Lucy are great. Fucking fantastic, really, and I don’t know why someone wouldn’t want that. Wouldn’t want them.”
That was a really nice goal you scored, by the way. I think I could get into hockey.
“Hope not. Coach likes to talk to us individually every other week. He checks in and makes sure we’re doing all right mentally and physically.”
Madeline lifts her chin. “You noticed that?” “I notice a lot of things.”
She’s not wrong about many things, but she’s wrong about that. Madeline Galloway is special, and I’m sad she’s been led to think otherwise.
When I entered the league, I realized how isolating this career can be if you’re not into the party scene or married with kids. I didn’t like sitting around the house alone, so I went to the shelter and adopted Millie. Gus came later, when I had a better handle on balancing my responsibilities. They help keep me sane when it feels like the world is up against me. They don’t care if the Stars win or lose, and it’s nice to be loved even if I make a mistake.”
Her smile grows, and there’s an ache in my chest. The spot that’s been fractured for years feels warmer. Brighter. Like a stitch has gone through it. Like I’m being pulled back together. “I guess there are worse people to be stuck with,” I say. When she sticks out her tongue and waves to Lucy, I know I made a damn good choice with these two.
My mouth goes dry, and I know I’m no better than a man with the thoughts racing through my head.
Hudson’s smile melts into something nostalgic, almost, and he nods. “With everything I have. Which is something male athletes are told they shouldn’t say, but whatever. They’ve gotten me through some rough days, and I’m not sure I’d be here if it weren’t for them.”
“To the family you’re born with, and the family you meet along the way.”
“I’m not a prude. I just don’t want y’all knowing what my girl might like. That’s for me and her, not you nosy assholes. Besides. I’ve never had any complaints. One ex even sent me a message a month after she broke up with me because she missed my hands,” I say.
“We need to make him watch the ‘Juno’ positions clips and figure out which ones he likes.” Grant drops to the floor and thrusts into the rug. “Have you ever tried this one, Hud?”
I leave out the part where we sat on my couch together the other night. How her laughs turned into snorts and how I couldn’t help having one more glass of wine because it meant spending a little more time with her.
“Hey,” I say sharply, and everyone stares at me. I’m not one to raise my voice, but I hate hearing this kind of shit. “I don’t care if that was a joke. Knock it the fuck off or save it for the bar when I’m not around. And keep my roommate’s name out of your mouth. None of you are touching her, and you’re not going to talk about her like that again. Got it?”
I’m just… afraid. Terrified of something bad happening to her, because she’s my everything. I can’t imagine a world without her in it, and a contact sport with sharp blades sounds like a parent’s worst nightmare. But it’s her life.
There are a lot of men in the world, but I’m learning there’s only one Hudson Hayes.
“I bought a booster seat after you told me she couldn’t ride in the car without one. It’s in the hallway closet.”
Liam does get picked as a volunteer, and after shooting daggers at us, he puts on a pink apron and pretends to pour tea much to the delight of the three dozen giggling children.
This isn’t how I pictured my Saturday afternoon, but it beats the hell out of any other plans.
“It’s not the length of time that determines your happiness. It’s the person,” I say. “You can be with a really shitty person for years and never be happy, but you can meet someone right for you and feel like you’re floating after only a week or two together.”
“I’m coming with you,” Lexi says. “He’s a worthless human, and this is exactly what I mean when I say men aren’t shit. They want something until it gets difficult, then all they want is an out. What kind of pathetic excuse of a man abandons his wife and newborn?”
“Maverick told me one of the guys on the team is pierced, but he wouldn’t give me a name.” Emmy rolls her eyes. “Damn locker room bro code.”
“Wow. You look—” He stops mid-sentence. His throat bobs around a swallow. “Incredible.”
“Just missing you.” His fingers graze down my neck the tiniest amount before he drops his hand away. I miss him.
“Under one condition.” “Anything,” he’s quick to say. “You can bring your pies, but I’m going to make an extra dessert or two. I refuse to show up somewhere empty-handed. Or with something store-bought. Come on, Hayes. We can do better than that.” He grins, dimple and all. “The team is going to love you, Madeline Galloway.”
I don’t know how he’s done it, but in the two months I’ve known him, he’s made himself one of my best friends, and I’m happier because of it.
