Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
My dad laughs. “He knows better, honey.” He pats me on the back. “I told Duke if he ever tries that with Dean again he’s out of the family.”
I snort so hard I spit. “No, you didn’t. I bet he loved that.”
“I thought he was going to cry. You know your brother. He’s very… passionate. He feels everything but keeps it all inside.”
“I wonder where he gets that from,” I joke, wiggling my eyebrows at him.
“Duke’s still upset he’s not Noah’s godfather.”
“I would’ve picked him if he hadn’t acted like an asshole.”
“Your brother has a big heart. He’s just misunderstood.”
“Dad,” I groan. “Please, would you listen to yourself? Duke is not misunderstood. He’s just full of rage. I bet he loved smashing in Dean’s face. He’s lucky Dean looks like himself again.”
“Honey,” Dad hedges. “This is your hormones talking. I know you don’t mean anything you’re saying about Duke.”
“He makes me so mad,” I spit back. “Why does he always have to be so rude to Dean? We’re going to get married one day, and Duke will part of our wedding. He’ll be the godfather of our next child. So, he needs to get with the program and get his butt into therapy.”
“He went through league-mandated anger management already,” he says with a wicked smile.
“That worked well,” I deadpan as I watch Duke throw one of the Flyers into the boards like some maniac.
My dad chuckles, giving Duke an approving look as he watches him go to town on the ice. “Duke is still seeing the therapist they assigned to him. He seems to like her. He talks to her.”
I raise a curious eyebrow. “It doesn’t seem to be working.”
“On the ice,” he says, “it’s Duke’s job to rough people up.”
“Yeah, I know, Dad. I played hockey for years. I know why he’s doing it, but I think Duke likes it way too much.”
“You haven’t been around him much lately. I think the doctor is getting through to him.”
“Does he like her?”
Dad smirks.
I shake his arm. “Hey, what are you hiding from me?”
“Your brother sort of has a girlfriend.”
“Shut the front door,” I yell. “No, he doesn’t.”
Duke’s never had a legit girlfriend, not in the actual dating sense. He hooks up with women, but that’s about it.
“You’ve met her?”
Dad nods. “Yeah, she’s nice. She’s doing wonders with Duke’s attitude. I’ve already noticed some of the changes in him.”
“Like what? This I have to hear.”
“He doesn’t explode like he used to. Now, when he gets angry, he stops himself from losing control. Before he started working with Dr. Devine, he would break everything in sight and say horrible things to people. Of course, he didn’t mean any of it, and some people wouldn’t forgive him after he was done wrecking the place.”
“Dr. Devine,” I say. “What’s her first name?”
“Delilah.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “His doctor’s name is Delilah Devine. Seriously?”
“Yep. Duke calls her Lila.”
“Wow, my brother has a crush. I never thought Duke would like anyone more than himself.”
Dad tilts his head back and laughs. “You don’t have to be so hard on Duke. He tries. He did the best he could with the circumstances he was given. He holds a lot of things inside. I think he feels like he could have saved your mother if he hadn’t left her side that night.”
“There was nothing he could do.”
“I know. But he’s never seen it that way. In some ways, his suspension was a good thing for him. Your brother has needed therapy for years, but he would never talk to anyone. I took all of you after your mother died. You, Austin, and the twins talked to the doctors. Duke just sat there with his arms crossed and wasted the doctor’s time and my money.”
I smile at the thought of him getting better. Duke might be an ass sometimes, but I love him and want what’s best for him.
A few minutes pass before the crowd amps up again. Players skate down the ice, most of them one giant blur. But I can spot number twenty-seven from miles away. Dean’s flying down the ice with the puck, faster than I’ve ever seen him skate before. I lean forward, digging my elbows into my thighs. My belly is so damn big now this position is uncomfortable.
“C’mon, Dean.” I stand to watch him take the shot.
The entire arena goes wild as the goal horn sounds. My eyes fill with tears that spill down my cheeks. I turn to hug my dad, who’s in an awkward position with his future son-in-law playing against his son.
Dad hugs me back and kisses me on the forehead. “You picked a good one, Kat.”
I smile up at him. “I know.”
Noah kicks so hard my eyes slam shut from the pain. I clutch my stomach with one hand, the other rested on my dad’s shoulder.