“I’d love that. Can I get a dog?” He’s on his feet and dancing around the room as if he hasn’t a care in the world. “Can I? Can I?”
“I don’t see why not.” At this point if he asks me for an elephant, I’ll find a way to get one.
“Yay!!! I have to call Rowen and Ryder.” He grabs my phone and runs down the hall as fast as his short little legs will carry him. I beam with unfettered joy. I can’t wait to tell Drakos, but first, I have to get my phone back. I’ll wait.
I don’t wait long. Drakos uses the key I gave him earlier and enters the apartment. His gaze is clouded with concern. He cocks his head and narrows his eyes as he studies me. I’m guessing he’s not sure what he’s seeing.
“Is everything okay?” he asks tentatively.
“It’s beyond okay.”
Drakos collapses on the couch and props his feet on the coffee table. He lets out a long sigh of relief. “Thank God. What’ve I missed?”
I fill him in, and his grin grows broader and broader by the second. “Where is he?”
“He’s in his room telling the Bang twins I told him he could have a dog.”
“Fuck, he can have twenty if that’s what he wants.”
“You said a bad word,” Noah proclaims from his vantage point down the hall. I’m not sure how much he’s heard, but he’s grinning from ear to ear. Drakos faces him. Noah freezes. I hold my breath, not sure what’s coming next.
“I’m sorry. I’ll do better.” Drakos pretends to be serious, but I can tell he’s fighting a smile.
“Okay. Is my last name going to be Lenkov?”
“If you want it to be.” His voice is husky with emotion.
“I’d like that. Is that okay, Aunt Aria?”
“It’s wonderful, Noah.” I swipe at the tears in my eyes. Drakos is doing the same. Noah runs to Drakos and wraps his arms around him. His father bends down and pulls him close. They hug for a long time, while tears stream down my face, and a lone tear escapes and draws a wet trail down Drakos’s cheek.
“Nice jersey,” Drakos says gruffly in an attempt to lighten the mood, most likely so he won’t completely lose his shit. After all, he’s a big, tough hockey player, but I know better. He’s also a good guy who cares deeply about his friends, his teammates, this city, and now his family—Noah and me.
“I like it.” Noah draws a laugh from both of us. “Can I call you Dad?”
“I’d be honored.”
“Okay, Dad.” Noah splits a big grin, and Drakos matches it, driving home how similar these two are.
After an emotional afternoon, Noah falls asleep on the couch. Drakos and I sit at the counter with a couple glasses of wine. Drakos holds his glass to mine.
“To us,” he says with one of his cocky winks that I’ve come to love.
“To us.” We clink glasses and sip our wine in silence for a few short seconds. I clear my throat and look Drakos in the eye.
“In all the turmoil over Noah, I didn’t have the chance to tell you something important.”
“What’s that?” He watches me curiously.
“I love you.”
“Well, of course you do. You’re a smart woman, and I’m hot as shit.”
I snort and give him a playful punch in the shoulder. “Your body does give you an unfair advantage over other men.”
“You’re damn right. My body is my secret weapon.”
“Oh, it’s not that secret.” He pulls me into his arms for a searing kiss. We continue to sip our wine in a companionable silence.
