“It’s the only place with ice that I’m pretty sure I can get permission to use.”
“Extra team practice today, fellas,” Coach announces, nodding at me. “There you go. Ice time secured.”
“Thanks, Coach.”
Barrett is already pulling out his phone. “I’ll call facilities. Community room’s open till six. We’ll need cones, pucks, sticks, and skates.”
Ledger wags his brows. “Locker room tour?”
“Absolutely.”
Oliver claps his hands together. “Team store raid?”
I laugh, relief bubbling up fast and unexpected. “Whatever they want. It’s on me.”
“Nah. It’s on the team,” Coach says, coming through for my son in more ways than I could have ever imagined.
“Coach that’s?—”
He lifts his hand to stop me from saying no. “Hey. Kids are only kids for so long. And I kind of miss kid parties. My wife always did all that shit for Corrigan when she was little. And between you and me, she never wanted a hockey party so…let me live vicariously through you and give those kids the most bad-ass party favors they could ever imagine.”
He winks and I smile, nodding in complete appreciation. “That would be amazing. Thank you.”
Bodhi whistles. “Dude, I hope you’re ready because you’re gonna be Connor’s favorite person forever.”
My throat tightens.
I hope he’s right.
But not because of some birthday party.
This is just something I can do.
Something I want to do.
For Harper and for Connor.
“Okay,” I say, forcing myself back into logistics before I let Bodhi Roche wreck me. “I also need help on the food and decorations front.”
August’s mouth quirks. “You’ll want Ella for that.”
“Call Marlee and Layken too,” Ledger says. “I’ll do it. They’re both working upstairs. I saw them about an hour ago.”
“Blakely might be around too,” Bear tells me. “I’ll text her.”
They say it takes a village to raise a kid and damn if my village isn’t the best goddamn one in the whole wide world.
I findthem clustered near the café, Marlee with her laptop open, Layken scrolling her phone, Ella sipping an iced coffee like she’s mid-life-administration, and Blakely on a call…something about cupcakes.
I stop short. “Hey. Uh, I was just coming up here to check in with you guys about?—”
“Connor?” Marlee looks up first.
I nod, feeling only slightly panicked. “Yeah.”
Layken stands. “We’re already on it.”
Blakely pockets her phone. “Cupcakes are being delivered in an hour.”
