Offensive Plays: A Surprise Baby Hockey Romance (Heatwave Hockey Series)

27. Michael

The little girl and her dad, both skate cautiously over to me.

“Hi, Mr. Ferguson,” Carly waves.

Phil slowly pulls up behind her on his own skates. “Hey, guys.”

“I’m getting faster than daddy,” Carly says.

“She is,” Phil admits. “I have you to thank for that.”

I wave off the compliment, “She’s a quick learner.”

I’m so distracted. Once again, Libby has been unreachable and I’m about to lose my actual sanity.

“Dad, look it’s the girl you like,” Carly points to the entrance of the ice where Libby and Liam are entering the rink.

Her hazel eyes land on me and she bends down to whisper something to Liam who nods his head. They both stand and skate over to our area of the rink.

I look around nervously.

“Hi,” Libby says, looking at me.

“Hi,” Phil and I both say in unison. We look at each other and he laughs awkwardly.

“Sorry, she meant you. I’m sure,” Phil says.

Libby smiles. “You mind if I borrow your instructor for a moment? I have an excellent replacement,” she motions toward Liam who waves at Carly and Phil.

“Howdy,” Liam says.

Carly chuckles, “Hi. You’re a good skater.”

“Thanks, Dad and Aunt Libby taught me everything I know. I can teach you too.”

Carly’s eyes widen.

“Is that okay?” I ask Phil.

“Are you kidding? It’d be an honor.”

“Thank you,” Libby says to him. He bows his head and follows slowly behind the two kids skating away.

I turn to Libby. “He has a crush on you.”

“The dad?”

I nod. “He asked me to put in a good word. And since you haven’t been answering any of my calls I figured you might be interested.”

I cross my arms over my chest and wait for her reaction.

“I”m sorry,” she says, twirling a piece of her hair in front of her. “Can we talk?”

I look over at Liam who’s now skating backwards as he instructs Phil on a technique.

“Yeah, looks like your nephew’s got this.”

We find a quiet space high up in the arena. Far enough away from everyone and sit down in the middle of a row.

I wait for her to start. She looks torn.

“So… am I going to be a daddy?”

Her eyes shoot up to mine. And tears pool on her bottom lash line. She nods her head softly.

I sit up straight in my seat and face the arena. “Wow.”

“I know this isn’t what we expected,” she begins. “And we both have our careers. So I don’t expect you to change anything. But…” she sits up straight. “I’m keeping this baby, Michael.”

I turn to look at her. Why in the world would she not?

“Libby… I… wouldn’t expect you not to.”

I reach for her lower belly and hold my hand there. “This is our baby. I want to keep it just as much as you do. Are you kidding?”

She gulps and places her hands over mine, “Seriously?”

“Yes. Oh my god, a thousand times, yes.” I pull her hand to my lap and reach for her cheek. “Libby, I… I love you. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. This is the best news you could’ve ever given me.”

She sobs and places her other hand over mine on her cheek. Tears flow down her face.

“Butterfly,” I whisper. “You just made me the happiest man alive.”

I smile. And she does, too.

“I thought for sure you’d ask me to…” she trails off.

“To what?”

“Just… I don’t know… not have it. But I look at Liam,” she shifts her body toward the little boy below. He sees us looking at him and waves. We both wave back. “And I just think, what a beautiful thing. To get to raise a human being. To teach them and give them more than I ever got.”

She turns to me. “With a man… that I love.”

I’m overcome with the desire to make this woman mine. I hold her chin up to look me in the eye.

“Then be mine, Libby. Let me love you. Let me love this baby. Fuck what anyone might think.”

She swallows.

“I want that more than anything.”

“Then what’s stopping us? Zane will get over it. Jonah’s getting married.”

“Your mother, Michael. That woman would never approve of us. Of this,” she motions to her belly. “And I’ve had enough people in my life try to tell me I’m not worthy of things.”

“I don’t care what my mother thinks, Libby. She’s going to have to accept this or be banned from having a relationship with her own son and grandchild.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not. I’m telling you that it’s just how things will have to be.”

I take her hands in mine and bring them up to my lips. Kissing them softly.

“You’re mine, Libby. You might have been Jonah’s girlfriend at one point. But you were my girl. Always mine.”

She cries and I hold her to me. “Pregnancy hormones are the absolute worst.”

I laugh and pull her face up to meet mine. “We’re going to do this. Together, you hear me?”

She nods, the side of her face resting on my chest. “Ok…stranger.”

I smirk.

“Starting with letting all those heathens know you’re mine.”

I motion toward my teammates all skating with their assigned skaters.

“I wish I could drink. I’m gonna need one,” she admits. “Especially when Zane and Kesley find out.”

“They’re just gonna have to accept it,” I kiss the top of her head.

“Yeah… I guess they are,” she sighs.