Page 44 of Taming You

Mom looks between the two of us, confusion written all over her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, just that my best friend and sister are keeping secrets from me.”

Liv holds up her hand. “Wait a second. We couldn’t say anything. Not until the contract was signed and it was all official.”

“So, I had to read about it in a news article on my phone?”

“We were hoping we could beat the news and tell you guys today. We’re sorry you found out this way,” Liv says.

I sit across from them, still dumbstruck. “One point five billion,” I say.

“Yeah,” Josh says.

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah.”

“One point five billion for what?” Mom asks.

“Josh just bought the Vancouver Cyclone for that much,” I say.

You could hear a pin drop in the room it’s so quiet.

“You’re shitting me,” Dad says.

I pass him my phone with the article pulled up.

“Holy shit.”

“I was hoping to be the one to tell you guys. It’s all been pretty hush-hush. I found out from a buddy the Baldwin family was looking to sell the team, and I put in an offer. We went back and forth for a little bit before we finally settled on a number. I was hoping they’d wait until Monday to do the announcement, but I guess not.”

“I can’t believe you’re the owner of our favourite team,” I say.

“Trust me, I couldn’t believe it either,” Liv says. “I also can’t wrap my head around that much money.”

I laugh. “You married into that much money.”

She shrugs. “It’s never really come up. I married Josh for Josh, not his money.”

“I know you didn’t. I’m still in shock, that’s so much money.”

“Congrats, son,” Dad says and shakes Josh’s hand.

“Thanks. And once everything goes through, I’d love for us to all go to a game together.”

“Oh, that would be so much fun,” Mom says.

We all hug and shake hands before following Mom into the kitchen, where we all settle at the table for brunch. I do my best to try to keep Jayden’s fussing to a minimum, but he doesn’t seem to stop. I have Jayden on my chest as I rub his back and Liv comes up behind me, sticking her finger in his mouth. She walks to the freezer and comes back with a blue rubber ring and hands it to Jayden over my shoulder.

“Your boy is teething,” she says before taking her seat again.

Jayden calms down a little as he sticks the ring in his mouth and sucks on it. The tension slowly leaves me as I watch him relax bit by bit.

“Thank you,” I say.

“Of course. Cate was a big fusser when she was teething. She’ll be getting her upper teeth soon, and I just hope this round isn’t as bad as the last one.”

“I thought I had another month or two before he started. I was wondering why he hasn’t been sleeping well the last few nights and just thought it was a phase.”

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