Page 44 of Pucking the Single Dad
"We?"
"We," I confirmed. "Whatever you need. Character witnesses, stable home environment, proof of Finn's wellbeing—whatever it takes."
"This could get ugly. Public. They have resources—"
"So do we. The team, the school, everyone who's seen how you are with Finn. How happy he is."
Brad pulled me against him, holding on like I was an anchor in a storm.
"I can't do this alone," he admitted against my hair.
"Good thing you're not alone."
Finn chose that moment to return. "Are we having a group hug? I love group hugs!"
We pulled him into our embrace, this little boy who'd become the center of everything.
"Dad? Miss Serena? Is everything okay?"
Brad met my eyes over Finn's head, a silent conversation passing between us.
"Everything's going to be fine," I said, making it a promise.
"Better than fine," Brad added.
And standing there in the kitchen, holding the Wilder men who'd somehow become my whole world, I believed it. Whatever came next—custody battles, cabin repairs, complicated futures—we'd face it together.
Because sometime between the storm and now, 'temporary' had become 'forever' without any of us noticing.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Chapter 15: Brad
The threat from Sarah's parents sent my protective instincts into overdrive. I spent the night after the call pacing, planning, catastrophizing every possible scenario where they took Finn away.
By 4 AM, I'd filled three legal pads with obsessive documentation: every doctor's appointment (47), every school event (all of them), every bedtime story (approximately 1,460, not counting repeats).
"Brad." Serena's voice cut through my spiral. She stood in my office doorway, coffee in hand. "You haven't slept."
"I can't. If they file for emergency custody—"
She moved into the room, setting coffee on my desk. "We have time."
"Time for what? They're right—there's an unvetted stranger living with my son."
The words came out wrong, harsh. She flinched.
"Is that what I am? A stranger?"
"No. God, no. But legally—"
"Legally, I'm a certified educator with extensive background checks. I work at his school. Multiple families can vouch for my character."
She was right, but logic wasn't penetrating my panic.
"They have unlimited resources," I said. "Retired, wealthy, connected. They'll paint me as an absent father who prioritizes hockey over Finn."
"Anyone who's spent five minutes with you knows that's bullshit."
