Page 85 of Secret Baby for My Protector

My dad leaves before Mia comes back. I tell her about the meeting, and she beams at me.

"I’m glad you made up with your dad," Mia says, running her hand through my hair. I shut my eyes, savoring her touch.

“I’ll be glad when I’m out of here and have you under me again."

Her eyes flare open and her face heats. A giggle escapes her as she shakes her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"You could always marry me."

She reacts surprised by that. But then recovers with a smile. "Yeah. I guess I could."

31. EPILOGUE

MIA

Two Years Later

The stadium is morealive than it’s been in months.

In the past few weeks, games were suspended by the threat of a snowstorm and there was talk of canceling the championship altogether, because of it. But luckily, the storms held off enough to allow the last game of the season to be played in style.

The championship.

“That’s right,” I hear Luke mutter from beside me. “All net, my boy. All net.”

I know he’s talking to Chase who’s currently weaving like a beast on the ice. He has the puck in his possession and expertly avoids everyone who gets in his way, his eyes focused on the net and the net alone. It’s like the other players are mere flies to him, distracting him from his goal. He overcomes their tactics like he has eyes at the back of his head.

“Your left,” Luke mutters again, and just as if he heard him, Chase slides to the left, narrowly avoiding a stick that tries to take out his leg.

“Those little shits,” James says, in a voice that is so uncharacteristic of him that Luke and I both glance at him.

“What?” he asks defensively.

“Nothing,” Luke says, and a smile tickles the corner of his lips. “Just didn’t know you were such a potty mouth.”

James rolls his eyes with a smile, and then turns back to the game. I notice thought that as he does, he catches the gaze of Tracy Senet, a parent on the opposing team. Their gazes linger on each other for a bit. Then James tears his eyes away, looking vaguely guilty.

I quickly evaluate what I just saw. My match-making senses are tingling really hard right now.

We turn our attention back to the game, in time to see Chase face off against the goalie. He fakes to the left, his signature move. Or at least that's what the goalie expects, but this time Chase isn't faking. So, when the goalie stays in place, Chase spikes the puck and it slips right past the goalie, into the net.

The crowd goes wild, the building peppered with chants. I’m sure some of the parents on the other team are cheering too. It's hard not to, watching a game like this.

More people show up for the games now, in part due to Luke’s new notoriety, after saving my life. But the reason they stay, is that Chase has begun making a name for himself, due to his skill. I mean, he’s been practicing a lot and it shows, but some of that is just pure unadulterated skill.

The boy genius of ice. That's what they call him.

And we all know where he gets it from.

Luke is still watching the game and I can see the absolute pride on his face as the crowd cheers for his son. Chase waves at him before skating back into the game. While Luke never made a formal announcement, it seems everyone now knows Chase is his son. They don't ask, but when they see the three of us together, it's the conclusion they draw.

And it’s clear in the way that Luke interacts with his boys, that he loves them more than anything. They’re his passion.

And so am I.

Today, Chase plays better than he’s ever played before. It’s his last game in Pee Wee and he has something to prove. The high school scouts came to the game today and even a coach from the University of Washington.

It’s exciting but at the same time, Chase's potential scares me.

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