Page 126 of Secrets on Ice

He gives me a heated look and nods. I watch him walk away, heart still racing, legs still shaky. The second the door closes, I lean against the couch and press a hand to my mouth.

We keep saying we’re going to stop.

We keep failing.

And the worst part is … I don’t think I want to stop.

33

EMBER

Harper’s in labor. One minute Cassidy and I are in the new office building more shelves, and the next minute, the group chat starts going off.

Issy: Harper is in labor. It’s go time.

“Oh my god, Harper’s in labor,” I call out to Cassidy.

“No way. That was lucky, the boys head to training camp tomorrow,” she calls back.

She’s right. Hockey season starts tomorrow. Summer is over.

“I can’t believe they will have a baby sometime today,” I say excitedly.

“I bet Harper is excited to have it out.” Cassidy and I both laugh at that. The poor thing has been through it in her last trimester.

“First baby of the group. Who do you think is next?”

“Oh, Issy and Pierre for sure,” I say.

“I wouldn’t put it past Fish to knock Collette up,” Cass muses.

“True. But I’m not sure she’s ready yet. They are a lot younger than Issy and Pierre.”

“Or it could be Emmett and Jo. Now that would be a plot twist. I can’t wait for them to have babies, they are going to be so cute. There’s no way I’m going to be an aunty anytime soon.”

“You’ll probably have a baby before him,” I joke.

“Hell no, now is not the time. Two years and I think I will be ready, even if I have to do it by myself. I was talking to Kimberly, you know the event planner at the engagement party, and she said she is considering having a baby by herself,” Cassidy tells me.

“Really? I thought she was with Sam?”

She shakes her head. “No, they are just good friends, or so she says. Apparently, Sam suffers from that same condition most men suffer from, playboy-anitis.”

I burst out laughing, she’s not wrong. “Talking about playboys, what about Nelly?”

“Training camp starts tomorrow …” she says.

“And that means everything that’s been happening is now over?”

She nods.

“I’m sorry.”

Cassidy shrugs. “Look, will I miss the sex? Yes, but that’s what we agreed on. I’m almost finished at his apartment. I was going to pop around tonight, probably after the hospital, and you know, one last time before we say goodbye.”

“Totally understandable. Are you going to be okay seeing him with another woman?” I ask.

“Yeah, probably. What about you? Anything more been happening with Connor?” she asks.