Page 133 of Secrets on Ice

“Yes?” she calls out.

“It’s me,” I whisper.

“Come in,” she says.

I push the door open, and she's a shape in the dark, propped up on one elbow.

“This isn't …” I stop. “It's not that. I just …”

“What is it then?” I hear the covers rustle.

“I shouldn’t be here.” I chicken out, turning to head out the door.

“Sully …” she calls my name. “You don’t have to go.”

I still.

“If you need me, I’m here,” she says quietly.

That does something to my chest, and I don’t think, I just feel as my footsteps eat up the distance between us. I get in behind her, pull her back against my chest, and put my face in her hair. She settles into me, her hand coming to rest over mine on her stomach.

This is what I needed.

“I missed you,” I say into her hair. It comes out before I've decided to say it. “Missed you crawling into my bed and keeping me up half the night.”

She goes still for a second. “We said …”

“I know what we said, and I still stand by it.”

Her hand tightens over mine. “I missed you too.”

And it's the most honest either of us has been since Maine. She falls asleep first. I feel it happen, her breathing slow and even, her hand heavy over mine. I stay awake a while longer, just holding her. I’m in so much trouble, I’m in too deep. I kiss the top of her head and slowly disentangle myself. As much as I want to stay here all night, I can’t afford my sister to find us again. So I do the honorable thing and reluctantly get out of bed and head back to my room, where I have the best sleep I’ve had in a while.

36

EMBER

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is at Felix and Harper's, because you do not make a woman with a newborn travel anywhere, and because their townhouse is the only one big enough to hold all of us. And all of us is a lot.

Cassidy and Sully’s parents flew in with mom. Harper's family is here, her parents and Sam. Kimberly, Camryn, and Nate, her besties, are there as well. Of course, Pierre and his mom flew in, and Issy and her sisters, too. Then it was the hockey crew, Bouch, Nelly and Evan, as well as Sully, Emmett, Jo, Fish and Collette, plus Cassidy and me. Also, we couldn’t forget the dogs Puck and Frankston, currently both under the table waiting for something to fall.

The boys got in late last night after a couple of away games this week before they have a home game. Bastien is being passed around like a parcel. He's tiny and completely unbothered by any of it, and every single one of these enormous hockey players turns to mush the second he's handed over. It makes your ovaries throb seeing them with a baby.

Fish has asked if we can turn on the game because his cousin Ledger is playing and he wants to watch. His family didn’t come down from Maine as his brother-in-law is back from deployment and wanted to stay home, which is understandable.

It's chaos, and I stand in the middle of Harper's enormous kitchen with a glass of wine, letting it wash over me. My mother is laughing with Sully, who is standing with my brother, who has Jo tucked in under his arm. Then Bastien has a meltdown, which sets Puck off, and he starts howling.

Eventually, everything settles down and we all head to the tables set up in Harper and Felix’s dining room. It spills out into the living room, but we can hear and see everyone. Somewhere around the time the turkey comes out, Harper taps her glass.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming to our home for our first Thanksgiving as a family.” She looks over at Felix, who has little Bastien in his arms, rocking him, and she looks so happy. “And I want to keep the tradition alive that we go around the table and say what we are all thankful for.” There are rumblings and giggles. “I’ll start. I am thankful for Bastien being a happy and healthy baby. You’re turn, babe.” She looks at Felix.

“I am thankful for you, for making me a dad,” he says as he leans over and kisses her.

Aw.

It goes around the table, and it's mostly what you'd expect, family and health and a good season so far, until it gets to us.