Page 9 of Scarred

“I should be home around four to take her to dance.” I sip my coffee while Scar enjoys her breakfast.

“Works for us,” Mae smiles. “After breakfast, I promised Scarlett we would go down to the beach for a bit and work on our sandcastle-building skills. I’ll have her napped, fed, and ready for you by the time you get home.”

I nod my head, watching my daughter talk to her stuffed animal before meeting Mae’s warm blue eyes. “Thank you again…for everything. I don’t know what we would do without you.”

After Jules died, my family helped out as much as they could, but with them living in Arizona and my hectic schedule, I needed a more permanent solution for Scarlett.

Mae was Jules’s grandmother and all the family she had. After Jules died, Mae was just as lost as I was. Scarlett gave us both purpose, and I knew she needed us just as much as we needed her.

I eventually asked her to move in with us, and she has been a godsend with Scarlett. We’ve become a family, and it makes leaving Scar a bit easier when I know she’s in the best care.

Mae has her light back in her eyes again, and I know that having a piece of Jules with her through Scarlett has healed her in ways that nothing else could.

“You know it’s me who should be thanking you,” she reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You gave me a family again.” Her eyes tear up, and she quickly blinks them away. “Now go before I ruin my makeup on this old, wrinkly face,” she scoffs, shooing me away.

“Old and wrinkly?” I put a hand to my heart in shock as I walk around the counter. “Never. You don’t look a day over fifty.” I kiss the top of her grey head as her shoulders shake with laughter.

“Save your smooth talking for girls closer to your age,” she chuckles, shaking her head, but there’s no hiding the flush to her cheeks.

“I have all I need with my two favorite girls, right here.” I bend down and kiss Scar’s cheek, breathing in her sweet baby scent that somehow still lingers. “See you later, alligator. Have fun at the beach with Nana Mae.”

“Affer while, cwocadile,” she sings out.

“Lordy, that child melts my heart with every fiber of my being,” Mae softly laughs at my daughter’s attempt to pronounce the big words.

“Wuv you, Daddy,” she whispers, turning around on the stool and flinging her little arms around my neck.

I swallow down the lump in my throat as she squeezes me harder. “I love you too, baby,” I manage to breathe past all the emotions she evokes in me.

“To the moon and stars?” She asks, her bright ocean eyes pulling me into their light.

“All the way to the moon and stars,” I softly say, kissing her on the head one last time before grabbing my huge duffel bag by the door and slinging it over my shoulder.

I leave them to finish breakfast as I head to the elevators to take me to the first floor. When they open, I nod at the doorman as I pass by.

“Have a good day, Mr. Blade,” he calls out.

“You too, Walter,” I smile and step outside into the salty air.

Growing up in Arizona, it took me a while to get used to the humid heat, but I’ve been here for almost five years and have grown to love this area. Seeing Scarlett's love for the beach and ocean, I can’t imagine raising her anywhere else.

Pushing the button on my key fob, I approach my vehicle and throw my bag in the backseat before climbing inside. The busy city around me bustles and moves as I pull out of my reserved parking spot and head in the direction of the rink.

Lately, I’ve been craving a more laid-back feel. When Jules and I first got together, it was fun having the nightlife so close and enjoying the fast-paced energy of being in the middle of it all, but now that I have Scarlett, I want more for her.

The condo was fine when she was a baby, but this area doesn’t feel like home anymore.

My contract with the Bolts looks pretty solid, so I’m hoping there will be no more moves for us in the future. The NHL is always unpredictable, but I don’t want that to stop me from laying down some roots, especially when I know it’s best for my daughter.

Slowing down, I pull into the practice facility parking lot and drive around to the players’ entrance. My body automatically feels the familiar pull and the rush of adrenaline whenever my blades hit the ice. I’ve been skating since I was Scarlett’s age, and I knew right away it was something I was born to do.

Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I head to the locker room to gear up. Voices echo down the hall the closer I get, as my teammates banter back and forth. Once I step into the room, Knox Stone, our captain, shoots me a grin as he adjusts his shoulder pads.

“About time your ass showed up.” He slips his wedding ring onto a chain before securing it around his neck. Ever since he and Savi got married, it’s become his lucky charm. He never plays without it, even in practice. If his skates are on, he’s wearing it.

“Aw, did you miss me?” I drop my bag on the bench and peel my shirt over my head. “I knew marriage would make you a big softie.”

“Only when it comes to my wife. The rest of you can choke on the ice I spray your way as I outskate you fuckers,” he smirks. “Especially you, Hayes. I still haven’t forgiven you for giving Savi your jersey to wear to my game.”