Page 11 of One Night with Number Nineteen

Who needed my body and most of my attention, my ability to drive to doctors’ appointments and sort out prior authorizations with our insurance company, my emotional regulation system to deal with a colicky newborn, my organizational skills for meal-planning and bill-paying and house-organizing, my⁠—

“When are you going to write a hot hockey hero, Lanes?”

I blink, dropping back into reality with the full force of a meteor impacting Earth.

That is to say, cratered, burned, never to be the same again.

Only this time it’s not about the past⁠—

Or maybe it is.

Hell.

Maybe it’s that my friends have found hot hockey heroes of their own. They’re not perfect. Their relationships aren’t always free of complications (definitely not).

But it’s real.

And my reality…well, it was so far away from what they have that I feel it in the cratered remains of my heart, my soul.

I loved Ben.

It’s just…

“Earth to Lainey,” Luna calls softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Sorry. Plot bunnies,” I lie.

She grins.

“About your hot hockey hero?”

Now I grin. “Nah, I’ll stick with my immortal, sword-wielding, magical heroes, thank you very much.”

“Who are all six-and-a-half feet tall, have six-packs and gorgeous hair, and have a penchant for damsels in distress.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “My heroines kick serious ass, as you well know.”

“Okay then, so they have a penchant for kickass, sassy heroines who refuse to be rescued.”

My mouth tips up. “Precisely.”

Luna sighs heavily.

“Now what?” Harper asks, rubbing her hand over her belly.

“I foresee many a late night in my future.”

“Because Reese is going to keep you up?” Kailey asks, nibbling at a sugar cookie.

“Nope.” She pops the P. “Because Lainey’s books are.”

Faye chuckles. “Oh, the humanity.”

I laugh and then I’m firmly pushing the past aside, focusing on the present, on the food and the laughter and sifting through the remaining boxes left to unpack.

Pulling off the lid of the plastic container, I smile at the pictures inside.

“Ollie sure was adorable,” Faye says.