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Cole lifted his head. “You did all the work?”
“Most of it.”
“Good.” Cole pushed the blankets away again. “You can prove it in round two.”
Much later, Ford told him to get some sleep because he had to report in the morning.
“Five more minutes,” Cole said, tightening his arm around Ford.
“You said that twenty minutes ago.”
“And they were a very good twenty minutes.”
Ford tried to glare at him. Cole kissed the expression off his face, then settled back against the pillow as if he’d won.
“Go to sleep,” Ford said.
Cole pulled him closer. His breathing evened out before Ford’s did.
Ford stayed awake long enough to feel Cole’s body go heavy against him. He closed his eyes with Cole’s arm still around him.
Charlotte stopped in the doorway when Nadine brought her home, and Cole froze halfway across the living room. For a second, neither of them moved.
Then Charlotte ran.
Cole caught her against his chest and staggered back a step. She locked both arms around his neck and buried her face beneath his jaw. Cole’s eyes closed. He held her without teasing her about being too big or asking whether she’d missed him.
Ford looked away long enough to take Charlotte’s overnight bag from Nadine.
“She’s been asking since breakfast,” Nadine said quietly.
“I figured.”
“How are you?”
Ford glanced toward Cole. Charlotte was talking into his neck now, too fast for either man to make out every word. Cole nodded anyway.
“Good,” Ford said, and meant it.
Charlotte finally leaned back. “Are you staying home now?”
Cole’s expression changed, only for a second. Ford felt the answer waiting between them.
“I’m home now,” Cole said. “If hockey sends me somewhere again, we’ll tell you.”
“Before you go?”
“Before I go.”
She studied him, then accepted the promise by demanding to see whether he’d brought her anything from Chicago.
“Maybe,” Cole said.
Charlotte slid out of his arms and grabbed his wrist. “Where?”
“In my bag.”
She pulled him toward the stairs, then stopped and looked back at Ford. “You’re coming too.”
