Hard Hit (IceCats 3)

We could lose this game and I wouldn’t mind too much, for I’m winning every day at home.

After the game, I meet Jaylin at home, where she’s changing Celeste.

“I think I need a car seat for my car,” she tells me before setting Celeste on her feet and holding her under her arms for support.

I grin as I crouch down so Celeste can see me. “Come on, CC. Come to Daddy.”

CC giggles as she moves her feet, and Jaylin carries her to me. Celeste is nowhere near ready to walk, but it’s cute watching her think she can. Jaylin swings her up, kissing her cheek before handing her off to me. I take my baby, kissing her and breathing in the smell of her. She’s all freshly changed, lotioned up, and in her sleeper. “Taking that sucker out of Jean’s car was absolute hell, and we have to exchange tomorrow. I may need you to send me the link so I can buy one.”

“Or we can go in the morning. Celeste needs some new clothes. Her six-to-nine are way too tight. Need to go up to nine-to-twelve.”

She eyes me. “Or twelve-to-eighteen. That one outfit I bought is a twelve-month and fits her great.”

“Stop making my baby grow,” I accuse her, and she laughs as she cleans up the diaper mess and then hangs up Celeste’s jersey. “So, you really had a great time at the game?”

“Yeah, it was awesome. I had no clue what was happening,” she admits as she folds some blankets and throws them on the blanket stack.

“Did your parents enjoy themselves?”

She looks up at me, grinning. “Dad talked about getting season tickets, he loved it so much. My mom, like me, had no clue what was going on, but she thought it was cool. They’re talking about going to dinner after your golf date with Dad.”

That pleases me. “Sounds good to me.”

“I figured you’d say that, so I said yes,” she says, standing up. “By the way, it’s crazy that I am volunteering to hang with my parents. But I am finding that having a boyfriend takes a lot of the pressure and the attention off me. Plus, Celeste steals the show.”

I chuckle. “That’s good. I’m glad they like us.”

I rock Celeste back and forth, holding her bottle as she drinks soundly. She’s exhausted. Big night. Not only did she have the game, but she went to dinner with Jaylin’s parents and Jean afterward. It takes me so long to finish up after a game, I missed it. But when Jaylin said she’d meet me at the house, I wasn’t upset.

“Love you,” she corrects. “Pretty sure my mom is planning our wedding on the side.”

I eye her. “How’s that make you feel?”

She doesn’t meet my gaze. “Fine.”

“Fine?”

She sends me a smirk. “I mean, I’m not upset or scared.”

“That’s good.”

“I thought so. Also, I can’t wait to go to my next game. Though, I wish you guys had won.”

Yeah, that sucked. “Me too. Sorry about that.”

She looks up from where she is tossing toys in the toy box. “Um, you did your part. You scored.”

“It was all for you, baby,” I say as I lay Celeste down, switching out the bottle in her hand for a stuffed IceCats cougar.

“I feel so special.” She comes up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist and kissing me in the middle of my back. She then moves around, leaning her head on my bicep as she holds Celeste’s foot in her hand. “Love you, baby girl. Sweet dreams.”

I lean in, kissing Celeste’s forehead before whispering, “I love you. Goodnight.”

Celeste’s eyes are almost shut as we walk out of the room, our arms around each other. I bring the door closed only a bit before kissing Jaylin’s temple. “You are.”

Jaylin looks up at me, confused. “Huh?”

“You are special.”

She beams at me as our lips meet. I kiss her long and hard, my body needing hers. When she parts from my lips, we grin at each other before I give her another smaller kiss. After she pulls back, she tugs me to the kitchen, and I can’t help but take in the view. She’s still wearing my jersey with a pair of jeans that hug that ass something insane. When we reach the island, she grabs the glass of wine she had poured herself before I got home. She then hops up on the island, pulling me between her legs by the buckle of my belt. She wraps her legs around me as I wrap my arms around her waist, holding her close.

I press my nose into hers, running it along her soft skin. I hate that I’m checking the amount of wine she has left because I know once it’s gone, she’ll be ready to leave. I don’t want her to leave. This all feels so perfect. So right. She does run this household, and I love it.