Holiday Hockey Tale The Icebreaker's Impasse (By Ivory Row) novel Chapter 88

Easton

“Morning Luci.” I whisper to wake Luci. She stretches, smiling before she looks around the guest room confused. “I brought you in here after you fell asleep last night. I figured we might have some early morning visitors.” I prop up the pillows so she can sit against them and remain facing her. “We are to wait here for some sort of surprise. Strict orders from the rascals.”

“Oh no. Did they wake you?”

“They did about ten minutes ago. Bursting with whatever secret they are up to.”

There is a tap on the door and I call out “Come in.”

Cole and Barrett walk in with Becker holding the door open. He is struggling to hold in his laughter. Barrett carries two glasses of juice and Cole has one plate. Becker holds a tray with another plate and coffee cups. “Morning.” Cole calls out cheerfully, concentrating hard on the plate he’s carrying.

“Good morning. Are you delivering breakfast?” Luci smiles at them.

“Yes. It’s a romance breakfast Luci.” Cole answers her. To her credit, her face stays mostly impassive. Becker is in danger of losing it as she eyes him hard.

“Like in the movie Nanna watched while she was cooking.” Barrett adds. “But he brought some funny egg thing. We asked Baker for waffles. We didn’t have flowers for the tray.” He frowns hard with that.

“Remind me to talk to Nanna.” Luci says mildly.

“I think we’re good on the flowers, Barrett.” I ruffle his hair and he smiles.

Becker sets the tray down and helps Cole hand Luci the plate.

I take the juice glasses from Barrett. “You two aren’t joining us?”

They look hopeful. “It’s ‘sposed to only be you.” Cole says wistfully.

“Isn’t today family date day? Shouldn’t that include breakfast?” Luci smiles at them. Cole nods excitedly.

Becker calls over his shoulder. “I’ll be back with your plates, boys.”

Barrett stares at us. “I’m not….”

“Barrett Samuel Olmos, you are family. Get up here.” Luci holds her hand out and he takes it before curling against her for a hug.

“What are we doing today, Daddy?” Cole steals a strawberry off Luci’s plate and she offers another to Barrett.

“I thought this morning we would go play hockey. Let Barrett try out his skates. Maybe Luci can practice her skating too.”

Their faces light up and it doesn’t take long for them to finish their food when Becker drops it off. Luci catches my eye and I nod slowly. “Coco, come sit here.” She pats the mattress next to her and moves slightly so she’s facing him too. “We wanted to talk about yesterday. Barrett, you can stay if you want.” He nods before Luci continues. “Coco, yesterday was hard. You heard some not nice answers. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I was sad. Am I still the boss if I want to talk to her?”

I answer him. “Yes you are. Do you want to talk to her?” I keep all judgment out of my voice.

“No. I done with her. Maybe long time later.”

“If that’s what you want or need Cole.” I hope he never wants to see her again.

“Coco, do you know you didn’t make her leave?” Luci scoots closer to him.

“Yes. She left cause work was better. Like Barrett’s daddy, but he calls him.”

Luci is quietly thoughtful for a minute. She shifts Barrett to sit beside Cole. I can see where

Cole got his distinctive thoughts about this from now.

“She thought her work was better. That was what she picked; Lorelei’s choice. That doesn’t mean work for everyone else is better than you. Either of you.” She looks at Barrett now. “Your daddy has to leave sometimes, Barrett, but he always comes back to you and calls you when he can. He thinks about you all the time when he’s gone. It’s his job and he won’t have to do that much longer. It hurts him to leave you. Sometimes adults do have to pick things over what we’d like to do instead. Because it’s our job or because if we don’t, something bad could happen. Like when I have to study for school so I can graduate instead of watching a movie.

Or like a doctor having to leave his kids to help someone who got hurt at the hospital.

Watching the stove while cooking instead of playing Batman with you for a little bit. The difference is what happens after we are done with our other responsibilities. You come first though up here. Your dads both think about you even when you are apart. Even for only the day at school.” She points to her head. “And right here most importantly, you come first over other things we love.” She points to their hearts. “Like cookies.” She gives them each a little tickle on their stomachs.

“Cole, you said you weren’t real….” I bring up.

He looks up at me. “Not for her. I’m real for you.”

“Coco, you are real for EVERYONE even though she didn’t send you words or videos. Do you know how we can tell you are real?” Luci answers him.

“How?” He tilts his head curiously.

“Because you bring joy to people. The smiles people get from your hugs and your love. Only real people can give out real love.” Luci tells him as she holds his hand and takes Barrett’s hand too. “Remember, not everyone loves you, but that’s their problem. Some people cannot love. Their heart isn’t able to do it. Because something in them is broken. Sometimes someone hurt them and they never learned how to get better. They keep hurting people because they don’t know how to fix their hearts.”

“They need better hugs.” Cole says and Barrett nods.

“Nanna says a hug can fix a lot of things.”

“Nanna’s right, but sometimes it takes a lot more than hugs. And I wish it didn’t. Never think you aren’t real Cole Reed.”

“Luci’s right. You are both very special real boys. And you have a long list of people who love you and will do anything to protect you.”

“We know Daddy.” I hold out my arms and both come to me.

“Go hug Luci and let me round up the uncles for some fun.” I whisper to them. I turn back to see both of them wrapped up in her. My feet finally move reluctantly to head for the kitchen.

“I’m going to take Barrett and Cole to skate and practice at the rink. Any other takers?” The three of them consider it.

“I’m in.” Jackson says.

“Me too. But I thought you had a date today.” Becker raises one eyebrow.

“Later. Barrett is with us until lunch. Luci’s coming to watch. Or maybe I can convince her to play. Gotta pick up her skates.”

“Definitely coming to watch that.” Kingston grins.

“We’ll leave in thirty minutes because I need to grab Luci’s skates from her place.” I leave them to get ready.

Vince

“He put a tracker on her car on his way here.” I can’t believe this guy. Marco closes the door as he joins me.

“Guess he’s a motivated douchebag.” Marco frowns. Maxton moves to the table at the corner of the cafe’s outdoor seating area. I bet she’s coming to meet him here.

“He like his flowers this morning?” Marco sips his coffee.

I snort. “Too much. He didn’t even act suspicious of it. You’d think for the guy stalking a girl for weeks, he’d be wary of an anonymous gift. Took the box and the flowers right inside. Never been easier to get a bug into an apartment.”

“Plan?”

“Stalk him and unnerve him a little. Let him see what it feels like per Jason Reed. Not enough to cause him to snap though. Once he goes for her, he gets arrested or dies. Not sure which one is going to happen quite frankly. Easton catches him near her, he’s probably no longer breathing.”

“I like it. Luci’s a nice girl from what I heard from Mrs. Hutchins.”

“Hey Marco. You ever been part of a throuple?” I ask with a half grin.

“Nope, but I’m game to join one today, I think. You think he’s a little spoon kinda guy? I can’t wait to ask him. I hope he likes dark obsessive romance.” He grins slowly. “Good thing my wife reads me pieces of those for this.”

“Dominant one?” I look at him and he nods.

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