One-Timer (Carolina Comets)

I was right.

About a month after Freddie was born, my mother packed up my childhood home, the one that held so many good and bad memories for her, and moved across the state to be closer to her new granddaughter. She is obsessed with Freddie.

Honestly, I can’t blame her—I’m obsessed too.

If I thought I loved my little girl when she was just a little flutter inside of me, I was wrong. That love is nothing compared to watching my baby grow.

It’s been nine months since my daughter was born, and I still can’t believe I’m a mother. I can’t believe I created and carried a little human and now I get to watch this baby flourish for the rest of her life.

Freddie laughs from across the room, the sound drawing my attention. Her tiny arms are outstretched toward her father, and I can’t help but smile as he plucks her from her grandmother’s grasp, blowing kisses into her chubby neck.

“You’re so in love with him. It’s gross.”

I peek over at my sister, who is watching Lowell with her own grin.

“You’re one to talk.” I flick my eyes to her husband, who is standing next to Lowell, making faces at Freddie. “You’re so in love with him.”

“Yeah. I am.” She sighs dreamily. “Can you believe this is where we are?”

“Not even a little bit.”

“You’re a mother.”

“And you’re a wife.”

“And soon you’re going to be a wife…right?” She lifts her brows in question like I’m harboring some sort of secret.

I laugh then flash her my hand. “Still ringless.”

She sighs again, only this time it’s less wistful and more out of irritation. “Fool.”

These last two years have been the most tumultuous of my life between finding my ex-husband cheating on me, divorcing him, getting pregnant by my one-night stand, and then falling in love with said one-timer. Add in moving in with Lowell and adjusting to motherhood plus being a pro-hockey player’s girlfriend on top of that, and—yeah, it’s been a crazy ride.

But if Lowell were to ask…I’d say yes in a heartbeat.

Much like how I thought I loved Freddie before she was born, if I thought the love I had for Lowell was strong before our baby came into this world, I was dead wrong. Watching him become a father has taken my feelings for him to a whole different level.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time he had to leave for a road game after Freddie was born. During the birth? Not a single tear, but leaving Freddie’s side for the first time? He lost it. He cried for ten minutes before he finally got out the door to catch the flight. His coach reamed him a new one, but Lowell swears spending those extra minutes with his child was worth it.

That was the first moment I fell even more in love with him. There have been about a hundred other moments since then that have made me fall even harder.

Like the time he got home at two AM after an away game then insisted on being on nighttime duty with Freddie, who was struggling to sleep through the night.

When we went for a date night and my boobs started leaking through my dress, even though he wasn’t wearing an undershirt, he took his dress shirt off so I could cover up. He didn’t even care that he had to go shirtless under his suit jacket throughout the rest of our dinner.

And even now, today, he’s been walking around wearing that silly shirt I bought for him the first Christmas we spent together, not the least bit embarrassed by the bold WORLD’S HOTTEST HOCKEY DAD letters across it.

As if he knows we’re talking about him, Lowell’s eyes find mine, and a huge grin lights up his face. He stalks toward us, Freddie in his arms. She reaches out for me, but Harper steps in, stealing her away.

“What? You don’t want Mama. You want Auntie Harper! Aunts are way cooler than moms,” she says, brushing her nose against Freddie’s as her niece laughs and burbles out some nonsense.

“Moms and aunts are cool and all, but uncles are where it’s at!” Collin declares, stealing Freddie from his wife’s arms. He plops her down onto her playmat, dropping to the floor and stacking up blocks as Freddie watches with giddiness. She knows exactly what’s coming.

Harper and Collin are still firmly against having their own children, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t complete constants in Freddie’s life. The number of times I’ve had to beg my sister to spend time with my own child is a little ridiculous if you ask me. They are both over here at our home nonstop, stealing away all of Freddie’s attention.

“Honorary uncles too,” Rhodes adds, sitting on his knees next to them and picking Freddie up to recreate a scene from Godzilla as he crashes her through the blocks.

Harper, Ryan, and my mother all sit back on the couch, laughing as they take turns playing blocks and monsters with her. It’s her favorite game.

There is not a single soul in this room who would ever dare to say Freddie isn’t loved. It’s so obvious by the way she’s garnered the attention of each person, including the always grumpy Smith, who is admittedly a little less grumpy these days.

Lowell slides his arms around my waist, dropping his chin to rest on my head.

“They’re so in love with her,” he says, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Just like I’m so in love with you.”

“That was incredibly cheesy. Say it again.”

He laughs. “I’m so in love with you.” He drops his lips to my ear and splays his hand across my still flat stomach. “All three of you.”

I might not be harboring secrets about an engagement, but I am harboring another one.

I’m pregnant.

We didn’t plan it, but we were significantly less shocked this time around.

“Do you think they’ll love the second one as much as the first?” I whisper to him.

“I don’t know how they couldn’t. We make cute babies.”

I grin at Freddie, her dark curls bouncing as she giggles with her whole body. “That we do.”

“Do you think we’ll love the baby just as much?”

“Yes. But I have to admit, I’ll love you a little less.”

My brows pinch together, and I look up at him. “You will?”

“Yes, but only because I’m going to have to make room in my heart for another girl. It’s nothing personal.”

My heart skips a beat. “I think that’s fair, even though there is no way it’s a girl.”

He lifts his brows. “You really want to bet against me on that given my track record?”

“You had a 50/50 chance of being right. It’s not that impressive.”

“No? Well, if you’re not impressed with that, let me show you something that will impress you.” He pushes his hips into me, and there’s no mistaking the feel of his cock against my ass.

“Lowell!” I hiss out. “We have company!”

“Uh, yeah, you do, and I’m going to pretend I didn’t just witness all that.” Emilia waves her hand in our direction as she passes us, plopping down on the couch between Miller and Smith.

Miller slips his arm across the back of the cushion behind her but removes it just as fast when he catches sight of the glare Smith is directing his way.

I tuck my lips together, trying not to laugh.

“Can we send them all home yet?” Lowell asks.

This time I do laugh. Lowell’s always been a notoriously private person, to the point that only like five people on the team even knew where he lived, but now we have almost a constant rotation of people in and out, especially on Sundays when we host brunch whenever the Comets are on a home game stretch.

“They just got here.”

“So? I’m ready to have you alone again.”

“You just had me alone.”

He runs his nose along my neck. “It wasn’t enough. But to be fair, it’ll never be enough.”

“I’m sure you’ll get tired of me eventually.”

“Not a chance.” He presses a kiss to my neck. “Forever, remember?”

“I remember.”

“Do you? Because if you need a reminder, I will gladly sign a legally binding agreement to make sure you don’t forget. You know, one with like rings and shit.”

I tip my head up, meeting his green eyes, which are usually so certain and so confident.

“Did you just propose to me?”

“No. Yes. Kind of?”

“Kind of?”

“I mean…” He runs his tongue along his lips. “Is that… Is that what you want?”

It doesn’t happen often—in fact, I’ve only seen him like this twice—but Lowell’s nervous.

“Is that what you want?” I echo.

“I asked you first.”

He grins, and I roll my eyes.

He chuckles at that. “Yes. It’s what I want.”

“Because I’m pregnant?”

His brows pull together. “No. I… No. Actually, I think I’ve wanted it since the moment we met.”

“You wanted to marry me when I punched you?”

“What can I say?” He shrugs. “I like ’em crazy.” He winks. “What do you say, darlin’? Want to get married?”

“Are you serious?”

“Completely.”

I blink up at him, stunned.

“Don’t mess with me…” I warn, narrowing my eyes.

“I would never. I already know you got a mean right hook.”

“Cameron…I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

He steps away from me…and drops right down on one knee. He shoves his hand into his pocket, producing a gorgeous teardrop ring.

My hand flies to my mouth because I was so not expecting this today.

“I love you, Hollis, more than I’ve ever loved anyone—aside from Freddie—in my entire life. Marry me.”

“I…” I glance over at the others, who are all now watching us intently, monsters and blocks completely forgotten. I look back down at Lowell, who is grinning up at me with a smirk that is just entirely too confident.

He knows—because of course he does—that I’m going to say…

“Yes!”

Everyone in the room explodes into a chorus of joy.

Lowell presses a quick kiss to my belly before pushing up to his feet, swooping me into his arms, and peppering me with kisses.

“Have you been planning this?” I ask him.

“This exact moment? No, but I’ve had the ring for a while now.”

“How long is a while?”

“Nine months.”

“But that’s…”

He’s had it since Freddie was born.

“Someone wants to say congrats to Mama and Dada.”

I grab Freddie from Harper, snuggling my baby close. Lowell wraps his arms around both of us, and I think this may be my favorite moment of ours yet.

“Ma…ma.”

I gasp, tears welling in my eyes. “Oh my gosh! She said Mama!”

“Now say dada.” Lowell tries to coax it out of her.

“Ma…ma,” Freddie says again, smiling.

“Say dada.”

She just grins up at him.

“Ha! Mama wins. Mama’s the favorite,” I taunt.

“That’s okay, little darlin’,” Lowell says, kissing her head but keeping his eyes on mine so I can see the pure love swimming in his eyes. “Mama’s my favorite too.”

I lied.

This is my favorite moment of ours.