“Jack buddy, come on,” I call him over and he jumps up at me again, but this time I swing him up onto my shoulders so I can tuck Ellis into my side.

Apart from telling Jack to take a breath and congratulating me, Ellis hasn’t said anything since I walked into the room. But I’m not going to push her. Being here was already more than I could have asked for.

She knows that coming here, being in this room, is a sure-fire way for our new future, her pregnancy, to hit the news. Her facing it head-on is enough to make me weak. But I’ll ignore it for a few more hours, until Jack is in bed and we can make a full plan.

I don’t mind waiting. Being around Ellis Ainsley is like waiting for the sun to rise, like watching the first hints of light flow over the hills and brighten everything it touches. She bursts through the darkness of the nights.

That’s why I call her Sunshine.

Chapter Sixteen

Ellis

I’m on cloud nine. Coming to the game, sitting right up against the glass, was a big step. When Aiden asked if I would do it, I knew what it would mean, the public would officially link Liam and me. There was no way he would see us and be able to stay calm. I had to decide if I was ready for it.

I knew I would have to face that music sooner or later. I couldn’t keep this in the shadows forever. It also wouldn’t be fair of me to make Liam keep it a secret forever, nor would that be fair on our child.

So, when Aiden asked, I pulled up my big girl panties and bit the bullet. Jack has been begging to go to a game ever since he met Liam, which made the decision slightly easier. When I told him we were going he nearly rocketed through the ceiling with excitement. The team played incredibly, and Liam looked amazing on the ice. I forgot how elegant he looks out there, at one with the blades.

Then the unimaginable happened: Jack said he loves Liam. I knew he liked having him around, but I didn’t know Jack had bonded in a deeper way. Of course, after the rush of adrenalin from watching the game, his emotions were heightened. Still, I could see it meant a lot to Liam judging by his reaction.

As we leave via the back entrance of the arena, there are still hordes of fans congregated outside. There are women hoping they might catch the eyes of a single player, kids hoping for an autograph, men wanting to see their heroes. Plus, there are always a few smaller news outlets who don’t make it into the press room looking for a quote.