Junie and I packed up the hotel room first, which didn’t take too long. Then we headed to the storage unit and began the arduous task of separating out what stayed in storage and what moved to the condo. The kids sat in the car, read on their tablets, and took naps. I had everything ready by the time the first truck pulled up next to the unit.

As truck after truck arrived, I stood in awe at the sheer manpower filing into the small space. Boxes were lifted and hauled out with incredible efficiency. These guys were used to working together on the ice, and that teamwork spread to packing out boxes, too.

I did my share. I never believed in being one of those women who stood by and watched the men do the heavy lifting. I held my own. Easton attempted to relieve my load multiple times, but I’d hear nothing of it.

Within a few hours, everything that needed to be moved was loaded.

Having a professional hockey player as the father of my children did have its advantages.

The procession of trucks pulled up outside Easton’s building, and we did the entire thing all over again. This time I didn’t carry in boxes but directed where each item should go as per the careful notes I’d placed on each box.

Easton had pizza delivered, and his roommate Kaden lugged in a few cases of beer. The living room burst at the seams with lounging hockey players, the aroma of pizza, and boisterous laughter. Junie and I had been introduced to the half-dozen guys who’d shown up, but I didn’t recall all the names. Many of them lived in this building since it was close to the practice facility and the team owner gave them a good deal on long-term leases. Ethan Parker had bought the property and built the condos with the intention of housing his hockey players here, especially the single ones. Most of the married players opted for large homes with yards.

Junie flirted shamelessly with the guys while I observed her amusing performance. She had these guys eating out of her hand, and I suspected she’d been propositioned by more than a few of them.

Steele and the kids were playing a board game at the dining room table. Every once in a while, Steele would groan, and the kids would giggle. They were handing Steele his ass on a platter, or so it sounded.

Easton stuck close to me while participating in the banter going back and forth. He’d told them about the twins, and no one thought it was odd he was paying so much attention to me. No one but me, that is.

For a brief moment, I allowed myself to be transported back to a time when we were teenagers and had our entire future ahead of us. It’d been a time of hope and happiness. Being with Easton opened up an entirely different life than I’d had in the past. He was from a good family with two great brothers and a loving mother. I’d met them a few times when they’d come to watch him play. His mother was a gem, and Easton talked fondly of his father.