“I just told River, and now I’m telling you. I’m going to get Nova back. You can either help me or get out of the way. I love her, man. I’m sick of hurting both of us like this, for what? Fucking hockey? I’m so damn rich now, I could retire and live comfortably for decades. I have you to thank for that, and I know it. But she’s worth more to me than anything.” I leaned forward, so I could meet his eyes. “I want you guys with me. She loves you too, and I am one hundred percent fucking certain you guys love her. Sack up and help me get her back.”

“Are you done?” he huffed. I nodded, and he was silent for a long time, then met my gaze. “What's your plan?”

I grinned. “First, we clean up River, and then…”

We discussed how to win back our girl long into the night, and for the first time since Nova left, I slept soundly.

Chapter Forty-One

NOVA

I’d settled into a routine. I’d wake up, feed Huey, take him for a walk in the morning sun, and then come home to work while he napped. When he woke up for lunch, I’d play with him for a little while longer, go to the store to buy some kind of instant meal for my dinner, and then he’d play or nap or watch the colorful baby shows while I worked some more. Then I’d feed him, bath him and put him to bed, and that was when I did the bulk of my daily work.

I’d struggle to bed about midnight, and be up at six in the morning to do it all over again. It wasn’t the most healthy routine, really, but there was happiness in predictability. At least, that's what I told myself.

So when Julieta called and insisted that she had a babysitter and I was coming out with her, I wanted to argue. But she was pretty insistent. Julieta was a force of nature when she wanted to be. So I messaged the guys and asked if they’d watch Huey for the night, all the while feeling guilty as hell that I was abandoning my baby as soon as it was inconvenient to look after him. Of course the guys agreed.

Julieta said I was being ridiculous with the guilt thing. I was fucking twenty-four, not fifty-three, and did I think she was a bad parent for wanting a night out with her husband and her brand new bestie?