We talked for a few more minutes, but then she gathered up her husband and kids, and they said their good-byes as most of the other mourners were starting to trickle out.
I glanced over at Blake from across the room. His eyes were red from all the tears he’d cried over the last few days, but he had a huge smile on his face as he spoke with an older gentleman. Since he was busy, I started organizing the flowers, finding people to send them home with. We couldn’t take them on the plane with us, and there was no reason for them to all go to waste.
Around the time I found a new home for the last of the arrangements, Blake inched up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, dragging me back against his chest.
“You doing okay?” I asked.
He shook his head, his chin resting atop my scalp. “Better now.”
“How come?”
“Because I’m with you.” He kissed the top of my head. “You read your card from Grandma yet?”
“To be honest, I’ve been putting it off.”
“Me, too.”
“Think we should slip off somewhere and read them?”
In answer, Blake threaded his fingers through mine and led me to a quiet room off the main hallway. There was a couch near the window, a picturesque, snowy winter scene outside, and we dropped onto it, practically falling on top of one another because the cushions were broken down.
“Oops,” I said, and we both laughed.
It felt good to laugh.
After planting a kiss on the end of my nose, he removed his card from his jacket pocket, and I dug mine out of the inside zipper in my purse. With one more look at him for reassurance, I slid my finger under the seal and retrieved my card while he did the same.
Dear Bea,
I’m sure you know that you’re not perfect. No one is. But you are perfect for my grandson.
Life won’t always be easy, but you know that. You expect the hard times, which is good. It means you’re strong enough to withstand them when they come knocking at your door. But don’t forget to enjoy the good times, too.
It’s not a bad thing to be soft around the middle sometimes. It’ll give him a soft place to fall—and we both know Blake will fall. You two can get back up again together.
And don’t forget to laugh. Laughing together is one of the best things you can do. You’ll have a longer, happier life if you always remember to laugh.
Thank you for loving my boy. It’s time for me to pass the baton.
Lil
I had to reach for a tissue and blow my nose loudly.
Blake was in much the same condition.
“What’d she say to you?” he asked once he’d pulled himself together.
“Made a crack about being soft around the middle,” I said, trying to laugh it off.
“I like you being soft around the middle,” Blake said, sniffling again. “Makes it easier to get a grip on you.”
“What’d she say to you?” I asked.
“Drew a picture of her tattoo.”
“The one where she’s flipping off cancer?”
“One and the same. And she said she loved me.”
“She did. She loved you better than anyone else ever has.” Fresh tears filled my eyes.
“Not better than anyone else,” Blake said. “She didn’t love me better than you.”
“Time to pass the baton,” I said, repeating Lil’s final words to me.
“You ready for this?”
“Yes. I’m ready.”
Catherine Gayle is a USA Today bestselling author of more than forty contemporary and historical romances. She’s a transplanted Texan living in North Carolina with three extremely spoiled felines. In her spare time, she watches way too much hockey and reality TV, plans fun things to do for the Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs experiments in the kitchen which are rarely toxic.
If you enjoyed this book and want to know when more like it will be available, be sure to sign up for Catherine’s mailing list. You can find out more on her website, her blog, at Facebook, on Twitter, at Instagram, and at Goodreads. If you want to see some of her cats’ antics and possibly the occasional video update from Catherine, visit her YouTube account.
FREE AGENT is Book 18 in the Portland Storm hockey romance series written by USA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle. If you enjoy it, look for the other books in the series.
BREAKAWAY
ON THE FLY
TAKING A SHOT
LIGHT THE LAMP
DELAY OF GAME
DOUBLE MAJOR
IN THE ZONE
HOLIDAY HAT TRICK
COMEBACK
DROPPING GLOVES
HOME ICE
MISTLETOE MISCONDUCT
LOSING AN EDGE
GAME BREAKER
DEFENSIVE ZONE
POWER PLAY
NEUTRAL ZONE
FREE AGENT
JOURNEYMAN
SLEIGH BELLS & SLAP SHOTS
There are also currently three boxed sets of books within the series, if you would prefer to purchase them in that way. A fourth will release soon.
PORTLAND STORM: THE FIRST PERIOD (Contains Breakaway, On the Fly, Taking a Shot, and Light the Lamp)
PORTLAND STORM: THE SECOND PERIOD (Contains Delay of Game, Double Major, In the Zone, Holiday Hat Trick, and Comeback)
PORTLAND STORM: THE THIRD PERIOD (Contains Dropping Gloves, Home Ice, Mistletoe Misconduct, Losing an Edge, and Game Breaker)
PORTLAND STORM: OVERTIME (Will contain Defensive Zone, Power Play, and Neutral Zone)
One more boxed set is still to come.
Also, join Catherine’s mailing list to receive ICE BREAKER, a Portland Storm short story prequel that you can’t get anywhere else.
Want to join in the Portland Storm discussion? Join the Facebook group at Cat’s House.
Interested in buying your own customizable Portland Storm and Tulsa Thunderbirds jerseys, T-shirts, and more? Find out how here.
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