And the best part about our new home—besides living with Jemma—is that we have a king-size bed. Jemma and I will never have to sleep on that tiny single bed ever again.
Placing the chicken on the counter, I set the flowers in a vase.
“Why, hello there,” an older voice says.
I turn around to see Jemma’s mother holding Lilith in her arms.
“Hi Nora,” I say. “How are you today?”
“Doing fine. I’m just here to drop off some magic.” She uses her nose to point at some gray rocks on the living room table.
I cautiously walk over, making sure to keep my distance from her. Luckily her hands are busy cuddling an ambivalent Lilith. I inspect the stones.
“They just look like rocks,” I say.
“They’re happy home stones.”
“That’s not a thing,” I mumble.
“What was that?” She tilts her head so that she can hear me better.
“I mean… I was just wondering if they were anything like the fertility crystals you gave us last month.”
She lets out her strange cackling laugh. “Not at all! These will make your home very happy for years to come. Just make sure to put them under the full moon so that they charge.”
It’s not hard to see where Jemma gets her spiritual and mystic quirks from.
“Umm… sure. Although, I don’t think we need stones to make us happy.”
Lilith jumps out of Nora’s arms. Nora walks up to me. I instinctively take a step back and use my hands to protect my butt.
She leans in and pinches my cheeks. She smells like moss and chamomile.
“Oh, my dear boy. You are just so sweet, aren’t you? You sure make my Jemma happy.”
“No stones necessary.” I grin.
She cackles again. “And you’re funny too!”
She taps my cheeks before leaning in and kissing me smack-dab on the lips. I widen my eyes in shock.
“Muah!” She pulls back. “Nice juicy lips too.”
Pulling away, she grabs her bag and heads to the front door.
“Until next time!” She waves.
“Bye, Nora.”
She leaves and I’m left in shock, still reeling from what just happened. As much as I love Jemma’s mom, she’s sure a character.
Minutes later, the front door opens and Jemma walks in. She’s wearing a long black skirt and a flowy blue top. Her long wavy sun-kissed hair makes her look like Venus standing in the shell. She looks more beautiful now than she did the first night I met her and it’s all because I love her. I love her so much that it hurts to be apart from her. But now that the hockey season is over, we can spend as much time together as her schedule permits.
“Hey.” I smile as I walk over to her and kiss her.
“How are you?” She asks.
“Umm…”
Her face goes pale. “Oh no. She didn’t pinch your butt again, did she?”
I chuckle. “No, but she kissed me.”
Jemma starts laughing. “Like… on the cheek?”
“Right on the lips.”
She laughs even harder.
“Seriously, I think I prefer the butt-pinching, to be honest!”
She finally composes herself. “I’ll have another talk with her.”
“Oh, by the way, my mom should be visiting next week. The train tickets are purchased and the extra room is almost ready.”
“Great.” She smiles. “I can’t wait to meet her in person.”
“I promise she won’t pinch your butt.”
She laughs. “You never know.”
I look at her. She’s smiling more than usual and there’s a rosiness to her cheeks. There’s something different about her today. She looks more relaxed now than she’s been lately. It’s a stark contrast to the stress she’s been holding over the past few weeks in regards to the studio renovations.
“You look different today,” I say. “What’s going on?”
She looks down at something in her hands. I’m only now noticing that she’s holding a small box.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“It’s a gift for you.” She holds it out.
“Really?” I take the box. “Is it a watch? Or a new phone?”
She laughs. “Not quite.”
I rip off the paper and open the box. Instead of seeing a watch, I see the small Blades onesie that says ‘Newest Fan’ that I bought last November when I thought she was pregnant. I furrow my brow and look up at her in confusion.
“What’s this?”
A smile appears on her face. “Surprise!”
The realization hits me. I widen my eyes. “Are you serious?”
She nods.
“No, really. You’re serious?” I ask again. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes,” she urges.
“Yes!” I take her in my arms and lift her, holding her against me. “I can’t believe it!”
“You better believe it because it’s happening,” she says. “Those fertility stones my mom brought over… they must have worked.”
“Well, hot damn. Magic does exist.” I smile at her. “I’m so happy.”
She puts her hands on my cheeks.
“We’re going to be a little family,” she says, leaning her forehead against mine.
“We are a little family.” I kiss her on the nose.
She smiles and settles against me, placing her hands on my shoulders. Lilith circles around our ankles, wanting to be a part of the action.
“We’re having a baby,” she says.
“We’re having a baby.” I press my forehead against hers.
Unable to stop giggling, we hold each other for a little while longer.
At that moment, I realize that coming to Seattle was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I finally found my home.
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Coming Soon...
Rory (A Second Chance Sports Romance)
Although being the captain of the Seattle Blades isn’t easy, it’s intensely rewarding. The only thing lacking in my life is a personal relationship… and dating apps aren't helping. But when the only woman I’ve ever loved—Maverick—moves back to Seattle, I’m reminded of how much unfinished business there still is between us. Seeing her reminds me of the incident that caused us to break up—the same incident that put me in juvie when we were teenagers. Can I finally find salvation for what I did? And, more importantly, will Maverick forgive me?
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Also By Violette Paradis:
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During a visit to a foreign planet, Gwynda finds herself at odds with Lothrik, a warrior prince. She doesn’t get along with him… at all. He’s regressive, crude, and his society is completely backward. But when she finds herself in an unprecedented situation, she finds an unlikely ally in the only person she wants nothing to do with.
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Jack: An Enemies To Lovers Sports Romance (Bad Boys of Hockey Book 2) Page 27
