Under Fire: A Florida Glaze Hockey Romance by M.E. Carter

Author:M.E. Carter [Carter, M.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-03-16T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

LACY

The kids were sad to see Tucker leave for another extended road trip, but they were the only ones. I’m happy to have the space.

After the debacle that was our Thanksgiving party, I need the time to get my nerves under control and figure out how we’re going to make this work. I knew learning to co-parent was going to be difficult, but I had no idea how little Tucker actually knows about raising kids.

He has no sense of how to keep them safe and healthy. Even worse, as much as he loves them, it’s like he hasn’t figured out how to make them a priority. He’s still stuck in some of his bachelor ways and that is a huge problem.

I will give him credit for having the love part down. He seems to enjoy pre-bedtime snuggles and is always willing to get down on the floor and play with the kids. And my biggest pet peeve that probably isn’t doing as much damage as I fear—he spoils them. If Sutton said she wanted a pony, I guarantee Mr. Ed would be hanging out in our backyard by morning.

That’s how we ended up with this huge, white Christmas tree set up next to the fireplace that is unusable because it’s too hot outside. One of the kids, I’m not sure which one, brought up Santa last night and the conversation spiraled into making sure they have a house decorated in as much Christmas spirit as possible.

I woke up after Tucker had left, and this monstrosity was already here, boxes of decorations scattered around the room for us to use. The kids are delighted. Me, not so much.

“You are such a sourpuss,” Ellie says as she drags another box over so we can open it and see what treasure is inside.

I don’t bother reaching for it, knowing she’s leaving for work in a few minutes and I’ll end up doing the whole thing. Might as well rest up.

“I am not. I’m just not a huge decorator and you’re leaving. I’m not excited to do this all by myself.”

“You’re not by yourself. You have them.” She gestures to the kids who are decorating each other with tinsel. “Okay so maybe you’ll end up doing this by yourself.”

“We’re going to find tinsel everywhere for months, aren’t we?”

Ellie tries to rip open the box but only gets about halfway before the world’s most indestructible tape stops her progress. “It’s worth it for that moment, right there.” She gestures her head as she continues to struggle.

I sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

Finally abandoning the box, which still isn’t open, Ellie settles in next to me and puts her feet up on the coffee table. “What a difference a year can make, huh? Last year we had that tiny, beat up old tree reminiscent of Charlie Brown’s Christmas, and this year,” she waves her hand in the general direction of the very full fake fir tree. “This is what we get to gather around.”

“Seems like a lot of things have changed over the last year.

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