War (Boston Bolts Hockey #3)

4. Ava

FOUR

AVA

“Take a deep breath,” Sara says from my side, her hand in mine, as she guides me down the hall on the pediatric floor. Hannah is on my other side, but as the nurses’ station comes into view, she marches over, demanding to know which room Josie is in. She’s unflappable under pressure. A true Samantha.

Lennox stayed back at the event to keep things running, but she made us promise to call her the second we find out what’s going on. I barely made it back to show them the text without breaking down. There was no way I could have driven myself here.

My chest tightens painfully. God, what if the cancer is back?

Sara tugs on my hand. “Don’t. We aren’t thinking worst-case scenarios right now. We’ll have answers shortly.”

With a harsh breath in, forcing my lungs to expand, I nod. In the last two years, these women have come to mean everything to me. Though I keep much to myself, they love me anyway, and they can always sense what I need.

Hannah, still all business, strides back to us. “She’s in her old room.” From her dark tone, it’s clear she’s just as concerned about that detail as I am.

Yes, I miss Josie and ache to hold her in my arms again. But if I had to choose between seeing her or guaranteeing she never had to set foot in a hospital again, I’d somehow survive without her.

Movement at the door of her room snags my attention. Maria. Her appearance has always reminded me of Kris Jenner. Her dark pixie cut, much like the rest of her, screams that she’s all business. Like she has little time to worry about things as trivial as blow-drying long hair. She’s got kids with cancer to worry about. It makes everything else seem so unimportant.

I pull free of Sara’s hold and rush toward my old friend as she exits Josie’s room. Before I’m halfway to her, she’s speaking, her tone reassuring. “It’s not the cancer. She’s okay.” She catches me and gives my arms a comforting squeeze before I can dart past her into the room. “Take a breath.”

I sag in relief at the news. “Why is she here?”

With what looks like exasperation, Maria shakes her head and pushes her glasses up. The move exposes the gray hairs at her temples. It’s only been a few months, but she looks older, more tired. Rather than her typical scrubs, she’s wearing a sweater and jeans. “I swear the girl lives to push my buttons. She took a tumble out on the pond while skating and needed stitches. They’re monitoring her for a concussion, though it doesn’t look likely.”

Tipping to one side, I peer past her. I won’t truly believe she’s okay until I see her.

“ Ava ,” she yells from her room.

A smile finds my lips at the sound of her sweet voice.

Maria gently pushes me toward the door. “Go. She missed you. We can talk after.”

I have to hold back a sob when I see my favorite little girl for the first time in far too long. Her freckled face is bright and lit with a mega-watt smile. Her shoulder-length strawberry-blond hair is a mess, but her eyes are dancing. Standing at the foot of her bed, I assess her, searching for the stitches. But when she sits up from where she’s been reclined on her pillow and holds her arms out, I dash to the bed and throw my arms around her, careful not to squeeze too tight.

“God, I missed you,” I whisper, trying like hell not to cry.

That was my sister’s number one rule when we were kids. No crying. Focusing on the bad did no one any good. If we’re breathing, we’re smiling.

From day one, I’ve followed that rule with Josie. Breakdowns are saved for outside this hospital room.

I pull back to study her, cupping her cheeks. My heart is lighter just being in this girl’s presence. Knowing she’s okay after that scare only makes the moment sweeter.

She beams up at me. “I missed you too.”

“But you’re happy? Everything’s okay?”

The bravest little girl I’ve ever met smiles. “I’m great. I have the best home on a lake, and I have a little sister and an older brother. And Tyler. He wants to be our dad.”

Before I can process her words, there’s a thundering voice in the hallway. “ Where is she ?” Then a man is rushing into the room, interrupting the peace that has settled over me. He doesn’t acknowledge me, and I couldn’t form a word if I tried. Instead, I watch as Tyler Warren settles on the bed beside Josie as if he is entitled to be in her proximity, making the mattress dip with his weight.

“Hey, fighter.” He grasps her arms and looks her over, his brows pulled low and his jaw rigid. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I was on the ice, but as soon as I heard, I rushed here. How are you feeling?”

Josie’s smile grows. “Good. I got to see Ava. My Ava .”

In response to her pure joy, War’s face relaxes, all those sharp features softening in a way I’ve never seen. Then he does the most unexpected thing. He smiles, his entire face lighting up. Like her happiness brings him happiness.

“What is happening?” I whisper, my heart lodged in my throat.

Finally, the only person I’ve ever truly despised turns to me, as if he’s only now realizing he has an audience. His smile slips, and his face morphs into an unreadable mask.

“This is Tyler,” Josie says. “Like I told ya, he wants to be my dad.”