Page 17 of Rush

Live on my own!

Buy my own car

Spend 21st birthday dolled up. Get a limo!

Graduate college with a degree in Sports Management

PWHL!!!!!!

Get engaged

Win the Walter Cup at least 1x

Marry the love of my life

5 more seasons in the PWHL

Babies? Or adopt (unless I haven’t won a Walter Cup yet. Then push for a few more years.)

Live Happily

Retire and coach or manage a team

My fingers run over the list Sam made back in high school. Her life plan that I keep close at all times, reminding myself everyday of everything I want to give her. Some things I’ve crossed off already: Prom, Graduate, College, 21st birthday with a limo, live on my own, buy my own car. While others have happened out of order: Babies. Despite that, I’ve done everything I can in order to help make sure the rest is on track. Until last night, I was doing fine. Now, though, I feel like I’ve been thrown for a loop. All along she’s been feeling guilty when she shouldn’t. Sam has been wanting me, and my chest squeezes at the thought. I need to move up my plan.

As much as I want to track Sam down and tie her to my bed and force her to tell me everything I heard last night, I know that wouldn’t go over well. For starters, I can’t explain to her how I know about her secret. I can’t tell her about the hidden camera I put in the apartment that she lives in, the one that I pay rent on, in order for my girls to live in the safest building close to campus. Then I’d have to also explain about how the scholarship for housing was created by me, which could lead to other things coming to light. No, the conversation Sam wants to have with me has to happen at her pace and when she’s ready to talk. Which, by the sounds of things last night, she’s planning to do soon. And that is the only silver lining I hold onto while I force myself to fold up the list and place it back in my pocket before I walk and not run out to the living room and scoop up my baby girl.

“All your toys put away, Dyl?”

Her blonde curls bounce when she grabs my face between her palms and turns my head to the side of my living room. “All tucked in!”

“Good job, little Pretty Girl,” I tell her, kissing her cheek and putting her back on her feet. “Let’s get your shoes on, then we can go see Mommy.”

“Mommy!” She cries out happily and takes off toward the door.

I help her into her miniature pink Converse and then tuck her hand in mine as we leave the apartment. Johnny is still in the garage working when we get to the bottom stairs, and as soon as Dylan spots him, she races toward her uncle.

“Unca!” She shouts at the top of her little lungs. I watch as my brother’s face soften, the way it does only for his little niece. She’s had all of us Kane men wrapped around her finger since the day she was born. He picks her up and listens while she babbles on for a few seconds and then she wants to be back down on her feet.

“What are you two up to?” Johnny glances at me before moving back around the car he’s planning to work on tonight.

“Meeting Sam for dinner and then I have that night class I told you about. I was able to get off the waitlist,” I tell him. He nods at me and then points his wrench at my chest.

“You still up for this weekend?”

There’s a flare of excitement in my gut just thinking about the upcoming race. I can’t wait to get on the track and earn some money while schooling this rookie who likes to talk too loud.

“Of course, bro.” I smirk at him, feeling the steady determination to win settle inside me.

Johnny nods his head. “Kalai will be there. Romeo is sending her to pick up his cut, but the rest is yours to pocket.”

The smile on my face freezes at the mention of Kalai. He was helping this woman out of her car and she hugged him. She was really pretty. Shit. I need to make this right somehow. I need Sam to know there is no other woman in my life. There never has been. I had no idea that she saw Kalai at the shop. She stops by to get an oil change every few months in exchange for basically being my secretary. While subjectively Kalai is a beautiful woman, she is nothing compared to my Sammy. Every interaction with Kalai is also set up through her fiancé Romeo, who happens to be a sponsor of mine, and he’s someone I respect and trust. The hug was friendly, just as I always treat Kalai and Romeo, with respect and friendship. It's because of Romeo that I’ve come as far as I have in the racing scene. It's also how I’ve helped support Sam and Dylan over the past couple of years and how I’m saving for the future as well.

“Tell her I’ll talk to her at the race. I don’t really have time before then,” I tell him and see his eyes flash with understanding. I need a line drawn right now. That world can’t cross over into what I’m building back with Sam and Dylan. I need to explain to Sam first. I don’t want any more miscommunication between us.

“Daddy, I hungry.” Dylan’s voice draws me down to where she has a hand on my leg. I scoop her up in my arms easily.

“We’re leaving now, Dyl. Daddy just had to talk to Uncle Johnny real quick.”