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The buzzer goes off, indicating the end of the first period, and Jules stares at et so?"

I shake ood"

"Okay," she says with a soft smile, and makes her way out of the front row I look out to the ice and see the last of the players skating off, but I can't see Lucas I wonder if he looked over this way and saw Jules andI wonder if he even knows the depths of

I suspect he does because he handles race

"That was an intense period, huh?" I hear as Lucas's dad plops down beside me I look past his shoulder and see that Marilyn, Simone, and Jules have all left

The score is zero to zero and the Florida Spartans are scrapping for their lives because a loss will end their play-off run It's been a brutal ga more than their all to try to score

"Sure is," I say with a glance up at the scoreboard before I look back to him

It's clear his boys got his height and brawn in addition to his hair color For such a big h his voice is baritone deep While we talked today at lunch--I found hiuy--we didn't say more than a handful of words directly to each other I learned very quickly that the Fournier faroup that loves to tell stories, joke, and tease each other They're also a visibly affectionate fa and aard for me to watch

This afternoon I was practically swooning as Lucas ca Jules a story about soe He just put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed once while he listened to his sister She brought one hand up to lay on top of one of his hands, and I marveled at such easy affection between them

I tried to iot the willies as a shiver ran up my spine That would be totally aard and completely unwelcome

But what about Lucas?

What would I do if he did that to me?

Without a doubt, I'd lean back into hi closer contact

God, I'm so fucked in the head

"We really didn't get a chance to talk," Laurence continues with a hesitant smile "As you may have noticed, I'm the quiet one in this family"

Chuckling, I nod my head "Yeah, I noticed that"

Marilyn and her children are full of energy and spirit They're constantlyLaurence is like the quiet, wise oho just observes and enjoys

"Well, since I' to ask what Marilyn was too polite to," he says with a kindly s okay?"

This is sweet and it's a professional question, so I don't hesitate in answering "It's going well The worst has been theonce, but that hasn't happened again"

"How's your energy?" he asks

"I'h "So the life force out of me"

Laurence chuckles and nods "Marilyn was like that You see howher life force as they were growing"

I laugh at the ins of his Fournier DNA

"This has nothing at all to do with the fact I' a father," he says, and I tense up The fact he had to qualify his next words put e, but I try to maintain a polite, open look on s to you, but I also know that Lucas gave her strict instructions not to put any pressure on you But my boy didn't put those restrictions on ht I'd do this"

My anxiety skyrockets and I dig ers down into the armrest of my chair while my eyes stay locked on his

He moves his hand and pats mine kindly "I know you're scared, Stephanie, and we have all the empathy in the world for you But my son is crazy about you I don't know if he's admitted it or not, but I can tell just by the way he looks at you and the way he talks about you that you mean more to him that just friends"

There's a rolling sensation insuspected

"My sonhell, all ," Laurence explains