Happily Ever After: A Day in the Life of the HEA (Rook and Ronin #3.5) by J.A. Huss Read Free Book Online Page A

he’s running an advanced freestyle ski class today and we only had six spots for that. But I added a meet-and-greet to the Kickstarter.”
    “Wait a minute.” I feel like I’m living in an alternate reality. “Ford has a Kickstarter? Why? That bastard has more millions hidden away than he can count.”
    “Oh, not for him.” Kate finally gives me her attention. “For me. So I can make money to buy a car.”
    “And Ford was on board with this?” I can only shake my head. “Is he drunk?” He better not be drunk when he’s taking care of my kid.
    “No.” She laughs. “But he’s enjoying it. And he could hardly say no when I told him how much money I raised. The kids are taking a break, so he’s doing the meet-and-greet while they grab drinks. Starling is with—oh, there she is. Starling!” Kate yells. And then Star sees me and starts skiing over to us.
    “Hey, Daddy!” she says, her cheeks bright red from the cold. “When did you get here?”
    “Just now,” I say, smiling down at her. “Are you having fun?”
    “Yes. Are you going to stay and watch me?” She sips her hot chocolate.
    “Absolutely. Your mom says you’re doing some special stuff up here. I’ve been missing it, I guess. Sorry about that.”
    “That’s OK,” she says. “You’re busy with work.”
    “Ronin,” Ford says, skiing over to us after breaking away from his fans. I don’t even know how to process that. “I didn’t expect to see you here today.”
    “Yeah, well.” I huff out some air, then look at Kate. “Rook says Starling is…” I have to stop talking because I don’t know enough to even ask the right question.
    “Kicking ass on the slopes?” Ford fills in. “You bet. You miss every competition. Did you realize that?”
    “What? How did I not know she was competing?”
    “I guess you take Sparrow to ballet on Saturdays?” Ford shrugs. “But she’s been in three so far this year. You didn’t miss much last year.”
    “Wait, she competed last year?” No. That’s not possible.
    “Just little shit. I took her with me because even Rook was busy last winter. But this year, she’s hardcore, Ronin. A little phenom. Anyway, my kids are back from their break. Starling is just hanging out with us for another two hours, then I’m going to take her down the terrain run and time her.”
    And then Ford skis off to ‘his kids.’
    I look down at Kate, but she’s busy with her clipboard. So what can I do? I watch my daughter ski her little heart out while Ford barks orders at kids who eat up every word.
    “He’s a coach?”
    “He is now,” Kate says. “I knew he’d love it. But he’d never agree to it if I asked. He’s too modest.”
    I almost choke.
    “Every parent here has asked for private lessons. But we don’t have time for that. We’ll do groups, just like this. Oh,” she says, looking down at her clipboard. “It’s three-fifty an hour for Starling, but I’ll give you a twenty percent family discount. That cool?”
    I’m silent as I take all this in. And then I turn to look at Kate again. “Do you think I work too much?”
    “Um…” She laughs. “Well, do you want the truth? Or do you want me to make you feel better?”
    “The truth, Kate. Do you think I work too much?”
    “Well, you never come to the slopes, but Rook doesn’t come either. And you do go to the horse shows. So that’s a tick mark in your plus column.”
    “Are you doing that photoshoot for the equestrian catalog?”
    “Oh, yeah.”
    “Ford’s OK with that?”
    “Why wouldn’t he be?” she says absently, making a notation on her clipboard about a kid who goes flying by us.
    “Well, it’s modeling.”
    She shrugs. “We only want to do it for the horses, Ronin. Sparrow knew you’d hate it, that’s why she only asked Rook.”
    “Rook told her yes.”
    “I know.” Kate smiles up at me. God, when did she get so big? And she’s only a few years older than Sparrow. Rook was right. I’m missing this shit.