Page 35 of Power Play Daddies (Miami Icemen #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Daisy

I’ve pretty much moved into Beau’s place.

I’m not complaining. It’s cozy here, and besides, I can’t keep staying at my place when Slim seems to have decided he’s taken up residence here, too.

I swear, the cat’s got a better life than I do. He gets all the comfy spots on the couch, has Beau to scratch behind his ears, and he doesn’t even need to pay rent. Lucky bastard.

I’ve spent the last week bouncing back and forth between work and Beau’s.

Being here has a certain… comfort to it. Beau and the guys aren’t around much, so I’ve had the place to myself a lot. It’s like I’m getting used to the rhythm of things here.

I don’t mind it at all.

I’ve been writing the smaller engagement pieces for what feels like forever, but now the article’s done. The first draft.

I roll my shoulders, cracking my neck as I stare at the document on my screen.

A tiny knot of nerves pulls at my stomach. This is it. This is what could either make or break the next step of my career.

I walk into Janice’s office with my head held high, like I’m the queen of the world. But inside, my stomach’s doing flip-flops.

“Hey, Janice. I’ve got the first draft,” I say, keeping my voice steady even though I’m anything but calm.

She looks up from her desk, a frown on her face, but it softens when she sees the article. “Great,” she says, motioning to the chair. “Sit down. Let’s see it.”

I do, crossing my legs as she clicks through the draft on her screen, scanning over the words. I can’t tell what she’s thinking.

Is she mad? Pleased? I can’t even tell.

My eyes dart from her face to the screen, waiting for the reaction.

After a minute that feels like forever, she meets my gaze. “Daisy,” she starts, and I brace myself, “this is actually really good.”

I blink. Wait, what?

“Really?”

She leans back in her chair, arms crossed. “Yeah. I’m impressed. You’ve got a real knack for writing about sports with this—a personal touch. It doesn’t just feel like you’re spitting out stats and game recaps. This… this is good. ”

She taps her pen on the desk. “In fact, I’ll be talking to the higher-ups about getting you an online segment. A weekly sports update, something like that.”

I blink. “Wait. Wait, you’re serious?”

“Dead serious. But you’ll need to update it every week. If it gets enough traction, we might even consider making the entire Miami Herald sports thing an online feature. We’ll see how it goes, but you’ve got the potential.”

I can barely contain myself. I feel my grin spread wide across my face, and I burst out laughing. “Oh my god, Janice. This is… this is huge!”

She laughs too. “Don’t get too excited. You still have to prove you can keep it up. But I think you can. You’ve got the talent.”

“I won’t let you down,” I say confidently.

I can’t believe this. Holy shit. This could be the break I’ve been working for. The online segment— my segment. Janice actually believes in me.

I rush out of the office to call the guys. I need to tell them. I dial Beau first, and he picks up after two rings.

“Hey,” I say, practically bouncing in my seat. “Guess what?”

“What?” he replies, sounding amused.

“I’m getting an online sports segment!” I practically shout. “Janice just told me, and if it does well, it could lead to even more sports writing jobs! Holy crap!”

Beau lets out a whoop. “That’s fucking amazing, Daisy! I knew you had it in you.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Thanks, Blaze. You’ve been my cheerleader through all this.”

“I’ll always be your cheerleader, babe. Now, we need to celebrate. How about dinner tonight?”

“I’m in,” I say quickly, but then remember Logan. “Actually, could I bring Logan along? I want to make it a family thing.”

“Of course. Bring him. The more the merrier.” His voice sounds a little more serious, almost like he’s thinking about something else for a second, but I brush it off.

When I show up at the restaurant later, I’m buzzing with excitement. Logan’s hanging by my side, looking ridiculously cute in his little button-up shirt, and I can’t help but smile when I see the guys sitting at a table, already waiting.

They’re all grinning like they know something I don’t.

We sit down, the conversation flowing easily, but my mind is still spinning. It’s hard to believe.

This is it. I’m moving up in the world. I’m doing what I love. And Janice thinks I’ve got what it takes.

But then something happens. Beau’s smile turns into this sly, knowing grin, and I’m confused for a second.

“What’s going on?” I ask, eyeing him and the guys suspiciously.

“You’re going to love this,” Beau says, his voice low with excitement.

The guys exchange looks, and then Beau gets up and walks around to the side of the table. He’s holding something behind his back, and my eyes widen when he reveals a set of keys.

“Here,” he says, holding them out to me. “It’s a gift. For you.”

I blink. “What is this?”

“Open it,” he urges.

I take the keys and stare at them, my heart racing. “What is this?” I repeat, but I’m already climbing to my feet and walking outside to where a sleek, brand-new minivan is parked in front of the restaurant.

My mouth drops open. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You… you bought me a minivan?”

Beau and the guys are grinning like proud little boys. “We figured you could use one,” Mason says, shrugging. “With the babies and everything.”

I turn to them, feeling this rush of happiness. I don’t even know what to say. “This is insane. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

I step forward and kiss each of them, one by one, overwhelmed. “This is amazing. You guys are amazing.” I’m grinning like an idiot, but I don’t care. This is everything.

I’ve got the career, the support, the family—everything I need. I’m finally where I’ve always wanted to be.

The pregnancy is flying by, and damn, it feels like a rollercoaster. Some days are better than others, but overall? It’s… weirdly beautiful.

It’s like this little secret we’re all holding onto, the guys spoiling me in every way possible.

At first, it was little things—midnight snacks, a foot rub here and there—but now it’s like they’re determined to give me everything .

Every week, it’s something new. This week, Beau showed up with the softest maternity pillow I’ve ever felt, and Mason—of course, it’s Mason—bought out the entire baby section at some fancy store in the city. They’ve been on me about the nursery, making sure it’s perfect.

We all decided to set up a room in Beau’s house as a temporary nursery for when the babies sleep over. They painted the walls a soft blue, and when I walked in the other day, I almost started crying.

The crib, the changing table, the tiny clothes—they’re all there. They’re just waiting.

“We need to get more stuff,” Beau says, standing in the doorway and looking over the room. “Like, more diapers. Lots more diapers.”

“I’m pretty sure the store has a limit on how many diapers we can buy,” I tell him, raising an eyebrow.

Mason walks in, his arms full of baby gear. “Not for long. We’re getting everything. You won’t have to worry about a single thing.”

It’s crazy how much they’ve gotten for these babies. It’s not just the crib, either. It’s strollers, clothes, shoes.

They even bought a swing, and a whole lot of organic baby food for when the little ones are ready. I didn’t even ask for half of this stuff. But they insisted.

And then there’s the team. The Miami Icemen. They’re killing it.

The streak they’ve got right now? It’s wild. Six wins in a row. It’s like they’ve found their rhythm, and every game is just another reason to celebrate.

Mason’s been even more intense—he’s focused. Their wins feel like a victory for everyone. And, of course, he’s also been spoiling me more with every win.

I don’t even think he knows what else to do, so he just brings more gifts.

“I got you something,” Mason says, dropping a bag in my lap after a game. I look inside, and it’s a new pair of sneakers.

“They’re awesome,” I say, laughing as I pull them out. “But why sneakers?”

“Because I know you’ll need to run after the little ones,” he says, a teasing smile on his face. “I’m already preparing you for the chaos.”

I kiss him on the cheek. “You’re insane.”

“Insanely in love with you,” he replies, and I don’t even fight the smile on my face.

Every week, my online segment keeps growing. It’s called Ice Talk With Daisy , and I swear, I’ve never seen anything like it.

At first, I was worried no one would tune in. But people are actually waiting for it. I get messages from people every week, asking for updates, telling me how much they love it. I’m just… shocked.

It’s not just about the game anymore—it’s about the personalities, the behind-the-scenes stuff, the players’ lives. People eat it up.

And the higher-ups are loving it, too. They’re talking about putting more resources into it, and if this keeps growing? They might even give me a full-time role with more segments.

Janice said she’s already pushing for a weekly newsletter, and Ice Talk With Daisy might just be its feature.

I feel like I’m on top of the world.

It’s like the universe just lined everything up, and I’m finally getting what I deserve.

I’m sitting there thinking about how perfect everything is when I feel a kick from one of the babies. I gasp, placing my hand on my belly.

“Did you feel that?” I ask Beau, who’s lounging on the couch, scrolling through his phone.

He looks up, his eyes wide. “Is that...?”

I nod, smiling like an idiot. “Yeah. That’s the little ones.”

Beau gets up and comes over to me. He gently places his hand on my belly, and for a second, it feels like everything’s right . He smiles, his expression softening. “I can’t believe this is real. You’re… you’re having our babies.”

“I can’t believe it either,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “But I’m glad it’s with you.”

The weeks keep flying by, and now we’re at seven months. I’m almost there, and everything’s running smoother than I ever expected.

The babies are growing like crazy, and I’ve got the best support system I could ask for. Between the guys and my new role at the Herald , things couldn’t be better.

Even Uncle Ace calls me more now—he promised to be there for me and he is, even though he’s now aware of my little situation. He checks in, asking if I need anything. We’re becoming closer each day.

I take a deep breath, running my hand over my belly again. I can’t wait to see what comes next. I’m ready for it all.