Her jaw was slack as she held his gaze, unable to process this. Who just gives their kid up like that? But then…who the hell cared? She wanted Rick gone, and he’d be gone. But above all that, Benji would be Angie’s dad. Well, if he wanted her.

“You want her, right?”

“Fuck yeah,” he laughed and then his face lit up, tears flooding his sweet, gray eyes. “Lucy, we’ll be a real family. All of us. One.”

As her tears rolled off her jaw and onto her lap, she cupped his beautiful face. Her heart was in her throat. She couldn’t believe it. While she hated Rick with everything inside of her, she could honestly kiss him for making Benji this happy. For giving him everything he ever wanted.

What Lucy wanted.

A good man to love her daughter.

Their daughter.

Around the lump in her throat, she whispered, “We’ve always been a family, but now it will be official.”

Covering her hands with his, he looked deep into her eyes. “Officially complete.”

As their mouths met and Benji pulled Lucy into his lap, she couldn’t believe that, at one point in her life, she didn’t think she could ever love someone, that a man could complete her. As her mouth moved with Benji’s, her heart slamming in her chest as his slammed back, she believed it. She believed that two lost souls had become a full one, no longer lost but together. And she believed with everything inside her that nothing could ever break them apart.

Her life was finally beginning.

And what a life it was about to be.

Four months later

Everyone had come.

At least, the people who mattered to him.

As Benji looked around the room, Lucy’s family—well, his too, now—stood front row, while his core Assassins teammates and their wives sat in the rows behind them. The room was full, a packed house. Even Lucy’s dad was there. It wasn’t just because he was their lawyer, but because they wanted him there. They wouldn’t have gotten here if it weren’t for him.

As Angie wiggled between them, her fingers laced with theirs, Judge Walker looked them over and smiled. It had been Angie’s idea for all three of them to wear his hockey jersey, with his name on the back but her number. She was very insistent about having her number, not that Benji minded. He just wanted this day to come.

The day he became a father.

Again.

But this time, he wasn’t some drunk the way he had been for Leary. No, he was going to be a good, solid father who would love Angie soberly until his dying day. It wouldn’t be easy—he knew that because he was in love with her mother, the most headstrong pain in the ass he had ever met—but he wouldn’t change a thing about her. He loved them both, and he was ready to start their lives together.

“Now, I have a petition here for the adoption of Angela Lynn Hart by Benjamin Walter Paxton, is that correct?”

Mark stood beside Benji and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Funny turn of events. Not that I’m complaining,” the judge said, his face lighting up, and he wasn’t kidding. Rick hadn’t lied when he said he’d sign over his rights. Before the judge could even ask him if he wanted to consent to the new parenting plan, he’d volunteered that he wanted to give up custody, his rights, and everything to Lucy, as long as he didn’t ever have to pay child support. The judge agreed for good reason, and Benji still couldn’t believe it.

But he was fucking thankful.

Because that’s where their story began.

As easy as it was to get here after Rick was out of the picture, the waiting game was what almost killed Benji. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t scared, freaked out that, at any moment, Rick could change his mind, come back, and ruin everything. But they hadn’t heard a peep out of him. Hadn’t seen him or anything. It was like he fell off the face of the earth. It was ridiculous, but in a way, he didn’t care. He’d wanted Rick gone, and he was gone. Now he just wanted to adopt his Angie.

And he was.

“Now, Angela, who is this man that is standing beside you?”

Angela beamed up at him as she swung their hands back and forth. “He’s my dad.”

Everyone aww’d behind them as Benji’s eyes started to cloud with tears.

“Good, so you know that this man is your father. That it will be as if you are his flesh and blood?”

She nodded. “Yup. He’s my dad.”

Benji swallowed hard as the judge nodded, “That’s right. Now, Mrs. Paxton, do you agree to this adoption?”

Before Lucy could answer, though, Benji heard Autumn in the back. “Did he say Mrs. Paxton to Lucy? Are they married?”

But Lucy just grinned, nodding her head as she swallowed. “Yes, sir, I do.”

“And, Mr. Paxton, it is your wish to adopt Angela Hart?”

He almost couldn’t speak his throat was so tight, but then she glanced up at him and grinned. A tear rolled down his face as he nodded, his voice hoarse as he said, “I want nothing more than to do that, your honor.”

Angie giggled as she bounced on her heels, and when Benji met Lucy’s love-filled gaze, his heart ached. They had all been so excited for this day. It was the big event of the year, especially since the Assassins had lost in first round of the play-offs to the Blackhawks. This was something to look forward to. While he was disappointed that he didn’t have a run at the Cup, he was happy to have time with his girls.

The whole summer off while Lucy worked.

She was designing like crazy, and they had already decided she would need a bigger place before the New Year. As much as he hated to see her go from the backyard, he understood and was excited for her. Angie had done great in school, excelling in her classes, and she was awesome on the ice. She was the next Baylor, he decided, and just thinking of Baylor made him smile. She had announced her retirement the month before, and while he was bummed to see her go, he couldn’t wait to meet the little bundle of joy she was carrying. Autumn was convinced it was a miracle baby, and everyone else agreed. They were all excited.