Page 4 of Nikoli

My face heats up as I turn to face her. "You know exactly what I meant." I point my finger at her and laugh.

"His mother, June, grew up around hockey. She had a crush on a Russian player named Nikolai. Of course, when she applied for the birth certificate, she left out the 'a' in the name." She rolls her eyes. "You'd think with her obsession she would have spelled the name correctly."

I grin. "Her husband doesn't mind?"

"Well, Nikoli's father is Nicholas." She shrugs.

"Ah! That makes sense." I smile and help Mrs. Southern into her green dress. I smooth it down for her. "You look lovely."

"Thank you, dear. I will please wear my green Crocs with it."

I giggle as I open the closet door and look down. Her grandson bought the Crocs in green, black, light blue, pink and yellow. "You are lucky to have a grandson who loves you very much."

"Nikoli is a good boy." She adds whimsically, "He didn't want me to move here. He wanted me to move in with him now that he has his own place." She turns sad eyes to me. "He's a young man, Willow. His career is going well. I'm nearing the end of my life and I don't want to burden him with an old woman."

I sniff at the confession. "I'm sure he doesn't see you as old."

She cackles. "He has eyes, Willow." She lets out a soft chuckle. "If Nikoli had his way, I'd outlive him. Anyway," she pauses, "let's go see what's for breakfast."

"I think that's a wonderful idea."

4

NIKOLI

After a quick shower and change, I'm dressed in jeans and a dark blue button-down. I always try to look neat for my grandmother, but I'm also doing it for Willow. I want her to see me as a man and not as a hockey player. I'm one and the same, but something tells me that Willow is uncomfortable around me. It's more of a feeling than anything else.

The woman in question approaches me with a smile on her pretty freckled face. I'm half tempted to turn around to see if she's smiling at someone behind me.

"Nikoli, your grandmother is waiting for you in her room," she tells me. I stare at the woman until a blush spreads across her cheeks.

I clear my throat. "Right!" I offer a wry smile. "I don't suppose you have time to accompany me there?"

She holds my gaze for a moment before nodding slightly. I quickly sign in and walk through the security door, falling into step beside Willow. This woman makes me nervous. Something I've never experienced around a woman before. I know I have a crush on the girl, but my silver tongue shouldn't let me down like this.

Lake's wife, Juniper, once told me I'd have no problem talking the panties off a nun. I agreed at the time. Willow is unlike anyone I've ever met. I just can't figure her out. When I'm around her, I feel like a shy teenager. If my teammates could see me now.

"When's your next game?" Willow asks, looking straight ahead.

"In two days. New York."

"Oh!"

I look in her direction and sense a pause. "Are you okay?"

She gives me a sidelong glance. "Why wouldn't I be?"

I let out a breath. "Willow, talk to me. Is it my grandmother?"

Willow stops and turns to me. "She's fine. I don't know much about hockey, so I didn't know you had to travel to different cities."

"We have a lot of road games." I smile. "I'm just a phone call away." I look toward my grandmother's room. "The entire team understands how much my grandmother means to me. If I have to rush back to Boston on short notice, I will. She is my priority, okay?"

She nods and looks shy. "I didn't mean to sound accusatory. I know you have a life. I also know you spend a lot of it visiting your grandmother." Smiling, she adds, "Your grandmother wouldn't have it any other way."

"That's Grandma Martha for you." Eager to get out of the idle chatter we seem to have fallen into, I turn and enter my grandmother's room. "Wow, don't you look beautiful." I spread my arms wide and grin like an idiot. My grandmother has always been one of the best-dressed people in the world. No matter where she is, she always makes an effort. No pants or jeans for her. “That dress makes your eyes pop, Grams.”

"Oh stop!" She blushes and giggles as I move closer and wrap my arms around her.

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