Page 34 of Ice, Ice… Maybe?

And Travis was in love.

There was no doubt about it in his mind.

He wanted to see all of that passion and dedication flung about in his direction as he looked at her sleeping face beside him. Both recliners on the couch were in a Zero-G position and sometime during the night, she pulled a throw over her lap, snuggling against him. He wasn’t sure which of them nodded off first, nor did it matter. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was nearly nine in the morning and smiled as she nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder once more.

“Becca, sweetheart, we’re going to need to get up and get ready if we are driving out to the farm for lunch…” Travis whispered and bit back a laugh as he saw the instant she came awake. Her eyes flew open, and her frame curled against his side, tensed like she’d been electrocuted. “Shhh, shhh, it’s just me. You’re fine. Do you want some coffee? I’ll go make us a cup if you want to grab something out of my closet or…”

“I need a shower and get my things…”

“So, take one,” he interrupted softly, touching her cheek and not wanting this moment to end. “I’m sure that there are a few extra things in the cabinet, or we can stop by your place on the way out of town.”

“Do you mind?” she hedged. “I made my brother’s favorite dessert to take with us. Nothing wrong with trying to butter him up or starting the afternoon on a positive note, right?”

“Are you worried?”

“Me? No, of course not…” but Becca didn’t sound too sure either.

“Becca, this afternoon will be fine,” he said confidently, although her lack of conviction made him a little nervous. “We’ll go, have a great time, meet your family, and this is just a chance for us to say ‘hello’ as a couple – together.”

She looked at him, and his heart sank as he braced himself. It was never a good sign when someone didn’t meet your eyes or hesitated– and Becca was doing both. When she finally put her hands in her lap and started popping her knuckles, he spoke up.

“What’s on your mind?”

“We’ve been ononedate – and we can’t even get out of the house hardly because of that pack of photographers and news crews trying to get the scoop on who the famous hockey player is dating. We’ve known each other for a few weeks, Travis. It’s been so nice, but don’t you think this is moving a little fast?”

Yup - he was going to be sick to his stomach.

“I’ve dated women in the past that I couldn’t wait for that first dinner to be over with,” he began quietly and saw her eyes finally look up to meet his. “I’ve also dated someone for a year, someone who pestered me all the time about how I needed to get rid of my stuff and that jewelry needed to be a certain dollar amount or you shouldn’t bother…” he paused and then touched her hand. “And then I met you.”

“More like you picked me out of a crowd, a lineup” she retorted nervously, rolling her eyes before looking at him.

“I met a woman who wasn’t afraid to show she liked Transformers,” he said softly, holding her gaze. “A person with such a kind heart that when I was hurt, she was immediately at my side and stayed there – and that meant a lot to me. I’ve finally met someone who is easy to talk to, someone I enjoy texting or chatting with, and someone who is wonderful to be around. You’ve accepted me as I am; we enjoy spending time together, so forgive me if I am pressuring you, because this feels good, feels so perfect to me.”

“It does to me, too,” she admitted in a hushed voice, her eyes glistening as her lip wavered slightly. “It just feels fast sometimes, but it also feels amazing. You make me feel special…”

“Youarespecial – to me.”

“Travis…”

“Look,” he said softly, interrupting her. “If you need time, I’m fine with that because this relationship means a lot to me. If you want to date for a month, great. If you want to date each other for a decade – that is fine also,” and heard her nervous chuckle as she smiled shyly at him. “What we have is incredible, and you can take as long as you need – so long as we’re a pair, a couple. I cannot see myself having movie night with anyone else again after snuggling with you for hours on end.”

“I’m sorry I fell asleep,” she began.

“I’m not,” he replied tenderly. “I adore the fact that you feel safe and cozy around me – and holding you all evening was a joy, never a chore. In fact, anytime you want to watch a movie, my shoulder is yours to lean on, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, squeezing his hand in a silent communication. He loved that she did such a simple thing so instinctively. He clung to those little squeezes at the hospital because it was like a silent ‘you’re going to be okay’ reminder from her, making him feel safe.

“How about you get that shower and get ready – and I’ll give you some privacy,” he offered. “I’ll head into the kitchen, make some coffee, burn some toast, and then we’ll get McDonald’s drive-thru on the way to your apartment because the toast will be inedible.”

They exchanged a smile as she suddenly leaned forward, hugging him close.

“Thank you,” she whispered, kissing his temple.

Travis rolled his eyes silently in frustration because he wanted to kiss her so badly. Maybe he would call the doctor on Monday and see if they could take the stitches out early or something. If anything, these stupid stitches and the fact that he still couldn’t kiss Becca were going to guarantee that he wore a helmet covering his whole face from here on out.

“You’ve got nothing to thank me for, Becca,” he breathed, holding her close and breathing in her faint whiff of perfume. “This is who we are – a couple learning our way through our relationship.”

“I was thanking you for picking me out of the crowd that day,” she whispered against his ear, “because I really do treasure what we have – it just seems too good to be true sometimes.”

---