Page 72 of The Christmas You Crash

His wife, Sheila, apparently, lets loose a long-suffering sigh. "Bill, leave the poor man alone. Can't you see he's having breakfast with a lady friend?"

"Oh." Bill's eyes dart to me. He grimaces. "Uh, sorry." He returns his attention to Ryder. "Do you think we could take a quick photo, and then I'll leave you alone? I'm a huge Rogues fan, and I just know you're going to be a star one day soon. I want to tell my kids I met you."

Sheila groans and shakes her head from their table. "We don't have any kids, Bill."

"We could," he shoots back. "You never know."

"I really do," she replies. "Menopause, remember?"

I can't help it. I giggle. The fan's wife meets my eyes and mouths,sorry. Turning to her husband, I smile and say, "Would you like me to take the picture?"

"Oh, would you? That would be amazing. Thank you so much."

"No problem," I reply as he hands me his phone. Ryder's a good sport about the whole thing. He smiles, takes a few photos with Bill-the-superfan, and even signs the guy's polo shirt. When he sits back down at his own table, he regales his wife with a full play-by-play of what just happened, even though she saw the whole thing. She shakes her head but smiles.

If that's not true love, I don't know what is.

"Well, that was entertaining," I whisper, leaning across the table. "And you said people don't recognize you."

Ryder's cheeks flush an adorable shade of pink. He scrubs a hand along his jaw, scratching at the dark stubble growing there. Somehow, he’s both incredibly sexy and ridiculously cute with that one motion.

"Yeah, well, it really doesn’t happen often." Taking another bite of his eggs, he grins an embarrassed, boyish grin at me. "Sorry about that."

"Are you kidding?" I say. "That was way too cute, and I'm glad I got to witness it."

And I am. I'm thoroughly enjoying every new glimpse behind the curtain.

We finish breakfast and spend the rest of the morning wandering around downtown Minneapolis. We don't have a destination in mind. It doesn't matter where we go or what we do, as long as we can hold hands and flirt shamelessly while we do it.

I wish I didn't need to go back to school in a few days. The temptation to blow off classes is strong, but I can't let myself lose focus. The sooner I get my masters, the sooner I can land a good job. Once I've done that, I can stop relying on my parents and make my own way. Ryder and I will find time to see each other. It'll be fine.

When he asks me to spend another night with him, it takes all of my willpower to decline. I need to get back to the real world. And I also need to do laundry. Which means going back to my place. Even though my bed feels like a lumpy rock compared to Ryder's. And it'll be cold without him beside me.

I'll need to get used to it. Soon, he'll be cleared to play. And sleeping beside him won't be an option when he's on the road for days or a week at a time.

thirty-five

LEXI

“God,I’m so jealous of you right now.” Rachel sighs dramatically, and I chuckle. The gusting Chicago wind whips through her long brown hair. Her cute little button nose and her enviously high cheekbones are rosy. But like the winters in the Twin Cities, January in Chicago is no joke. I don’t know why she refuses to take the bus or the L to her internship, but she won’t. She walks everywhere. Her warm brown eyes focus on me through the phone. “When does he go back to playing?”

It’s the million-dollar question. One I’ve been trying not to dwell on, because I’m not ready for the distance it will put between us. My attention swings between the world in front of me and my best friend’s face on the phone screen. Students rush to their next classes all around me. Their pace, like mine, is more urgent in the winter temps than it would be if it was warm out. The frigid weather, combined with my desire to be near Ryder twenty-four-seven, has made the transition back to classes after the break a rough one.

“He should find out this week. His appointment with the doctor is tomorrow. They won’t necessarily have a definitiveanswer then, but his hand is healing well.” So well that I constantly have to remind him to take it easy. I can tell he’s itching to get back on the ice. If I’ve discovered one thing about Ryder Hanson, it’s that he doesn’t like to sit still for long.

Rachel hums. “But you should have another week with him at least, right?”

“I think so. I’m telling myself not to count on it, though.” Better to brace for disappointment than hope for the best. I’ve learned that the hard way over the years.

“I don’t know, Lex. It kinda seems like you can count on him.” Rachel’s holding back on bestowing the full scope of her approval until she meets Ryder, but from the things I’ve told her, and apparently from theglowI’m rocking these days, she’s already a fan. “I get that you don’t like counting on people, but maybe it’s okay to try this time.”

“Maybe,” I agree. “I just... I don’t know, Rach. It’s all...”

“Freaking you out how much you trust him already?” Her thin lips curve in an understanding smile.

I wobble my head from side to side noncommittally. “Maybe.”

“That’s okay. This is still new. Just give it time and a real chance. You deserve to be happy and loved, Lex.”

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