Page 42 of The Hockey Grump Saves Christmas

So I’m not only proving I can do exciting things by moving away from Warm Springs to start a new life in abig city all by myself, I also grabbed a sports star and kissed him.

And it was fucking incredible.

And incredibly fucking stupid.

If the tabloids are to be believed, he’s a jerk who treats women like total shit.

But just now, not only did he show no sign of any shit-treating tendencies, he exhibited the exact opposite—he was kind, thoughtful, and really…sweet.

Argh.

Whatever the case, I need to pull myself together and go get some nachos for the old folks.

CHAPTER 14

GABE

“So next time you travel north, these are the underwater monsters to keep an eye out for.” The narrator’s closing line ofGiant Fish of the Arcticis accompanied by a swell of music.

The nature shows might do a good job of soothing away the pressures of hockey, but they’re not working so well on my worries about having kissed possibly the most frustratingly kissable woman I’ve ever met.

How can NatGeo fail me in my hour of need? It’s been my savior for years. Ever since my first horrendous night as a professional player when I got a bench penalty because the official said I’d told him to fuck off when in fact I’d told myself to fuck off because of the dumb way I’d just lost possession.

I was so furious at the injustice that I couldn’t sleep, so I ended up flicking through the TV channels at about three-thirty in the morning, and it wasn’t until I’d been watching a show about blue whales for nearly half an hourthat I realized I hadn’t thought about that dick of a ref the whole time.

And so, National Geographic became my go-to wind-down routine, my favorite form of mental and physical relaxation, and kind of my therapist.

I don’t exactly go around shouting about that though. I mean, if word got out that the tough professional athlete spends hours watching bushtits build elaborate nests, it wouldn’t exactly be good for the image.

But it’s not working for the Natalie problem.

I turn off the TV and roll onto my back on the sofa. I can just about stretch my arms over my head without my shoulder pinching now. That has to be a good sign for the healing process.

What’s not a good sign is how much I struggled to sleep last night. How long I lay awake replaying the moment when I tried to walk away but Natalie grabbed my jacket and pulled me to her.

Amid the shock, and of course my ridiculous attraction to her, I immediately gave in—gave in to it, gave in to her.

Let’s face it, whatever that thing was that passed between us yesterday has been passing between us since the moment I pulled off that bunny head and looked into those fiery blue eyes.

Even though we instantly thought each other was an asshole, it was still there.

And then when I iced her ankle and held her heel in my hand…

“Jesus.” I flop my arms back down by my sides.

I must be about three times her size, but in that moment yesterday, she totally took charge of me, wasn’t intimidated by me at all.

I’ve wavered between admiring that and finding it atough pill to swallow, since half my existence is based on intimidating my opponents.

Is she my opponent though? I thought she was. I thought I just needed her to get all this Christmas shit off my house and vanish into the snowy yonder, leaving me in peaceful solitude.

But somehow everything shifted when she pulled me to her like that and took what she wanted. In that moment I wanted to never leave her side.

What she did took some balls. And I have to admire that.

What the hell would have happened if that kid hadn’t come in?

I heave a giant sigh. It’s too dangerous to contemplate.

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