Page 11 of All I Want

“No. It wouldn’t have worked in the long run.”

He hated how sad she looked as he squeezed her shoulder and led her to the bar.

“You’re the best, Mads.”

“I know,” she said, her usual smile back in place.

Tomorrow he’d fight for Maggie. He had no plans for them to just be friends.

***

“Ready?” Alex askedMonday morning as he straightened his antlers. He’d left the Olaf costume at home. Over half of the team had shown up with gifts they’d purchased last week, ready to see the kids and pass out presents. He loved that so many of the guys wanted to help, even if they grumbled about costumes and itchy wigs.

Alex had kept it simple this year. Elf ears and shoes or antlers and red noses. Of course, Santa was also around. Harty had stepped up for that role this year.

“Definitely,” Finn called out. “Sophia’s mom even made us cookies,” the defenseman said, holding up a platter.

“Yeah, stop eating them all,” Sully muttered, grabbing the plate.

“I only had a few.”

Alex greatly appreciated his teammates’ antics this morning. They helped him forget how nervous he was to see Maggie today. Hopefully, she was working, or he’d have to bribe one of her co-workers for her address because he was done waiting to talk to her.

He’d stayed at the bar for another drink with Madison. She’d gotten everything out of him and then shoved him in a cab, demanding an update as soon as he’d talked to Maggie.

Now he was as nervous as he was the first time he’d asked her out when they’d been sophomores in high school. Damn, even his palms were clammy. He needed to rein this shit in.

“Rudolph, you coming?” Harty asked, straightening his white beard.

“Don’t let the red nose fool you, I’m really Dasher,” Alex said with a grin.

“Keep telling yourself that, buddy. Now let’s go see that doctor.”

Alex halted. “What are you talking about?”

“A little bird told me that you have a past with one of the new doctors.”

“Jake needs to shut up. We used to date. It was a long time ago. She wants to be friends now.”

“And what do you want?”

“To not talk about it now because we have presents to pass out and kids to cheer up.”

“You don’t say,” Harty said, tapping his expanded belly and giving his best Santa chuckle.

Alex shook his head and followed the rest of the guys into the hospital.

Wearing their jerseys, elf ears, and antlers drew a lot of attention, which would spoil the surprise, so Alex always organized for one of the hospital administrators to let them in a back entrance when they came as a big group to visit the kids.

“Well, don’t you guys look festive,” Ellen, the rep from Child Life said as she led them down the hall on the oncology floor. “The kids are going to be so excited.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Alex said as he looked around, hoping to spot Maggie. She wasn’t going to avoid him anymore.

He was goingto be at the hospital today. Any minute he was going to walk down the hall or around the corner. She wasn’t ready. She’d spent way too much time today on her hair and makeup, knowing she would see him. Not caked on club makeup, but the kind of subtle that took longer than it should to look like she had almost nothing on.

She was still a doctor, after all.

And a nervous ball of energy. Her third cup of coffee had only made the butterflies in her belly extra jittery.

---