Page 27 of One Pucking Destiny

He nods, a frown on his face. “Yeah, we’re good.”

“Okay. Now we need to talk about the game plan for the rest of this week.”

“Well, seeing that you pretended you’ve never seen me before in your life, I’m guessing you don’t want your mom to know we’ve previously met.”

“Sorry about that. I froze when I saw you. I didn’t want to risk our stories not lining up. She’s your doctor, and the Crane hockey players are very much off-limits for me. I just didn’t want her to know we hooked up.”

“I get that, but you do go to State where Hattie goes. It’s not too far-fetched to think we ran into each other somewhere like, oh, I don’t know… a bookstore or a bar?” He chuckles, and I’m relieved his sad face is gone.

I groan, shaking my head. “I know. It’s stupid, but as I said, I froze, so here we are.”

“That’s easy enough. I’ll just get to know you on this trip.” He smirks. “It will be a very natural progression. No one would dare think we ran into each other at a bookstore. They’ll never know.” He whispers the last sentence, causing me to laugh.

I hit his chest playfully. “Okay, good. But likefriendsget to know one another. Right? There will be no repeats of that night in September.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior. You have nothing to worry about, Ari.”

His words seem sincere, but I can’t shake the feeling that there is no truth to them at all.

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

BASH

No, she should definitely be worried.

September was not a one-night thing, and it was never meant to be one. This I know.

I admit that when Ari snuck into my room, proclaiming that our night together had long been forgotten, it stung. I couldn’t wrap my mind around how something that felt so incredible for me wasn’t for her. That is, until I realized she was lying through her teeth. I don’t believe she knows she’s lying, but she is. There’s no doubt about it.

Call me crazy, but something is there. It’s so tangible it’s hitting us in the face, even if I’m the only one willingto admit it.

Ari sneaks out of my room to join the others downstairs. I wait a few minutes before I follow.

My phone call to Hattie went to voicemail, so either she really is swamped with schoolwork or she’s napping. If I had to guess, it’d be the latter. However, I really need some advice. She knows how hard I’ve tried to locate Ari over the past few months and knows me better than anyone else. I need to talk this out with her.

Though, even without the conversation, I can already hear what she’d say.Bash, just be yourself.

My sister thinks I’m the biggest catch to grace this country. She seriously believes that I can achieve anything I want in this life by being myself. I suppose there’s some truth in that thus far. All I’ve ever wanted is to play professional hockey with the Cranes, and I am. I would’ve played for any team in the NHL, but staying in Michigan near my family and playing for this incredible organization was my dream.

I’m honestly not sure if Ari is a new dream or merely an obsessive curiosity, but either way, I’m compelled to find out. My sister’s advice has never steered me wrong, so I suppose I’ll tackle this situation the same way I always do. Something will come out of this unspoken thing with Ari, or it’s not, but the only way to find out is to just go for it. Ari’s about to find out that Sebastian Calloway is charming as hell.

I find most of the guys beneath the pavilion by the pool. Gunner stands in front of the grill, flipping burgers. For the most part, the crowd consists of players. Most of the office staff and families are out and about today, exploring the area. As a team, we agree that we aren’t leaving this property for the entire week. Our lives are spent traveling. For us, the luxury is staying put and simply enjoying our downtime.

The table at the end of the pavilion is set up with side dishes, salads, chips, and beverages that look to have been brought in by a catering company. Elena has made sure that everything on this trip has been handled.

Cade passes me with a plate full of food. “There you are. We were just wondering where you were. You hungry, man?”

“You know I can always eat.” On my way to the table of food, I scan the area with casual ease, looking for her.

Her voice sounds at my back. “This what you’re looking for?”

I look over my shoulder as she hands Gunner a package of sliced cheese.

“Yes. Thank you,” he says to Ari before he calls out to the rest of us, “If you don’t want cheese on your burger, come get yours now. Otherwise, you’re getting cheese.”

Elena places her arm around Ari’s waist. “Ready to eat?”

---