Page 36 of Two Minutes for Holding

PEYTON: When you get a minute, I’d like to talk to you. Can you please message me?

I frowned. We’d been messaging on and off since we’d gotten back from Vermont, and she had never started a message this way. Normally, they were fun and playful, some were flirty, and occasionally her messages were sexy as hell. Our phone conversations had been the same, but this, this was different. It was direct and to the point.

I quickly typed back, asking if everything was okay, and waited for a few seconds to see if she responded. When I heard Knox’s voice and then his laugh coming toward me, I quicklyshoved my phone into my locker. He came walking in with Levi and made his way over to his locker, before turning to me.

“Hey, man, Lorelai wants to know if you are planning on joining us for dinner tonight?” Knox questioned as he pulled his jeans and sweater from his locker. “Her and Mom are making a huge Italian meal—lasagna, garlic bread, meatballs and some sinful desert that will probably add ten pounds to us. We probably shouldn’t eat it before the game, but what the hell?”

“Is that an invitation or is that Lorelai telling me I should be there?” I chuckled.

Ever since Lorelai found out that something had happened to my family, she’d been trying to include me anywhere and everywhere she could, which I appreciated, but I didn’t want it to become a habit because I didn’t want her to feel that she had to.

Knox laughed. “Let’s just say you better be there. I forgot to ask when we were in Vermont, so I’ve sort of been in the doghouse, until last night that is,” he said, raising his eyebrows in gest.

We’d just finished practice and had tonight off, along with most of tomorrow, when we played the sixth game of the seven with the Ice Hawks.

“Anyone else from the team coming?” I asked, dropping my towel and slipping into my grey Dominator joggers and sweatshirt.

“Dylan and Aurora will be there. I’ve put the invite to Lucas and Ella, and Levi and Colton, as she would like to meet them, but the only ones we’ve heard from are Ella and Lucas, until today that is. They unfortunately cannot make it. Poor guy is having dinner with her dad. Levi here said he has some sort of date to go on, and Colton still hasn’t answered yet.”

“Shit, glad I’m not Lucas.” I chuckled.

The last person I’d want to have dinner with was Larson. Yet he took the news of them marrying way better than we allthought he would. We’d been prepared to give Lucas a sendoff, but thankfully, it didn’t come to that. Although, if Knox ever found out that his sister and I had been together, maybe I’d wish I were having dinner with Larson and fucking his daughter instead. He seemed less scary than Knox; and I knew when Knox found out, because let’s face it, it was only a matter of time, I probably wouldn’t be playing hockey any longer, because Knox would make sure I couldn’t.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll be there. Don’t want you in the doghouse with Lorelai.” I chuckled.

“I don’t want to be in the doghouse, either. It’s a hell of a place to be.”

“I’m sure. I’ve got to get going. See you at what, seven?”

“Be there for six. We’ll have drinks and talk game talk while the girls help my mom getting everything out on the table.”

“Sounds good.”

I splasheda bit of cologne on my neck, grabbed the two bottles of wine I’d picked up earlier for tonight, and headed out the door. I still hadn’t heard a response from Peyton and wondered if I should call her on my way for dinner but decided against it. She was probably at work and wouldn’t be able to talk. It was the only reason I could think why she hadn’t messaged me back, and since I’d have limited time to talk, I made a mental note to call her later tonight once I was home, when we could have some privacy.

“Clay, I’m so glad to see you,” Lorelai greeted as she opened the door and stepped to the side, letting me in.

She smiled as I handed her the two bottles of wine I’d brought. “Thank you, these are lovely,” she said, leaning in and placing a kiss on my cheek. “You really didn’t have to go to the trouble.”

“I wanted to.” I winked, pulling her against me for a hug and another quick peck on the cheek.

“Hey, hey…no man better be kissing my wife.” Knox chuckled as he came over, greeting me with a fist bump, handing me a bottle of water.

“Slow down there, she’s still fair game. She isn’t your wife yet.” I chuckled.

“Watch him!” Dylan shouted from inside the house. “He loves kissing Aurora, too.”

“Are you really that insecure?” Aurora yelled back as she poked her head around the corner from where she was in the kitchen. She waved and then smiled my way.

“Yeah, what she said. Besides, what’s the problem, jealous?” Lorelai questioned, looking at Knox before leaning in and kissing my cheek again. “Afraid I may run off with Clay and that he’ll satisfy me better than you do,” she said, patting my chest.

“Hey, don’t you dare bring me into your little love den. You will run away with me if you do,” I said, pulling her against me as she giggled. “Don’t deny it, you know it’s true.”

Knox shook his head. “Kill it, Harris.” He chucked, looking at Lorelai.

“Yes, please, kill it!” Dylan shouted again, causing us all to laugh.

“Just stating facts,” I said.

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