Page 70 of Huge Pucking Play

Garrett captures my wandering hand, bringing it to his lips. "Any ideas?" he asks, eyes crinkling with mischief.

"Movie day?" I suggest, still comfortably nestled against his side. "We could marathon something ridiculous and not move except for snack breaks and bathroom runs." My fingers dance across his chest, tracing the amazing muscle definition. Part of me just wants to stay here, in this bed, discovering more ways our bodies fit together.

"What kind of ridiculous are we talking?" Garrett asks, toying with a strand of my hair. "Like bad sci-fi ridiculous or romantic comedy ridiculous?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of the 'Fast and Furious' franchise. The physics alone are worth the price of admission." I grin up at him. "Unless you're a secret Nicholas Sparks fan?"

He laughs, the sound rumbling through his chest and into mine. "Hard pass on Sparks. Though I wouldn't say no to 'Fast and Furious.'"

"Or…" I stretch, considering other options. "We could go for a hike? The weather's supposed to be decent today."

"A hike could be good." Garrett nods thoughtfully. "Starved Rock? Or maybe Waterfall Glen?"

"Both nice options." I sit up, suddenly more enthusiastic. Getting out in nature sounds refreshing.

Garrett sits up too, running a hand through his rumpled hair. "It's just—" He hesitates.

"What?"

"If we go somewhere like that, we might run into someone from the team." His eyes meet mine, concern evident. "Reynolds goes to Waterfall Glen all the time when he's rehabbing. AndMartinez took the whole defense to Starved Rock for some kind of 'bonding exercise' last month."

"You're right," I sigh. "The last thing we need is to bump into Reynolds or Barnesy, God forbid, while we're holding hands on a nature trail."

"It's not that I don't want to be seen with you," Garrett clarifies quickly, taking my hand. "It's just?—"

"I know," I reassure him. "I get it. We’ve got to let the cat out of the bag first to management." I chew my lip, thinking. "So we need somewhere out of town.

Garrett's eyes light up. "How do you feel about Long Grove?"

I picture the quaint streets I've seen in photos but never visited. "That sounds perfect. We could explore the shops, get lunch, pretend we're tourists for a day."

Our fingers intertwine on the sheets between us and I feel a bubble of excitement growing in my chest. It's such a small thing—a day trip to a nearby town—but it feels like an adventure. Just us, away from hockey and responsibilities, discovering something new together.

"I need to stop by my place first. Oscar needs a walk, and I refuse to spend our romantic day trip wearing yesterday's clothes."

“You got it.”

I hope Oscar is doing okay. I texted one of my neighbors last night, who helps me out with him sometimes, and she agreed to let him out last night and this morning as well as feed him.

"Give me ten minutes to shower, and then we'll head to my place?"

"Take your time," he says, eyes warm. "We've got all day."

When we get to my apartment, thirty minutes later, I hear a crated Oscar's excited barking. I drop my keys in the dish by the door, their jangle setting off another round of frantic woofs from my over-enthusiastic Bernedoodle.

"Someone's happy to see you," Garrett says, following me inside.

"He'd be happy to see a burglar if they'd feed him," I reply, moving toward the crate. "Fair warning—he's going to lose his mind when I let him out."

Oscar's eyes are visible through the crate bars, dark and eager, his fluffy body vibrating with anticipation. When I unlatch the door, he explodes outward in a tornado of fur and excitement. His paws scrabble against my thighs as he jumps, his whole body wagging.

"Hi, buddy! Yes, I missed you too," I laugh, scratching behind his ears. "Sorry I didn't come home last night."

Oscar finally notices Garrett and redirects his enthusiasm. He approaches with caution at first, then seems to remember Garrett and begins dancing around his feet.

"Hey there, buddy," Garrett says, crouching down to Oscar's level. His big hand nearly spans Oscar's entire head as he gives him a scratch.

Oscar flops onto his back, presenting his belly with shameless begging. Garrett obliges with belly rubs, and I stand watching them, a warm feeling spreading through my chest.

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