Page 106 of Mr. Charming

“My mom and Georgia are coming to the game tonight.” I cringe.

She smacks me in the stomach. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I forgot. It’s been planned for a while, and you distract me. My mom called me this morning to tell me when they’re flying in and where they’re staying. But they’ll be seated right by you, and I wanted to warn you before you… I’m assuming you’re going to the game tonight, right?”

She laughs. “Do you want me to come to your game?”

“Since you started going, I’ve had some pretty awesome games.”

“And that’s the only reason? Because it makes you play better?” Her eyebrows lift.

I inch closer, my fingers running down the length of hers. “No.” I shake my head. “It’s more selfish than that.”

She tilts her head.

“It calms me when you’re there,” I say.

“Why?”

My fingers tighten around hers and the side of my body leans into hers. “Because seeing you in the stands reminds me that the best thing in my life isn’t the game—it’s you.”

“Tweetie!” She pushes me with her free hand, and I stumble back until I catch myself.

“What?” I hold up my hands.

“You can’t say stuff like that. Not yet.”

I wish no one was around so I could grab her hand and tug her into my chest and tell her we can take this slow, but it’s the truth. After she was no longer in the stands, I’d find myself looking to where she used to sit, and I realized I’d thought hockey was my number one, but it turned out it was my number two. I’d sacrificed my first love for my second. I was just too dense to see it.

“Sorry?” My tone suggests I’m anything but.

She narrows her eyes. “Go shower and sleep. I have to go get this handled with Fletcher.” She shakes her head as she walks ahead of me down the tunnel.

“Only if you do that again.”

She swivels around, walking backward. “What?”

“I hate it when you walk away from me, but I still enjoy the view.”

She continues to shake her head, and when she gets to the end of the hall, she glances both ways before bringing her hand to her lips and blowing me a kiss.

Fuck, I love that girl.

Fifty

Tedi

I’m in the stands with all the usuals—Kyleigh, her dad, Eloise, Jade, and Bodhi. The guys are in the middle of their warm-ups, and I’m fairly sure Tweetie has positioned himself right in front of me because he knows how hot I get when he does that. The few sly looks he’s given me over his shoulder when he changes positions confirm my suspicions. But I have a little surprise of my own for him.

I might not be able to wear his jersey to the game, but I have on a T-shirt with his name and number under my sweater. I made sure to take a picture and send it to him before the game. Hopefully he checks his phone after warm-ups, before he comes out to play.

“Tedi,” a woman says, and a smile comes to my lips.

“Melody.” I stand, and Tweetie’s mom’s arms are already out and ready to embrace me.

She’s taller than me, her hair more gray than blonde. With a kind smile, she pulls me into a warm, welcoming hug. “I missed you. And I’m not the only one.”

“I missed you too.” We pull away from one another, but she continues to hold my hands. “How have you been?” I ask.

---