Page 44 of Playmaker

Cooper moved behind me. “Do I need to show you, sweetheart?” He bracketed my body with his, firm muscles forming a cage around me. I felt protected, sheltered. For a moment, I let myself relax into the feeling, imagining what it would be like to be someone who could do that. Be taken care of.

“Is he still there?” I muttered, low enough that only Cooper could hear me.

“Is that what this is about? Is he bothering you?” He placed his callused hands overtop mine on the club. Goose bumps pebbled my skin.

“Not me,” I hissed. “You.”

I felt him stiffen for a moment, then relax. “Now pull back.” He lifted the club with our combined grips. We swung together, but I was paying more attention to the man behind me than the ball. That sheltered feeling lingered, and we missed hitting the ball altogether.

“Guess you’ll have to keep showing me.” I looked under Cooper’s arm and saw Blowhard finally give up.

We swung again, and this time I paid attention, and the ball shot straight and far.

“Good job, Callie. You’re definitely getting better.”

I was. But I knew that a major part of that last shot was because I’d relaxed. I’d followed Cooper’s lead. I’d trusted him.

He stepped back. “How are you feeling?”

I dropped the club and rolled my shoulders. “Like that’s enough for today.”

“Then let’s get out of here.”

I nodded and thought that was more relief in his voice than he intended to reveal.

We ran into additional fans as we headed out, and Cooper was patient and charming but insisted we had somewhere to go. I did my best to look like I was eager to get Cooper to myself. I did like the man, liked talking to him. But that was when it was just us, and he didn’t have to put on his public face.

I got my wish when we stopped at another small restaurant, one that was blessedly free of hockey fans. I’d told Cooper I was paying for the meal, because the driving range, like Briarwood, was charged to a membership card, and that I didn’t have.

Cooper shrugged but it turned out I was wrong that no one at the restaurant cared about hockey. They insisted the meal was on the house.

As we headed back to the Bentley, I frowned at him. “Did you know they wouldn’t let me pay?”

He shrugged. “Depends. I think they thought we were on a date and wanted to help out.”

At least these fans weren’t taking from him. “Friday, we’re going someplace I can pay.”

Chapter14

Was I going to have to dress up?

Cooper

I steppedout of the shower at the practice arena and wrapped a towel around my waist. Grabbing another to rub through my hair, I ambled into the locker room, rolling my shoulders to ease what tension remained.

“So how was your golf lesson?” Ducky asked slyly.

I flicked a towel at him. We’d had another hard workout today and I was feeling it. I wasn’t twenty-four anymore, like my teammate.

“We went to the driving range and hit some balls. She’s improving.”

“That’s it?” Ducky sounded disappointed. “No kissing? You didn’t go out for dinner or anything?”

“We stopped for food after. No kissing.” Not that I was opposed to the idea. Wrapping myself around her at the driving range had definitely inspired some non-platonic thoughts. What would Callie do if I tried to kiss her? She’d been more relaxed last night, but other than her flirty rescue from the guy who wanted to explain exactly how we’d lost that last game, she hadn’t given any indication that she would welcome anything beyond golfing instruction.

“Maybe we should go out tonight then, instead of playing poker. Go to a club, hook up, have some fun.”

My days of hooking up at clubs were over. I’d rather meet someone at a bar than a noisy club, where everyone was sweaty and overstimulated. But it would be Ducky’s kind of scene.

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