Page 104 of Stick By Me

My gaze cut to Mason. Something was up. “Spill, Mason.”

“You didn’t get to meet the new coach.” He snuck a glance at Jonah. “He’s fuckinghot.” He stepped toward me. “You shouldhave seen Jonah’s tongue drop to the floor when the guy walked into our locker room.”

“When was this? Yesterday?” I tilted my head. I’d left as soon as practice was over yesterday. Coach had given me a pass after all the shit I’d been through on the break.

“Yeah, Coach Patterson introduced us to him. We’ve started calling him, Coach Hot Stuff.” Tyler snorted, then died in his video game. “Fuck.”

I peered at Jonah, his cheeks growing pink. “You do like him, don’t you.” I strutted to him, then wound an arm around his neck to scruff his head.

He wriggled out of my hold. “I don’t need you messing with me, too.” With a huff, Jonah strode into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. “Don’t you have some special night out with Leo to go to?”

Knocking sounded on the door.

“Yeah, that must be him.” With my heart kicking, I snatched up my duffle and jogged to the door. I’d see this new coach soon enough at the next practice. Flinging the door open, I gave Leo a broad smile. “Babe.”

He flung his arms around my shoulders and kissed the side of my head. “Archer.” He breathed me in. “We’re going to have so much fun tonight.”

Leo parkedin a garage at Tempe’s Westin hotel. It was one of the glass high-rises you could see from campus and glowed in copper tones when the sun was out. “Leo, tell me you didn’t spend a fortune on tonight.”

“Nope, I can’t tell you that.” He leaned over the center console and kissed my cheek. “You can pay me back by taking me someplace nice after you get your NHL contract.” He beamed at me.

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Sure.” But now, it was a reality. I just needed to get through the rest of the season and next semester.

We climbed out of the car, and I met him at the back of it to get our bags.

I grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles. “When are you going to tell me what you have planned?” I walked with him to the elevator.

“I suppose I can tell you while we go.” He pushed the call button.

“Okay.” I glanced out between the openings in the concrete structure at the jagged, clay-colored mountains in the distance, the puffy clouds forming shadows across them in the late evening sun. Below us, traffic moved slowly along Mill Avenue and people strolled all bundled up for a night out in the cold, desert air.

“We’ll check in, then start our evening with a five-course meal at the Terra Tempe restaurant, then we’ll head up to the rooftop sky bar for the New Year’s party.” He squeezed my hand as the elevator dinged and the door opened, then led me inside. “How’s that?”

“Shit, Leo, that’s awesome.” I edged into his side, my cheeks hurting from smiling so much. “We’ll be able to see the fireworks all across the valley from up there.” This might be the best New Year’s Eve ever.

“We sure will.” He hugged me into his side.

It was almostmidnight and I’d shared an amazing meal with Leo. We stood at the thick metal railing of the rooftop bar, a sleek, modern place with outdoor gas fireplaces in the tables and fancy drinks. Wrapping my arm around Leo’s waist, I drew him into my side, peeking up and down at him. He’d changed into a nice black suit jacket before dinner and wore a thin grey sweaterunderneath. Yeah, he was my nerdy, but metro-sexual man. The love of my life.

He edged closer into my side. “What are you looking at?” He sipped from his tall champagne glass.

“You. Sometimes I find it hard to believe you’re mine.” A soft grin floated over my lips. With him and his unwavering support, I knew I could have it all.

“Well, get used to it.” He planted a kiss on my cheek, then glanced behind us toward the countdown clock on the television screen over the bar.

I peeked around us at all the other partiers, women in fancy dresses chatting with men, all nicely coiffed. Everyone holding champagne glasses.

“Archer.” Leo bumped into my side.

“Yeah?” I sipped my champagne, watching him from over the lip of the glass.

His grin waned. “I want us to move in together.” His gaze searched my face.

With a sputter, my heart jolted. “You do?” That had come out of nowhere.

“I do. I understand you probably need to stay with the guys in the house for now, but Axel said his old band house is really full with three couples living in it and I thought maybe…well, maybe we could find a place for ourselves.” He studied me.

All the revelry around me disappeared and I focused on only him. “So, like, we’d get a house or an apartment or something?” I lifted my brows. In a few months I’d be graduating anyways and most of the guys would be going home for the summer or off to camps.

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