Page 68 of Romancing the Grump
“Hey, guys,” Nathan says easily.
“Will you skate with us?” the tallest one asks.
He glances over at me and lifts his eyebrows. “Do you mind?”
I quickly shake my head, though I’m surprised he’s willing. I’ve never seen him be anything but kind to his fans, but he doesn’t eat up the attention like some of the other guys do. With him, it always feels slightly more obligatory.
But then, these aren’t just fans. They’rehockey players.Which is a very important distinction. “Of course not,” I quickly say. “Go ahead. I’ll be fine here.”
He reaches over and gives my knee a quick squeeze. “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as he’s back on the ice, Parker comes over and sits down beside me, looping an arm around my shoulders for a side hug. “How are you holding up?”
“Physically? Or emotionally?”
“Both?”
Out on the ice, Nathan takes a hockey stick from one of the kids and helps him with his grip. I can only see him from the side, but I have a clear view of the kid, and the awe in his expression tells me just how much this means to him.
“Physically, I’ll recover as long as I get a warm bath and afew ibuprofen. Emotionally? Pretty sure I’m about forty percent in love with him already.”
“Only forty? That doesn’t sound too bad.”
“Maybe not, but I’m worried the growth might be exponential.”
She nudges my shoulder with hers. “Have I told you how much I appreciate you doing this?” She looks across the ice to where Nathan is talking to some men I’m guessing are the dads of the kids who approached him. “I know he appreciates it, too.”
I’m glad they do, but the truth is, after tonight, I can’t pretend like I did this for Parker or the Appies. I didn’t even do it for Nathan.
I did it forme.
I ignored every rule I’ve ever made for myself, kicked my logical brain out of the boardroom, and gave my heart control.
Because deep down, I’m hoping that if we just spend enough time together, I’ll be able to figure Nathan out.
I’ll be able to change his mind.
I’ll be able to turn this into something real.
CHAPTER 16
NATHAN
After ice skating,I think about texting Summer at least five hundred times. And all five hundred times, I convince myself not to do it, dismissing my reasons as stupid and unnecessary.
This relationship is supposed to be fake. Dofakeboyfriends textfakegirlfriends?
Even though we had a conversation about the rules, that was more about how we actin public.We didn’t talk about expectations otherwise. Am I supposed to text her?
Better question: Am I supposed towantto text her?
After our home game last night, after which I got to hug her and hold her against me because that’s what the public expects, the impulse has only intensified. I found half a dozen reasons to walk past her office today, and I missed seeing her every single time.
Finally, after practice, I find a string of texts from her on my phone.
Summer
Confession? I’ve been struggling all week trying to figure out if I should text you.
