Page 65 of Faking It With My Pucking Protector
And maybe that’s what throws me.
I swallow and step out of the truck, shoes crunching lightly on the gravel. When I step inside, the house is warm and quiet. The smell of coffee lingers faintly in the air.
She doesn’t look up right away when I walk in. Just types something, scrolls, then types again. Her concentration’s intense, like whatever she’s working on requires her full attention.
Then she lifts her gaze, and something shifts.
“Hey,” she says softly.
“Hey.” I hang my keys on the hook and drop my bag by the bench. “You’re working?”
She leans back. “Technically no. Don’t tell Jenna.”
I let out a quiet laugh, the tension in my chest loosening a little. “Your secret’s safe.”
“I just wanted to get ahead of things. We’ve got a fun event planned next week for the kids. They can dress up as their favorite story character. There will be story time, reading games, and free books. The works.”
She runs her finger along the edge of the table, like smoothing down a thought. “I thought maybe Noah and Liam would like to go, if that’s okay.”
That stops me mid-sip. “When is it?”
“Next Monday at 4.”
I do the math. Game 1 of Round 1 is Thursday, Game 2 is Saturday, both against the New Jersey Hawks. We’ll fly home Sunday.
“I’ll be here,” I say before I can overthink it. “I’ll take them myself.”
Ava’s eyebrows lift. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Sounds like something they’d love. Plus, it’s a good cause.”
She smiles again. This one’s a little warmer. A little less careful.
And for the first time in a day and a half, I feel like maybe I haven’t completely screwed everything up.
I set my water bottle down and shift my weight.
“The first two games are in New Jersey,” I say, leaning a hip against the counter. “Tomorrow and Saturday. I was going to ask… Do you want to come with me?”
Ava meets my gaze, her eyes searching mine like she’s trying to read between the lines.
“To New Jersey?”
“Yeah. You’re off until Tuesday, right?”
She nods. “Right.”
“You could go with me if you want. Stay through the weekend.”
She studies me for a beat, then closes her laptop gently. “I’d like that.”
Her voice is quiet, sincere.
She picks up her coffee again, fingers curling around the mug. “Even once I go back to work next week, I’ll still have some flexibility. I mostly work remotely. Just need Wi-Fi.”
“That’s good to know.” I pause, watching the way her expression eases. “I’ll tell the team manager to get your name on the list. They’ll handle the ticket, hotel block, all of it.”
“Thanks.” Her gaze lingers on mine for half a second longer than I expect before she looks back down and reaches for her pen.
