Page 32 of Finding the Forward: Part One
“People can be mean sometimes,” I mumbled. Things got bad my last year at university. “This is why I like plants. I have some socials, mostly to keep in touch with my siblings, but they’re not under my actual name.”
“I get that. You know, I called your old university–the one you played fútbol for–and they told me you were at Briar. Briar wouldn’t tell me where you went, only that you left. I was getting ready to book you for a fake photo shoot with your modeling agent,” he added, leaning toward me.
“I’d love to have seen that,” I laughed, imagining the chaos. “Truly, I appreciate that you thought of me.”
“Will you go out on that date with me?” he asked in earnest.
“Absolutely. There’s more, isn’t there?” I tensed, holding my mug tightly as if it could anchor me to the here and now.
“Yes. I found out the Knights’ promise to take me if the Hurricanes won was a joke, and winning meant they had to live up to it. Now I have to prove myself. Since you’re my lucky charm...” His shoulders slumped, but he met my eyes.
Oh. My belly twisted.
“While I don’t want to be traded away from Dean, this is theleastimportant reason for finding you. I promise.” Grif told me about his team captains talking to him after the game, how he’d been changing up his routines for weeks, and his team wanted to keep him so badly they were ready to blast my picture all over the internet.
My fingers ran through his soft beard. “I appreciate your honesty. I’m flattered, and I understand the frustration and pressure. However, I would’ve been pissed if I’d found out about it later from a teammate. When I look at you, I feel things, Grif.”
It would be better to lay it all out. Even now, I wanted to wrap my arms around him and never let go.
“I do, too. Thank you for understanding. I... I can’t lose Dean again. I’m tired of only being with them in the off-season.” Defeat rang through his voice.
“Grif.” I kept playing with his beard. “You don’t need me to play a good game. You’re incredible. No, really, I looked you up in the bathroom. I’m sure you’ll figure this out. But if you need me to give you a pep talk like you did for me on the plane, I will.”
In my mind, I’d replayed his words over and over the past four months.
His large hand covered mine. “I’d like that, Kitten. Helplessness and desperation are tearing me up inside.”
I wanted to soothe him, make him feel better. “You won anational championship.You have sticks of steel and are a fucking badass. This season, you’ve been playing great, and you’ll continue to go out each game and kill it. After all, you’reBig Daddy Hurricane,and no one will know what hit them.”
“Big Daddy Hurricane?” His red eyebrows waggled.
“Want to be my Big Daddy Hurricane?” Maintaining eye contact, I sipped my drink, imagining what it would be like to go out on an actual date withhim.
“Oh, I do, Kitten. I’m so glad we found each other.” Grif’s eyes sparkled.
“Me, too. Your family member, with the emergency, is she okay?” I added, miffed at myself for not asking sooner.
“My sister’s doing great,” he told me. Getting out his phone, he showed me pictures of her and her baby.
As we waited for Mercy, he told me stories about his packmates and hockey, and I told him about the university and adventures with the Maimers.
“Well, this is cute.” Mercy stood there, in jeans and a Maimers’ sweatshirt, a bag over her shoulder. Kaiko and Jack immediately appeared.
“This university is so fancy. The one I went to didn’t have all this.” Jack looked around the coffee shop, which was still full of studying and chatting students.
He was a green-haired, broad nineteen-year-old alpha rookie who had left his university and family’s Christmas tree business up north to go pro. His skate smash name wasT-Wrecks,and he had multiple dinosaur tattoos.
“We’re going to dinner and the movies at the fancy theater in the rec complex near the arena with the good popcorn,” Mercy told me.
“Have fun.” I waved. She’d already texted me where they were going. I’d also checked to make sure that she’d logged her school hours for the day.
Jack and Kaiko were nice and fairly responsible. All three were alphas. They’d be fine. I also had her location on her phone–and she had mine.
“I’ll be back by curfew. Smell you later.” Mercy gave me a mock salute, and the three of them scampered off.
“Are you hungry? We could grab some dinner?” he asked, looking bashful. “This isn’t our proper date. We’ll have that later.”
Actually, I wanted him first. But he might be hungry.
