Page 110 of Keeper
“It’s amazing. I’m in awe.”
I could hear the girls on the other side of the house through the foyer: party jams, chatter and laughter.
“Yeah, we love all it here,” she said. She motioned for me to follow her. “We don’t get to pre-game at Molly’s house too often because she’s usually got her hands full with the kids. But they’re at their grandparents tonight, so this is something of a rare treat.”
“What’s the occasion?” I asked as I followed her through the foyer.
She looked at me like I was nuts. “Well, it’s your initiation.”
“I-initiation?” I stammered.
“Don’t worry. It sounds cult-y, but trust me, there’s no hazing or anything over the top like that. You’ll find out real quick that we’re all a bunch of nerds who get way too excited when we’ve got a new member.”
“Aw, you guys.”
Emma led me into the living room and open kitchen area, where citrusy brightness filled the air. Molly, wearing an apron over her outfit, currently had a lemon-and-lime squeezing operation down to a science.The girls broke into a heartwarming cheer when I entered.
All the faces from last night were here, and they all had matching denim jackets with their man’s name and number sewn on the back—sort of like a hockey jersey, only with a lot of Texas glitz and glam.
Austen rushed over to greet me with a hug. “Now that the boys aren’t here,” she said, “we want to hear everything.How you and Tanner met, your first kiss,everything.”
“Austen! Pump the brakes, will ya? She just got here!” Molly teased, earning a chorus of laughs. She approached me for a hug, too. “Don’t mind her, Ainsley—just relax and have a good time, okay? I’m so glad you could make it!”
“Thankyou for having me, Molly,” I said, hugging her back. “Your home is so beautiful.”
“Oh, thank you. We owe it all to hockey,” she said with a wink. Molly turned to the center island, which was packed with a mouthwatering cheese and charcuterie spread, a variety of wines, and other treats. “Help yourself to whatever you want. I’m making another batch of margaritas right now, so drinks are coming up in a minute.”
“Perfect,” I said, filling my tiny plate with fancy cheeses and meats.
Austen, Emma, and Katerina got in line behind me and made their own plates.
“You’ve gotta try one of Mama’s margs,” Austen said to me. “They’re sweet and spicy andsogood.”
“Is that the citrusy deliciousness I smell in here?” I asked.
“Yup,” Austen said. “And if you think it smells good, wait until you taste it. Mama’s margs are a staple of WAG parties—and I don’t just mean in Dallas.”
I didn’t follow. “Hm?”
“Molly’s pretty much famous with the other WAGs around the league because of her margs,” Emma explained.
“Really?” I muttered, unsure if the girls were yanking my chain or not.
“Yup,” Austen said.
“Ryan’s had a long career,” Molly chimed in, even as she focused on pouring a fresh batch of margaritas without spilling a drop. “We’ve played for Montreal, Boston, St. Louis, LA, Nashville, and now Dallas. So yeah, you make a lot of friends when your husband’s career takes you all around the league.”
“Yeah, and you get a lot of those friends smashed on tequila,” Austen joked, and everyone laughed.
“It must’ve been hard,” I said, “moving all over like that?”
Molly caught my eye and bobbed her head with vehement agreement. “Absolutely. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve made lifelong friends everywhere he’s played. And our lives are obviously blessed by Ryan’s career. But changing teams can be so stressful—you’ve got the move itself, which is never fun. Then you have to adapt to a new city, a new team, a new community, figure out which school to send the kids to …” She gestured that the troubles went on and on.
“One thing’s for sure, though,” Molly said as she started passing out margaritas. “This is Ryan’s last contract, so we’re staying in Dallas until he retires. And Dallas is agreatorganization. Great team, great city, and a great group of girls, too.”
Molly handed me one of her famous margaritas. She served it in a glass on the rocks and garnished it with a sprig of cilantro and slices of lime, cucumber, and jalapeno. Flakes of smoked salt encrusted the rim of the glass. The presentation was so beautiful, it was almost a shame we had to drink it.
“In fact, if you ask me,” Molly said, “this is the best group of gals in the whole league.”
