Page 61 of Punchline
“Sometimes.” I paused. “I don’t think we’re going to win the championship this year, but we could go deep. You know, assuming the Aces don’t snatch up our best players right when we need them.”
Jake tilted his head. “They do that?”
“I mean, things get pretty intense toward the end of the season.” I shifted a little, trying to accommodate some of my various aching joints, not that it helped. “You’ve got guys who’ve been playing through injuries all season, and also teams getting extra aggressive so they can make it. A lot of injuries happen. And when they do, our guys get the call.”
“Have you been called up?”
“Twice, but I never actually played.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“The guys I came up to replace were gametime decisions, and they ended up playing.”
Jake gently clasped my good hand. “Maybe the third time’s the charm?”
“Maybe.” I nodded toward my less good hand. “But probably not for a while.”
“No, but you’ve got plenty of time.” He kissed my knuckles, then sat up, wincing as his back cracked. “Do you feel like eating?”
I had to think about that. Partly because my brain was cloudy, and partly because my body wasn’t sure what it was feeling about anything. My stomach did feel pretty grumbly, though, and now that I thought about it, I hadn’t eaten after last night’s game. Jesus—no wonder I felt like crap.
“Ishouldeat. I should’ve had something last night.” I started to sit up, and Jake put a strong hand behind my back. For a split second, I wanted to shrug him off and insist I could sit up on my own. That support helped a lot, though, so I accepted the help, and when I was upright, I murmured, “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” He grabbed his phone and checked the screen. “Your team’s, uh—the trainer, I guess? He texted me on the way home last night and said he wants you to come by the training center this morning. If they’re already gone for the road trip, you’re supposed to see the Aces’ team doc.”
I blinked. “He—how did he get your number?”
“Marek.”
“Oh.” Yeah, that made sense. Hell, if my team hadn’t been heading out on the road after practice, I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to have Marek banging on Jake’s door to check on me.
I glanced at the complex apparatus of black nylonpinning my arm to my side. “I really need to take a shower, but… ”
“They said to wait until you have a cast on it. Which will probably be tomorrow or the next day, depending on the swelling.”
I wrinkled my nose. “But I still smell like hockey. I need to shower, especially if I’m sleeping in your bed.”
Jake smiled. “I couldn’t care less what you smell like. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“That is… surprisingly romantic.”
He laughed, which was the best thing I’d seen since I’d watched blood running from Max Vincent’s nose. “Call it being an overbearing, overprotective boyfriend who’s too stupidly worried about you.”
I pressed my lips together. “So… just a teddy bear for short?”
That made him laugh… and blush.
Which made me dizzier than the pain meds could ever do.
Good God, I was stupid for this man.
Breakfast made me feel a hell of a lot closer to human. Coffee helped too.
Unfortunately, it didn’t do much for how I smelled, and Irefusedto venture out in public smelling like this.
“But you need to see the doctor,” Jake gently insisted.
“Then we can do a televisit or something.”
