Page 51 of The Rival (Looking to Score 2)
“Yeah!”
Nelle rolls her eyes. “It’s just an added expense. And believe me, he gets plenty of screen time.”
“It’d be a good feature to have for road trips. Like when you guys drive up to Boston and see me. Right, little man?”
“Can you get us tickets to a game, Uncle Alex?”
“Of course I can.” I ruffle his hair. “I’ll even get you into the dressing room to meet the guys.”
“Thanks for tonight,” Nelle says. “Stay out of trouble, okay?”
“I’ll do that.”
“Oh, and Alex? Say hi to Aspen for me.”
Shit.
• • •
The following day flies by coaching ten-year-olds on the ice. We have a short ceremony at the end, where each kid is presented with a puck signed by me and a certificate of completion.
Tonight, I have plans to grab an early dinner with the other coaches, but first I check my phone to see if Aspen messaged me. There’s nothing from her, but a message from Tate, the Titans rookie, pops up instead. He joined the team last year. I haven’t hung out with him much, but he seems cool.
Where have you been hiding this summer, big guy?
Canada.
No shit? Me too. Come over and visit anytime.
Canada is a big country, moron, I type back, chuckling.
Ha. True, he texts back.
I’m crashing at Saint’s place in Ottawa. You?
Hiking in Vancouver. This place is sick.
Nice. Just you?
Yup, all by my lonesome. Just wanted to say don’t be a stranger. We’re gonna kill it this season.
Hell yeah, we are. I grin at his enthusiasm. Oh, to be young and optimistic again.
I’m going to make that points differential my bitch.
I laugh. You do that, rookie.
He texts back a thumbs-up emoji. See you at training camp.
See you then.
I consider texting Aspen next, maybe to ask her how she’s faring without me. Some taunt perhaps about what she’s doing for dinner without her personal chef. But when I look at the time, I realize I really do need to get going. I don’t want to be late meeting the other coaches.
I stuff my phone in my pocket and head out to the local barbecue restaurant where we agreed to meet. While the rest of the guys order beer, I stick to water because Tate was right. Soon, I’ll be at training camp, and it will become glaringly obvious who spent the summer drinking beer and who spent the summer training.
While I’m at dinner, my lawyer, Hugh, leaves a voice mail, but I’m in no mood to listen to it.
After I pick up the check for dinner, there’s some bro-hugs and handshakes, and then I’m alone in my car, driving back to the hotel. I’m scheduled to stay another night and drive out in the morning, but I realize that if I leave now, I could make it back to the cabin by midnight. And I’d much rather sleep with Aspen tonight than alone in the hard hotel bed. With that decision made, I rush back to the hotel, pack my bags, and check out early.
• • •
When I make it back to the lake house just before midnight, I see that the porch light’s been left on.
I considered surprising Aspen, but then I realized arriving after dark would probably scare the hell out of her. I didn’t want her to think someone was breaking in and panic. So I called her from the road and told her I was on my way. That was around nine, and she was already yawning.
“Don’t wait up,” I told her, but I secretly hoped that she would. But the house is dark and completely quiet when I let myself inside.
I find her in my bed, curled up onto her side. Her head lifts from the pillow as I step inside the room. We’ve been sleeping in her room, so I’m a little surprised to find her here.
“Hey,” I whisper. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
Wordlessly, she reaches one hand toward me. With a grin, I strip down to my boxers and climb in behind her, pulling her into my chest. Aspen makes a sleepy, satisfied sound and relaxes, her soft curves pressing against me.
Man, it feels good to just hold her. I need to brush my teeth. And plug in my phone. But I’m way too comfortable to move.
And knowing how few nights we have left . . . I stay put and just enjoy holding Aspen.
19
* * *
ASPEN
I wake up still wrapped in Alex’s arms, and a smile spreads across my lips before I even open my eyes. I curled up in his bed last night, even though we’ve mostly been sleeping in mine. This bed smelled like him, so I climbed in to await his return.
While he was away, I thought of nothing but him. I thought about the first time we had sex, and how the morning after he tried to push me away. It hurt. And maybe it shouldn’t, but it actually endeared me to him even more. Alex tried to do the right thing and put the brakes on our attraction as it skidded out of control. Tried to give me an out, or at least time to think.
