I slap my hands together. “Nope. Those are my terms. Take ‘em or leave ‘em.”
Spencer narrows his eyes, glaring at me and then at the hoop in turn. “You’re on. Prepare to have your panties on display for the entire city of Duluth and every tourist who wanders inside my store.”
I snort a laugh. “Spencer, I’m hardly worried about the two customers you have. I think I got the much better end of this bet.”
He flexes his puny bicep. “Put your money where your mouth is, kid.”
The event timer and judge steps forward, stopwatch in hand. “Ready… set… race!”
I flip the wedge sandal through the air with just the right trajectory and give myself an internal fist bump and a silent hooray when it hits the rim and goes in while Spencer’s black pump sails straight over the backboard.
“Aaaaiiiirrrrshoe,” I taunt as I rummage through the box for my matching wedge. Why mess with a good thing? Despite a few misses, I manage to dunk my required number of shoes before Spencer even sinks three.
I waggle my eyebrows and salute him as the judge hands me the next clue while Spencer looks like steam might soon explode out of his Dumbo ears.
I flick my wrist toward Sue-Ann and pull her in close while we dip our heads together to read the clue. “Race to the statue of Jay Cooke where you’ll find the pitstop for today. One team will win Duluth’s Amazing Race. Teams four through twenty will be eliminated and miss out on bragging rights and fabulous prizes.”
I tug her behind me and toward my pickup. “Come on, babe. We’re still in this thing.”
Once she’s snuggled into the leather seat, she turns to me, her eyebrows lifted. “What was that Cro-Magnon man chest-pounding bet with Mark Spencer all about?”
I spear her with a knowing look. “You don’t like him. You can thank me later.”
Her eyes narrow. “What do you mean I don’t like him? I’ve known Mark practically my whole life. He’s not so bad. I definitely don’t not like him.”
“You don’t like him though. Whenever he’s around, you don’t do any of those things you do when you’re around me. We’re men… we notice those things. But I guess Spencer isn’t as smart as he looks.”
She twists in her seat to lean toward me. “What kinds of things do I do around you?”
My lips tug upward because this is about to get interesting. “Hair flipping, lip-smacking, necklace adjusting. You know… preening. Like you’re that fluffy vibrant bird on my windowsill ruffling her tailfeathers.”
She hisses in a breath. “I do not… preen.”
I glance at her out of the corner of my eye where I find her twirling her ponytail through her elegance fingers like a waterfall of tresses. “Really?”
She drops the hair immediately and laces her fingers together in her lap. “I didn’t mean to do that. It won’t happen again.”
The lust kicks back in, tightening everything below the belt. “Pretty sure you weren’t complaining about me noticing your preening for me in the back alley of Grandma’s earlier.”
She worries that full lower lip and glances out the window. “That can’t happen again either.”
I chuckle, the sound licking over me like a wicked fantasy. It will happen again. She can count on it. “You mean outside? I thought it was kind of hot. That element of risk that you might get caught.”
She released a breath in a long, slow exhale. “No. I mean ever.”
I scoff. “That doesn’t sound any fun at all. Why deny yourself pleasure given freely? It doesn’t make sense, babe.”
“And stop calling me babe!”
“Okay, sweetie.”
With that, she crosses her arms over those full mounds that I still ache to touch and remains silent until I pull on to Superior Street. Glancing around, I scope out a place to park. “How about we table this conversation for now and you corral your feminine outrage just long enough for us to win this damn thing? Agreed?”
An almost imperceptible nod is all I get, but I’ll take it. Once I jam it into park, I grab the backpack required for check-in and wait for Sue so we can run together. My head pivots like an automatic sprinkler head, searching for the chamber president. I finally find him settled in behind the Cooke statue standing on a map of Duluth much like the one they use on the real Amazing Race. I don’t see any other teams, so my heart starts galloping against my ribs.
“Come on, babe, we’re still in this. How fast can you run?”
She takes off at a sprint. “This fast. Can you keep up, tree trunk legs?”
I lumber after her, the backpack slung over my shoulder. Just when we round the curve to check-in, another team flies by us like fucking Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser’s love child and jumps onto the fabric map of Duluth a few seconds before we do.
Once we finally stop on the canvas, Joe Miller, the chamber president smiles at us and says, “Sue-Ann and Max, you’re team number two! Congratulations!”
Sue looks like she’s about to get a cavity search from Nurse Ratched, so I wrap her in my arms and whisper in her ear, “Way to go. Second out of twenty is phenomenal. Look how great you did on your first try.”
“But you’re a professional athlete,” she wails, snuggling into my shoulder. “Duluth loves their homegrown boys. I just weighed you down, and we would have won without that extra detour.”
I buss a kiss to her forehead, already imagining round two of her orgasm face. I could see that shit every morning and night for the rest of my life. Especially, if I do it to her, and the thought of another man touching this woman does something to me. “Nah. You lifted me up. I wouldn’t have wanted to run with anyone else. Winning isn’t everything. At least that’s what my mom says. But not my coach, unfortunately. That dude’s harsh.”
She chuckles and glances up as Joe hands us some gift certificates and also invites us to the chamber’s annual ball for cancer charities to show off our premium finish. After shaking hands with the man, we turn in our backpack and head back to my pickup to head to Sue-Ann’s to check on Emma.
Sue-Ann still looks sad throughout the drive, and I wonder how I can cheer her up before we go inside, because second place is nothing to sneeze at. I know she’s upset because of our little detour and how we would have easily won if we hadn’t done it. But I consider it the highlight of the entire day, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
After I park in the back lot of her store, I get out and grab her hand, lacing her tiny fingers with mine. “Why so glum, chum?”
She lifts a shoulder and then lets it drop. “I don’t know. Just tired, I guess.”
I lift her fingers to my lips and drop a kiss on them, reveling in the heat of her soft skin. “Turn that frown upside down right now. This was the best day ever, babe. Just so you know, time spent with you is a win in my book.”
Chapter Thirteen
Sue-Ann
“He’s so casual about everything. It makes me just see the age difference between us even more. I feel like I fell back through the sands of time to UMD freshman year in the dorms. Remember that guy, Teddy Winchester? He always wanted to put his hands down my pants, but he didn’t want to call me his girlfriend. I’m too old for this shit. We’re either dating or we’re not. In this case, not.”
Julia’s gorgeous eyes narrow. “Has Max tried to do the other thing?”
My gaze meets hers as I play with my napkin. “What other thing?”
Jules gives me that knowing look that only best friends can without pissing you off. “Put his hands down your pants without the benefit of a label?”
A heavy sigh escapes my lips. “Would you hate me if I said yes?”
She claps her hands together and does a little wiggle in her seat. “Not even close to hating you. I think you should hit it hard until you break it. Have a fling, Sue, you deserve it. He’s young so he won’t shatter if you ride his cock until training camp. It’s only a few weeks away.”
I do deserve it. But why then does the thought of banging Max
a few times under the cover of darkness and then tossing him back in Lake Superior like an underdeveloped fish make me feel hollow inside? Because I can’t deny how much I like him, even more since we raced. He’s hot as hell. Charming. With white hat cowboy Northern Minnesota vibes. He considers my feelings and the details without even trying.
He’s a breath of fresh air.
A girl could get used to having a man like that around.
I stab at an invisible piece of lint on my shirt. “A fling, huh?”
She leans back in her chair, picking up her phone. “After I saw this, I thought there might be more going on than you were letting on. Glad I didn’t have to blackmail it out of you.”
I peek over the centerpiece only to see the photo on Julia’s Insta feed with Max and the kid at Duluth Trading holding up the penis book like a prize while pointing to the giant eggplant. I put my hands over my face. “Ugh, I can’t believe he did that. What is the chamber going to think of me?”
She scrolls down. “Should I even ask why the man is wearing his underwear outside his jeans?”
A curse lingers on my lips. “We were at Duluth Trading for one of the race challenges and had to buy underwear and wear them before running a sprint at the site of Grandma’s marathon. One of the tasks was to pick up a book starting with the word ‘the’ from Barnes & Noble. I guess he just got a little carried away. He has that kind of sense of humor. Except when it comes to Hubert. He didn’t really find it that humorous that Triple H tormented Mrs. Garcia again. I won’t tell you about the gratitude sombrero. Good thing that didn’t make it to Insta. He looks way cuter in his Armachillos then he did in bright red velvet.”
Jules shakes her head and sets the phone down. “You really need to get rid of that vacuum, Sue. It malfunctions more than it cleans.”
I palm the edge of the table. “But I’m kind of attached to it emotionally.”
A sigh rips through her, and she leans forward. “I find it revealing that you’re more emotionally attached to your Roomba than you are to your sexy intern. Something’s wrong with that picture. I’m getting worried about you. Where is the crazy, feisty Sue-Ann that I used to know?”
I’m as confused as a tangle of used fishing line. “Well, ever since my best friend got married, I lost my partner in crime. And then I guess I just got buried in work and my life became boring.”
She sighs. “But it’s not boring now. At least it could be exciting if you just let Max introduce you to fun again. He could do it, Sue. You should let him.”
Am I letting boredom overtake me and steal my sparkle? I watch Julia twist her gorgeous wedding ring around her finger and it hits me. Maybe I’m the reason I’m not coupled up and going home to a cold bed and Catrick instead of someone who loves me just as I am. My core hollows as I slip to that dark place I try to avoid. Am I afraid of being vulnerable?
Swallowing down the flare of emotion, I say, “I just don’t think it’s a good time to invest in another $300 vacuum. I’ll see how the numbers play out after the holiday rush.”
She scans the menu we know by heart. “Do you want the stuffed mushrooms or the artichoke dip tonight?”
I scan the bar, but the handsome men sitting in stools sharing beer and wings don’t do anything for me. Because only the face of one particular man floats in front of my eyes every single waking second and most of the night too. And that’s a quick trip to nowhere. I always imagined myself with a distinguished older man—another business owner. At no time in my childhood did I ever dream of a man almost a decade younger with a ready laugh and a cocky grin. A known pussy slayer on a professional hockey team. When I think about all the other women his hands have been all over, it makes me sick to my stomach.
And I just can’t get past it.
Because I’m not special when I want that more than anything. I want to be a man’s one and only, and I won’t settle for less, even if that means giving up unforgettable, toe-curling orgasms.
“Let’s do the dip since I didn’t get to have any last time. I crave that stuff. It’s like crack with your daily dose of greens mixed in.”
After we order, Julia leans back and regards me. “Have you given it any more thought or are you just going to keep changing the subject?”
“We have to go together to the charity gala for the chamber. Max is giving a speech and donating a bunch of scholarships to Milo’s youth program. After that, he’ll be heading back to training camp and I’ll never see him again.”
“You could if you wanted to. I may know someone who has an in with the Caribou,” Julia says with a wink.
“Why would I want to run into a man who’s made it clear he’s only interested in flirty fun? Sounds like a recipe for heartbreak. And for haters half my age to blast me on social media all while posting rancid reviews about Sue-Ann’s on Yelp just because they can.”
Jules chews on the end of her cocktail straw. “I’d be lying if I said the groupies and puck bunnies weren’t annoying. They’re always looking for every single flaw in me so they can call it out. No woman is good enough for their favorite player. Ugh. But it’s nothing more than a housefly stalking your Earl Gray. They’re harmless and easily swatted away.”
“He makes me feel… off balance. I want to like him, but it’s like I can’t for some reason. And it’s not ever been top of mind to really give two fucks about what society as a whole thinks of me. I can’t figure out why I feel so off-kilter.”
“You’ll figure it out. I’d say just stop overthinking it so much. Go with the flow and allow your instincts to lead the way. They’ve never led you astray before.”
“Good idea,” I say, glancing up as the server appears with another round of cocktails.
After she leaves, Jules whips out her phone and accesses her camera roll. I lean in and my ovaries do a little dance because Charlie is about the cutest baby in the history of Minnesota. Chubby cheeks, crystal blue eyes, and porcelain skin that I know feels like the finest silk. Whenever I get to hold him, I inhale that sweet unique scent of baby powder and youth and commit it to memory. I want to be a mom too, but I don’t see that happening in the near future since I can’t seem to attract anyone my own age who’s ready for fatherhood.
“Want to hear my latest baby horror story?” Jules asks, probably noticing my look of longing as I ooh and ahh over Charlie.
“As long as it doesn’t involve poop or puke before eating.”
She slides the phone back into her purse. “You know how Adam and I have been trying to let Charlie sleep in bed with us?”
I nod. “Yeah, and you’ve been nervous about it.”
“I’ve been an absolute wreck. But ever since I read that new research about SIDS and that an infant is twice as likely to die of it if they sleep in a crib, I’ve been a little crazy in the head. Add that to my own sleep deprivation and it’s a recipe for major anxiety. Charlie’s a thrasher like his dad. So every single little movement he makes, it wakes me and freaks me out. I’m so afraid he’s going to fall on his head.”
I take a sip of my drink. “Don’t you put pillows all around the perimeter? Hey, I bet they make baby bumpers just for that. Did you check Amazon?”
“Yup. We’ve already got the toddler baby bumpers to go around the entire bed. It’s kind of like those bumpers they use during kiddie bowling, except softer. But even with those, I wig out a little every single time he moves or makes a noise. And Adam… Well, he just falls right to sleep and starts sawing logs. He never wakes up unless Charlie starts wailing like he’s trying to wake the dead.”
My hands flutter to my neck as I imagine the worst. “Did he fall off? Is that where you’re going with this?”
She slaps the back of her hand to her forehead and lifts her eyes to the ceiling. “Nope. But I felt him shift and so I grabbed him, hard, to keep him from rolling off. But the scream didn’t belong to Charlie.”
“What did you do, Jules?”
“I grabbed Adam so hard in the crotch thinking he was the baby
that he couldn’t skate the next day. I think I might have bruised his groin area.”
I hiss in a little breath but can’t stop the smile that plays at my lips. “Was he pissed?”
“No. He knows it was an accident. But he’s not really keen on Charlie being in the bed despite the research. He’s a farm boy at heart, and it’s just not the way they were raised. We don’t argue about a lot, but I think this might be the one thing we’re just not ever going to agree on. And with him on the road this winter and me alone with Charlie, I’m willing to die on that hill. It’s going to be my way when it comes to what’s best for our son.”
“I agree to a certain extent. Just don’t let what’s best for Charlie come between you and Adam. The best thing for kids is to see their parents happy, not always at odds with each other.”
The server interrupts us as she delivers the dip and chips. The smell hits my nostrils and my stomach rumbles.
Jules dunks a chip into the cheesy dip and brings it to her lips. “I won’t. I love Adam just as much as Charlie, just in a different way. You’ll find out what’s it like, Sue. The other day I folded a basket of dirty laundry. The days start to run together until you don’t even remember what it was like to feel normal, let alone sexy.”
“Sounds like you two need a date night. Just let me know when and I’ll be there. I love the little dude. We could spend some quality Godmother and Godson bonding time.”
“You’re on.”
Chapter Fourteen
Max
A pair of gangly legs featuring bright pink toenails hang over the back of my leather sofa as I try to get my bowtie just right. Monkey suits have never been my favorite outfit—hell, I don’t really even like dressing up for Caribou functions—but this is for charity and I’m giving a speech on behalf of Milo’s youth program along with some donated slots, so I don’t have any other options.
Megan smacks her gum and groans, flopping backward back on the couch. “Ugh, can’t you do anything, Max? It’s crooked.”
She walks over, and I let her fuss at me, clucking her tongue like a mother hen. As the only girl and the youngest, it couldn’t have been easy for her to deal with Matt and me. We tortured her to within an inch of her life just like brothers do, and I feel a sliver of guilt. Because of that, I cut Meg slack and let her pick at me. Most of the time.
Gamed (Minnesota Caribou Book 4) Page 8
