by A. J. Wynter
The best part was that I was in Leo’s arms, his breath tickling my ear as he slipped into a deep sleep. I’m not sure how much I truly slept, and I wasn’t surprised when both of us were wide awake at dawn.
“Good morning, Faith.” He squeezed me and kissed the back of my neck.
“Mmmm. Morning.” I snuggled closer to him and he pulled me in tightly.
“I don’t think I can get up. I’m going to have to figure out how to live bent in this position,” he murmured into my ear.
I stretched my arms over my head, my fingertips hitting the steamy window. “You already kind of skate that way,” I laughed.
“You remember how I skate?” he asked.
“Of course, I do. You haven’t changed your skating style since your triple-A days.”
He laughed, and the motion almost pushed me off the seat. I sat up and opened the door at my feet, and was met with fresh morning air. “Come on.” I slid out and my feet landed on the dewy grass. Leo groaned as he sat up. I reached out my hand and he took it, landing in front of me. He arched his back and stretched his arms up to the sky.
After we had cleaned up from making love, I’d gotten dressed back in his baggy sweats.
Leo, however, had not.
“You’re naked.” I whirled away from him. The guy was not shy, and he had a serious case of morning wood.
He raised one eyebrow at me. “You do remember what we did last night, right?”
His cheeks weren’t the only ones that turned pink. Leo’s cock stood tall and girthy in the cool morning breeze, waving slightly as he strutted to the shoreline, and then disappeared as he dove in.
The mist dissipated as the sun rose higher over the shoreline. It was still early, but I could tell that it was going to be one of those hot sticky days. He was right, and all the shyness I felt about being nude in front of a guy fizzled away like the morning fog. I stripped out of the cozy clothes and dove into the water.
It felt good.
So did being with Leo.
Fifteen
Leo
Coach blew his whistle as the buzzer sounded. He had a smile on his face – finally.
“Great practice, guys.” He clapped his hands together.
Practice doesn’t normally go well on two hours of sleep, but I was hopped up on something – that love chemical, dopa-serotonin or whatever, or maybe I was just high from my night with Faith.
I wondered if Coach had seen my truck when I dropped Faith off at Amber’s house. We had decided to fully commit to the sleepover story.
We had also agreed to go back to being friends, but she didn’t resist when I kissed her goodbye this morning. It was going to be hard to go backward. I had slept with the most beautiful woman in the world. It was like I had eaten Kobe beef, and now I had to go back to a life of frozen grocery store burgers.
Gunnar sat beside me in the dressing room. We were all dressed and waiting for the coach to come in and discuss the exhibition game and skills competition. Everyone had upped their game at practice, and Gunnar had played like his life depended on it.
Everyone seemed excited and there was an electricity in the room that I could practically reach out and put in my pocket. Gunnar chugged back an energy drink and crushed it in his hands. He tossed the can into the recycling bin that sat in the center of the room. “Leo, can I ask you something?”
Shit.
“Sure.” I leaned against the concrete wall. Could he know that I’d stolen his date and had sex with her in my truck hours earlier?
“How often have you been walking Moofie?” he asked. “Teresa told me she gave you the code for the Bad Dog House.”
This was his big question?
“Every day.” I sometimes went twice a day, but Gunnar didn’t need that much information.
“Are you going to adopt him?”
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. “I’d like to. He’s the best dog I’ve ever known. I mean, after Bogs. But…”
“So?” Gunnar asked. “What the problem?”
“I don’t know where I’m going to be next season. Maybe I’ll play for another team in the NHPL, or go to Europe, or The National League.”
“I didn’t think that you wanted any of those things,” Gunnar said.
“Everyone wants to go to the National League, Gunnar. They just don’t advertise it as you do.”
Gunnar folded his hands together. “I want to apologize for what I said about you last night. I didn’t know that you were there.”
I laughed. Shit talk usually rolled off me, but I was pissed that he’d said those things in front of Faith. “You’re apologizing for telling Faith I was a lazy player, or for not knowing that I was there?”
Gunnar leaned back. “You know what I mean. For what it’s worth, if you want to make it, I think that you can.”
“Thanks, dude. But I don’t need your encouragement.” I had been so shocked to see Gunnar and Faith at the Bad Dog House, that I hadn’t reacted to Gunnar’s shitty comment. But as I sat next to him, my blood started to boil. Who was he to judge me?
It was immature, but I couldn’t help it. “How was your date?”
Gunnar’s eyes were unreadable as he focused on me. “Perfect.”
“Really?” Either he was delusional or lying.
“Yeah. I’m going to see her again tonight.”
This was getting interesting.
“You are?” I didn’t want to seem too invested, but somewhere along the line I wasn’t getting the whole story.
“Yeah.” He laughed. “She just doesn’t know it yet.”
“Ah.” I nodded, but my stomach constricted into a ball. Faith and I were just friends after all. I could be with anyone tonight, so could she. But after being with Faith, I didn’t want to be with anyone – at all.
Gunnar leaned in and whispered. “I’ve still got her shoe.”
What an asshole. I wanted to punch him in the face. Faith didn’t have to tell me that her date wasn’t good. I just knew. And Faith didn’t have to tell me that she didn’t want to go out with Gunnar again, but I wondered how he was going to get the memo. It was a small town, and Faith was going to be living here. Her reputation was at stake, so instead of telling Gunnar anything, I did one of the hardest things in the world for me to do: I kept my mouth shut.
Coach came in and discussed some of the plays with us. We all nodded, waiting for the big announcement. After the plays were drawn out on the whiteboard, Coach rubbed them off and wrote “Skills Competition” at the top, followed by the numbers one through five.
His back was to us as he filled in the numbers, and most of the guys shifted on the bench, trying to see over his shoulder.
I kept still and pretended like I didn’t care, but realized that this could be the moment that decided the next stage of my life for me.
When Coach was finished, he clapped his hands together and stepped aside. “This is the lineup for the skills competition. For right now.” He stared us all down. “It is still a week away, so if any of you start resting on your laurels, just know that another player is waiting to take your place.”
Gunnar, Leo, Dylan, Jasper, and Mike’s names were scrawled on the board, in that order.
There it was, the next step in my journey to the National League, written in blue dry erase marker. The only name that surprised me was Jasper. He was a rookie and a good player, but nowhere near as strong as the rest of us. Maybe Coach saw something in him that no one else did.
“Lion,” Coach barked as the guys stood up and started to file out of the dressing room. “I want to talk to you.”
“Alright, Coach.” I sat down on the bench and waited for the rest of the team to leave. When it was just the two of us, the room seemed eerily quiet. In the distance, I could hear the main doors to the barn slamming as the players left.
Coach sat down beside me. “Leo, do you want to make it?”
“Of course, Coach.”
“No.” Coach set hi
s clipboard beside him on the bench. “I mean, do you really want it?”
I pursed my lips together. This wasn’t a new pep talk, but I didn’t want to talk back to Coach. “Yeah.” I nodded.
“All you have to do is decide, Leo. You’ve got what it takes.”
I nodded again and threaded my fingers together in my lap. “You’ve said this all before.” It felt good to speak my mind and not hold it in.
“I know.” He rested his hand on my shoulder. “I’ve seen an improvement in your commitment these last few practices. If you want it, keep laser focused. Don’t let a woman get in the way.”
I jerked my head back and looked at Coach out of the corner of my eye. “O-okay.”
Coach stood. “I saw you drop Faith off at my house this morning. She’s a great girl, but don’t let a woman cloud your judgment. You can really be something. You’re one of the lucky few who can have whatever they want, if they just reach out and take it.”
I nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Got it?” Coach asked.
“Got it.” I nodded again. “Thanks, Coach.” I didn’t look at him as he left the room.
I should’ve been flattered, but constantly having people doubt my commitment to furthering my hockey career was getting old. The scary part was that a new person was now questioning whether I wanted to leave Laketown if I made it…
Me.
Sixteen
Faith
“Good morning, sunshine.” Amber opened the door wearing silk pajamas with palm trees on them.
“Morning.” I stepped inside Amber and Coach Covington’s house and couldn’t meet Amber’s eyes. I knew that my face must have matched the candy apple red on my fingernails.
“Would you like some coffee?” Amber walked into the kitchen and I followed. I was wearing my shorts from the day before and Leo’s Otters’ sweatshirt. “Or do you need to get some sleep in the guest room?”
I slid onto one of the kitchen chairs and rolled up the sleeves of the sweatshirt so it wasn’t hanging over my hands. “Coffee. Please.”
Amber poured me a cup and also filled a travel mug.
“Morning, Faith.” I turned to see Dean bounding down the stairs.
“Oh, my God,” I whispered. Leo had assured me that Coach would already be at the rink. “Good morning, Dean.” I gave him a closed-mouth smile and wondered what Amber had told him about my early morning arrival.
Amber put the lid on the travel mug, handed it to Dean, and kissed him goodbye. After he left, I shook my head. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be,” Amber laughed. “It’s not exactly a walk of shame, or is it?” She pumped her eyebrows at me. “I guess your date with Gunnar went well.”
“Gunnar, right.” I hadn’t been specific in my text message. As far as Amber knew, Gunnar had been the guy that kept me out all night.
Amber sat on the chair across from me and tucked her leg under her. She took a sip of her coffee, studying me over the top of her mug. “What do I do if your mom calls and gives me the third degree?” She grinned.
“I know, I know.” I groaned. “It sounds so immature. I just… I guess I didn’t want my mom to know that I was out with…” I had to make a decision: tell Amber the truth, or dig the hole a little deeper. I took a sip of coffee and cleared my throat. “I was with Leo.”
Amber clapped her hand over her mouth. I thought she was going to spit coffee out all over her gorgeous palm tree jammies. She swallowed and set her mug on the table. “Leo? Faith. What the hell happened last night?”
I tried to stop myself from smiling, but the powerful grin took over my face. I didn’t have to answer, my face gave it away.
Amber flopped dramatically against her chair and put her hand on her chest. “Faith!”
“I know, I know.”
“Leo.” Amber fanned her face. “I wish we had some whiskey to put in this coffee. Something tells me I’m going to need a drink after hearing this story.”
I took a sip of the coffee. The buzz from being with Leo was wearing off and I was starting to feel tired. The good kind of tired you feel after being out with a guy all night for the first time. “There’s not much to say, really.”
“Let’s sit outside.” Amber stood and I followed her to the back deck. She had redesigned the outdoor space and brought a touch of Florida to Laketown with the rattan furniture and seasonal tropical plants. “Can you handle the swing?” She eyed me as I took a seat on the bench of her hanging loveseat.
“I’m not hungover.”
“You could’ve fooled me. You look terrible.” She reached and tapped my hand. “I mean that in a nice way.”
I laughed. The swinging motion felt good, like it might lull me to sleep right there in the shade of its matching awning. The water sprinkler clicked on and its spray caught the morning rays, forming a rainbow in Amber’s backyard. “I didn’t get much sleep.”
Amber was hanging on my every word. “Wait,” she said. “Start from the beginning.”
“I think I might be in trouble.” I examined the darkness of my black coffee. “But…” I looked up, and a surge of excitement shot through my body. “I want to run something else by you first.”
“Hold on. Is it as interesting as the reason why you spent the night with a guy that you supposedly hate with a passion, instead of the perfect gentleman you started the night with?”
“Way more interesting.” I wanted to lie down but was too excited. “I want to start a storefront for Mel D Designs.”
Amber’s brow knitted. “I’m confused.”
My ideas poured out of me. The empty storefront on the main street. The consultation space. The show kitchen. The retail area. Amber started to nod as I went into detail about my ideas for the storefront display. By the time I was finished with my vision, she had an ear-to-ear smile and gave me a little clap. “I love it.”
“I had a feeling you would.” I took a sip of my coffee and either I had the caffeine jitters, or my hands were trembling in excitement at the opportunity for Mel D Designs. “You know who has to get on board though.”
Amber gave an offhand shrug accompanied by a smile. “I think she’ll love it. Especially if it keeps you in Laketown.” Amber’s phone dinged and she took a quick look at it. “It’s Kira. Just one second, I have to answer this.” She held up her finger, pausing our conversation. She typed a text and set her phone down on the glass table.
“Amber, shit,” I whispered. “Is Chloe here?” I hadn’t even thought that my friend’s stepdaughter might be at home to witness my disheveled morning visit.
“Don’t worry.” Amber waved her hand. “She’s with Kira this week. They were asking about a permission slip.”
“You two are getting along pretty well then? You and Kira?”
“We’re civil. We both want what’s best for Chloe, and the two of us working together seems to be helping her get through everything.”
“Isn’t it weird though?”
“A little, I guess. I don’t have anything to compare it with though.” Amber checked her phone and set it face down on the table. “Enough about that though. I’m still waiting for the juicy stuff. Oh, and for the record…” she held up her finger, “I think your mom would be over the moon to find out you were out with Leo all night.”
She was probably right. My mom loved Leo.
“So…” Amber pulled her feet onto the chair and tapped her fingers on her thigh. “Spill.”
She hung on every word. The date with Gunnar, the salad, the fact that he let me leave alone, the ride from Leo, the swimming, the fire, the sleepover.
“And you guys were… smart about it?” Amber’s mama bear voice came out.
“Of course.”
I couldn’t believe I’d just lied to my friend.
Amber checked her watch. “We have time for a quick breakfast. Am I driving you home to get ready for work, or are we playing dress up in my wardrobe?” Amber laughed. She was just over five feet tall, an
d I was almost six feet.
“I think your dresses would look obscene on me – and I’d be like an ugly stepsister, trying to cram these feet into your little shoes.”
Amber stood. “Speaking of shoes. Even though the date was bad, did you get your shoe back?”
“No.” I shook my head and followed her through the sliding door and into the kitchen. “We both totally forgot about the shoe.”
Amber opened the fridge and continued to talk to me while shuffling containers around. “This friend thing, between you and Leo… is it realistic?” She emerged from the fridge with an armful of fruit and put a pot of boiling water on the stove.
“It has to be.” I shrugged. “What else are we going to do?”
Amber washed off the blueberries, and handed me a knife and a bowl of strawberries. I started cutting them up.
She snatched a berry from the cutting board. “You could just deal with him leaving when it comes up… if it comes up.”
I paused with the knife halfway through a strawberry. “Oh, he’s going. He’s good enough to make it to the National League. He’d be crazy to stay here.”
“Fair enough.” Amber stirred some quick oats into the boiling water. “But what if he doesn’t make it? What if something happens. Life is short, Faith. I appreciate that you two value your friendship, but what if you’re meant for more together?”
“And what if we’re not? I like having him in my life, Amber.”
She sighed. “I get it. I really do. I just don’t know how you’re going to back off, knowing about the kind of chemistry that exists between the two of you.”
“It’s going to be hard.”
Amber nodded and I could tell she didn’t want to say what she was thinking. It was probably the same thing I was thinking – it was going to be impossible.
