Going all In (Men of the Ice Book 8)

by Michele Shriver

  “You’ve got a date,” Trent said, then, “Do you work twelve hour shifts every day?”

  Lauren shook her head. “No. I usually work three days one week, four the next, with twelves, and that’s full time. And tomorrow, I have another appointment in the morning, so I’m not going in ‘til eleven. It varies,” she said. “Why the intense interest in my work schedule?”

  “Curiosity,” Trent said. “I told you I want to know you better. And I’m wondering if I’ll ever be able to get you to come to one of my games?”

  It sounded like an invitation, and Lauren smiled. “I’d like that, yes.” She nodded in the direction of his empty plate. “Seconds?”

  Trent grinned. “I won’t turn that down.”

  He ate a full second helping as they talked more about her job, as well as the cities he’d visited, and then Trent carried the dishes to the sink while Lauren fed a very hungry cat who voiced her displeasure at the competition for her affections.

  “I think your cat hates me now,” Trent joked as Lauren walked him to the door to say goodbye.

  “No, she doesn’t,” Lauren assured him.

  “If hope not, because I plan on being back here again.” As if to prove it, he gave her a lingering kiss that left Lauren nearly breathless when they finally parted and she closed and locked the door behind him.

  Knees weak, she leaned against it and looked down at Buttercup. “I like him a lot, okay? So I want you to like him, too. Can you handle that?”

  Chapter Five

  “I thought for sure I’d be friend zoned,” Lauren explained, as she sat in Laci’s office on Monday morning, attempting to bring her therapist up to speed on the weekend’s developments—and there were a lot. “I mean, that’s what always happens to me.” She’d lost count of the number of times she’d heard that from men. The old ‘I like you, but...’ line. Sure. They liked her fine, as a friend. But they didn’t want to date her, have a relationship with her, any of that.

  “And this time?” Laci prompted.

  Lauren hesitated. Was this different? Was Trent different? In the kitchen, before dinner, she’d felt his arousal, and when he’d kissed her good night at the door before leaving, the kiss lingered longer than the previous one. “I don’t know. It feels like he likes me, that he’s attracted to me, and I like that.”

  “But?”

  “Yeah, that’s the kicker... there’s always a but, isn’t there?”

  “No,” Laci said. “I don’t believe there has to be.”

  Lauren listened. It was the same lesson the therapist had been trying to instill in her since their very first session. To not always doubt herself, or be too quick to assume the worst about a situation. Sure, Dirk was an asshole, and he’d used and abused her, and the guys she’d attempted to date since then weren’t great, either, but she shouldn’t lump all men into that pool. There were good ones out there. Lauren believed that. Would Trent turn out to be one of them?

  “You say that, and I want it to be the truth, but I guess old habits die hard.” Lauren exhaled. “I know I’m not the same person I was when I first walked into this office. I’m healthier, I’m happier, I’m more confident,” she said. “And I’m sixty pounds lighter.”

  Laci nodded. “Yes, and the change is obvious.”

  “To you, maybe, and to others, but it isn’t always for me,” Lauren said. “I mean, sure, I have days when I feel good about myself, and lately there are more of them, but there are still times when I look in the mirror and I don’t see the current me. I see the old me, the one I hated looking at, and it’s hard for me to believe that anyone would be attracted to me.” She toyed with the band on her watch. “I want to believe that this time is different, and maybe it is. Or maybe it’s only a curiosity thing, and he just wants to know what it’s like to bang a fat chick.” She met Laci’s eyes. “That is a real phase, you know. People go through it. It happens.”

  Laci’s expression remained unchanged. “I’m not questioning that,” she said. “What happened last night? Did you—”

  “Have sex with him?” Lauren shook her head. “No. The opportunity was there, and it was tempting...” Like the kitchen. She’d read scenes of hot passionate sex in the kitchen in romance novels, but never believed it could ever happen to her. For a fleeting moment there, though, she’d had her chance to fulfill a fantasy. And instead, she suggested they eat. Once a fat girl, always a fat girl. “The thing is, I like him a lot, and I’m not ready for this to end, and if it is just a ‘bang the fat chick’ phase, then once I give him what he wants, it’s over.”

  “Lauren...” The therapist’s voice trailed off.

  “Great, now I’ve stumped even you.” Lauren choked back a laugh. “It’s okay, just do the usual and tell me to believe in myself more, and we’ll call it a day.” She glanced at the time. “It’s almost eleven, anyway, and I have to get to the hospital for my shift.”

  “Okay, but are you planning on seeing him again?”

  Lauren nodded. “Yep. He’s going to Columbus for a game today, but I’m making dinner tomorrow, and he wants me to go to one of his games.” It all sounded promising enough, but the doubt was there. Where was this leading? Sooner or later, she’d succumb to the desire. She couldn’t ignore the basic human desire for sexual activity, especially since it had been so long. After that, it was anybody’s guess what would happen.

  ***

  Trent hoped to chill to some music on the flight to Ohio, but Noah had other ideas, and finagled the seat next to Trent to pepper him with questions about his afternoon with Lauren. That was the last thing he wanted. “Did we just become high school girls or something?” he muttered.

  “Hey,” Noah protested. “I happen to have a vested interest in whatever happens with you and Lauren.”

  “Fine.” Trent exhaled. “You can relax. Your girl’s not going to be pissed at you because I broke her friend’s heart,” he said. “I took her skating, and we had a good time, then we went back to her place, and—”

  “Oh, I’m liking where this is going,” Noah interrupted.

  “What I was going to say was she fixed dinner, and we ate and talked.”

  “That’s it? So there’s no chemistry?” Noah frowned. “Did you friend zone her, man?”

  “No. I didn’t say there wasn’t chemistry.” Trent’s mind wandered back to when he stood in Lauren’s kitchen, his body against hers, hand on her very generous breast. There was no denying that his cock reacted, and things could’ve easily gone in a different direction, with dinner forgotten. And he would’ve been fine with that. “There’s definitely chemistry,” he said. “We could’ve, you know... Lauren pulled back, though. I think she’s scared, like maybe she’s been hurt or something.”

  “Hmm. That would make sense, given some of what Riley’s said about her.”

  Trent nodded. All the more reason it was better that they slowed things down. “So, anyway, we ate. She’s a heck of a cook. We talked about our families, Texas, her job... and I think she’s smart and funny, and she’s got a kind heart, and I can’t wait to see her again, okay?”

  “Okay, good,” Noah said. “That’s better.”

  “Yeah. So can you, like, read a comic book or something now so I can listen to some tunes in peace?”

  “Sure thing. You nervous about tonight?”

  “No,” Trent lied, then put his headphones on, signaling he wasn’t interested in talking anymore. In truth, he was plenty nervous. How could he not be? It would be his first time in the lineup in six games, and he always worried that one little mistake would mean it was back to the nacho box. Colton, the team captain, gave him a pep talk as they’d left for the airport, telling him to play loose, have fun, and not over think the game too much. Sure. It was easy for him to say. Colton was a number one draft pick, and one of the best players in the league. Trent was an undrafted free agent who never projected as more than a fourth line depth player in the best of circumstances, and was one breakout prospect away from being w
aived back to El Paso. Nervous didn’t even begin to cover it.

  When he switched his phone on again as they landed in Columbus, Trent found a text message from Lauren.

  Just wanted to say good luck tonight.

  He smiled as he typed a reply. Thanks. Will u be watching? Glancing at the time, he saw her message had been sent an hour ago, so he didn’t expect an immediate reply, especially if Lauren was at work. Instead, Trent got the notification that his message was read, and then saw the familiar three dots, indicating that she was typing a reply.

  Two seconds later, it popped up. My shift goes til 7. After that I will be. Score a goal for me, okay? The text ended with a heart emoji. Trent never much cared for emoji, but this one he liked.

  I’ll sure try, Trent typed back. He declined to add his own heart to the message, instead ending with a smiley face, which probably matched the goofy expression on his own face. He liked knowing that Lauren would be watching, and watching for him, and it motivated him even more. No way did he want to get shipped to El Paso, 500 miles from Lauren.

  ***

  The Eastern time zone start of the game at Columbus meant the first period was over by the time Lauren’s shift ended, and San Antonio trailed the Blue Jackets by one. As she clocked out and put on her jacket, Lauren hoped for light traffic so she could make it back to her apartment in time to see most of the second period.

  Instead, the elevator opened and she saw Riley, along with Kendall Myers, who dated the Generals’ goaltender and whose daughter was once a patient in Lauren’s wing at the hospital. “What, you couldn’t get enough of the inpatient rotation and came for a visit?” Lauren joked to the doctor.

  “Hardly. We’ve been watching the game at the pub down the street, and came to get you.” Riley grabbed Lauren’s arm and pulled her toward the elevator, while Kendall kept an arm on the door to keep it from closing. “I knew you got off at seven.”

  “Yes, and I planned to go home, change into something more comfortable, put my feet up and veg on the couch while I watched the rest of the game.” Apparently, those plans had now changed.

  “Well, the great thing about the medical profession is you basically wear pajamas to work.” Riley glanced down at the tennis shoes Lauren wore with her scrubs. “Your feet are fine.”

  “Yes, doc,” Lauren said, rolling her eyes. She didn’t bother to add that she carried around a good seventy pounds more than the petite Riley did on those feet.

  “Riley tells me you’re one of us now,” Kendall said, jabbing at at the Door Close button.

  One of them? Had Lauren somehow been indoctrinated into the girlfriends’ club without her knowledge? “It’s two dates. We’re hardly planning a wedding,” she said. “I do know Trent’s excited about playing tonight, and I told him I’d be watching. So I guess I’m coming with you.”

  The sports bar was closer to the hospital than her apartment, anyway, and when they got there, Lauren was relieved it was only the three of them, and not a whole group of women she’d never met before. She considered Riley a friend, and was acquainted with Kendall from her work at the hospital. Lauren could handle watching the game with them.

  She quickly learned that being a hockey fan could be detrimental to her diet, as she sipped a beer and munched on chili cheese fries. After the first two bites, Lauren decided she didn’t care. She’d spent a year and a half obsessing over her weight—and was sixty pounds lighter to show for it—and she was tired of the obsession. Her blood pressure was down, her health was improved, and she felt good—at least physically. Maybe it was time to follow the advice of her friends and her counselor and learn to love herself the way she was.

  “When Casey started dating Char, he went on a scoring streak,” Kendall said. “Maybe you’ll have the same impact on Trent.”

  Lauren doubted she’d ever be anyone’s good luck charm, but she yelled herself hoarse for the remainder of the game, and the Generals came from behind to get a 3-2 win. Trent didn’t score, but he notched the secondary assist on Austin Wilke’s game winner.

  “Yes!” Riley high-fived her. “How about that fourth line magic!”

  Lauren couldn’t help but laugh. Riley had become quite the hockey groupie since she began dating Noah. Was the same in her future? She didn’t want to get too far ahead of herself. “I just hope it’s enough for Trent to stay in the lineup.”

  “He will, at least for the next game,” Kendall said. “One thing I’ve learned since I’ve been following this team is that Coach Moreau’s one of those ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ guys. If the team wins, he’ll stick with the same lineup until they lose. That’s when he usually changes things up. So as long as they’re winning, your guy is safe.”

  Lauren nodded. “Thanks, but I wouldn’t say he’s my guy.” As she said it, her phone chimed, signaling a text message. It was from Trent.

  I hope u were watching.

  She immediately began tapping on the screen to reply, causing Riley to laugh. “Care to amend that last statement?”

  Lauren sent the text, congratulating Trent on the win and the assist, before setting the phone down. “I’m working on it, okay?”

  Riley nodded. “Good. Just try not to let your confidence, or lack thereof, ruin what could be a really good thing.”

  Lauren smiled wryly. “Yeah, I’m working on that, too.”

  Chapter Six

  Lauren had dinner in the oven within twelve minutes of unlocking the front door, and once she did, she rushed to her room to change. No way was she entertaining a sexy man with a home-cooked meal while wearing a Pokemon scrub top. The young patients on her floor thought it was cute, but that didn’t mean Trent would. She opted for a red and black abstract print tiered top with a V-neck and black leggings. Comfortable, and she liked the way it looked, too. The doorbell rang, and Lauren slipped on a pair of black flats before going to answer it.

  “Hey,” Lauren said, pulling the door open. Her jaw dropped when she realized Trent held a bouquet of fresh flowers in one hand and a bottle of wine on the other. Definitely a good thing she changed out of Pokemon. “You brought me flowers?”

  “I hope that’s okay. You’re not allergic or anything, right?”

  Lauren shook her head. “No, not at all. I love flowers.” I’m just not used to getting them. “Thank you.” She accepted the bouquet from him.

  “You’re welcome.” Trent gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You look great,” he said, and Lauren wanted to believe him.

  “Thanks. I barely had time to change. I wanted to get dinner in the oven first.”

  Trent held up the bottle of wine. “I brought this, but we don’t have to open it if you don’t want to.”

  Lauren glanced at the label. It was a red wine, and would pair well with the Chicken Parmesan Casserole. She smiled. “Actually, I think a glass of wine would be great.” It couldn’t be any worse for her diet than the chili fires the night before, and she’d obsessed enough over calories. She wanted to enjoy herself, too. “I’ll put you in charge of opening that while I get these flowers in water.”

  “Sounds good.” Trent followed her to the kitchen, and set the wine bottle on the table. “And the popcorn’s in here,” he said, pulling a backpack off his shoulder. “I ran out of hands.”

  “The popcorn. That’s right. I almost forgot.” Lauren got a corkscrew out of the drawer and handed it to him. “Maybe we can watch a movie after dinner, if you have time.”

  He smiled. “I have time. That sounds great.”

  “Perfect.” Lauren got a large, plastic tumbler from the cupboard and filled it with water. “This is pathetic, but I don’t even own a proper vase,” she said. “I don’t get flowers very often.”

  “Then you date the wrong guys,” Trent said.

  Can’t argue with that. “Lately I haven’t dated anyone.”

  “All the better for me. No competition.” He pulled the cork out of the wine. “Where are the wine glasses? You have those, right?”

  L
auren let out a laugh. “Yes, those I have.” She got two out and set them on the counter so Trent could pour the wine.

  “Shall we have a toast?” he suggested.

  “Sure,” Lauren said. “To your great game last night, and getting the win?”

  Trent nodded. “I can drink to that.” He grinned. “And it was my fifty-eighth game, which means only two more.”

  “Two more to what? Do you get a gold watch at sixty or something?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I’m waiver exempt, which is a lot better than a watch, gold or not,” he said. “And you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

  “Not a clue,” Lauren admitted. She opened the oven to check the casserole. “I want to learn, though. You can explain it to me while we eat.”

  “I don’t want to bore you.”

  “I won’t be bored.” It was important to Trent, and Lauren wanted to be educated, so she served dinner, then listened while he explained the NHL waiver rules to her. When he finished, it made perfect sense. Two more games, and he couldn’t be automatically reassigned to the minor league team without passing through waivers first. No wonder it was a big deal to him.

  “We’ll have to celebrate when you do get to sixty,” she said, as she got up to clear the dishes.

  “Let me clean up,” Trent suggested. “You go pick a movie.”

  “You want to clean my kitchen?” Was this guy too good to be true?

  He laughed. “I don’t want to, no, but it’s the least I can do after another incredible meal and even better company.”

  Lauren might have floated on air on the way to living room, if it was possible for a human of her size to float. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “What kind of movies do you like?” she called back to the kitchen.

  “Anything. Surprise me.”

  Surprise him. Okay, but what if he hated what she picked? Lauren started to skim the on-demand movie listings, but when she heard him coming, she hit the button to select a movie without even reading the title. They’d both be surprised.