Body Checked (Salt Lake Pumas #2)

by Camellia Tate

  I told Will that I wanted something special. He looked doubtful, until I clarified that I wanted to be the one to plan it. Then he just looked surprised. It was… sweet, really.

  Will was an amazing man. Even though I still wanted to be able to make my own decisions, it had touched my heart when he’d said that all he wanted was for me to be happy. I wanted him to be happy, too. That was a pretty solid basis for a relationship!

  But I also wanted Will to feel romanced. Which meant that I would have to plan something extra-special. I told Will that I needed a couple of days. That suited him well; he had training to do. He was still hoping to get on the ice for a proper game before Christmas.

  I tried not to daydream about Will while I was supposed to be working. I was so on edge still about my project that it even worked! But when I wasn’t in the office, I was thinking about Will, trying to remember everything he’d told me that he liked.

  Since I wouldn’t let a new relationship get in the way of an old friendship, I set aside an evening to spend with Roxi. She invited me to her place for dinner. I insisted on bringing a salad. She shouldn’t have to do all the work!

  “Oh my God,” I squealed, once she’d let me in and guided me towards the kitchen. “I have so much to tell you!” I honestly didn’t know where to begin, so much had happened since we’d last seen each other.

  “So, Harlan showed up at my door,” I announced. “He drove all the way from Boston because he wanted to take Vega back.”

  “What?!” Roxi half-shrieked. This, this was why we were friends! Roxi had never been the biggest fan of Harlan, so she’d not been particularly devastated when we broke up. But she had always liked Vega. Roxi was thrilled when she’d learned that I got to keep Vega in the breakup, so I could completely understand her reaction.

  Taking the bowl from me, Roxi walked us to the dining room. “I hope you told him to fuck off,” she informed me. “That dog is yours!”

  Of course, I hadn’t told Harlan to fuck off. And I doubted Roxi really expected me to have done. “She was his dog first,” I pointed out. “And he did raise her from a puppy, Rox.” But if I had raised a dog from a puppy then I wouldn’t have left her behind for anything, no matter how much harder it might be to find somewhere pet-friendly to live.

  “Anyway. I was saying goodbye to her in the park.” Even the memory of that awful afternoon brought a lump to my throat. I pushed past it. Vega wasn’t going anywhere! And I had Will to thank for that.

  I smiled. “Will found me. And he marched right back to my place and offered to buy Vega from Harlan!” I still felt a little annoyed that Will hadn’t at least asked me what I thought about his plan. “Do you think it’s a bad sign, that his first instinct is to throw money at a problem?” I asked.

  Roxi, to give her credit, actually seemed to think about it. Still, I wasn’t too surprised when her answer was ‘no’. “Do you think if it wasn’t for that, Harlan would allow you to keep her?” she asked me. “Because, I’m going to guess, no. If money was the only way you could keep your dog, then I think that’s fine.”

  She shrugged then. “So, I’m guessing Will bought Vega for you? Does that mean you get to keep her? I can’t imagine you without her, honestly.”

  “I am going to keep her,” I confirmed, a smile breaking out over my lips. “But I’m wondering if I should… pay Will back. I know he doesn’t expect me to. Or even want me to.” It just didn’t feel right to let Will spend so much of his money on Vega. Even if our date went well, that was the kind of gift I would expect from a long-term boyfriend, or a husband, not someone I’d met within the last few months!

  It would take me ages to pay Will back. But the fact that he wouldn’t expect repayments on any kind of intense schedule might actually make it okay.

  The thought of dating Will was much pleasanter than the thought of the financial commitment he had made. “He also asked me out,” I said, trying and failing to repress a grin.

  “Oh!” Roxi’s eyes widened. I could tell she was excited from how loudly her ‘oh’ echoed around us. “Oh my God, Lacey, that’s great!” she squeed, pulling me into a quick hug. “I’m so happy for you, this is exactly what you wanted, right?” Roxi asked but then a small frown appeared on her brow.

  I frowned back, trying to figure out what it was for. “It’s not because of the money, is it?” she asked. “I mean, you don’t have to go out with him or anything?” It was sweet that Roxi was concerned, but I definitely very much wanted to go out with Will.

  “Oh, I know,” I agreed happily. “This is what I want, I promise.” I’d wanted it for a long time. The thought made a bubble of happiness well up inside me. “I told you, the universe was bringing us together for a reason!”

  And, as far as I was concerned, part of that reason was that I would be able to show Will all the positive sides of romance. “I want to plan something amazing,” I confided. “I’m just… not sure what that is yet. Will loves hockey, but I can’t take him on a hockey date, can I? Not when that’s his job.”

  Surely that would be too much, right? Except the look Roxi gave me implied that maybe it wouldn’t at all be too much.

  “He plays for the NHL, I’m pretty sure he loves hockey,” she teased. “And I bet he wouldn’t expect you to romance him with hockey.” That was a very good point. Will probably wouldn’t expect me to romance him at all, had I not explicitly already told him that I was going to.

  I still couldn’t take him to one of his own team’s games. Will could go to a Pumas game any time. Me inviting him to one wouldn’t be special. But I could do something else hockey-related.

  “Oh!” An idea suddenly struck me. “He told me that he likes… Espo? Is that right?” I didn’t know who that was, but I could definitely find out. And maybe I could find an old game of his, whoever he was. “Do they do DVDs of NHL games?” I asked. If anyone was going to know, it would be Roxi.

  “Phil Esposito?” Roxi offered and I shrugged. “He’s a hockey player,” she laughed. “Or well, he used to be. One of the best.” That seemed about right, so I nodded. “I guess, you’d be able to get the games? I mean, I honestly have never bothered to look up hockey games from like the 70s, but I’m sure they exist.”

  I gave a thoughtful hum. That was definitely an option. It’d be a bit of work to track a game down, I was sure, but it also definitely wouldn’t be something Will expected. And that was what romance was all about, doing things that your partner would love without them needing to tell you that.

  “I can see the cogs spinning in your head,” Roxi laughed. “Does Will know you’re going to woo him?”

  “Oh, yes,” I agreed, feeling the excitement build inside me. “I told him that I wanted to plan him a surprise. Something that would be special.” I had always loved planning treats for the important people in my life. And Will had quickly become very important to me.

  Roxi was right, the cogs were turning. I was already putting together a vision in my head of exactly what I was going to do. Will would love it. At least, I hoped he would.

  “Even if he thinks it’s a little silly, I want him to feel good that I’ve done something for him.” We hadn’t really talked about why Will didn’t like romance. And not knowing made me feel a little nervous.

  “Well, I look forward to hearing all about how you’ve romanced your very hot NHL player,” Roxi teased, making me laugh. She definitely would hear about it, whether it went well or not.

  The good thing was that I was sure that even if Will didn’t enjoy the romancing, he would still want to see me again. But I was also going to do a very good job of making sure he saw why romance could be excellent!

  A Google search for ‘Phil Esposito DVD’ set me up with eight hours of Canada versus the USSR. We weren’t going to watch all of that on one date, of course, but as far as I was concerned, that just made it more romantic. I wanted to watch eight hours of hockey with Will, even if - especially if! - that took us eight dates.

  With most of m
y previous boyfriends, I would have made us a feast of little snacks. But I knew that Will couldn’t eat as many empty calories as I was used to. I still wanted to make an effort, though. It was important to me to show Will that I could work with his dietary requirements.

  So I asked him to send me a recipe that he would use. He offered just to cook for himself before he came over, but I insisted. It wasn’t hard to follow the instructions Will sent. It made me feel good knowing that I was feeding him good food that wouldn’t hold him back from his training.

  By the time Will arrived, the house smelled pretty good, if I did say so myself. Vega greeted him enthusiastically, rubbing her head against Will’s hand. I’d invited Will to bring Teddy with him.

  As I led him into the kitchen, I watched his expression. “I set up a doggie gate like the one you’ve got,” I told him. “I figure you and Teddy are going to be coming enough to make it a worthwhile investment.”

  The surprise that flashed across Will’s face made me feel amazing. If something as simple as a doggie gate could surprise him, I was in luck. Besides, I did plan for Will to be coming over more often. Hopefully, anyway.

  Vega and Teddy had already dashed off to play, using the fact that I’d left the door to the yard open for them.

  “I’m sure Teddy’s very grateful,” Will teased. “He loves being kept out of the kitchen.” Teddy was already so big that there was a good chance the gate wasn’t going to keep him out for long, but I didn’t point that out. Especially because I was too busy being pulled into a kiss by Will, his lips hot as they sought out mine.

  When he pulled back, Will grinned, licking his lips. “You taste like pesto,” he informed me with some amusement.

  I laughed. “And so I should,” I agreed. “Any good chef will taste things as they go.” I rested a hand on Will’s broad, muscled chest. The thrill that ran through me was like nothing else I’d ever experienced. My toes tapped against the kitchen floor. I was so excited for Will to discover everything I’d planned for us!

  Reluctantly, I pulled away, catching Will’s hand to pull him with me. I held a spoonful of the pesto sauce I’d made to Will’s lips. “I followed your instructions, but I wasn’t sure how much chili was ‘a pinch’, so tell me if you think it needs more.”

  Will run his tongue over his lower lip, tasting the food before he gave a small hum. “It tastes better than what I make,” he informed me and then gave me a suspicious look that made me laugh. “Have you taken my recipe and improved it? To show off?” Despite the accusation, I could tell that he was joking.

  The smile that followed was also a pretty good indication. “It tastes really good, Lacey,” Will told me gently. “Thank you for cooking for me and for getting the recipe off me. I really appreciate that you wanted to cook one of my boring meals.” He grinned.

  I smiled back. So far, my plan of romancing Will was going perfectly. “Well, you’re worth it,” I said simply. “That’s why I wanted to plan something special for you. To show you that I think the chance to get to know you is worth taking some time and trouble over.”

  When I said it like that, I couldn’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want that. “How do you feel about eating in front of the television?” I asked. It probably wasn’t what most people would consider romantic. There were no candles, no roses on the table. For me, romance wasn’t about doing the generic thing. It was about finding what would put a smile on Will’s face.

  Still, if he preferred to chat over our dinner, then the hockey could wait until after.

  “It’s your night, if you say we’re to eat in front of the TV, then we’ll do that,” Will shrugged. It sounded so easy. I realized he meant it. If I wanted it, then that was what we’d do. I grinned at him and Will gave a smile back, like he could hear what I was thinking.

  He reached out to press another kiss against my lips, this one quicker and shorter but nonetheless sweet. “Is food in front of TV romantic?” he asked. “I mean, it’s not what I’d assume, but if you tell me it is, then I’ll believe you.”

  “What would you assume?” I asked, picturing in my head the candlelit table that a film or television show might put forward as the epitome of romance. “I mean, I know that you don’t ‘get’ romance, but we haven’t really talked about what that means.”

  I bustled about, putting the food onto plates, and the plates onto trays, while I invited Will to get whatever drink he wanted from the fridge. “I don’t even know if you’ve had relationships and not liked them or if you’ve never bothered.”

  Glancing over at him, I offered a smile. “We don’t have to talk about exes, or anything. I’m just curious.” There was a lot I didn’t know about Will, and I couldn’t wait to find it all out!

  The way Will frowned made emotions rush over me. Maybe this wasn’t the most romantic of topics I could’ve brought up right now. I was about to reassure him that he really didn’t have to answer when Will did.

  “I haven’t had relationships before. Not ones that I’d consider serious.” The statement made my heart leap because I knew he considered this serious. “Romance and relationships just aren’t... weren’t, I guess, a thing I thought was for me. So, to answer your question, I don’t know what romance is to me. A bit pointless?” That last bit was offered with an apologetic shrug.

  I smiled. I was completely confident that Will wouldn’t find my plans for the evening pointless. He might think they were a little silly, maybe, but I’d put them all together for him. I knew Will was capable of appreciating that.

  “To me, romance is about… wanting another person to feel good,” I said. “That’s why it was romantic that you wanted to buy Vega for me. Because your motivation was wanting to make me happy.” I reached out, resting a hand against Will’s arm and going up on my tiptoes to press a kiss against his lips.

  I gestured to the trays, picking up one myself so that we could move into the living room. “And tonight, I want to make you happy. That’s why I installed the doggie gate, and made a recipe I knew you could eat.”

  With a sweeping gesture of one arm, I waved towards the TV - on which the DVD menu was already playing. “And why are we going to watch Espo lift a trophy!”

  The surprise that flashed across Will’s face made the whole thing so worth it! I could see that whatever he had expected, an old hockey game was not it. His gaze shot from the TV to me and then back.

  “What?” he exclaimed, setting the tray down on the coffee table, like he needed a moment to truly inspect the TV. Looking up at me, Will frowned. “Your romantic evening with me is for us to watch hockey?” he asked. Cheering roared from the TV and Will’s eyes shot back to see what it was for, even if they were just playing short clips in the background of the menu.

  Wordlessly, Will sat down, absolutely mesmerized by what was going on on the screen. I grinned, coming to join him on the couch. He turned to me, shaking his head.

  “Is this really what you want to be doing for a romantic evening?” he asked, managing to sound worried.

  “It absolutely is,” I answered, with not an ounce of doubt. I put my own tray down, so I could lift a hand to brush against Will’s cheek. “This look on your face? That is exactly what I wanted.”

  It transformed Will’s whole face. He’d already been gorgeous, of course, but I could hardly tear my eyes away from him now. “You love hockey. And I want to be able to share that with you. So, I need to learn about this Espo guy, if he’s one of your heroes.”

  handed Will the remote, butterflies exploding in my stomach at how well my evening was turning out. “Making you happy makes me happy. That’s the kind of romance I want,” I assured.

  Will seemed to think about it and then he leaned over to kiss me again. It was a slow kiss, but there was so much passion in it that when Will pulled back, I was left breathless.

  “Alright, well, this is a great fucking game, so you’re in for a treat,” he informed me, pressing play.

  It was easy to lean into Will as we ate. H
e’d explain things on the screen to me whenever something relevant happened. I loved seeing how engrossed he was. And sure, maybe I didn’t know hockey, but I was quickly getting to know at least one specific hockey player.

  By the time the first hour was coming to an end, Will had even successfully managed to teach me a few of the rules.

  There was a break in the game and Will paused it there, turning to give me a wide smile.

  “I suppose I might be convinced by your type of romance if it involves a fifty-year-old hockey game,” he told me teasingly.

  I grinned, a surge of affection for Will spreading through me, making my whole body feel lighter than air. “Well, when I’m romancing you, it does involve fifty-year-old hockey games,” I confirmed. “After all, that’s what you like.”

  Will laughed, the sound making my heart lurch in my chest. “Go on, keep watching,” I urged. “I’ll do the dishes and get the dogs in.”

  Will murmured a ‘thanks’. I left him to his hockey game, delighted by how fully it absorbed him. I had been right, this had been a brilliant way to show Will what my idea of romance was.

  I’d made him happy. That was all I’d wanted when I set out to romance him. I looked forward to enjoying the rest of our date, just as soon as I’d cleaned up and settled the dogs for the night.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Will

  I was pretty sure that Lacey was doing romance wrong. As far as I was aware, romance was candles and flowers, maybe some walking in moonlight and eating chocolate. It wasn’t watching Canada beat the USSR at hockey in 1972. Yet, Lacey seemed perfectly happy with it.

  She’d cuddled into me after doing the dishes, not seeming to mind even a little when I kept moving to cheer on the Canadians on the TV. I had to admit, this was almost definitely the best date I’d ever had. I was still unsure how this was romance when I didn’t really do anything at all.

  We paused the game about a third in, because I insisted we couldn’t spend a whole night watching it. The dogs were already asleep, cuddled together on Vega’s dog bed that definitely was too small for even just Teddy.