Body Checked (Salt Lake Pumas #2)

by Camellia Tate

  Of course, I nodded. I would always enjoy watching hockey. “So, then I get to be romantic at you and have you enjoy it,” Lacey pointed out. “That’s what’s important to me.”

  I thought about that. It was difficult to grasp until I turned the tables around. I, too, wanted Lacey to enjoy herself, to be happy. If watching hockey with me did that, however strange that was to imagine, then I’d take her word for it. Maybe she could help me figure out how to be romantic at her, too, so I could make her even happier.

  “You’re great,” I told her, pressing a kiss against Lacey’s lips. “Shall I go see if the dogs want to come in? I bet they’d love a cuddle, too,” I teased.

  Lacey laughed. “Let me put some clothes on, first.” But she didn’t move right away. Her hand settled on my chest, right over the steady beat of my heart. She leaned in, brushing a soft kiss against my lips, then gave a sigh of happiness that made my whole body light up.

  “This was a great date,” she told me, a genuine smile curving her lips. I squeezed my arm around her, almost unable to express how right she was. It had been a great date - better than I had even imagined.

  She pulled away, slipping out of bed to hunt for something to wear. “You will stay tonight?” she asked. I thought I saw a tiny flash of worry in her eyes.

  It made my stomach ache, remembering how last time I’d left her. It had been hard then, it would be impossible now.

  “I will stay,” I promised. “For as long as you will have me.” And I hoped that it would be for quite a long while.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lacey

  The weeks after that passed by in a sort of whirlwind. Meeting all Will’s teammates should have been daunting - but he stayed at my side the whole night, making sure that they included me in their conversation. I learned a whole lot I hadn’t known about ice hockey, the NHL, and about Will.

  Getting to hear what he’d been like as a rookie made me smile so hard that my cheeks hurt for hours after.

  Most mornings, Will and I were already in the same place for him to take Vega on a run. When we weren’t, he came over to pick her up. And usually dropped a kiss on my lips at the same time. Sometimes, when they got back, Will would crawl into bed with me, if he didn’t have anywhere to be.

  We’d been officially together for a few weeks when Will said he had a surprise for me. I could tell right away that he was nervous. I squeezed his hand as he started up the car.

  “I promise, whatever it is, it’ll be great,” I said. Even if the surprise wasn’t something that I loved for itself, I would love the fact that Will was trying for me.

  Will gave me a suspicious look, but then shook his head. “We’ll see,” he told me. I knew that he didn’t believe in his abilities to be romantic, but honestly, just the fact that he was willing to try for me made it romantic.

  All I knew about where we were going was that dogs weren’t allowed, because Will had told me to leave Vega at home. I was sure that had dogs been allowed, he would insist we bring them. Watching Will form a bond with Vega over the past few weeks had been so nice.

  Even the dog trainer had praised us for working so well together in training our dogs!

  I tried to get some more information out of Will as he drove us, but it was very half-hearted. I didn’t actually want to ruin the surprise. He seemed to realize that, answering my questions but never with enough information that I could guess exactly what Will had planned.

  Finally, Will pulled into a parking lot. It wasn’t really someplace I’d associate with romance, but I was sure there was more to it. Will seemed to read my mind, because he laughed.

  “I’m not so bad that the romance is going to take place in an empty parking lot,” he promised me.

  I laughed. “Well, now I want to see if I can make an empty parking lot romantic,” I teased. That… might be stretching my romance skills a bit too far. A parking lot could be the basis for romantic things to happen, probably, but I’d need to bring things with me. An empty parking lot really would be a challenge.

  Once we were both out of the car, I reached for Will’s hand, lacing our fingers together. I studied the building, looking for any sign of what I might expect within.

  Will led the way, taking us around to the front of the building, where I finally spotted something I recognized.

  “Oh! That’s the craft beer label that I’m working with,” I cried, pointing at the sign. “Did you bring me to try beer?”

  I was still struggling to decide which of the ideas I had come up with was the best. To me, they all seemed to be lacking something: but I didn’t know what. And I didn’t know who it was safe to ask.

  “Kind of,” Will admitted. “I know you’ve been struggling with working out the kinks of this project,” he commented. It was true, Will had seen me pour energy into it most evenings. And even when I didn’t work at home, I still talked about it.

  At first, I had worried that Will would grow bored of it, that I complained too much or something. But he hadn’t. Instead, Will asked questions that allowed me to think of new things, made me look at different perspectives.

  He gave my hand a squeeze. “We’re going on a tour,” he informed me. “A tour and a tasting. I called in a few favors, Jack seemed to like me. He wasn’t too against getting us an exclusive tour of the brewery,” he explained. I remembered Jack well from that embarrassing hockey game, even if I definitely remembered Will better.

  Leading us up to the entrance Will held the door open for me. “Let’s see if we can get some ideas bouncing for you by seeing how the beer is made from start to finish.”

  Once the door had closed behind us, I beamed up at him. I felt as if my heart was tumbling wildly within my chest. I gripped his hand hard, lifting it so I could press a kiss against his knuckles.

  “That is so romantic!” I breathed. I knew it wasn’t traditionally romantic. It wasn’t hearts and flowers and softly-spoken words. But I didn’t want those things. They wouldn’t have suited Will. This did.

  He was giving me permission to be more creative in my work. Not only that, he was helping me, because he’d seen how important this was and how hard I was working.

  I grinned. “Okay, where do we start?” I asked, turning to face the high-ceilinged reception room.

  Will laughed at my eagerness. “I think we sign in and get ourselves a tour guide,” he teased. We did just that, meeting Jasper who was more than happy to walk us through the brewery.

  It was a fascinating tour! While I had some idea how beer was made, seeing the big machinery felt completely different. Having this private tour was amazing. The passion with which Jasper told us how they made the beer was inspiring.

  “I offered Jasper an extra tip if he made this tour even more romantic,” Will teased as we finally made it through the other end of the factory. It was the tasting part of the tour and there were many small glasses of beer laid out for us. And between them, there were some lit candles and roses.

  Will shrugged. “I would have preferred snacks, but I guess candles are slightly more romantic.”

  There was something so delightful about the contrast between glasses of beer and flowers and candles that I couldn’t resist clapping my hands together. I slipped away from Will, moving closer to investigate the table.

  “Romantic beer,” I announced, grinning back at both Jasper and Will. “You know, I think I could do something with this. Not necessarily the candles and roses specifically but…”

  My mind was whirring, ideas clicking together so fast that I almost couldn’t keep up with them. “It’s… versatile,” I said. “Traditional beer brands are pretty pigeon-holed. Sports. Men. Women in bikinis on a beach, if there are women at all.”

  But craft beer could be different. It didn’t have to fit into those stereotypes, and that gave it value in a crowded market.

  I glanced up to find Will watching me, and I blushed. “Sorry. I got a bit carried away.”

  “It’s your date, if you want t
o spend it thinking about work, that’s fine,” he teased. I knew it was a joke, too, because Will had been the one to bring me to the place my work was all about!

  Jasper explained the different beers to us, then excused himself, assuring us that we’d get the room to ourselves and to just call if we needed anything. He also apologized for not providing snacks, making Will’s eyes widen. I laughed as he stumbled out some apologies, saying that he’d only been joking.

  “Well, that was awkward,” Will announced once Jasper had left. “Do you like it?” he asked, looking around at all the beer and flowers, and candles. “I... from one to ten with ten being excellent, how have I done on the romance front?”

  It was so sweet how concerned Will was. “Just for asking that question, you deserve a ten,” I told him. And I meant it, too. Will had taken it to heart that romance was important to me. Now he was trying to meet me on my level, to give me what I wanted to give him. And that touched me in a way that no other boyfriend ever had.

  I leaned into him, going up on my toes to press a kiss against his lips. “I love you,” I reminded him. “I love how hard you try for me. I know you don’t see the point of roses and candles. And that just makes it so much better that you put up with them anyway, to make me happy.”

  “Anything to make you happy,” Will promised and it made butterflies explode in my stomach. Once we’d sat down at the table, Will gave my hand a squeeze. “I love you, too,” he told me. “Now drink all the beer, because I’ll have to drive us back, so I want you to tell me all about what it tastes like,” he joked.

  When I pouted at being told to drink alone, Will laughed. “Okay, okay, maybe I have arranged one of the guys to come get us while someone else gets my car,” he grinned, reaching for a glass of beer. “I doubt you could drink all of this on your own anyway.”

  I really couldn’t drink it all. Knowing that Will had thought our date through to the extent that he’d arranged for two of the Pumas to sort out the driving really showed the level of effort he’d put into this.

  Sampling the beers, I described some of the half-formed ideas that were running through my head. And Will let me. I appreciated how much he could just sit and listen. He didn’t try to point out potential flaws because he knew that wasn’t what I needed at this stage. Later, I would take constructive criticism. But right now, I wanted to revel in my enthusiasm for all the different directions I could take.

  I did, eventually, wind down. Glancing at Will over the table, I gave a soft smile. “I have something else I wanted to talk to you about,” I said, feeling just a little hesitant.

  “I want to pay you back for Vega.” We’d talked about the possibility before. And I knew Will got why I wasn’t totally comfortable with how much he had paid for her, or that he’d done it without asking. “But… I only want to pay you half,” I carried on. “And I want the other half to be, well. You sharing ownership of her.”

  It was still early for a commitment like that, I knew. But it felt right. Will helped me look after Vega, and he’d clearly bonded with her. He should own her right along with me.

  Will’s eyes widened at my proposition. It pleased me that even though we were on his surprise date, I could still surprise him. “Are you sure?” he asked. When I nodded, a smile playing on my lips, Will smiled back. His whole face seemed to light up, like this was the best news he’d ever heard.

  “Yeah! I’d love to become part owner of Vega with you! But only if you’re sure,” he repeated, making me laugh. I was very sure. I was already sharing Vega with Will and I planned for our relationship to become so much more. Sharing Vega was something I wanted us to do.

  Will grinned at me. “Well, you’ll have to throw in an extra twenty for Teddy, too,” he joked. “If we’re going to share Vega, we have to share Teddy, too.”

  The idea of sharing both our dogs made me feel warm all the way to the tips of my toes. After all, Teddy and Vega had been how Will and I had first met. And, together, we were training them both to be the best dogs they could be.

  “They’ll love it, being officially shared between us,” I said, smiling at the thought. Vega loved Will. And I liked to think that Teddy loved me, too. Even if I was the one who kept building things that kept him out of the kitchen.

  Maybe one day, the four of us would share one house. It was a good thing to work towards, even if it was too soon to suggest right now.

  “So, how have you enjoyed our romantic brewery tour?” I asked. “I know it was mostly for me. But did you at least get something out of it?”

  “I’ve enjoyed it,” Will assured me. “It’s interesting, learning about how beer is made. And we get to drink a load of it,” he joked. Reaching across the table, Will took my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Mostly, though, I’m just glad that you have enjoyed it. I know you say I shouldn’t worry about the romance stuff, but I know it’s important to you.”

  That wasn’t quite true. What was important to me was that Will cared. And I knew he did. Even if I hadn’t been able to tell - which I was - he reassured me of it plenty.

  “Oh! And! I have some news, too,” he added, my eyes snapping back to Will from where they’d been resting on our joint hands. “Next week... I get to play my first game back!” he informed me with excitement.

  The sound that came out of my mouth was more of a squeak than anything else. “What?! Will, that’s amazing!” All the time I’d known Will, he’d been missing this huge part of his life. The news that he would get to reclaim it was enormously exciting.

  “Oh, do I get to come and see you play?” I asked, even though I was sure the answer would be ‘yes’. Will had got me tickets to plenty of games in which he hadn’t played. There was no way I was going to miss his first game back on the ice.

  I felt a flutter of mingled excitement and anxiety. What if Will got hurt again? But I pushed that aside. It was a risk that Will had chosen to take when he picked playing professional sports. I wasn’t going to dampen his joy by worrying.

  “Yeah, of course! I want you to be there.” Will nodded energetically. “I mean, if you want, of course. I could even give you one of my jerseys to wear? And, obviously, tickets for Roxi, too.” Roxi was very excited about having a steady supply of great seats to watch the Pumas play from. And I was getting much better at hockey rules, thanks to her.

  The idea of wearing Will’s jersey, his surname plastered across my back, it was, in its own way, romantic.

  “I won’t be distracting?” I asked, only half-teasing. I did a lot of work with Will around but I had to admit that sometimes that ended with more kissing than it did actual productivity.

  Obviously, Will wasn’t going to have that exact problem. But I did wonder whether knowing I was in the audience would make it harder for him to focus on his game. “I want to be there. I want to support you and cheer for you.” I could hardly wait to finally see Will do what he loved best.

  “You won’t be a distraction,” Will promised. “Besides, it’s about time for you to meet my first love,” he teased. “I don’t want you to get jealous or anything, but I really love hockey.” It sounded like an admission, a secret that Will was telling me. The tone of his voice made me laugh because, yeah, I might have gotten the clue.

  He gave my hand another squeeze, winking at me across the table. “Do you think that’ll be alright? Will you share me with hockey? I must warn you, there’s not a lot of choice.”

  I squeezed back. “Of course I will. You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t love hockey.” I couldn’t even begin to imagine how different Will would be if he didn’t have the NHL and the Salt Lake Pumas in his life.

  “Besides,” I pointed out. “I already share your love with Teddy. And Vega. I think you have enough to go around.” It was one of the things that had instantly attracted me to Will.

  Taking a sip of the beer I’d decided was my favorite, I frowned slightly. “Are you nervous?” I asked. “Going back after a break. I know you’re looking forward to it, obviously,
but is it also a bit scary?”

  Will seemed to think about my question. It was something I very much appreciated about him. He didn’t rush into answering, even when perhaps that answer wasn’t very flattering to him. Maybe some other players wouldn’t admit if they were feeling scared about their first game back, but I knew that if Will felt it, he’d tell me.

  “I’m not sure I’d say scared,” he finally answered. “I’m... nervous. It is a bit intimidating to go back after so many months, but I’m ready. I’ve been ready for ages.” That made me smile. Ever since I’d known Will, he seemed pretty ready to be playing hockey again. It was exciting to know he’d finally be able to!

  I knew how impatient Will had been. And yet, he had taken all the time that his doctors had told him he needed. That was impressive, too. I didn’t know if I would be able to be so patient if someone told me I had to wait months before I could draw again.

  “Anyone would be a little nervous,” I said, knowing that it might help Will to hear it. “But you’re right, you’ve been dreaming of this day for months. That must be exciting, too. Shall we have a celebration?”

  I wanted to celebrate, but I hadn’t really spent enough time around the Pumas to know if that was the sort of thing they did together. “We could invite people over. Either after the game or the next day?”

  The way Will smiled seemed so pleased. It took me a moment to figure out why. Then it struck me, what I had said. ‘We could invite people over’, like we already shared a place to invite people over to. It would, obviously, have to be Will’s house since it was much bigger. Even so, I thought of myself as at least partly in charge of organizing it.

  I was about to correct myself, unsure if that was really something for me to suggest. But then Will nodded. “Yeah, that sounds really nice. I imagine the guys will want to celebrate anyway. The same night might be good.”

  I had learned better than to ask ‘what if the Pumas don’t win?’. That would be bad luck. Even thinking it might jinx the game, in Will’s eyes - but I was working on that. Still, I made a mental note to plan something that could easily be moved to the next day if nobody felt like partying after the game.