A Valentine for Two

by Lia Davis

  “Poufy skirts don’t scare me.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Ian asked, strolling into the room.

  “Our Haley has just admitted to a love of period dramas.”

  “Huh? What are those?”

  Haley laughed. Our Haley? Oh, my. “You know, Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, Titanic—though I’m not personally a fan of the last one.”

  “Ah, girly movies.” Ian nodded as if he’d known all along.

  “You know, women really like it when their men are willing to watch ‘our’ movies. After all, we watch the rough-em-up, shoot-em-up movies for you.”

  “She’s got a point,” Derek said. “So how about this one? We could watch it tonight.” The remote had landed on Pride and Prejudice. The full TV version. She grinned.

  “That’s about six hours long. Considering it’s nearly eight p.m. right now, we wouldn’t finish until two a.m.”

  “We can watch it in shifts, two hours at a time. It will give us an excuse to come back,” Derek said.

  “Sneaky. If you really want to...” Haley ran a hand through her hair. She wasn’t used to men readily agreeing to sit down and watch Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy verbally spar for hours and couldn’t help but wonder if an ulterior motive was involved.

  “Let’s do it.” Derek patted the spot next to him on the couch. Ian sat on the other side. The movie started, and Derek turned her to lean against him. Ian picked her legs up and placed them on his lap.

  Okay, then. I’ve got human cushions. Not especially soft and fluffy, but I can handle that. She’d only seen Ian with his shirt off twice and had to admit a growing admiration for the bodies their profession honed. Her fingers itched to check out Derek a little closer.

  They watched a little over two hours, but then Derek shut the movie off. “You’re getting sleepy. We should let you go to bed.”

  She sat up. “It’s all right.”

  “You’re yawning, honey. And because you’re no doubt wondering, we aren’t going to stay.” Derek continued, “When we get into that we want your full, energized attention.”

  “I am pretty tired,” Haley answered, stifling a yawn. She couldn’t help the niggling sense of disappointment that she’d be sleeping alone tonight. What is happening to me?

  They all rose, and Haley walked the men to her door. Derek grabbed her first, leaning her back before plunging his tongue into her mouth. Haley kissed him back. How could she not? The man threw off some sort of pheromone she couldn’t resist.

  After Derek finally let her back up, Ian took her head in his hands and tilted it, exposing her neck.

  “I think I’ll take my taste from here.” He licked her neck. “Delicious.” Ian released her and backed away. “Guess what? We already have an idea for our next date. We don’t play Sunday. Are you free?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” The thought of another date with Ian and Derek made her grin, and Ian laughed.

  “Looks like you’re on board. Good.” He winked. “Until then...”

  “Not even a hint?”

  Derek answered, “Not even a hint.”

  “Mean.”

  After she shut the door behind them, Haley leaned against it. The next date should be interesting, especially if they were taking her out of the house. How should she act if they all went out? Like she would if she was with one? Both? Neither.

  With an aggravated sigh, Haley pushed away from the door and trudged to her bedroom.

  ***

  Derek grabbed his gloves and slid them into the pockets of his parka. “We need to make sure she’s dressed for skating when we pick her up.”

  “Yes, Dad. She’s lived in Buffalo her entire life, and we told her to wear warm clothes,” Ian replied. “I don’t think we have to worry about having a Haley-sicle on our hands.”

  “You are such a dork.”

  They swung by Haley’s place and picked her up. Derek smiled when he noticed her outfit—a hot pink parka, black leggings, and a pink scarf with black hearts down the center. Yes, she had dressed for the weather, but still managed to look totally hot.

  Once they were in Ian’s SUV, Ian said, “Derek came up with this idea, so I have to give him credit for that. Have you been to the outdoor skating area at Canalside?”

  “No, but I’ve totally wanted to.” Haley was practically bouncing in her seat now. “Is that where we’re going?”

  “Yep.”

  “But aren’t you guys going to be mobbed there?”

  Ian shrugged. “There’s a possibility of getting mobbed wherever we go, so we don’t let that affect us. Besides, we’re new. A lot of people probably don’t even know what we look like, especially bundled up in our winter coats and stuff.”

  “If you think so...but if it gets uncomfortable, we’ll leave. Promise you won’t stay just for me.”

  “We promise,” Derek answered. “And after we work up an appetite skating, Ian mentioned there’s a restaurant on the waterfront that has big windows looking out.”

  “Oh, yay! I wish the sun didn’t go down so early,” Haley protested. “I hate when daylight saving time ends. It makes no sense given the way we live now.”

  Derek nodded. “We agree, but unfortunately, we don’t make the rules.”

  “I think there are some places to park down this street,” Ian remarked.

  Soon, they’d found a spot, and Ian and Derek had grabbed their skates out of the back. Each kept a spare pair at home in case they needed them, so they didn’t have to worry about remembering to grab their game skates. The ice might not be the best, either, so using their primary skates probably wasn’t a great idea.

  Derek rented a pair of skates for Haley and helped her tie them up. Once he was satisfied, he led her onto the ice, Ian at their side. The two men had agreed to play it cool with Haley in public to prevent tongues wagging. They weren’t ashamed of their preferences, but dealing with closed-minded people was never fun. They didn’t want Haley’s name to get dragged through the mud.

  Haley stood, already wobbling, and Derek grinned. Rarely did he have the opportunity to teach someone to ice skate. Every hockey player he knew—and most of their families—were excellent skaters. He’d already heard the story about Sebastian’s fiancée, Sarah, racing Rick a couple of years ago and crashing into the boards. Since then, Sarah hadn’t been keen to do a lot of skating.

  He’d gotten hockey skates for Haley rather than figure skates since he thought learning was easier without those annoying toe pick things. Derek understood the need for figure skaters to have them, but that didn’t mean he wanted to have anything to do with them.

  “Ready?” Derek asked.

  Ian had entered the rink already, apparently giving Derek the lead on this. Since he hadn’t been able to spend much time with Haley yet, he appreciated his friend’s thoughtfulness. Of course, the move could not be called completely altruistic since it was in Ian’s best interest to cultivate a relationship between Derek and Haley.

  Haley nodded, letting out a breath that fluffed the hair sticking out from her hat. He led her to the edge of the rink, keeping a hand on her arm to steady her.

  Before they entered the fray, Derek whispered, “I like having you here. You look beautiful, by the way.”

  She chuckled. “Yes, I’m sure this parka is a good look for me.”

  “Practicality over fashion. I admire that in a woman. And besides, I know what’s underneath, and that’s all that’s important. Let’s go.”

  They had a fun time skating, but after a few hours, Derek could tell Haley’s energy had waned, so he suggested they hit the restaurant for dinner. After shedding some of the mounds of hats, scarves, and sweaters they all wore, the three of them walked to the restaurant. The place didn’t seem to have a lot of cars, and Ian took Haley’s other hand. Haley didn’t protest, and Derek said a silent prayer of thanks—not to the hockey gods for once.

  The server approached after they’d been seated and given menus. Immediately, Haley mentioned
some dietary restrictions, noting most of the entrees seemed to have many ingredients and wondering if all of them were noted on the menu. With a quizzical look, the server retreated to ask, and Haley shook her head.

  “He looked totally confused,” Haley said. “This really shouldn’t be an odd or unusual request. I’m sure I’m not the only customer with allergies or other dietary restrictions.”

  “Totally,” Derek agreed. “Don’t a lot of people have gluten intolerance these days? Peanut allergies? Hearing about what can happen if you mistakenly eat peanuts made me very careful when I cook for someone I’m not familiar with.”

  “Me, too,” Ian answered. “It’s not as if it’s difficult to make food that’s gluten free or not use nuts.”

  Just then, a man in a chef’s coat came over and introduced himself. He and Haley had a brief conversation, and then the man retreated. They ordered, and once the server departed, Haley checked out the view, twisting to see more of Lake Erie and the mouth of the Niagara River.

  With much of her neck exposed as she craned her neck, Derek had to fight the urge to kiss the delicate skin. He doubted Haley would be on board for making out in the middle of the restaurant, even if the place only had a couple of tables occupied.

  “Sometimes I forget how beautiful this area is. Look at the sun setting over the lake,” Haley said. “I know it’s cold, but it’s better than a lot of other places. Our severe weather means we stay inside. Other places’ severe weather means their houses get destroyed. I’ll take this any day.”

  “Denver didn’t have much severe weather, though other parts of Colorado see tornadoes and some pretty heavy storms,” Derek told her. “The state is beautiful, but it was sort of weird to live smack dab in the middle of the country. I don’t know why,” he remarked. “I guess I just like knowing there’s a coast or something.”

  “You are one strange dude,” Ian answered. “What difference does it make?”

  “I dunno. It just does.”

  Haley had turned back as Derek spoke, and piped up. “On the bright side, though, you can fly to either coast within a few hours. A flight to Los Angeles from here is easily five hours or more, and that’s a direct flight.”

  “Believe me, we know all about how long it takes to get from place to place,” Derek answered. “Remember; I get motion sick, which includes nausea on airplanes, so I’m not a big fan. The concept of air travel is cool, but the mystique wears off pretty freaking quickly.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “I’d rather drive any day,” he continued. “If I’m the one driving, I’m fine. But it’s not practical. Someday I want to drive across the country.”

  Haley beamed. “That’s so cool. It’s always been in the back of my mind, though more of a pipe dream than something I could actually do.”

  “You should,” Ian said. “No reason for it to stay a pipe dream.”

  She shrugged. “I guess.”

  Dinner passed with lively conversation, and soon, they were on their way back to Haley’s place. When they approached her street, Haley said, “It’s still early. Did you want to check out my shop?”

  “Sure,” Derek answered.

  “You can relax on the couch if you want,” Haley told Ian. “I know you’ve already seen everything.”

  “If he falls asleep, I’m not waking him,” Derek declared. “He’s a bear. Did you know he once kicked his roommate in juniors so hard he sprained the guy’s finger? Coach wasn’t impressed.”

  “Oh my God, are you serious?”

  “I was seventeen, and I haven’t hurt anyone since. Getting benched for a game taught me the lesson pretty damn well,” Ian grumped.

  One of Haley’s brows rose. “So, not a morning person, huh?”

  That statement gave Derek the information he hadn’t gotten from Ian yet. She’d know his demeanor if they’d ever spent the night together. He knew they hadn’t had sex, but that didn’t mean other things hadn’t happened. Derek couldn’t say why it would bother him if they had been intimate, but relief had been the first emotion upon hearing there’d been no overnights.

  “Some people are, and some people aren’t. Give me late nights anytime,” Ian responded.

  “I actually prefer nights, too,” Haley said. “I don’t usually work. I try to do that during the day, but binge-watching shows or reading? Sign me up.”

  They went into Haley’s apartment, and she led the way to her office while Ian peeled off to the living room. Derek asked a lot of questions, which she patiently answered. The bedroom she’d converted into her workshop could not be called large by any means, but she’d done what she could to make it clean and organized from what he could tell. By the time they were done, he’d requested a couple of her essential oil roller bottle blends and some of her homemade lip balm.

  Haley tried to wave him off when he pulled out his wallet. “I’ll make them for you. I do it for my friends and family.”

  “And I’ll pay you. I know all this stuff costs money.” She smirked, and he said, “I’m not taking no for an answer, so you might as well quit protesting.”

  “Fine. I’ll make you a deal. Twenty bucks and a shoulder massage. That fall I took into the boards didn’t tickle, despite the padding of the parka.”

  “I am so sorry I didn’t catch you.”

  “Not your fault. I skated away. Deal?”

  Derek’s eyes narrowed. “Deal. But I may stray from your shoulder. Just warning you.”

  One side of her mouth curled up. “I doubt you’ll get slapped. I’ll make the blends for you tomorrow. You can grab a lip balm; they’re over in that container. There are five flavors, so look through them. They should be divided, but sometimes I get busy and don’t put everything back where I should.”

  He moved over to the drawers she’d indicated. “This is quite an enterprise.”

  “It pays the bills and keeps me out of Corporate America. That’s about all I need.”

  “I never worked a ‘real job.’ I’ve been playing hockey my entire life. But I’ve heard the horror stories from friends and family, and I’ll take my profession any day.”

  “Getting paid millions to play a game doesn’t sound like a bad gig.”

  “It’s not,” Derek answered. “Both Ian and I realize how lucky we are.”

  “Look through those, and I’ll be back in a minute. I’m going to put a T-shirt on. These layers are getting hot.”

  “I won’t stop you.”

  She rolled her eyes and left the room.

  He found a chocolate mint flavor in the pile of lip balms Haley had left that he was tempted to eat like dessert. He put some on and wandered back into the living room.

  “Finished shopping?” Ian asked with a grin.

  “It’s good stuff.”

  “I know. I have one of her muscle rubs.”

  “I made her a deal to rub her shoulder in exchange for a discount on the product. No way would I let her give me anything.”

  Ian laughed. “I bet the conversation you had with her was pretty similar to the one we had when I did the same thing. She flatly refused to take payment, so I spied one day when she was trolling online and saw some of the websites where she bought supplies. Then I went on my laptop when I got home and ordered her a bunch of things.”

  “Yes, you did,” Haley said, leaning against the wall leading from the hall to the living room. She’d put on a tank top, and Derek cast an appreciative glance at her ample curves. “You’re both stubborn men.”

  “Us?” Derek asked. “You were the one who forced me to do it. It would’ve been easier to accept money.”

  Haley made a face. “I don’t like charging my friends.”

  “That’s a gallant thing to a degree,” Derek pointed out. “But you need to watch how much you give away. And before you say it, I’m sure you know that. I’m not trying to insult your business intelligence. It’s like our coach in Colorado used to say, ‘You all know how to play hockey; now you just have to convince your br
ain.’ He was talking about letting our minds get cluttered with doubts and how we should use our instincts, but I think it applies here, too.”

  Haley sat on a small chair. “I think my shoulder is bruising. I put some salve on it, but I can’t reach all the spots since I’m not a contortionist.”

  Derek looked at Ian and then back at Haley. “I think I’ll let that one go.”

  “Smartass,” Haley mumbled.

  “I heard that. Despite the number of pucks I’ve taken to the head, I have excellent hearing.” He placed his hands on her right shoulder. “Tell me if anything hurts. Should I do the salve first?”

  “Yeah. Then the rub can start working, plus make it easier for you to work on it.”

  “Well, come on,” Derek said. “You can squeeze between me and Ian here on the couch. It’ll be cozy.”

  She smirked. “I bet.”

  He slid the strap of her tank aside and took a small amount of the salve in his hand. Using his finger, Derek slowly spread it all over her shoulder area, trying to remember the process that had been performed on him countless times. He didn’t usually pay close attention, instead choosing to converse with those around him.

  “That should be good,” Haley said. “It hurt, but nothing I can’t handle. When you massage, you can press harder. I’ll let you know if it gets to be too much.”

  Derek dutifully massaged Haley’s shoulder and neck, pressing little kisses along the area as he went. Her head fell forward onto Ian’s chest, and he cradled her head in one hand while Derek continued to ply the tight muscles.

  “You’ve got good hands, and though that wasn’t meant as a come-on, you’ll probably take it that way,” Haley said, straightening. Stretching her head from side to side, she continued. “That’s better. It has loosened up, which is a major step toward actually sleeping tonight.”

  “Pain keeps you awake?” Derek asked.

  “Yeah, that’s actually what got me into using natural remedies. I had a car accident—more accurately, my friend did. We got hit on the passenger side, front quarter panel, and my body took the force of the collision. My friend walked away with some bruises, I didn’t walk away at all. In total, I spent nearly a month in the hospital and a lot more time than that in physical therapy. It happened seven years ago, and I’ve dealt with migraines and muscle pain ever since.”