Page 91 of Slap Shot Surprise
I laughed. “She’s been so sweet to me. She calls or texts me every week to see how I’m doing.”
“See? They’d love to have you there.”
“Okay.” My car appeared in front of the building. “That’s me,” I said, wishing the valet had been a little slower.
Joe pulled me in close, wrapping his arms around me. “Drive carefully. And let me know when you get home.”
“I will.” I stayed right where I was, enjoying the warm, safe cocoon of his embrace. The solid bulk of his chest against my cheek.
“Thanks for coming down here,” he said.
“Thanks for inviting me.”
He released me slightly and pressed his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes, willing the lump in my throat to go away. Crying would be pointless and embarrassing.
“I’ll see you soon,” he said.
Because what other promise could he make?
I drove straight to Ari’s house and let myself in the back door. I found her in the kitchen, stirring something in a big pot on the stove. The aroma made my mouth water.
“Hey,” she said. “You’re back.”
“I’m back. Is Dash here?”
“No. He took Wren over to your dad’s.”
“Good.” I shrugged out of my coat and hung it on the back of a chair. “Because I did something I probably shouldn’t have. I’m not sorry, and I don’t regret it, but I have to tell on myself.”
“You slept with Joe.”
“I slept with Joe.”
“How was it?”
“Fucking magical. Fantastic. Even better than last time.”
“Eeek! Sit down and tell me everything before he gets back or Truman wakes up.” She set her spoon on the rest.
“What are you cooking?” I asked as I sat at the table. “Smells amazing.”
“Pumpkin gnocchi soup. Want to stay for dinner?”
“Yes, please.”
She came to the table and dropped breathlessly into the chair next to mine. “Okay, out with it. What happened to your rules?”
“They sort of went out the window after I knocked on his bedroom door last night.”
“Oh my God!” She pounded the table. “It’s me when I was sixteen sneaking into Dash’s room! Except I got rejected, and you didn’t.”
I laughed. “No, I didn’t.”
“What made you do it? I mean, other than the fact that he’s a hot professional hockey player and you’re having his baby.”
“Partly I did it because the baby was kicking and I knew he’d want to feel, but mostly because I just really wanted him. And I knew he wasn’t going to make a move, because I’d told him in September I didn’t think it was a good idea for us to mess around. He was respecting my wishes.”
“Right up until you showed up at his bedroom door in your nightie.”
