Page 14 of Home for the Holidays

“I need a drink,” she announces. “How do we get drinks?”

“I’ve got it. What do you want?” Vanessa says.

“Just a water,” Rachel says. She turns to Viv. “Same?”

The rugby player nods. “Thanks.”

“I didn’t realize you and Van knew each other,” I say casually. “Imagine, we could have been hanging out all this time.”

“Yeah.” Rachel’s voice is weak. Her eyes dart around the club. “We should sit. Can we sit?”

“I’m going to catch up with Robby,” Viv says, nodding toward our team’s equipment manager.

“You know Andrews?” He used to be a goalie before he blew out his knee, so he’s always kept a bit of distance from me. I can’t imagine sitting on the sidelines and watching someone else do the things I love most.

“He’s friends with my brother,” she says simply. “They played in juniors together.”

I blink. “Who’s your brother?”

She sighs. “Chuck Gallagher.”

“He’s with… Colorado?”

Viv nods.

“So you’re, like, really connected.” My mind is blown. “How have we not met before? I mean, you play for Boston, and your family is in the league, and…”

Viv’s eyes dart to Rachel. “I don’t know.”

Right. Rachel. The whole reason I’m here.

“Let’s sit,” I remember her request, guiding her over to a loveseat sofa and armchair. To my surprise, when I sit down on the couch, she sits right beside me. “You okay?”

“A little overwhelmed,” Rachel admits. “I didn’t expect you and Viv to hit it off so well. I should have, though. You’re both athletes.”

Is it just my imagination, or does she sound bitter?

“Professional networking,” I tell her honestly. “It would be the same if you went to a conference for physicists, right?”

She shrugs. “It’s just… a lot.”

“Moving is a lot. I can’t imagine doing all of that today on top of all of this.” Waving my hand at the crowded bar, I take it all in. “If you’re not used to this…”

“I’m just wound up. I’ll relax,” Rachel says firmly.

“Okay. If you need any help with that, let me know.”

Her eyebrow arches up. “How would you help me relax?”

“I don’t know. Shoulder rub? You could soak in my tub?” I purposefully don’t mention my favorite form of naked stress relief. That would be inappropriate, as she said earlier. This little crush I have on her is going to be extremely inconvenient.

There needs to be boundaries. Just because I want there to be absolutely no barriers between our naked bodies doesn’t mean she feels the same. I can’t make her feel uncomfortable in her new home.

Rachel bites her lip. “Or…”

“Or?” My heart thumps loudly in my chest. She can’t be insinuating what I want her to be. Can she?

“Never mind,” she says, shaking her head.