Page 27 of He Has Game (Boston Brawlers Hockey)
Putting two fingers in my mouth, I let out a seriously loud whistle. It works. The two men startle and sit up. Finn jumps to his feet and there’s a small trickle of blood seeping from his lip. My concern is immediate, worried about his pain. It’s closely followed by worry about whether he’ll be able to kiss me tonight or not.
Yes, I’m that far gone into naughty-land.
He grins at me, then scowls, putting a hand to his mouth where it’s cut. “That was quite a whistle you got there, Vivvie. You a referee in a past life?”
“In a manner of speaking. Does that cut hurt? Let me get a cloth.”
“Hey, what about me?” Aiden rises to his feet. “I’ll be lucky if I can see out of this eye tonight.”
“Serves you right,” Finn says. “Don’t go sharing personal information that’s not yours to share.”
Aiden nods and for the first time I see a serious expression.
“I am sorry, Vivvie.”
“Vivian to you,” Finn says. “I’m the only one who gets to call her Vivvie.” Then he takes a deep breath and we exchange a glance. I nod. This is as good a time as any to tell our big fat lie.
“She’s my . . . we’re engaged. To be married.” He stops and I notice his face tighten up like he’s struggling not to take all the words back.
Aiden stands mute, frozen as if he’s been shocked into silence, because he apparently has been.
Hearing Finn tell another person aloud shocks me. Worse, it makes my heart flutter and I reflexively put my hand over my chest to calm it, take a deep breath. Finn turns to me and his face softens a modicum. Then he leans in and all I see is his face getting close, his mouth heading for mine, until his lips touch, gingerly, but hot and commanding and promising.
I end the kiss because his mouth needs another kind of attention. “Let’s get you fixed up,” I say and head down the hall, confident I’ll find a bathroom somewhere. Equally confident he’ll follow me. That notion makes my step lighter and gives me another flutter, this one in my gut.
* * *
The callto my parents is awkward, but I get through it with Finn at my side and in spite of Aiden pacing around, laughing intermittently. He’s in disbelief, but not the suspicious kind. The happy kind, because the guy’s actually happy for Finn, for us.
It takes some strong-arming, but between Aiden and me, we convince Finn to call his mother to tell her. His plan had been to have Ham tell her. In the end, his mom doesn’t answer the phone and he leaves a voice mail. Not ideal, but we’re short on time.
Telling Ham is easy. He’s nonchalant and all business and not more than mildly surprised, more at the timing than the engagement.
“You work fast,” Ham said. “I’ll see what we can do with it. Did you tell your mother?”
“I left a message. But not my number, so she’ll probably be calling you.”
“Thanks for that.” Ham is only mock angry, Finn assures me, because he loves confrontation but he’s always cool too.
I could use some of that cool after Finn walks me back home and leaves me at my door. He needs to get to the Garden to suit up and warm up before the game. I need to pull myself together. And tell my best friend, Grace. In person. In about an hour when she gets here because she’s coming to the game with me tonight.
