Page 54 of He Has Charm (Boston Brawlers Hockey)
“Were those your earmuffs he snagged? He’s so weird, insisting they belong to someone he knows when we busted his balls about picking up fluffy earmuffs.” I’m turning pink and hoping Katy understands hand signals as I squeeze her hand in an effort to tell her to keep quiet. It works.
“Oh sure. They’re cute, aren’t they?” I say.
O’Rourke nods and I see when he notices Katy’s wearing a hat and I’m not, his smile widens and he doesn’t call me out on it. This is a night of miracles. A hat trick and people keeping their mouths shut about me and Maddox for a change.
“Knight’s going to be a while with the press, being he’s the star of the night,” O’Rourke says.
“We’re going to have to work hard to keep this from gong to his head,” Katy says, her smile still breaking her face.
After introductions to Finn, Rafe, and Aiden, Maddox finally appears and finds our cluster. He throws his arms around both Katy and me and I hug them both back. It’s only a little awkward when he releases us. At least a dozen people come and go, thumping him on the back and congratulating him while the guys discuss going out.
They insist on taking the Mad Knight out to celebrate his hat trick. It’s perfectly natural. The right thing to do.
“I don’t know, guys,” he says. “I have this moratorium on going out to bars and drinking.”
“One beer,” Finn says.
“We’ll go to Sullivan’s Tap,” O’Rourke says, “They have pool tables.” He winks at Maddox. Maddox looks interested. He grabs my arm.
“What about it, su—Harper? Just one beer, like Finn said.”
“Let’s do it,” I say. He looks surprised, like he expected he’d have to fight me. I give him a friendly hip check. “I’m not an ogre. I’m not Delaney.” He laughs and a couple of the guys snicker.
“Who’s Delaney?” Katy says.
“Did I hear my name?”Shit. The unmistakable voice of the ballbuster herself comes from behind me and I whip around to see her moving fast. “Congratulations, Knight. Hat trick is exactly what we needed to take the edge off. Consider your probation lifted—partially. For tonight.” She looks around at the knot of players and me and Katy.
“Thanks, Delaney. This is my sister Katy,” Maddox says. “Chaperone reinforcements for the night. I’m sure I’ll manage to stay out of trouble.” She nods and then takes off, tearing through the crowd, destination unknown, but definitely on a mission.
“So that’s Delaney,” Katy says. “Got it.” The others laugh, but I’m half worried she’s left behind a bug to spy on us. Could be paranoia, could be the measure of my respect for the ballbuster
* * *
After a night with more pool than beer, we got home at a decent hour because Katy started to fade. This morning is quiet with coffee and muffins from the diner down the street. No one feels like cooking and we’re in a collective self-indulgent mood.
But I did get Maddox an omelet with vegetables and no cheese to keep him on a healthy diet. He cheats and grabs a muffin out of the box. I smile, but I’m worried too, because I know something’s not right.
The front doorbell rings and Maddox insists on answering it, unconcerned about media or others tracking him down. He comes back to the kitchen with a package.
“It’s for you,” he says, and hands it to me. He darts a worried glance at his sister, but then focuses every ounce of the considerable charm of his baby blue eyes on me. He slides the package across the island toward me. “Open it, sugar buns,” he says softly.
My heart kicks into overdrive and I stare at the box a beat, unable to fathom what it could possibly be. The plain brown box has no markings or clues on the outside, but it’s clear he got me something, a gift. Am I reading too much into this? It doesn’t matter. Anticipation knots in my belly and sends adrenaline through my blood stream.
With shaky hands, I cut the tape open with a knife and open the flaps. My heart thumps louder and I take a deep breath to get myself under control.
“This is exciting,” Katy says. “A surprise gift.” She shoots me a reassuring glance and I accept it. I can’t look at Maddox right now because I’m afraid that would make my heart explode. He says nothing, but I can feel the hum of his energy beside me, the connection between us revving me up and keeping me grounded at the same time. I peel back the layers of brown paper and reach inside. I grab onto something and I know immediately what it is.
“Oh my god, Maddox! You didn’t!” I pull the shoe from the box by the stiletto heel and hold it up. The signature red sole shines and I jump from my seat, tears springing to my eyes.
Katy screeches. “Tell me that is not a pair of Christian Louboutin Pigalle Follies!”
I throw my arms around Maddox, who’s busy laughing, and I may have stabbed him in the back with the heel in the process, but he hugs me back without complaint. We stand there hugging for a few beats before the excitement over the new shoes is quickly replaced by being in his arms, up against his amazing rock-solid body with all those powerful muscles under my fingertips and sliding over my body. And I can definitely say that these shoes are nothing compared to that warm breath against my temple, the words he’s whispering in my ear.
“I’m so glad you like my gift. I wanted to please you, to do something nice for you, because you’ve been doing so much for me.” Then he kisses my hair. “So sweet,” he says.
And I almost collapse against him, my knees buckling with the kind of swoon I would never guess was possible and especially not for me.
