Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
“He’s good. One of the kids on his hall had a birthday party this afternoon, so he went to that and got a tummy ache from eating too much cake.”
“That’s the type of thing you want to happen to him,” I say.
“Totally. And I FaceTimed him a few times from inside the arena. He got a kick out of that.”
“As soon as he’s able to come to a game, I’ll get both of y’all primo seats.”
Lilly glances up at me. “Where I was sitting wasn’t primo?”
I smirk back at her. “Not to see the game itself. I thought you’d appreciate seeing all the team action going on but if you want to see the game action better, you need to be up a little higher in club level or maybe from the owner’s box.”
“The owner’s box is far too extravagant for us,” Lilly exclaims with a laugh. I don’t reply but squeeze my biceps, which in turn squeezes her hand.
Weirdly, I think there’s nothing too extravagant for the likes of Lilly and her little brother. I barely know them but over the last week, I’ve found myself wanting to give them everything. Aiden, because he’s a good kid with a shit draw in life who’s quite the impressive fighter. And Lilly, because she’s a good woman working her ass off to take care of everyone else.
I give her the ten-cent tour as we walk around the bottom level, past the dressing room, the workout room and the coaches’ offices to the players’ garage. I don’t think twice about opening the passenger door for her but it makes me remember I was doing the same for her father just the night before.
Dropping him off at the rehab center for his medical detox was not easy. There were lots of tears on his part and he changed his mind a time or two before he signed the paperwork. I didn’t tell Lilly any of that and in fact, I lied to her. I told her it was easy and her dad was in a good place. He wasn’t, but she doesn’t need to know that and he’s not allowed to have external communication while he’s detoxing. The only exception is if there’s an emergency with Aiden, but otherwise he’s on his own getting through the withdrawal process with a team of capable medical professionals.
Lilly bombards me with questions about the game as we drive the short distance to Mario’s and I’m impressed by the leaps her brain takes, given she’s new to the sport. She asked if chemistry plays a part in how well a line plays together, can a penalty be a strategic psychological element to the game, and how we manage the line changes which look like utter chaos.
As we walk toward Mario’s, I realize I hadn’t thought to prepare Lilly about what to expect. She’s caught slightly off guard by the throng of fans waiting outside the doors, wanting pictures and autographs as the players walk in. Sometimes I oblige while other times I wait until I get inside so I can have a bit of a breather first.
With fans screaming and reaching out with their hands, without thought, I draw Lilly in close and put my arm around her shoulders as we enter the restaurant. I assure fans I’ll catch them later and as I glance down at Lilly, she looks a bit pale.
“Sorry,” I murmur low to her.
She shakes her head and laughs. “It’s fine. I think I just never realized you’re actually famous.”
Chuckling, I give her a squeeze and keep my arm around her shoulders as we wind to the back where a private area is blocked off for the team. I think nothing of keeping Lilly close to me and she appears comfortable with it, but I don’t miss the way a few of my teammates—Liam, Foster and Kirill, to be exact—pointedly stare at how she’s pulled into my side as we approach, most with looks of amusement.
My arm falls away and I wonder if I did something wrong. I’m a naturally affectionate guy and I feel protective of Lilly. I’ve become so immersed in deep issues with her, it didn’t feel wrong for me to put her hand in the crook of my elbow, or my arm around her shoulders or for me to grab her hand when she told me that Aiden’s transplant had taken.
“What’s up?” I say to the guys as we enter the roped-off area. I can’t help myself—my hand goes to Lilly’s back in case she’s nervous.
I introduce Lilly, and because my teammates are all good dudes, they immediately make her feel welcome. A waitress appears and we order beers. Foster pulls out a high-top stool for her to sit on and I move in next to her at the table.