Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
I wonder if Danica was invited. Coen had been going to the support group meetings this year and his friendship with her has strengthened. While Dani would never tell me anything Coen or any other member of the group shared with her in confidence, she’s told me on more than one occasion how much she loves talking to Coen and getting to know him better.
Yeah… surely he invited her. So I’ll be able to see her.
Because it’s not like I can bring her as my date. That’s the can of worms I’m not interested in opening right now.
Or should we open it?
I pull out my phone and send her a quick text. You awake?
I am, she replies.
“I’ll be right back,” I say, not really to anyone at our table but I assume they heard me.
I wind through the crowd to the exit and as soon as I step outside, I dial Danica. It’s freezing out here, so I huddle against the building until she answers.
“Hey, you,” she says softly when the line connects. “You played amazing tonight. I’m so proud of you.”
I try to ignore how good her words make me feel, like a little puppy jumping for joy. “Thanks. Travis make it through the entire game?”
“Conked out in the middle of the third period,” she says with a low laugh. “But when I put him to bed, I told him you won.”
I can imagine his reaction. I’ve come to learn this week just how geeked out Travis gets with hockey. We’ve played online together a few times, most recently last night. Travis had some sort of school function they had to go to, which is why I couldn’t see Danica, but after they got home, he and I played together. I never thought something like that would be so fun, but we play in a server with kids Travis’s age and most of them are trash-talkers to the max. None of them know who I am as Travis and I agreed to keep it secret, just so people wouldn’t get distracted.
It’s hilarious when I’m the one trying to sound like a kid dumping on another and I don’t understand half of what they’re saying. Some kid last night let loose a few curse words at Travis, and I kind of lost my shit on him. Told him I’d kick his ass if he didn’t lay off. Apparently, Travis told Danica and she texted me later a rolling eyes emoji with Try to be the mature one, okay?
“I thought you were going to Mario’s tonight,” Danica says, cutting into my thoughts about her kid.
“I was. I mean I am. I stepped outside to call you.”
“That’s nice,” she murmurs. “I was getting ready to go to sleep.”
I rub hard at the back of my neck. Danica under the covers, all warm and snuggly, is something I’d very much like to see right now. I fucked her so hard yesterday, we’ll both be feeling it for days to come, but it wasn’t enough to take away the ache for her. If she invited me over right now, I’d ditch everyone and go.
But she won’t because she can’t. We can’t do anything like that with Travis in the house and we both know it.
I try to sound casual when I ask about what I really want to know. “Are you going to Tillie and Coen’s housewarming party next Saturday?”
“I think so,” she says, and I can hear the smile. “I’m trying to set up a babysitter. I assume you’re going.”
“Yeah.” And I’m feeling all kinds of weird about it. How will I act around her when surrounded by my teammates? Do we ignore each other?
I guess we’ll have a practice run tomorrow night at the gala. That will be such a huge event, I probably won’t even see Danica other than in passing. But an intimate team gathering at Coen’s house? Well, that’s going to be tough.
“So listen…” Danica says, but the tentative tone sets me on edge, “I’m going to be staying at the hotel tomorrow night after the gala since I intend to have a few drinks. Travis is staying overnight at his friend’s house.”
My shoulders relax even as my dick jumps. “What are you suggesting?”
“Well,” she drawls coyly and I can almost envision her twisting a lock of hair around her finger. “Maybe you can do a sleepover with me.”
“We’d get no sleeping done,” I point out.
“Of that, I’m sure. But I know we can find plenty to keep us occupied.” God, she has no idea all the things I want to do to her, and tomorrow we’ll have all night to figure it out. “I have to leave early in the morning to get Travis to hockey practice.”
“Care if I come?” I ask. We’re at a weird stage where I don’t know if it’s cool to ask such things. “I could see how he’s playing and give him some advice if—”