Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
The worst part for me was not knowing.
I didn’t know how to protect her when I was gone.
I didn’t know what Nate was planning next.
I didn’t even know if Sawyer was physically capable of protecting her when I couldn’t.
And more than any of that, I didn’t know what the fuck she and I were going to do moving forward. The only thing I’d gotten her to agree to was that she wouldn’t leave without telling me. So basically, we were in a holding pattern.
I was grumpy about it as we got to the arena in Colorado for our morning skate. We’d left St. Louis yesterday and I’d spent most of the night tossing, turning, and worrying. The threat from Nate was real now that I knew the details. It scared me, which said something, because I wasn’t the type of man who was easily frightened.
“Who pissed in your cornflakes?” Boone asked as I dropped down into a split, stretching out my legs. “You’re even grumpier now than you were before you started hooking up with Lucy.”
I narrowed my eyes. “We are not hooking up,” I told him. “We are dating. Is not the same.”
His eyebrows rose. “Yeah? You gettin’ serious with Sawyer’s sister?”
“For real?” Of course, Rory heard us and joined the conversation. “Damn, bro, you’ve got balls of steel, dating a teammate’s sister.”
I rolled my eyes at them. “We are adults. You are ridiculous.”
“I would cut your balls off if it was my sister,” Lars interjected from behind me.
I groaned, shaking my head.
“The bigger question,” Nash said, skating up next to us, his face full of mischief. “Is what are you getting her for Christmas?”
Four pairs of eyes turned to me and I frowned. Why were they looking at me like that?
“Why are you looking at me like this?” I demanded, getting to my feet and rolling my neck.
“He has no clue,” Boone said, laughing.
“Dude.” Rory shook his head. “Even I know you gotta buy the girl you’re currently getting horizontal with something for Christmas.”
“We’re new,” I protested, looking from one to the other, an uneasy feeling washing through me. For Rory and Nash, the two biggest pranksters on the team, to be on board with whatever this was, it probably meant they were serious.
“Are they fucking with me?” I demanded from Boone when Coach blew the whistle, indicating we needed to start drills.
“A little,” Boone nodded. “But only a little. Christmas is a big deal. Don’t you celebrate Christmas?”
“Yes, but…” I wasn’t sure how to explain my views on Christmas and religion. “We had no money for gifts or decorations or anything when I was growing up, and I don’t practice any religion now.”
“It doesn’t have to be about religion,” he said gently. “It’s about family. Tradition. Friends. The thought you put into a special gift for a special person, whether it’s your dad or your girlfriend or one of your kids. Lots of nonreligious people celebrate Christmas because it makes people feel good. That’s why people donate so much to charity around the holidays too. At the risk of sounding like a sap, it’s what’s in here—” He tapped his gloved hand over his chest. “And it sounds to me like she’s in there too.” He winked and skated over to join his line.
“Don’t let them get under your skin,” Wes said, sitting beside me as he waited for one of our equipment managers to finish adjusting one of his skates.
“I don’t know what to get her,” I admitted. “I did not even think about Christmas.”
“Well, you haven’t been together long, so we’re not talking about diamonds or anything like that. I think something more personal. Maybe plane tickets for the two of you to get away during the All-Star break, or something like that.”
I didn’t know where Lucy would be by the time February rolled around, but I couldn’t say that to Wes.
“My main piece of advice is this,” he said, getting up and testing his weight on his skate. “Don’t listen when they say they don’t want or need anything. Because even if it’s true, they still want that surprise under the tree. Trust me on this. It’s not about the money you spend, but the thought you put into it.”
Fucking great.
I had tons of money.
I had much less in the way of creativity.
I was going to need some help coming up with the perfect gift for Lucy.
After a frustrating loss in Colorado, we flew to San Jose. We’d just gotten to the arena when Coach Gizzard came in followed by a familiar-looking man in a suit.
“Gentleman!” Coach whistled. “I’d like you to welcome Hudson Granger to the team. With Sawyer taking an extended bereavement leave, we’ve been light on defense. The trade went through this morning and he’ll be in the lineup tonight. Please make him feel at home.”