Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
It’s North who checks his watch, claiming he has to get going.
“I can’t thank you all enough for what you’ve done today,” my mom says, her emotion evident. “It’s more than I could have asked for.”
“It was our pleasure, Natalie,” King says, and the others nod in agreement, their faces authentically happy at being able to help.
“We should be heading out,” Rafferty says as he stands from the love seat. “But we’ll be around if you need anything else,” he adds, and to my surprise, moves to my mom for a hug.
She returns it from her recliner, patting him on the shoulder. “You take good care of my girl.”
“The best,” he promises.
More flutters in my belly.
I walk the guys to the door, feeling a mix of relief and regret at their departure. The air is crisp as we step onto the porch, the afternoon sun casting long shadows across the yard. I stand beside Rafferty on the top step, his friends waiting on the lawn for us to say our goodbyes.
“Thank you so much for the help. That was very kind. Especially putting up the tree. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to get it down.”
“That was nothing,” he assures me. “The guys really like you, by the way.”
I tilt my head with a smirk. “How can you be sure?”
“Trust me, I know.” He chuckles, his eyes roaming my face. “What’s not to like?”
The sound of a school bus braking sharply at the end of our driveway cuts through the quiet and our heads turn that way. Cooper hops off, his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder. He immediately locks onto the group of large men in our yard and his steps falter, eyes wide as he takes in the scene.
He’s a Titans fan so I know he recognizes all of them.
His mouth falls open and I look at the bus as it pulls away, faces pressed to the windows all staring agog.
“Hey, bud,” I say, quickly descending the steps to his side. I drape an arm around his shoulders and give him a reassuring squeeze. “These are my new friends.”
Cooper’s mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air, clearly starstruck by his hockey heroes standing in our front yard. Rafferty steps down from the porch, his approach gentle and friendly.
“Hey there, Cooper. I’m Rafferty,” he says, extending his hand. “Your sister has been telling us a lot about you. Huge fan, right?”
Cooper nods mutely, finally managing a small “Hi.”
The other guys come over, introducing themselves with smiles and friendly pats on the back, making sure Cooper feels included. His initial shock slowly transforms into a grin as he realizes these are actually Titans players here at his house.
“This is the best day ever,” he exclaims. “I’m going to call Danny and tell him to get over here.”
Cooper starts to pull away, but I grab him by the collar. “Not so fast, buddy. They have to leave.”
His expression falls but Rafferty puts a hand on his shoulder. “Hey Cooper, we’ve got a game tomorrow night against the New York Phantoms. How would you, your friend Danny and your sister like to come watch?”
“Really?” Cooper practically shrieks, then looks to me with absolute pleading in his eyes. “Can we go, Tempe?”
“I have to work,” I say, but seeing the near devastation on his face, I reconsider. “But I’ll see if I can get someone to cover my shift.”
Besides… it won’t hurt me to miss one day with the money I’m making from Rafferty.
“Awesome!” he yells, pumping his fist in the air. “I’m going to go tell Mom.”
We all watch as he runs into the house screaming “Mom!” at the top of his lungs.
Rafferty laughs, his attention settling on me. “I’m glad you’re coming. I’ll leave tickets for you at will call. Just show up and they’ll be waiting.”
“All right. Thank you.”
And then to my surprise, Rafferty leans in and gives me a quick kiss on my cheek. I have to resist the urge to touch my skin there… it’s positively tingling.
The guys wave to me and Rafferty follows them to the vehicles, giving me one last smile. I watch as they pull away and then head into the house.
Cooper is at the door, barely letting me in before he starts a barrage of word salad. “Tempe, they were really here, weren’t they? I mean… that was Rafferty Abrams, Atlas Karolak, North Paquette, Foster McInnis and Jack Kingston, all here at our house? And they saw the Titans poster in my room and they signed it! I hope they know I’m a real fan. I should have impressed them with some stats I have memorized, but it was all so crazy. They set up the Christmas tree. Can we decorate it tonight? And—”
“Whoa buddy. Slow down before you run out of air,” I say with a laugh.