“Why?”
“Because right now I could be with you and this could all be real.”
He wanted nothing more than to kiss that pout off her face. “Babe, if you were here right now you’d have been fucking a lot more than my hand, that much I can tell you.”
She swallowed. “When do you come back from the road?”
“Two nights.”
“Am I going to see you?” she whispered, very softly.
“More than you might want to,” he answered hoarsely. He ached to reach through the smartphone and touch her, lean in and press his forehead to hers, devour her vanilla scent.
“That’s impossible. And I’ll watch you play tomorrow night. You’ve got this.”
He inhaled sharply. “As long as I’ve got you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Margot watched the Denver/Kansas City game from a Watering Holebar stool beside Breezy. When the game ended with a Hellions win, they’d broken into cheers, falling into each other’s arms. The atmosphere of the room was electric, the fans stomping their feet and pumping their fists.
The long lockout had sucked for any self-respecting hockey fan, dragged out over the holidays and into the miserable cold of January. At last there was light. And a win.
And best of all...
“Patch kept his cool! Did you see it? Did you see?” Margot cried, nearly knocking Breezy off her kitten heels.
“I think the team’s back on track,” Breezy said. “Finally.”
“Looks like Westie wasn’t the only magic on the team.” She nudged her friend’s ribs.
“Ha.” Breezy gave a good-natured grin before taking a gulp of water. “You know Jed doesn’t believe all that hype, right?”
“Of course not. Because Jed West isn’t just Mister Hockey, he’s Mister Awesome. And humble. And let’s face it, practically perfect in every way.”
Breezy sighed. “He really is, isn’t he?”
“Are you ready to be Mrs. West?”
She waved her hands. “It’s crazy to think a year ago we were probably right here, and I was probably ogling him on the screen, never dreaming that he... that we...” She heaved her shoulders in a happy shrug, lost for words.
“Bet it was the night we stole that cardboard cutout of him from here.”
Breezy groaned. “I still can’t believe we did it.”
Margot sipped her IPA. “Is it strange, having the fantasy come to life?”
“Sometimes, yes,” Breezy said honestly. “But I can’t explain it. As soon as we were around each other he stopped being this untouchable idea, and became a regular guy.”
“I don’t know if I’d say regular. I mean, he’s got the heart of a Boy Scout and the body of a Greek god.”
“I still don’t know what I did right to deserve him,” Breezy said with a smile.
Margot smiled back. “I do. You were your awesome self.”
“Aw, you’re the greatest friend.” Breezy seized her and gave her a bear hug.
“I meant to apologize for freaking out the other day. I was a mess, but you weren’t the place to put it.”
