Costy cuts me off, “I might have already told them all today … that you guys knew each other when you were young.”
I roll my eyes again. Unbelievable. These guys are the worst gossipers in the world.
“I’m just hurt I didn’t find out first.” Matty pouts, and I jokingly shove him.
Coach clears his throat, basically telling me to hurry the hell up.
“I’ve got to get back though. She’ll be there soon with her suitcases.”
“Plural?” Matty smirks. “So, she’s moving in?”
“No.” Although I’m not mad at the thought of her never leaving.
“All right, boys, you can continue the interrogation later.” Coach saves me from their questioning.
“Should we interrogate you instead? How is it that you and your wife met again?” Matty—who has gotten a lot sassier as of late–asks with a maddening smirk.
Coach glares at him, deadpan. His wife is Brett’s older sister, and their relationship caused quite a stir when it surfaced. “I’ll bench you.”
We all burst out laughing, and the guys slowly skate back out onto the ice before I turn back down the tunnel and head back out to where my driveris waiting for me.
Lainey calls out for me from my bedroom upstairs. “Jensen!”
I look back at Auriella, and she nods, telling me that she’s ready for us.
“Ready when you are.”
“Perfect. Thank you.” I turn back to the staircase and shout, “Okay! You can come down!”
I sort of told her she had to stay in that room for the last hour while Auriella prepared our meal. To be fair, I kept Lainey company up until the last ten minutes.
“That smells so good,” she hums as she turns at the top of the staircase and descends toward me.
God, she is so beautiful. It doesn’t matter how many times I see her; I’m still in awe. Those hypnotizing eyes, those soft dimples on her cheeks when she deeply smiles—they are perfection.
Sheis perfection, every inch of her. Every blemish and scar, some of which I still need to know more about, particularly the one on her neck. But I’m patient, and I know that she’ll tell me when she’s ready.
Her gaze shifts to the kitchen as she steps into the big, open living space.
She whispers to me as she steps down onto the floor, “Who is that?” She pauses, squinting her eyes. “Did you get a chef?”
I chuckle at her sassy tone. “Yeah. Is that okay with you?”
She glares at me for a moment until those pretty blues soften. “Hi. I’m Lainey,” she introduces herself.
Auriella nods, her hands busy. “It’s great to meet you. I’m Auriella. If you guys want to have a seat, I’ll bring the appetizer out to you.”
Lainey’s eyes light up as she sees the crab-stuffed mushrooms. “Oh God, yes, please.”
Leaving me in the dust, she rushes over to the dining table and sits down, a guilty look crossing her face when she looks back at me. But it dissipates quickly.
I can’t help but chuckle. “I’m glad you’re excited.”
She sighs and squeals, “Are you kidding? This is going to beamazing. Ugh, I needed this today.”
I sit down next to her, quietly setting my crutches on the ground as Auriella approaches with the mushrooms, handing us each two smaller plates to dish them up on. “Enjoy. Dinner will be out shortly.”
“Thank you,” Lainey coos, and I also thank her before she heads back to the kitchen.
