I wink. “See you soon.”
* * *
The plane ride to NYC is less than three hours, but that’s plenty of time for an entire team of hockey players to let loose. Our coaching staff sits up at the front of the private plane and goes over game plans, and we players fill up the rest of the plane. Our owner is a young billionaire named Noah Watts, and he’s pulled out all the stops to make sure New Orleans’s new hockey team is well taken care of.
From the brand-new arena with trendy retail stores built around the venue to the private plane that Noah supposedly bought on his own dime, our team is a lucky group. Having our own plane is a luxury I didn’t experience with my last team, and traveling on road trips with a chartered plane was always hit or miss. In New Orleans, we’ve got the same plane for every trip, and the seats and amenities provide ridiculous comfort, not to mention a smooth ride.
But today, I’m not thinking about much other than what it will be like to return home to Winter.
Return home to Winter.
That phrase has a nice ring to it, but I know I can’t get used to what we’re doing. I’ve never been able to hold down a relationship, and Winter’s made it clear her heart is still on Broadway.
“Hey, Hunt.” Dean beckons to me from where he, Wyatt, and Murph are seated around a table with Lincoln Pitt, our rookie right winger.
Lincoln’s a keep-to-himself kind of guy, which I appreciate. He nods at me silently and then goes back to shuffling the deck of cards in his hands.
“We’re playing poker.” Murph tips his chin at me. “Want in?”
I sink down into a seat across from them.
“So.” Murph waits until I’ve been dealt a hand before starting in with, “You and your housemate.”
“I already told you and Liam and everyone else in town to fuck off,” I tell him. “If you so much as say one word about Winter, I’ll…”
“Hey, calm down, Hunt.” Murph signals that he’ll hold on his hand, and then he turns to me. “I love Winter. We grew up together, too, remember? I just want to make sure she’s not too much of a distraction for you.”
“You’re just being a nosy fucker like always,” I tell him.
He grins. “Maybe. So how’s it going between you two?”
I call and toss my cards on the table. “Winter and I are just catching up. It’s casual.”
What’s going on between Winter and me is far from casual, but my off-handed remark manages to shut Murph up for the rest of the flight.
And when we land, I can’t stop myself from texting her.
Thx for letting me know you arrived safe,she writes back.
How are you and Theo?
Warmer than you probably are in the northeast. I don’t miss February in NYC.
You want me to pick you up anything while I’m here? Something you miss?
I don’t think you can fit a Broadway stage in your travel bag, she jokes.
You must miss it a lot. Somehow, being apart like this, I feel like she’ll be more open with me.
I wait as the white dots flash while she types.
When her answer comes through, it surprises me.
I don’t miss a lot of it, tbh.
To be honest. She’s really serious about this.
Before I can think of a response, another text comes through.
