“Try me,” I challenge her.
“Okay, well, besides the snoring . . .” I roll my eyes and she giggles. “I’d have to say your strength in skating backward is average at best.”
“Excuse me?” I say, sitting up on my elbow so I can look down at her. “Okay, I thought you were going to say something like I make weird noises when I eat, but you’re going to lie there and insult my skating?”
“I warned you.” Her smile stretches across her face. It’s adorable. It’s refreshing. It makes me believe that we’re going to be just fine. That we could very much be good friends.
“There’s no way I believe you, not unless you have concrete evidence. I fell for the snoring, but I’m not going to believe you when it comes to my skating.”
“You do realize I grew up helping Pacey get to where he is, right? I spent many weekends out in the driveway shooting slapshot after slapshot at him until it was too dark to see anymore. I’ve also dated a few hockey players in the past, not to mention I’m an avid fan. I wouldn’t second-guess my knowledge. I know a lot more than you probably think.”
Uh . . . now I’m starting to think she’s actually serious.
Quietly, as if I say it too loud, the hockey gods might hear me, I say, “Wait, are you being serious? You really think my skating needs work?” When she just gives me a slight shrug, panic swirls in my chest. “Is it my weak calves? I fucking try to build them up as much as I can, but I can’t seem to make much of a dent without causing issues with my ankles. Do you think that’s it? Fucking weak-as-shit calves.”
She slowly brings the blanket up to her mouth, covering it from view. Why is she blocking her mouth? Why are her shoulders slightly shaking? Wait . . . is that a smile I see?
I tear the blanket away from her mouth to see a grin spread so far over her face that I actually gasp. I gasp way too loud, as if I just caught my lover cheating on me. But instead of a lover, it’s a new friend trying to shit on my hockey skills.
“I swear to God, woman, if you’re joking, I’m going to make sure your life is a living hell.”
She laughs now and brings the blanket up and over her head, shielding herself from my deathly glare. My eyes attempt to burn holes through the white sheets, but I fail miserably despite my brain playing tricks on me, making me think I see the start of some smoke.
“Penny Lawes, lower that blanket this once.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Penny . . .”
“May I remind you, I’m pregnant, with child, your child, and things I might say could be out of context. I can’t control the emotions.” She peeks over the top of the blanket. “You do have smaller calves.”
Nostrils flared, I slowly say, “I suggest you take that back, Miss Lawes, or you’re not going to like what happens next.”
“And what perchance is going to happen next?”
I give it some thought. Normally, if we were romantically involved, I’d do something like pin her down and claim her mouth, but we’re not going down that path, therefore, I need to hit her where it hurts.
“You know how there’s a whole cinnamon bun in the fridge?”
Her eyes widen with surprise. “You wouldn’t.”
I shrug. “I have no problem doing the dirty work. You know, unless you want to take what you said back . . .”
She rolls her eyes while lowering the blanket. “Fine, I was only kidding. But you do realize that you are quite perfect, and it’s annoying. Therefore, I need to find fault somewhere, even if it’s a lie.”
I lie back down and stare at the ceiling. I might seem perfect from the outside. I’m not going to lie here and say I’m not attractive. I know that I am—that’s not being conceited, it’s just facts. And my hockey skills are clearly good enough to warrant a starting position on a professional hockey team. And I’m a decently nice guy as well. But there’s a lot about me that is not perfect. I have my flaws, and I know them quite well.
But just because I have them doesn’t mean I need to bring them to Penny’s attention.
I loved my mom dearly, but growing up before she passed away, all I heard about was my father’s inadequacies and her frustrations with him. Penny seems like a good person, and I don’t think she’d do the same, but either way, I don’t want to feed her fodder.
I’d prefer to remain perfect in her mind.
“Well, keep looking for faults,” I say in a teasing tone. “I doubt you’ll find any.”
ChapterThirteen
PENNY
