Aiden moves his hand to the side of my face. “I hate this. It’s like we’re doing something wrong. How can this be wrong?”
“It’s not. It’s just unspoken hockey code we’re breaking. My dad thinks very highly of you. You wouldn’t have the A on your chest if he didn’t. This is going to be something he will have to get his head around once we tell him. Once he gets over the shock—and that this isn’t some hookup, that we’re pursuing a relationship—he’ll come around. We might have to stay secret through the holidays—to prove our feelings are real—but that will have to show him we’re serious.”
At least that is what I keep telling myself,I think anxiously.
Aiden doesn’t look convinced. “What are you thinking?” I ask.
“That I wouldn’t risk my reputation or my career like this for anyone but you,” he says. “But I know you’re worth the risk.”
I move up to kiss him, slowly and sweetly, feeling his unspoken promise that his words are real.
As are mine.
Chapter Sixteen
I’ve just finished getting ready to go to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving. We’re super casual, and sweatpants or anything with elastic is encouraged. It will be a small group this year, just Mom, Dad, and me, as it has been since Jamie and Ethan began their professional hockey careers.
I’ve put on a V-neck Miami Manatees T-shirt and a pair of black track pants with a stripe down the side. My hair is piled up in a messy bun, and there’s no makeup on my face. I’m ready for Mom’s cornbread dressing and mashed potatoes and gravy. As I told Aiden last night, I prefer a carb-forward Thanksgiving meal. Don’t give me any green beans. Or a salad. I want to eat a stupid amount of dressing and potatoes, lots of gravy, a little bit of turkey, and a big slice of chocolate pecan pie.
I can feel a smile forming on my lips the second Aiden comes to mind. He’s been on the road for hockey this week, and I’m so glad he’s home again. Luckily it was an East Coast road trip, so we were on the same time zone, and I was able to stay up late so we could talk after games.
Today, he’s having Thanksgiving with Wyatt and Archer Reeves, a single forward on the second line, and they’re heading out to a restaurant. But tonight is when I get to celebrate with Aiden. We’re going to have leftovers and pie, our own little Thanksgiving, and I can’t wait to spend more time with him.
I also have a little surprise for him. I went out and bought a fake Christmas tree, white lights, and lots of ornaments. I’ve never had a Christmas tree before in my own place, so I thought it would be fun for us to decorate it together.
I round up Mochi and Matcha, putting them back in their condo, and get ready to go. As I’m walking out the door, my phone buzzes, and I look at the screen to see Mom texted me:
Sweetie, have you left yet? Any way you can swing by the store? It should be deserted today, not the chaos that it was earlier this week.
I enter the elevator and type back:
Mom, I’d be willing to go through chaos for you. What do you need?
Mom is typing …
I somehow forgot the cranberry jelly in a can that is the only kind your dad will eat. That’s it.
I know Dad loves the cranberry sauce that slides out of the can in one big blob with ridges.
I reply:
Consider it done.
Ding!
The elevator reaches the parking garage level, and I step out, making my way to my car. I slip behind the wheel and head toward the supermarket that is on the way to their house. I easily find a parking space, and as I’m about to get out of the car, I get a text from Aiden, which I quickly read:
STILL WAITING ON WYATT.
I grin at that. Wyatt is always late, and Aidenhatesbeing late. It’s one of the many things I’ve learned during our video chats and text conversations.
Brooks is typing …
Are you at your parents’ house?
I reply:
Nope. I’m about to pop into the supermarket and get the cranberry jelly that slides out of the can in one piece for my dad.
