Andrew didn’t pull her aside, he didn’t wait.
He did it right here in front of everybody. I clear my throat and sit up straighter, suddenly aware of everyone’s eyes in the room.
Ronan just grins and gives me a thumbs up.
Alli picks up her drink and takes a sip. She’s still sitting close enough that our arms stay pressed together. Her warmth on my side is all I can focus on as they lobby questions at her.
“So instead of June he’s going to be retiring in March! Two months!” Her eyes are wide and shining.
It’s not long before celebratory drinks are flowing and soon turn into celebratory shots. We all got carried away. Even Jordan, the captain, is plastered. I’m not sure who suggested karaoke or how we got that rolling in the hotel bar, but Jordan and Ryan have sung Mr Boomtastic twice. Ronan isn’t sticking to a single genre and Lord, he’s terrible. Thankfully he disappears for some drunken side quest and Jordan goes with him to make sure he doesn’t get lost. He’s just as drunk so if anything, they’ll get lost together.
“Okay, Texas. Your turn.” Allison slurs, slapping a palm on my chest with a grin. “Let’s hear it.”
“No ma’am. I said I can play guitar, not sing.” My voice comes out deeper than usual, showing how gone I am. I’m leaning against the wall for support and Alli is leaning on me to stay upright.
“Ooh. I like that. Gonna make you call me ma’am all the time, cowboy.” Her fingers play with the collar of my shirt. My eyes find her lips, mesmerized by their shape. The perfectly pink cupid's bow that I want to lick.
“Yes ma’am.” My voice is nearly unrecognizable, even to me. Her half-lidded eyes widen slightly, pink lips parting slightly on an exhale.
“Texas! Your turn!” Fitz calls after he finishes up his song. Reluctantly, I stumble onto the stage. I scan through the song choices, choosing a familiar one. As the music to Nothing on You by Cody Johnson starts up, my eyes find Alli. She’s in the front, drink in hand, swaying along with Emalyn. Everything but those pretty eyes fade away. As I start to sing the lyrics, it feels like it’s only us in the world.
Chapter 28- Tate
The last few weeks have been… a near fantasy. Alli has only shown me how much my life was missing her. We sneak back and forth between our houses, finding every excuse to visit while the boys play together.
Sometimes we steal kisses or a quick brush of her hands across my abs as she passes me. Subtle looks thrown at me in the middle of throwing a baseball with the kids. The other day, that one had resulted in us sneaking away to make out like teenagers in the kitchen. I’d grabbed her ass and set her on the kitchen island while I devoured her mouth. Thankfully I heard the kids coming and pretended to be digging out an imaginary splinter from her hand.
She made me watch some new hockey romance show on her ipad during the flight to Texas. I get what Ronan meant when he said it isn’t really about hockey. I still found myself enjoying it with her.
Now, the boys are crashed in Matty’s room at our Texas ranch house. They didn’t even take their shoes off before falling into their beds. Even Rambo curled up on the bed with Hudson and fell right asleep. Yes, of course, I hadanother bed ordered and set up for Huddy before we got here.
Alli does a full leisurely spin as she enters the house. It isn’t massive, but it’s a decent size home that my dad and brothers helped me build back when I’d first been signed.
There are some detailed woodworking and exposed beams. We outsourced some things like electrical. I watch her run her hand over the soft blanket folded over the couch.
“So… what should we do now?” Alli asks with a suggestive lift of her eyebrow and sets her purse down on the coffee table. That’s all it takes for me to throw her over my shoulder and march her up the stairs. I smack her ass to quiet her when she starts giggling too loudly.
When we make it to my room, I toss her onto the king bed. Her golden hair fans out around her head like a halo as she bounces twice, a grin lighting up her face.
“Good Lord, you look like an angel in my bed.” I climb onto the bed, holding myself over her, delighting in the way her hands instantly rake into my hair. My eyes roll back into my head, a rumble of appreciation bubbling out of my chest.
“I love when you do that.”
“Mhm, I can tell,” She whispers and does it again. Honestly, I’m no better than the puppy always trying to get her to scratch his head withher nails. “I can’t wait to meet the rest of your family. Will you tell me more about them?”
“Mm... Four of us.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. Scotty, then me. Then mom married Owen. They had Presley and Levi. You met Presley.”
“Yea, I absolutely love her. She’s a firecracker. Has she always been that way?”
“Yes. Drives mom kinda crazy. Levi. He’s graduating high school next year. He gets into all kinds of trouble with his friends.”
“Sounds like you from what I heard.” She teases, tracing a finger down my nose. I pretend to nip at it. “What about Scotty?”
A breath escapes me as I roll onto my side and run a hand through my hair.
