Landon reaches over and squeezes Tate’s shoulder.
“We talked last night,” Levi says, “while you were passed out and then puking your guts up. We think we can make it work.”
“As long as you’re okay with the secrecy.”
“I’m in. All the way in,” I tell them.
Landon reaches over and takes my hand, his thumb tracing circles on my palm. “That’s what we were hoping you’d say.”
My hangover feels a hell of a lot more bearable now.
Instead of letting me sleep, I’m dragged to practice; apparently it’s a perk of dating the assistant coach. I think Tate may have been re-evaluating his choice when I walked downstairs in my brand-new hoodie with the slogan “Puck Me Dead” in bold letters across the front. I finished the outfit off with a pair of comfy sweats, a beanie, and oversized glasses.
Landon and Levi just laughed. Both know me well enough to realize I wouldn’t go easily, especially hungover.
But regret still hit me hard as we walk into the arena and the players stare at me and Tate holding hands. “They are going tothink you’re dating a hobo. Seriously, why did you let me leave the house like this?”
Levi laughs. “Because it’s funny, you look terrible, and see?” he says, pointing to the man walking toward us. “There is Tate’s big brother.”
“Good luck with that,” Landon says. “Time for us to head to the locker room.”
“Traitors,” I hiss under my breath, and both laugh as they walk away.
“Tater tot, who have we got here?”
Tate sighs. “Thomas, this is Abby. It’s new, and please don’t call me tater tot.”
“Sorry, old habits. It’s nice to meet you, Abby. I would say I have only heard good things, but my brother apparently likes to keep secrets.”
“It’s fairly new,” I say, wrapping my arm around Tate’s middle. “We have been enjoying getting to know each other. I’m so excited to see where Tate works, especially considering he’s already seen me at work.”
Before Thomas can say anything else, his phone buzzes. He pulls it out and glances at the screen.
“I need to take this,” he says, already stepping away. “Tate, you’re running training today. Don’t let the guys slack off.”
“Got it,” Tate replies, and Thomas waves goodbye to me as he disappears toward his office.
The moment he’s gone, Tate relaxes slightly beside me, and his hand finds the small of my back. “You can’t tell him what you do.”
“I wasn’t going to,” I say with a laugh. “Well, not exactly anyway. But content creation would have sufficed.”
Tate leads me into the arena as the players file out onto the ice. The moment they notice me standing there in an oversized hoodie, beanie, and massive sunglasses, the staring beginsagain. Levi winks at me as he circles around the ice, and Landon looks over at us and nods.
“Coach, your girl looks sad,” one of the younger players calls out.
“My girl has a hangover,” Tate says with a smirk on his face.
“Actually,” I say, stepping forward slightly, “your girl is waiting for warmups. I only came for the ice fucking.”
The entire team erupts in laughter. Several players actually stop what they’re doing to process what I said.
“Oh, Coach, are you not fucking her right?” another player shouts, and Tate’s hand tightens on my back.
I lean toward Tate, loud enough for the team to hear. “Oh no, he does this thing with his tongue...”
Tate’s face turns a shade of red that makes me giggle. “Okay, that’s enough, you bunch of perverts,” he snaps. “Get to it. We’ve got work to do.”
Before I head toward the stands, Tate pulls me close and kisses me. “Go,” he says against my lips. “Before they keep acting like teenage boys.”
