“Well, HadleySpears, sometimes a clear shot appears, and you take it.” He returns my tone.
I’ll let him off on the hockey reference because the sport is part of the blueprint of who he is, and I don’t mind. I kiss the corner of his mouth, nothing too sensual; it would be respectable enough for my grandparents, but it drives this man crazy.
Giving us some space, I retreat and decide to get our conversation moving and enjoy this picnic that is in a prime location for the upcoming sunset to the west. “You’ll always play for the Spinners?”
He shrugs before he reaches to the side for a bottle of wine. “My contract is actually for one more year. I’m an unrestricted free agent which means next year it’s about the right contract and whichever team offers it. I would like to stay with the Spinners, but I’m not sure my prospects are great. Nobody here wants me to be captain considering my family connection to the team. Careerwise, it will be better if I find a new team.”
Oh, away from Lake Spark.
I touch his shoulder to comfort him while he works on the bottle, because he has talent, and it would be a loss if people thought only of potential bias. “I can see that… uhm… I guess your wife would follow you where your team would be?” I never thought about that, and I’m not questioning why I seem invested in the topic, but then again, a timeline kind of vanished somewhere in my head.
His fingers still on the bottle mid-pour. “I would hope so. Then again, I travel for more than half the games. Hockey is a lot more grueling on the schedule than other sports.”
“Yet you want a dog,” I state the obvious.
“Between our families, I’m confident he would have plenty of places to stay and be happy, even if I’m away. It’s better than living at the shelter.”
“You really want him, huh?” I have to gush because Connor is like a kid waiting for Santa, and it’s all for the sake of saving a cute dog. Some people would call that being a man of character or having a heart of gold, and in this case, it’s all true.
He gives me a pointed look. “Even if you want me crucified, I know you would take care of him.”
“Kind of correct. I’m used to hectic families, with pets included.”
Connor hands me a glass of red wine. “It’s kind of cool.”
I nod. “Considering I don’t have many cousins, then yes, I’m lucky that our little family provided the full effect. Twins run in my father’s side, but he lost his twin brother young. My mom was an only child, though.”
He pauses for a second and looks at me with interest. “Twins? So, we’re having like ten kids.” He looks into his glass of wine, nearly somber.
“Whoa, relax, twins means two, not ten, and I’m still years away from wanting to swell my ankles to push out a baby or three. But anyway, I guess you and I are family people. Didn’t Violet make you godfather to her daughter?”
His brows bounce. “I’m sure she and Declan argued over that one, but yeah, I’m Willow’s godfather. Happy to be the stellar influence she needs.” He isn’t afraid to put himself in a different light if it means humor.
Connor’s soft smile returns. “We have something else in common.” He holds out his glass for a toast. “We now have the same last name, and I think it’s the next best thing to a leash for keeping you tied to me and in line.”
I chortle yet clink our glasses. Possession is completely a turn-on for me, and I have no problem admitting that, which is why it’s worthy of a toast. The sweltering in his sentence creates an ache between my thighs too.
Leaning my head against his shoulder, I interlace our arms and let a relaxing breath escape while we look forward at the horizon.
I’m beginning to wonder if our whole situation may actually be luck on our side. Because right now, he feels like the Connor that I kept locked in my dreams, but this time, I open my eyes and he’s still there.
16
CONNOR
She’s easing into me, tearing off a few layers, and right now I feel like I’m being the man I should have always been to her.
I’m following her lead, but I would kill to lay her down right now, but that’s not what tonight is about. Tonight is a sort of truce to move on, with the possibilities endless.
The thing is, I’ve always been the guy who can be charming when dating someone, but tonight is confronting that maybe I’ve always done it for show, because with Hadley, it’s very different. My entire body comes alive, and I truly mean every romantic gesture that I’m making.
We eat dinner, and it must be true that food brings comfort. It dawned on me earlier that even though Hadley is a grown woman, our situation kind of called for an impromptu move in a flash. She doesn’t seem to mind, but still, I wanted to do something for her to remind her of her old home.
With the sun setting, the orange hue fades, revealing a starry sky. The lanterns were a nice touch if I do say so myself.
Lying down on the blanket, we look at the sky with hopes of finding a shooting star. She gently jabs her finger into my hand, and I can tell she is testing the waters for me to weave our hands together. I follow her cues and slip her fingers through mine.
“Maybe we’re idiots and should get out of Lake Spark. See the world. Or maybe that’s why we do stupid things, we were out of our habitat,” she muses with humor mixed in her tone.
