He throws me a cocky look. “Because I didn’t need to dress up. I would wear my jersey and I was set.”
“Just like reality. I guess fake blood on your jersey wouldn’t really be different to your hockey games.”
Nash twirls his finger in the air. “Let’s backtrack for asecond. You were a cat in fishnets with a skirt way too fucking short for my liking.”
I cover Bo’s ears and smile humorously. “Watch the language around this little guy… and I’m surprised you remember.”
He looks at me as if I’m crazy. “I’m not sure any guy that night forgot.”
I grin proudly to myself as we continue our stroll and approach a scarecrow. “I’m going to have to find a mom-appropriate costume for my son’s first Halloween.”
Nash snickers. “You rock the hot-mom thing, wear what you want.”
Who would have thought our playful comments wouldn’t spook me today. It feels normal, way too quickly. Leading us down a path, I feel him follow in tow.
“I can take that sentence in so many different ways.” I’m having a good time, and we’re flirting, too. “Priority is figuring out a costume for this little guy.” I bounce Bo as his hands reach out.
“I’ll do it. Let me be in charge of costume duty… for him, I mean.”
My lips quirk out as I mull it over. “It should be a big thing for me to choose, but in all honesty, I don’t have the brain power right now, and I’m curious what on earth you might come up with.”
“Great.”
We arrive at the end of the maze to face the pumpkin patch, and we both breathe in relief. “Oh, thank you, pumpkin lords. Hay is exciting for only like a minute,” I pretend to speak to a higher power.
Nash nudges my shoulder with his. “Nah, you loved it. You could walk aimlessly around.”
I stand taller and think about it. He’s right, I’m kind ofrelaxed and not overthinking for a few moments. “You have a point,” I confirm. “Now pumpkins. What are you benching these days that they used to pay you millions for?”
He smirks at me and my humor. “Summer, we could easily pack the trunk full, but I’m going to say that five feels like a good number for your doorstep.”
“I agree,” I say and begin to unbuckle the carrier to take Bo out. I turn him around and lean down so he can touch a pumpkin, and that immediately makes me smile. In the corner of my eye, I notice that Nash is admiring the view and takes a photo with his phone. “How could I forget that we need photos?”
“Don’t worry. Your superhero is here. Now come on, both of you pose.” I listen to my command and face the camera, doing my best to get Bo to cooperate.
This is what we do for what feels like hours but is probably only twenty minutes. “I think we’ve studied the field enough and are ready to make our choices,” I announce.
Nash looks at me, impressed. “Didn’t realize we were doing a draft pick for pumpkins. Let’s make sure they sign their entry-level contract before they reach my car.”
That causes me to laugh hard, nearly making my stomach hurt, and when my laugh calms, I have to ask. “Missing the hockey life already?”
He seems to ponder it as he moves a pumpkin out of the way. “I do, actually, but my focus was getting lost anyhow.”
“You had a lot going on in life, it’s understandable,” I sympathize.
“Maybe, or maybe I was just losing heart in the game. I don’t think I miss the social life outside the rink, either.”
I consider what might be going through his mind. “Then what awaits you?”
“When I arrived in Lake Spark I didn’t know. Now? I’mbeginning to wonder if my brother is giving me hints to what exactly life will be.”
My eyes snap to the ground to avoid our eyes meeting. “Right. Six weeks and then…”
Nash steps forward and lifts Bo from my arms, and Bo coos. “Actually, I kind of forgot that timeline. I’m too stuck on what’s going on between us and how it’s kind of… healing, helping, I’m not sure. Seems to be my way of coping, too.”
Immediately, my sight zaps to look up, and Nash’s face is stoic, but it’s because he knows he’s delivered a new fact to me. “I kind of thought…”
“That I would sleep with you, try to be an uncle, and leave?”
