It wasn’t hard to connect the pieces. “Like he had.”
“Yes.” Caleb nodded even though it wasn’t a question. “He’s a good boy. Just had a difficult life.” Those intensely dark eyes met mine as if to say don’t hurt him. “He only needed someone to love him, and I’m glad he found you.”
Wanting so badly to know more about this man who was coming to mean so much to me, I couldn’t deny my curiosity. “What happened?” I asked, watching War glide along the sides with the kids, calling out instructions and encouragement.
Caleb sighed. “You’ll have to ask him that. He doesn’t talk about the past.”
My gaze darted to Caleb, and I winced. “I’m so sorry, it wasn’t fair to put you on the spot like that.”
“It’s all right,” he murmured, still staring at the rink, his brow furrowing. “I hope he changes his mind about coming home for lunch.”
At the melancholy in his voice, I said, “I’m sure he’d love that.”
“Ah.” A wry smile now. “We shall see.”
Meaning War didn’t often go home...or he didn’t go at all? But why wouldn’t he want to go home to a father like Caleb?
I frowned, watching War skate over to a little boy of seven or eight—hard to say with their gear and skates adding inches and bulk—who stood to the sides, head lowered. He put a hand on his shoulder and spoke to him. The little guy shook his head, but War continued speaking. After several more seconds, the boy looked up and nodded, and with a gentle push, War sent him back into the game.
Seeing this side of him, that caged organ in my chest started to pump hard, my emotions expanding. Even though I’d been drawn to him from the beginning, I had no plan on following those feelings because my track record sucked when it came to men. Charming smiles and pretty faces often concealed shitty personalities and worse moral compasses.
But War didn’t do charming. His direct stare spoke volumes. With a look, you knew it was eitherfuck offorlet’s fuck.
When he’d first aimed those blue peepers at me all those months ago, he knocked me for a loop. God knew the guy was insanely hot. And somehow, he managed to slip beneath my defenses…and I’d fallen in love with him.
I stilled, but there wasn’t any wariness following my discovery.
With Craig, I was caught in the illusion of love with a narcissist. This time, I knew deep down it was right. Better. War never gave up on me. He fought for me, with me. The knowledge settled, warm and secure in my heart.
A smile started, and I wanted to rush out there and tell him. But with my luck, I’d probably get hit in the head with the puck and suffer amnesia.
No, I’d tell him later, when we were alone at the apartment.
It was long past noon when both hockey sessions were over, and War stopped to speak to the parents. Two young boys sat apart from the others while a woman who waited near them talked to Caleb. They undid their skates, watching the other children with their families, a yearning on their faces that made my chest hurt. And I realized then they had to be from the homes…where War had lived initially?
My heart ached for the boy he’d been, all alone, until Caleb came along. At least, I had my mother. Even if she focused more on money and her husband of the month, I wasn’t completely abandoned.
War finally came over and sat next to me. I watched him as he removed his roped whistle from his neck and dropped it in the bag. There was so much about him I didn’t know, while he knew everything about me. I hoped he would open up, talk to me.
“You sure know how to strut your stuff, Mr. Hockey Player.” I slipped my arms around his waist and squeezed tightly, breathing his male scent, his skin cool to my touch. My heart bumped hard when those beautiful blue eyes met mine.
He huffed out a laugh. “Again, you can’t strut on ice, Blue.”
“I say you can.” Then I relented. “You were wonderful with those kids.”
He glanced at the empty ice rink, then back to me. “Want to learn?”
Show him how uncoordinated I was? I snorted. “Hockey? Seriously?”
“I meant learn to skate.” He tugged a lock of my hair.
“Since you’ve known me, have I ever done anything strenuous?”
“Hmm…” He cast me a devilish look, lowered his voice. “On the counter, against the window, the couch—“
I slapped my palm over his mouth, and his eyes twinkled with amusement. Darn it, I hurriedly glanced around to see who was near us, but with the noise level up again, we were safe. He kissed my palm and lowered it from his mouth.
“So what are all the yoga pants for?”
