Perhaps I should make something for Alec to show how much I appreciate him? He’d been my rock last night, coming to pick me up, getting me Thai food, coddling me and reminding me that at least one person always had my back.
Yeah, Alec deserved a treat.
I racked my brain. It would have to be something that wouldn’t interfere with his NHL-player, high protein, low-junk-food diet. There was a tasty dark chocolate nut praline that he liked. Perhaps I’d make that.
I strode to the kitchen and checked the cupboards. I had enough ingredients to whip something together. I weighed out the correct portion of dark chocolate and was about to start melting it as part of the tempering process when my phone rang.
I stiffened and my gut clenched. What if it was Thad? Or Coral? Or, god forbid, Lake following up on her message about the wedding. I couldn’t handle speaking to any of them. Checking the screen, my shoulders relaxed when I saw that it was only Mom. I answered and put it on speaker phone.
“Hey, darling. How are you?” she asked, a hint of caution in her usually cheerful tone.
I narrowed my eyes. “Okay.”
“Are you really?” she persisted. “It’s just that Alec said you might want to talk to me about something.”
I sighed. Of course he had. While he was my rock, Alec wasn’t exactly the most emotionally expressive person in the world, so whenever he was worried he might have fallen short in that regard, he brought in my mother as his reinforcement. She was all about talking things out and letting ourselves feel what we feel.
“Thad and I broke up last night.”
“Oh, baby. I’m sorry to hear that.”
I raised my eyebrows, unconvinced. She may be relentlessly cheerful, but I always had the feeling she saw something in Thad that I didn’t, which made her wary of him. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to her instincts.
“I walked in on him with another woman.” To my relief, my voice didn’t break.
She gasped. “Who? Was it someone you knew? What were they doing?”
I hesitated. What was I supposed to say? He was balls-deep in your niece?
“Let’s just say that my timing was really, really bad, and that there were no clothes, and the person with him was, uh, Coral.”
“As in, sweet cousin Coral?”
“Yes,” I ground out. “In all her naked glory.”
“Oh.” She was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry, darling. That must have been horrible for you. I’m not sure what came over your cousin, but I hope she’s ashamed of herself. As for that Thad… Well, let’s just say that you’re better off without him.”
“I am,” I agreed, more forcefully than necessary. “Good riddance.” Unfortunately, the last two words squeaked out, betraying my upset.
Mom made a sympathetic sound. “Please tell me you didn’t leave anything at his place?”
“Nope.” Other than my car, which I’d have to sort out later. I’d never felt comfortable leaving a change of clothes in one of his drawers or my toiletries in his bathroom. Maybe my subconscious knew he couldn’t be trusted.
“At least you won’t ever have to see him again then.”
I opened my mouth to tell her about the wedding but then closed it. I still wasn’t sure if I’d even go, and if I told Mom that Thad was attending with Coral, she’d have words with her sister, and the whole thing would spiral. Best to leave it alone for now.
We talked for a while longer, and then I got busy making the dark chocolate praline for Alec.
Late in the afternoon, there was a firm knock on the door. I checked through the peephole to confirm it was Alec and let him in.
“I have something for you,” I said, waving him through the living area toward the kitchen.
He put his hand on my shoulder to stop me before I pulled away. I froze. The familiar citrusy scent of his soap tickled mynostrils, along with the natural aroma of clean man, and I did my best to stop breathing.
Fresh from his post-training shower, he always smelled so sexy. It had been years since my libido first noticed that Alec was hot as hell in addition to being gruff and kind and thoughtful, but I could usually compartmentalize my reaction to him.
Unfortunately, today my defenses were down.
