“Okay, okay, enough sappy talk,” Talia says, reading my mood perfectly. “Your text mentioned a wedding. Does this mean dress shopping? Because I know you didn’t pack any wedding guest attire.”
“Ugh. Don’t remind me. The closest thing I have is that dress I wore on New Year’s Eve, and I really don’t want to be reminded of handsy Dirk the Dick all night long. But I also don’t want to go shopping. You know I hate it with a fiery passion.”
I was never a fan, mostly because finding something that fits my hipsandshort legs is nearly impossible. Throw in my big boobs, bigger butt, and my belly, and it’s damn near impossible.
“You do, but I have an idea…”
Talia keeps talking, and I halfway listen, but my eyes drift to the clock on the microwave. I try my best not to smile when I see that Callum should be getting back at any moment. My body buzzes with excitement at the idea. I can’t recall the last time I felt like this. Maybe five years ago? More? I’m not sure, but one thing I do know is I can’t wait for my husband to walk in the door.
“Um, hello? Did you hear me?”
I give Talia my attention. “Um, no. Sorry.”
Her eyes narrow. “Just because I want to acknowledge it: rude. However, I will let it slide because I know you’re daydreaming about your steaming hot sex with your husband.” She starts kissing the air, pretending to be us making out.
“It’s times like these I cannot believe you’re raising a kid.”
She laughs. “Yeah, me either.” The phone jostles as she moves around. “Anyway, as I was saying…as jealous as I am that you’re out in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest making friends with hot hockey wives while I’m stuck in Snoreville, Tennessee, I think it might be a good idea to ask one of them to go shopping with you. As you said, you hate shopping, so why not take a buddy?”
I consider her suggestion, but those same old feelings from before I left creep in. All the doubts and worries and voices telling me I’m not good enough to be friends with successful women like that scream so loudly I barely remember promising Talia I’ll think about it and getting off the phone with her.
It’s only Callum’s key turning in the door that rattles me from my stupor.
“There you are.” He smiles at me, kicking his shoes off and crossing the apartment in a flash. He bends and presses a kiss to my lips. “Mmm. I missed that.”
I giggle. “I just kissed you like three hours ago.”
“Three hours is a long time when I’ve missed you for three years.”
I don’t have time to process his words before he’s kissing me again, this time longer and harder. I fist his shirt, ready to pull him right on top of me and let him have his way, but my growling stomach ruins the moment.
“Good thing I ordered us lunch on the way up here, huh?” he says when he pulls away. He pets Percy, who is lying right beside me and has been all morning as I work on a new piece. “Extra dumplings, and it should be here in about thirty minutes.”
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
“I’m aware.” He nods toward my laptop. “Work?”
“Yes. Just a freelance job. Working on a piece for a small press in Tennessee. Nothing too wild.”
“How’s it going?” he asks, moving to the kitchen and pulling a bottle of electrolyte water from the fridge. He gestures, silently asking if I want one, and I shake my head.
“So-so,” I tell him, but honestly, it’s a mess, and I’m struggling to come up with anything of substance. I have a feeling that has a lot to do with me wanting to spend all my time with Callum instead of working.
“Need to talk through it?” He hands me a Diet Coke, then settles onto the couch next to me while Percy gets up and heads to the spare bedroom. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
I hold up the drink I didn’t ask for. “This. Be honest with me—did you keep these around for me?”
He pauses, then sighs, running a hand through his hair that’s looking extra light today. “Busted.”
I grin, set the opened drink on the table, climb onto his lap, and kiss him.
He smiles as I pull away. “Well, hi to you too.”
“How was practice?”
“Good. The guys are trying to sort out a new power play with Thomas going down, but I think we’ll figure it out.”
The Serpents are still in a really good spot for the playoffs, but last night, one of their players got hurt battling one of the league’s best teams and is expected to miss at least the first round of the postseason. It was hard to hear the news of losing a teammate to injury, especially in the first intermission, but they went back out and played like they had something to prove and won the game 4–2 in regulation.
