And the only other words aremaybe a paint and sip.
Hmm. That doesn’t seem inspired, but what do I know about the kind of fancy date planning she does? “It’s a good start.”
She shakes her head. “It’s really not.”
I scratch my jaw, unsure what to say as I crouch down to her level. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”
“Maybe,” she says with a heavy sigh.
She’s really off tonight. Is it from this afternoon at my place? I should ask, but I’m not sure I want to know. “That animal rescue thing tomorrow? You still need players?”
“You’re always welcome there,” she says, a smile shifting her lips at last. A real one. “It’s pretty simple anyway. Hockey players holding dogs and cats looking for homes.”
“I can do that,” I say impulsively.
“Yeah?”
“I can.”
She arches a questioning brow. “Are you just doing this because?—”
Because I like you? Fuck yes. But that’s not a good answer. “Because I’m yourboyfriend?”
“I don’t want to look like I’m, I don’t know, using you to get ahead?”
My chest twists. I hadn’t thought of all the ways she’d be perceived or misperceived. But I should have since I know what that’s like. “You’re not,” I insist, since that’s all I can do. “I want to be there.”
“You never used to before,” she adds, gentle, but a reminder.
“I do now,” I say, then try to figure out what else is going on. But maybe she just has a lot on her mind. “Thanks for the cat tower. That was a surprise.”
Another real smile comes my way. “You liked it.”
“Yeah. I was going to finish putting it together,” I say, scrubbing a hand across my jaw. “Eventually. But it was nice to wake up to.” Something nags at me though. Something I know the answer to, but I ask anyway. “You didn’t nap?”
She shakes her head. “No.”
“You just slipped back in when you were done?”
She nods. “Sorry.”
I’m not mad though. She’s clearly telling me the truth, and that’s all I’ve wanted from her. But I also want to help her. She’s got a lot on her plate, and I can take some of the burden off. “The next thing on the list?”
“Number two? Go on a road trip before you say I do?”
“Yes. We have this Evergreen Falls game coming up this week. Do you want to?—”
“Take a road trip there?” She sounds so enthused, and it’s the first true spark I’ve heard from her tonight. “Like, go up a day earlier?”
More than I want to win the cup. “Let’s do it,” I say. “I’ll handle all the plans.”
“I’m in,” she says, and my chest doesn’t feel so hollow anymore.
Until she nibbles on the corner of her lips, and furrows her brow. And shit. We’re not good after all.
“What’s wrong?”
She sighs heavily. “I ran into Jameson during the game.”
