Page 24 of Tough Guy and the Show Off

The guy is still waiting when I get back, and his whole face lights up when I hand him the signed schedule.

“Here you go. Just a little something to show my appreciation.”

“Holy shit, thank you so much. This is amazing. You have no idea,” he gushes.

“Don’t mention it. Just keep rooting for me.” I wink and the guy stares at me in awe for another few seconds before finally heading back down the hall to leave.

Beau’s door swings open while I’m still leaning against my doorframe, basking in the admiration.

“Something going on out here? I thought I heard voices.” His hair is damp, so I was right, he was in the shower.

I shake my head before my brain can glitch out and make me think anything weird and horny again. “I was just getting groceries delivered to cook dinner. The guy was a fan.”

Beau nods and crosses the hall into my apartment.

“Did he bring up your almost record-breaking season?” he asks with a chuckle.

“They all do,” I grumble. “I was nice though; I gave him an autograph and everything.”

“You’ve got time. I bet you’ll break the record one of these years.”

The way this season started, it won’t be this one. But he’s right, I’ve got plenty of time to make it happen.

“As long as I’ve got my favorite D-man at my back.” I bump his shoulder with mine on our way to the kitchen. “Hope you’re in the mood for steak tonight. I figured we needed some iron and protein after working so hard today.”

“I’ll never complain about steak.”

I already know that. I know all of Beau’s favorite foods and all the ones he’ll eat without complaining if he has to but deep down can’t stand. That was something I had to learn about him early on in our friendship. He’s not the type of guy who will ever bitch about anything. He takes whatever he’s given with a polite smile because he never wants to make a ruckus or hurt anyone else’s feelings. That’s why he needs people like me in his life, people who pay attention to what he actually likes as much as possible.

“You want to chop up the veg while I get these bad boys dry rubbed?”

He starts pulling things out of the drawers and cupboards while I unpack the bags, and we get to work side by side making dinner.

“My mom called right before I took a shower,” he says, his voice quiet and steady in harmony with the rhythmic chopping and the music playing from the speaker I have set up in the other room. “She wanted me to tell you that you played great against Toronto.”

“Aw, thanks, Mom,” I say with a chuckle.

“She also told me that Lizzie finally decided on pre-law,” he says.

“Kick-ass. I know she liked the idea of being a doctor too, but she almost fainted two summers ago when I cut my thumb while I was chopping carrots.”

Beau snorts a laugh, no doubt remembering the shade of green his little sister turned when my blood started spurting all over the cutting board.

“Yeah, I think law is the right call.” He bumps me with his elbow then pulls his arm back quickly with a muttered “Sorry.”

“No worries,” I assure him, purposely bumping him right back.

We’ve never had any issues being a little touchy with each other, no reason we should start getting awkward about it now. Unless he’s feeling strange about my suggestion? Is he having second thoughts? This isn’t the kind of thing Beau would just go along with, right? Is there a way I can ask him without it being weird or making him think I’m having second thoughts?

“What?” he asks with another chuckle, drawing my attention to the fact that I’ve stopped rubbing the steak and started staring at him.

“Nothing, just spacing out.”

He grunts and nods, returning to chopping the vegetables while I toss the seasoned steaks into the pan on the stovetop.

“LA is going to be our hardest game of the season so far, I think,” he says, echoing my thoughts from earlier.

“Without a doubt.” I glance over my shoulder and catch him looking at me at the same time. My stomach gives a strange little flutter and I grin at him. “We’re up for the challenge though. We’re gonna relax, get a solid night of sleep, and skate into that arena tomorrow with thousands of our fans cheering for us.”