Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
S arah’s notifications on her phone lit up. A quick scroll told her some big hockey scandal was going down and of course they wanted her to cover it. Her chest tightened as she thought about it now, changing her clothes in the back bedroom. She didn’t read all her messages. She couldn’t deal with that right now, not with Travis right here, not when things were so nice. She didn’t want this fantasy-pause-in-time to end.
She came out wearing the only thing she had brought which was a pair of leggings and a very old ratty sweatshirt.
He laughed when he saw it. “Is that thing still functioning?”
“What do you mean? Of course it is. Look.” She held up an arm with several holes in it and a torn and weathered cuff.
He shook his head. “No. Here. I’ve got a brand new one that’s actually warm.” He dug in his bag and pulled out a Seahorn sweatshirt.
And she knew it was the soft kind, the oversized kind, the perfect kind. She couldn’t resist. She smiled and held out her hand. “Oh, you know I’m not turning that down.”
His grin was perfect, where his mouth was sort of crooked, his eyes lit up and his jaw just right; she couldn’t look away. She pulled her old shirt off, over her head, leaving a tight-fitting tank top that she hurriedly covered with his. “Mm. It smells so good.” Half way through pulling it down over her ears, she paused. Had she really just said that out-loud? Oh boy. Get it together Sarah.
Her cheeks had to be flushed when she looked at him again. They felt rosy hot. But she couldn’t help herself. The whole thing had been infused with Eu de Travis. She’d know it anywhere, and she wanted to live inside that hoody for as long as possible.
He hurried to the stove top and came back with two steaming bowls, spoons, rolls and placed them on the table, then he brought a pitcher.
“Impressive Jenkins.”
“Back at ya, Cooper.”
She laughed. It was way more fun to relive the days of high school banter than to think about the present. “I didn’t know you could cook. Rolls, huh?”
“Well, I’m really great at purchasing food.” He looked sheepish until she grinned and kissed his cheek. “This is sweet, thank you. I was probably going to warm up a can of old chili or something from the storage.”
He winced. “Then I’ve probably just saved your life, let’s be real.”
“Honestly, you’re right. I owe you.” She lifted her soup and took a sip at the edge with her mouth. “MMM. Did you get this at Fratelli’s?”
“The very one. Can you believe they’re still open?”
“With food like this? Yes.” She dug into her soup, dipping the roll and filling her belly as if she’d not eaten in days. In truth it had been all day. The granola bar from her pocket was not cutting it.
Everything was so cozy, the house warming up, and things so good between them, she hated to ask the next question.
“How long are you in the area?” She hid her expression in the next bite of soup so he couldn’t tell how much she hoped he had some more time.
His eyes warmed. “I leave in the morning.” He leaned back in his chair. “But I have my stuff in the car if you don’t mind sharing the house?”
She nearly choked on her next bite but pushed through. “Of course! We share the house.” She fiddled with the butter knife. “We could get through our favorite episodes.”
He grinned. “Now that sounds amazing. Do you know long it’s been since I’ve just watched TV?”
“Forever? Cause that’s how long it’s been for me.”
“You must have lots of writing deadlines.” The tone at the table shifted subtly. She imagined it was because they were both thinking of her career and all the inflammatory hockey articles.
She measured her words. “I do. Sometimes our editor gives us specific assignments and sometimes just asks for content. If I don’t have a couple articles a week, she starts to get uptight.”
He nodded. “I wonder what an uptight editor looks like.” He laughed. “Does she like break a pencil or something?”
Sarah grinned.
“Because you can hear an uptight coach all the way down the hall.”
“Oh no. She’s nothing like that. But I could lose my job, lose my status, lose chances to write more stories. There are lots of ways to make work less enjoyable.” She held her breath a second longer. “But I’m really considering when it will be time to take the experience I learned there and go somewhere else.”
His eyes lit. “Are you? Would you stay in the same area? Sports reporting?”
She cleared her throat. “You might find this difficult to believe, given my latest stories, but I really do love sports reporting. I would just like to focus on the less sensational side of things.”
His shoulders relaxed, and he breathed out a long almost sigh. “I’m so glad to hear that. Sarah, I just haven’t been able to understand your latest articles. I don’t get it. You’re a talented writer and what you’re covering, what you’re doing to these guys.” He shook his head. “I’m just glad to hear it’s your boss and not you who is doing the exploiting.”
She bristled. She tried not to, but that hit a nerve. “No one is exploiting. No one is forcing them to act irresponsibly. Do you know how many young guys are paying attention to you guys? Do you know what happens to a team that allows substance abuse and law breaking without punishment from the coach?” She shook her head. “I might be trying to keep my boss happy, but I believe in what I’m doing. And you might be what every hockey player should be, but there is a growing problem among the players. If you’d pay attention, you’d see it. Something needs to be done and if the coaches and NHL won’t do anything, at least I can expose them.” She paused. She’d said too much.
Travis’ face was blank. He’d gone very still. And he wasn’t saying anything. She watched him a second more and then stood. “Well, I’ll do the dishes.”
He stood quickly. “No, no. I’ll help. Of course.”
She waved him away. “Why don’t you go pick the movie?” She wanted him away, that disapproving tone, all of it.
The dishes took a long time, or rather, she took her time doing them. But when she was finished, every corner of that kitchen was smelling and looking fresh.
When she finally walked back into the living room part of the house, she carried a tray with popcorn and a couple root beers from the second fridge. The house never had alcohol. No one in their families drank.
“Hey. I thought I scared you away.”
She shrugged. “Nah. You know me better than that. I just don’t know how that conversation will be productive.”
He pointed to her phone with his head. “Your phone has been going off.”
She couldn’t tell, but assumed he saw at least some of the content. How could he not? She picked it up and regretted looking. Jess really wanted her to go after Travis’ team. Something was going down there and it looked like it was big. The phone dinged again. From Jess. “ Breaking news. No one knows where Travis Jenkins is. He disappeared shortly after team membered was put on probation and no one can confirm if he was at the rager. Multiple car accidents and driving incidents occurred. Don’t you know him or something ?”
She wanted to put the phone in a drawer and ignore it the rest of the night, but she hesitated.
Travis frowned. “It’s been going off almost nonstop. If you need to take it, keep your people happy.” He looked away.
“Did you look at my phone?”
“I couldn’t help seeing it a few times. It would vibrate and I’d glance.” He didn’t look very apologetic.
“Apparently your team is in some trouble.”
“I gathered.”
“And they’re looking for you.”
“What? Who is?”
“The press.” She shrugged.
“Well, my family knows where I am and my coach, and that’s all that matters to me.”
“Tatum knows?” Sarah grinned.
“Well, let me revise. They know I’m in Detroit and wanted to stop by the house. No one knows I’m here with you.”
She nodded slowly. Did he want to add, “And I’d like to keep it that way?” When they were at odds, he was so difficult to read. She was almost in front of the couch with their snacks sort of waiting to see what she should do.
He stood and took it from her. “This looks amazing.”
She shrugs. “It’s just popcorn.”
“And the vintage rootbeer stash. Best brand ever is always here in the fridge.” He opened both bottle caps. “Did you notice the snow?”
“What?” She craned her neck to look out the window, but it was too dark to see.
“Come here.” He moved to the door, turned on the porch light and thick flakes were clumping from the ski and piling onto the earth all around them.
“Wow, that’s not going anywhere. How many inches while I was in the kitchen?”
“For the record, it took you forever to do the dishes, but there’s already four inches.”
She elbowed him gently. “That place hasn’t been cleaned in ages.”
“And now was the best time for a deep clean?”
She turned to him and was immediately caught in a sincere pair of eyes, looking deeply into hers. Without turning away, she shook her head. “I don’t want to be at odds with you. It’s difficult to keep everyone happy: you, me, my boss, Tatum.”
“I know. A part of me knows that.” He pulled her into a hug. “Can we hug it out?”
She stepped closer into his arms, wanting to be on good terms with him, wanting to let go of her hurt, hoping to trust him. But she didn’t really know what to expect. Would it be weird? Awkward? Did she have to hug him and then go right back to being at odds with him? The two seconds it took to step closer were filled with enough battling emotion to fill a room full of teenagers, but instead of feeling more tense, she melted into a pool of relief. The tension and worry and stress just left. His hands held her, not like any hug she’d had in the past. She felt cradled and important and precious. Her head fit right under his chin. She pressed her face against his chest. His heart pounded a welcome to her. He was the perfect fit in every way. A cozy warmth started right in her breast and made its way out from the center.
He hummed. “Can we make it all go away?”
“Make what go away again?”
He chuckled, almost silently, but she felt it rumble from his chest. The sensation made her smile. Could they not just stay like this forever?
Her phone vibrated again. She tried not to let it penetrate her bubble of peace in Travis’ arms.
Jess was furious with Sarah’s lack of response. Travis’ team was going down, and Travis was missing, and in her eyes it was the story of a lifetime. She wanted Sarah on it three hours ago.
But Sarah just wanted to stay right where she was, not thinking about it.
If she wrote the article that exposed Travis’ team and Travis himself for being missing, she would lose him forever. But if she didn’t, she would lose her job.
And her self-respect.
Wasn’t she supposed to be exposing the athletes? Didn’t this exactly fit her mission and purpose these past two years, attempting to clean up the athlete’s lives? Their dangerous actions had consequences, at least that’s what she hoped to communicate.
Her assistant had even texted, ready with some of the details. She’d celebrated with, “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for!”
Sarah ran her hands up Travis’ back, held on for a few more seconds and then stepped back. She kept her face down, not daring to look into his eyes, but he lifted her chin. “Sarah.”
With a deep breath, she opened her eyes. “Travis.”
“This is nice.”
She nodded, made an attempt at a very weak smile and then looked away.
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know Travis. I don’t know. Okay. I just don’t know.” She walked away. “It’s time to go.”
“Wait, what? Aren’t you sleeping here?”
“Not any more. I…This is too hard Travis.”
He shook his head and hurried to her side, reaching for her hand. “Stay.”
Her heart shook with the tenderness in his tone.
“Stay. Let tomorrow be tomorrow. Tonight. It’s not tomorrow yet.”
She smiled and lifted her lashes again, daring a look into his eyes.
His were so full of light and hope, and dare she suspect, caring? Love? Something deeper than just what she’d always seen in his face, the interest of a good friend. This was more than that.
She couldn’t help let some of her hope show in return. Her mouth lifted in the corner and then she bumped him with her shoulder.
His grin grew so big it made her laugh.
“I’m staying. We have some serious movie time ahead of us you know.”
“Oh, believe me. I have not forgotten.” He tugged her toward the couch where he fell into its depth and pulled her down with him.
She was situated as close to him as she could be. He put his arm around her back and lifted the remote to pull up their options.
She snuggled into his side and couldn’t believe any of this was happening, but she wasn’t going to do a single thing to ruin it, not yet anyway. Tonight was tonight. Tomorrow would come soon enough.