Chapter 5
ASHER
Not going to lie. I’m dragging my feet and pasting on a smile as I sip on my wine.
Red wine wouldn’t be my choice for Thanksgiving Day because it’s heavy paired with the dinner buffet and my physical state.
But when the team owner invites you to stop by on Thanksgiving Day, you don’t say no.
Especially since he knows that I didn’t have particular plans.
We got back extremely late last night from our away game, and I can count the number of hours that I slept on one hand.
Declan smiles at me as we stand in the living room near the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the lake. “Thanks for stopping by. Violet wouldn’t be impressed if you didn’t show. She has a thing for inviting everyone and then worries if she missed someone who doesn’t have any plans.”
“The thought of driving up to Chicago for the day only to turn back around wasn’t exactly my idea of holiday fun, so I’m happy to be here,” I reply. My parents were understanding of the plan, anyhow.
He looks down into his drink. “Still, last year when she found out the rookie from Germany had no place to go, she cried for a solid ten minutes until my nephew, Connor, assured her that he was with him.” None of us asks about the dynamics between Declan and our team captain who happens to be his nephew.
For most people, it would be considered nepotism, but everyone in the organization sees it purely as talent deserved.
I’m familiar with the dynamic with my own family.
The house is crowded, which makes me wonder how his wife would even notice if a rookie was missing, but some people are just great hosts like that. Apparently, the last coach was an anti-social asshole which is why it was a welcome relief to the team when I managed to laugh during first practice.
Noticing Hudson Arrows in the corner talking with someone as they both balance a piece of pie on a plate, it causes me to wonder. “Is there anybody from the hockey world or Lake Spark that isn’t here?”
Declan glances over his shoulder to eye the scene that I’m looking at. “Today, there is no hockey talk. Hudson is actually neighbors with my brother-in-law. Their kids grew up together.”
Huh.
That means Gracie.
I haven’t seen her around, but it doesn’t mean that she hasn’t floated into my mind uninvited. Instead, I have flashes of her on top of me and under me, depending on my mood. Most definitely she is responsible for my hand when I’m in the shower, and she has no idea.
Sometimes, I think about contacting her for one more time. We both need an escape, right? What’s the harm in another night or even a few spare hours?
“I need to check on my wife. Happy wife means a happy life. You should grab a piece of the pecan pie, it’s a recipe that uses my family’s maple syrup farm.” He winks at me.
“I think I will be in trouble if I tell you that the pumpkin pie is calling my name.”
He grins then walks away, and I mosey to the dessert table in the corner. The options are endless, but the pecan pie actually takes the win.
“You can eat it but be prepared for the shot of bourbon inside because someone got excited about it when baking,” Connor, my team captain, warns me as he grabs a small plate. He mentioned the other day on the plane that he, his wife, and their twins always spend it with his family.
“Thanks for the heads-up. Might be good to really wake me up.”
He blows out a breath. “Tell me about it. Getting back late then having the twins eager to start the day at six is a little brutal.”
Sometimes I think about the whole wife-and-family life.
It’s not that it isn’t appealing, it’s just that I have no space or time in my life for it.
The players have games and practice, maybe a few endorsement deals.
A coach? We have games, practice, watching videos, team meetings, general manager meetings, and the list goes on.
Using the pie cutter, I attempt to pull off a piece of the pie but stop mid-slice when I notice Gracie walk into the room.
Throw ice on me.
The pine-green turtleneck sweater she’s wearing covers up fuck all in my mind. I still envision every curve underneath or the way her tongue licks my skin. Also, I wasn’t expecting her here, and my body needs a minute to adjust.
She spots me by accident, and her eyes blaze in slight recognition.
“Okay, a slice of apple and that’s it. There is fruit somewhere in this thing, and I don’t need the girls hyped up on more sugar,” I hear Connor say, and in the corner of my eye, he walks away.
Gracie takes a deep breath and quickly searches the room to see if anyone has noticed her. Slowly, she ambles my way to land right in front of the table. She doesn’t look at me when she arrives, instead taking an unsteady breath and pretending to study the options.
“Hi,” she says faintly.
“Hi.” I give up on the pie and turn to face her, even if our eyes don’t meet. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“We always stop by on Thanksgiving. All of my dad’s friends are here, actually.” She glances over her shoulder as if to check that nobody is watching.
A heavy pause lingers in the air. Small talk is probably the way to go. “Want a piece of pie? I hear there is an overload of alcohol in the pecan.”
I notice the way her body stiffens, and she seems to swallow as if she needs to balance herself. “Oh gosh no, the mere thought of pie in any shape or form makes me want to gag.”
Creases appear on my forehead. “Why?
She blows out a breath. “Because the plate of food that I nibbled on in the kitchen tasted rancid.”
“Really? I thought all of the food here was pretty good. Gourmet, even.”
She presses her fingertips against her lips.
“Was it? Maybe it’s my tastebuds or something.
I’ve been fighting a stomach virus all week.
Half of the people coming into the boutique are sick and spreading germs.” Finally, she lifts her gaze and shifts her shoulder, meaning her body is angled to me for our eyes to meet.
It’s electric. Instantly, we are tied together purely by our sight.
Gracie is still gorgeous, but I would be lying if I said I could ignore the dark circles under her eyes that she attempted to cover up. “Tired too?”
The line of her pressed lips stretches a tad. “Totally. What gave it away? I must look like a zombie.”
“I know the feeling. Whoever from the league planned our team schedule should be given a penalty.”
She chuckles under her breath. “At least, you’ve had a few good games.”
I’m slightly surprised and impressed. “You’ve been watching again?”
She shrugs one shoulder, and her smile is nuanced. “Hockey can be interesting. Besides, there is this new coach that I hear is an ass, but he looks good in a suit, so…”
Licking my lips, I enjoy her saying that. “Lucky him.”
Her lips roll in and cheeks tighten because she seems entertained. “He was once.”
There is the reminder of the night we spent together. Our eyes recognize our mutual thoughts, and the brief silence is needed.
“That he was,” I mention in barely a whisper.
The corner of her mouth twitches from my statement before she visibly shakes her thoughts away.
“Anyhow, here we are. It was bound to happen, and better now than the upcoming holiday parties, with dancing elves and sitting on Santa’s lap.
Something tells me that I’m going on the naughty list.” Her flirty tone is bold considering where we are.
Taking a tiny step closer, I feel the current between us, but I don’t particularly want to speak a smidgen louder. “If you’re on the naughty list, then I’m on the going-to-the-gates-of-Hell list.”
She snorts a laugh. “On that day, you can be on the side of the family who don’t believe in hell,” she teases me.
“Oh yeah, I can play that card.”
She takes a deep breath. “I’m not sure what we are supposed to say since we kind of left things pretty clear.”
“We’re just making small talk, aren’t we?”
Her brows lift then fall before she sighs. “Yeah. In front of the dessert table that smells like a sugar overload.”
“Damn, you really hate every attempt at very edible food in this place.” I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from her.
I’m pulled in, intrigued, and simply enjoy the social interaction.
That’s what people do at these things, and maybe we are lucky and nobody notices the way we interact with one another.
Gracie pinches the bridge of her nose. “Sorry. I’m just tired and not feeling like this is the place to be right now.
Bed is a lot more appealing.” That grabs my interest, and maybe the half smirk I have shows it.
“Probably not the thing to say to you.” Her nervous smile is honest, and I notice her blush.
“Sensible,” I comment blandly.
Her head lolls to the side, and her smile remains but is now a little more relaxed. “Uhm, I would invite you over but sleep really is in my calling, and so be it that I sleep in next to nothing.” Her low voice that only I can hear is a crime because we are in public.
“You’re trouble again, aren’t you?”
She shrugs. “Depends what your mind is thinking.”
My lips quirk out as I gather my composure, as she is a little temptress, and I didn’t realize how much she’s been in my head. Until now when she is standing in front of me with a peculiar sparkle in her eyes and her entire existence from body to words has me wanting a little more of her.
Reminding myself where I am, I step back and scan the room. It’s a party, and everyone is in their own conversations, but the world seems small around us.
My guess is that Gracie notices how I’ve undressed her with my eyes a few times now, and she knows because she’s done the same. However, we are smart people.
“I have to get up early, so I’m going to head out,” I explain seriously. No inuendo at all.
Her lips pop. “And I need to just take it easy tonight. Tomorrow is our Black Friday sale, so the boutique and online store will go insane.”
We both just stand there, neither one of us making an effort to part.
Except, she does it again. Her chest rises and her face stills as she struggles to open her mouth and instead visibly swallows. She’s a little gray, and it’s clear that a room full of people is the last place she should be.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Totally,” she lies. “It’s just the smell of apple pie or something. I’m just not in the mood to eat lately. It’s been crunch time for work, so my body is everywhere.”
Holidays are a stressful period. I hate it, and then add on the hockey schedule and I’m surprised I have any moments to stop and have a normal night of sleep.
“Okay.”
She offers me a soft smile and swipes her hair to one shoulder. Her beauty is classic, without all the effort many women her age tend to do with makeup. I want to touch her, but the moment I step close, I stop myself and clear my throat, straightening my posture. I’m wiser than that.
“Take care. Maybe the universe won’t make us wait another month before we see one another again,” she quips.
“Maybe,” I answer faintly as our shoulders brush in the process of her walking past me.
I turn my head slightly to watch her go in my peripheral view. I’m entranced. She gives me this peculiar feeling which forms a pit in my stomach.
She says goodbye to her dad and mom across the room, and I notice the way her mom feels Gracie’s forehead as if she is a child, and it causes her to step back, humorously annoyed, then she leaves.
Hopefully, she feels better.
Sighing a deep breath, I decide that I’m not in the mood for dessert, even though my eyes are now fixed on the pies. Maybe it’s more to give me something to look at while I cool my thoughts.
Has it really been almost a month since I saw her?
It sticks in my mind and not because I’m pining for her. No, it sticks in my mind for a reason I can’t figure out.
It feels reckless.
Then it clicks.
Gracie isn’t feeling well, and it’s been a month. I’m confident we were careful—wait, maybe that part is a little hazy. Well, actually, we might’ve been lax somewhere on the birth control front during our many rounds.
Shit. Is she? No. Nope. She’s not feeling well, and it’s been a month.
There is only one thought in my mind, and it fills me with a rage that I didn’t know possible. It’s not even from fury, only fear.
I’m not going to wait. Whether she’s already aware or not, I want an answer if she is pregnant today.