Chapter 2
LAINEY
Frowning, I watch as the barista takes down the paper ghosts hanging in the window while her other colleague begins to wrap green garland and holiday lights along the window looking out on Main Street.
“They waste no time,” I comment.
A chirp of a laugh brings my attention to my best friend, Gracie. She’s sitting across from me at our small corner table. Her perfectly shaped red nails are a contrast to the white mug of coffee that she’s sipping on.
“It’s okay. We still get to have pumpkin spice lattes for another month. Thanksgiving allows it,” she reminds me.
I lift my mug of chai with a fresh cinnamon stick poking out. “A shame you are missing Thanksgiving this year.” She’s spending it with her family and won’t be home.
Gracie lifts a shoulder. “It’s okay. We still have our annual holiday cookie-making night.
That reminds me, I need to find some new Hanukkah cookie cutters.
” She’s been my friend since we were kids.
Her dad used to be a big-name football coach but now enjoys a quiet life in Lake Spark, plus he’s a huge sponsor for the Spinners hockey team.
Most people think she is probably spoiled, but she has the kindest heart and is talented in her own right so will take over her mom’s boutique one day.
A lingerie boutique, but Gracie has a talent for dresses.
“I can’t believe that we survived last year’s bake-a-thon.” We bake basically every recipe we have for holiday treats then box them into containers to give to friends and family. Enzo loves it and looks forward to it every year.
Gracie squints her eyes at me and seems to be formulating a thought. “Since I won’t be at Thanksgiving, then there will be an empty seat at your table.” She brings her finger to her chin. “Hmm, who might fill that seat since there’s no hockey game that day.”
I throw her an immediate death stare. “Funny.” Gosh, why am I thinking about the cocky grin and arrogant demeanor that complements his maybe-sexy, darkish hair and piercing eyes? What a jerk for slipping into my thoughts.
She sets her coffee down and rests her elbows on the table to bring her fists up under her chin, clearly wanting to gossip. “Why not? I mean, Tyler pisses off most of the team, but you must be chipping away at his steely little heart.”
“Exactly, steely.”
“Did he not leave tickets for Enzo for the game a few weeks back?”
The tiny lift inside my chest from the reminder of what he did hits me for a millisecond. “I’m sure handing out tickets is as easy as throwing a coat on. Not much effort.” Not exactly, but fine.
She raises her brows at me. “And Halloween?”
Now my chest expands more than I would like. “It… it… was for Enzo.” And I appreciate it. Whatever hostilities may exist between us, he doesn’t take it out on my son.
“Maybe. But it was sweet. Not many men know how to deal with the kids of a hot mom who lives across the hall.”
I sigh at the state of my life. From day one, Enzo’s dad has been long gone.
I met Jamie when I was in college studying to be a teacher.
He was a very good player on the college hockey team, and we met at a party.
We dated for a bit, but two months in, I got pregnant.
I gave him a choice, and he took it. Said he had his hockey career to think about.
He only plays in the minors now, so his star-player dreams didn’t exactly pan out.
Maybe it’s my experience with Enzo’s father that made me have a natural disdain for hockey players.
My brother, Seb, is the exception, and I will always put on a happy face when he drags me along to events, but still, I don’t have a high opinion of most players.
They think they own the world and selfishly make their choices around their careers.
Besides, I’m focused on my son. I would like to think that I’m rocking it as a single mom, but I’m scared to admit that in case I’m wrong.
I finished my degree just before Enzo arrived, my family has always been supportive, and I have a good job at the preschool in town.
Hailey, the owner, is flexible, and I get to have better hours for Enzo.
When my brother said I could take over his lease that he’d already paid the year for, I took him up on it.
It was a no-brainer. I might be independent, but a safe place for Enzo is a non-negotiable for me, and free is a bonus.
Seb warned me about the neighbor situation but said he and Tyler just stayed out of one another’s way.
But something about Tyler just irritated me from day one.
My innate instinct for players or maybe my brother’s opinions were already too embedded into my brain.
There is just one problem to my current life.
Enzo is crazy about Tyler.
Dating hasn’t been in my cards for a long time. I always fear that Enzo will get attached and then get hurt when they don’t stick around. I didn’t plan on my neighbor being an attachment for him.
Or for my neighbor to be sinfully hot.
The tapping of nails on the table reminds me that Gracie is waiting for me to say something.
“He’s just trying to stay civil in our hallway,” I justify.
“Sure.” She doesn’t believe me. She wiggles on her chair while I sink into my own. “Lainey, let me be blunt. You should consider just fucking it out. A little hate sex can be fun.”
My eyes bug out. “How the hell did we go from him being a kind neighbor to my son to me fucking my neighbor senseless?”
“See? You have thought about it. You are going for the hard-and-senseless style.”
I try not to laugh, and I rub my temples. “Not happening.” My eyes land on the piece of pumpkin bread on a plate that I forgot I had. I pull a little morsel off to take a bite. “Besides, I have zero time between now and New Year’s. My to-do list is forever long.”
“What about your naughty list? Is that long, too?” Gracie flashes her brows at me.
I throw the piece of food at her. “Stop it. Besides, you still haven’t told me what happened the other night.”
Her face falls, and she crosses her arms to lean back in the chair. “The new coach kind of happened. I’m not going to complain about that one single bit, but it was a one-time thing. I mean, not during the night because that was more than a one-time thing, but you know what I mean.”
My mouth goes slack from her confession, as I had no idea.
“Whoa, you say that so casually, but isn’t it a big deal?
” Gracie is never shy and always candid, so it doesn’t surprise me, it’s just the unpredictability of what she says out loud sometimes that still causes my brain to have an instant reaction.
“What?” Her eyes grow wide. “Take opportunities when they arise. So, back to you—”
“Wait, does this mean you technically hooked up with Tyler’s cousin?” Family coaching family happens sometimes in the pros.
She quirks her lips out for a thought. “Second cousin. But yeah. Small world. Back to you… again. You have an opportunity that literally is a few feet away from your front door.” She brushes past her own situation that she clearly does not want to discuss.
I snort a laugh. “Nah. We don’t do well with conversation, and to be honest, his entire demeanor causes me to believe he is probably an asshole when it involves sex too.
The quickie then kick her out of bed kind of guy.
That’s not my style.” My mind can’t even envision any other way he might be in bed.
Gracie tilts her head side to side as she considers my thought process. “Fine. I will let it go… for today.”
Shaking my head, I smile to myself because her pursuit is humorous.
“Anyhow, I need to start shopping for Santa. Enzo wrote his list the day after Halloween. The usual, cars, hockey stuff, and a few books to my surprise. I love this season.” It always brightens my mood. “But there is one thing I hate.”
Gracie and I look at one another. “Gift wrapping,” we say in unison then giggle.
She glances at her watch and quickly takes her last sip of coffee before she stands.
“I have to go. I have family dinner later and helping my parents drag out holiday decorations from the garage. I will just supervise that.” Her family celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas and have a talent for taking Chrismukkah to a whole new level.
“No problem.” I also stand and throw my scarf on. “I need to head to the grocery store before I pick up Enzo from school.”
“Be sure to get extra soup for your neighbor.” She winks at me while she buttons her coat.
“Why would I do that?” I play along.
Sliding her purse strap over her shoulder, she gives me a strange look. “Oh, I thought you already knew.”
“Knew what?”
“Tyler is out for the next game. In last night’s game, he got a nasty blow when a player skated into him.”
I shrug. “And? He plays hockey. It happens. My brother gets hit all the time.” Doesn’t make it any easier. You’re always scared that it will be a serious one.
“True. But he full-on had to leave the game after a hit to the face. He won’t be playing the next game.”
Her news piques my interest, and a flare of concern erupts in a corner somewhere inside of me. “Oh? That doesn’t sound great.”
Gracie reaches out for a hug. “Yeah, looked painful. Anyhow, have fun. Give the kiddo a hug for me.”
Squeezing her tight, I promise I will.
For the most part, I didn’t think about what Gracie said because I was in full-on mom mode when I left the café. It was grocery store, school pick-up, drop books off at the library, and unloading groceries.
Finally at home, I’m scavenging through the last bag when I remember that I left the new bottle of laundry detergent in the hallway because I could only carry so much inside at once.
I gently jog to the front door and open it to pick up the bottle.
But as I’m mid-squat, I notice Tyler is returning home.
He’s walking down the hallway in his coat and with stubble on his face, looking a little the worse for wear.
Yet still, the wave of dark hair across his forehead frames his dark eyes.
It slightly startles me. “Shit. Are you okay?” Instantly, I see the bruise on the side of his face.
“Lainey, I’m not in the mood for your spats.” He sounds completely deflated.
“I-I…” Slowly I straighten to standing, but my feet don’t want to move. “Really. Truthfully. Are you okay?” All hostility aside, I’m genuinely concerned.
He peers down. “Fine. It will be fine. Just need ice.”
“Yeah, ice. I guess you’ve done this a few times.” My eyes slide back to my open door because looking straight at him might have me entranced.
“Something like that.” He rubs the back of his neck.
Our eyes catch for a second, and a heaviness floats between us.
“I should let you be then,” I say gently.
“Yeah.” He is barely audible.
We both turn and head into our apartments, and for an unexplainable reason, I walk to the kitchen, slam the detergent on the kitchen counter, open the freezer, then half a minute later find myself knocking on Tyler’s door with a bag of frozen peas in my hand.
By the third knock he opens, and his face squinches because he is surprised it’s me. Let alone holding up a bag of frozen peas.
“Here.” I hand them to him. “I wasn’t sure if you have enough ice. I can only imagine your shoulder and upper body are a little effed up too. I remember because I’ve seen it on Seb.”
In a quick movement, Tyler grips my wrist, and he yanks me forward until I almost tumble straight into him as I’m caught by surprise.
This is the complete wrong time for the ache between my legs, but it’s happening.
He’s strong but it’s not enough to hurt. I stare up into his dark eyes as he towers over me. He steals my breath, and maybe that’s the misery that he wants to inflict on me.
We just stew in this standoff for a few moments. I swear, with one more pull, our lips would be dangerously close. He has my eyes captivated because I see him searching for some sort of answer on my face.
“Thank you.” His voice is gruff.
Make no mistake, I sense the electricity between us.
But he abruptly lets my wrist go, and I’m standing there speechless with my body trying to stabilize.
Taking a step back in disbelief, I’m unable to study his expression because the door slams in my face as I stand there at a loss for what I’m feeling in this very moment.
I’m angry that he causes something to stir inside of me, and I’m angry it’s him because he is the last person I need in my romantic life.
The only thing I can do is punish him for that.
So tomorrow, I’ll find holiday decorations for his door that I’m well aware he will hate.