33. Could this be?
Sarah
“…After that heavy hit, it looks like Hayden and Sampson are about to renew their rivalry from last season, get ready for some heavy hitting from these two heavyweights… Oh, wait! What’s happening here? Hayden Raynor, hockey’s bad boy, refuses to drop the gloves! For the third game running, the Hellraiser has declined the invitation! I can’t believe what I’m seeing… The crowd are on their feet howling as Raynor turns and points a glove toward someone in the crowd…
What a change we’ve seen in this player. His most goals and assists in a season since he joined the team. He looks sharp, focused, not the brawler we all know!”
Hayden turned off the game highlights and sunk his head under the bubbles of the hot tub, rising back up through the steam like my own personal fantasy come to life. Six months later, and I still had those giddy feelings about him.
“More Champagne, my lady?”
“Sure. I still can’t believe you haven’t seen The Holiday! ”
“Me either. Let’s do it.”
I curled up to him in the tub, my head on his wet chest as his heavy arm wrapped its way around me and pulled me closer to him. I felt safe and, dare I even say it, happy, as I listened to his thumping heart beneath his wide chest.
Hayden hit the remote and the movie started on the flatscreen. Then he pressed a button and the hot-tub roared into life. We both giggled as the bubbles rippled across our naked skin.
So much had changed. After years of feeling stuck, suddenly everything was new and vibrant. It just goes to prove that wherever you are, whoever you are, there’s always the hope that love can change everything in an instant. Even when you’ve given up.
Of course, it had helped that Cara was now off sinking her talons into someone else, and seemed much less interested in riling Haydon up now. She still called to talk to Maiden though, who told us “Mom’s a cleat chaser now,” after their last chat.
That little guy was doing great, too. After we got him some extra help at school, he was happy and making friends. Which in turn made Haydon happy too. I mean, he hadn’t hit anyone in months. He was still going to his therapy though, even though he didn’t have to anymore. Dana was helping him unpack his past, and although it wasn’t easy, we were working on it, and I could see the change in him already. Oh, and then there was Kensy! But that’s a whole other story to be told…
“I like you without the beard, Hay.”
“Well, someone once told me I had a crap beard.”
“Did they now? Well, I definitely prefer the sexy dad stubble, especially feeling it graze across my thighs. ”
Hayden looked at me with those dark eyes, our chemistry in motion.
“Hey, we going out with Dan and Kensy tonight, right?”
Hayden laughed, “The odd couple. I like those two together.”
“Me too. Let’s take my car this time.”
“Toto? I can barely get my legs in that fucking thing. Honestly, we could’ve got you any other car.”
“I like watching you trying to get out of her,” I laughed at him.
“Sarah?” He asked, softly.
“Hayden?”
“I really like this.”
“I really like this too.”