Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
DELANEY
My arms are filled to the brim with bags. Trying to shoulder open the door into my house when my phone starts buzzing requires the skill of a juggler.
Hoping it’s not Lydia calling to cancel—which would be the sensible thing to do since we shouldn’t be doing this—I breathe a sigh of relief when I see who it is.
“Hey, Mom.” I unlock the door and drop the bags on the floor. “How are you?”
“Oh, you know. Just calling because my only offspring doesn’t feel the need to call me and keep me updated on her life.”
I snort a laugh as I grab two bags and carry them into the kitchen. “Mom. I called you a few days ago.”
“And a few days ago you didn’t have the biggest win of your life.”
I roll my eyes, setting the bags on the counter and starting to unload everything I got for dinner.
“You texted me after the game. I texted you back.”
“And? That kind of win deserves a phone call.”
I laugh. “Then call me next time.”
“I’m calling you now.”
“You are.” I grab the container of sushi I picked up from the restaurant and put it in the refrigerator. With Lydia not coming over for another hour, the last thing I want is lukewarm sushi to make either of us sick. “How’s everything at home?”
“Did I tell you that Marcy’s son is getting divorced?”
“He is?” That draws me up short. “I thought he and his husband were madly in love.”
“Oh no. It was quite the scandal. You should hear what everyone is saying about it. Not very nice things about how it brings shame to the sacred institution of marriage.”
“Do you know what happened?”
“I don’t. But Marcy will be at knitting club tomorrow night, so I’ll be sure to get the scoop.”
I can only imagine what her small town is saying if Marcy’s son is getting divorced. It’s not the most welcoming of places. It was one of the reasons I was so keen to leave.
“How’s knitting club going?” It is one of her many new hobbies since she decided to retire.
“You know how those things are. It’s more gossip than anything. They do love hearing about you and the team.”
I smile through the phone. “Well, hopefully I’m doing them proud.”
“Who cares about them? You’re making me proud.”
“Thanks, Mom. Listen, I can’t talk right now. I have a date tonight.”
“Ohh.” I can hear her excitement through the phone. “Who’s the lucky man?”
I swallow back the disappointment swimming through me at her words. I hate that I’m lying to her. But based on how scandalous people think Marcy’s son’s divorce is, it’s why I’m hesitant to come out to her.
“I’ll be sure to tell you more if something comes of it.”
“Always so quiet on the dating front,” she chides. “You have fun and I’ll be sure to call you next week.”
“Not if I call you first.”
“That’s my girl. I love you, Delaney.”
“Love you, Mom.”
I hang up and drop my phone onto the island, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes.
This is not what I wanted before my first date with Lydia. Worrying about my mom and how she’ll react when I tell her I’m a lesbian. Well, when I eventually tell her.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
Needing to clear my head, I start bustling around the kitchen to make sure that everything is in order for our date tonight.
Outside of hockey, one of my other passions is home decorating. If there’s a home reno show, I’ve watched it.
Digging the place mats and the candles out of the drawer, I set the dining room table. Does it look weird to only have two places set on a table made for eight? Yes. But I don’t care.
Because Lydia is coming over. For a first date.
It’s not like I need to impress her. I think shared orgasms in Miami got the point across fairly well.
It’s been a few weeks since we got home. Between games starting again and the holidays, we didn’t have much time to get together.
Read: any.
She took a quick two-day trip to visit her brother and his new baby, while I had my mom up to visit. In all that time, I’m surprised I didn’t talk myself out of this thing with her. While I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my position with the team, it’s Lydia.
The one that got away.
And being with her tonight is all I want.
I shift the gold silverware around until I get it exactly where I want it on top of the black-and-white striped placemat.
Knowing Lydia doesn’t drink during the season, I bypass the wine glass and make myself my own Dirty Shirley cocktail while I get everything else ready. It helps to soothe my nerves.
Why am I so nervous?
Is it because I’m her coach and she’s my player? That if this goes sideways, then it’s going to be awkward every day at practice?
Or because I know what she used to mean to me, and I want it to be more?
This is why I never really dated. Hockey is easy. Give me a puck and a stick and I can teach anyone how to play. Feelings? I don’t know what to do with them.
Taking the edamame out, I snack on a few pieces as I put the finishing touches on the table. Just because we can’t go out, doesn’t mean we can’t have the first-date experience here.
Looking at the time, it’s still about twenty minutes until she gets here. But knowing her, she’ll arrive early.
Everything looks perfect. Striking a match, I light the candles and grab my drink to head into the living room. I light my favorite candle. The pine smell is something I love having any time of the year.
Before I can sit down, the doorbell rings. I take one last calming deep breath to settle my nerves.
Through the tempered glass of the front door, I see Lydia standing there. How can someone look that sexy through a door?
Only Lydia could do it.
Lydia greets me with a smile as I swing open the door. I drink her in.
Tight black jeans. Oversized pink sweater that hangs off one shoulder. Gold hoops in her ears.
“Are you just going to stand there all night, or are you going to let me in?”
My gaze snaps to hers. A playful look sits on her face.
“Sorry.” I sweep my arm out, welcoming her in, giving her an impish smile.
“Wow. This is a great place, D.”
D.
It causes my insides to swirl as I watch her spin around, taking everything in.
“Thanks.”
She beams back at me when her blue eyes lock on to mine. “It reminds me of your old place.”
“Are you calling me a creature of habit?”
“I think we’ve established the two of us are creatures of habit.”
Passing by her on the way to the kitchen, I give her a quick peck on the cheek as I pass.
She stops me with a warm hand to the arm. “What, that’s all I get?”
“Don’t dates usually end in kisses?”
She shrugs a slim shoulder, her sweater slipping farther down.
“Well, how about we change it up and start the date with a kiss?”
“That seems like sound logic,” I tell her.
Lydia rests a hand on my hip and pulls me close. Even through the black cotton of my plain, long-sleeved black shirt—dressed up with my favorite necklace, a pair of crossed hockey sticks—I feel her heat.
Her eyes flit down to my lips as her teeth bury into her plump bottom lip.
Brushing her hair off her shoulder, I press a kiss to the exposed skin.
A shudder racks her body. I love that this is the reaction I bring out in her. I thought what we had in Miami was going to be a one and done thing. Fuck around for the night and get it out of our systems.
But as Lydia’s nails dig into my side, I know it’s more. Her body is reacting to mine the same way I’m reacting to hers.
With sheer need and desire.
I place soft kisses up her neck. Vanilla overwhelms my senses as I suck and nibble my way over her tender skin.
“Stop teasing me.”
“I thought you wanted me to kiss you?” I whisper, tugging her earlobe between my teeth.
“Yes. On the mouth.”
I pull back, looking her in the eye. “Thank you for clarifying.”
As I rub my thumb back and forth across her bottom lip, she sucks it into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it. A needy moan escapes me.
“See? Not so fun, is it?”
When Lydia releases my digit, I crush my lips to hers. Heat and electricity ignite around us as our tongues tangle, fighting for control.
It’s the most delicious kiss I’ve had in a long time. The give and take of it. Her fingers sliding into my hair. My hands pulling her closer.
I swallow every gasp and moan as our moves become less hurried. More languid and casual. Like we’re relearning each other’s mouths again.
“Mmm.” Lydia smiles against my lips. “I love that you taste like cherries.”
“And you still smell like a cupcake.”
Lydia nips at my lips one more time before stepping back. “I think we really should start each date like this.”
“I’ll try.”
Linking our fingers together, I pull her after me toward the kitchen.
“Or we could just take this date right upstairs.”
Spinning on my heel, I shake my head at her. “No way. I have quite the meal planned for you. Now, go sit and I’ll bring it over.”
Lydia steals a kiss before walking over to the table. “This is quite the treatment, D.”
“What can I say? You know it’s my love language.”
I pull out the platter of sushi and the sides and carry them over to the table. Heading back, I top off my drink and grab one of the sparkling waters I know Lydia likes.
“You still remembered my favorite?” she asks, taking the can from me.
“Shot in the dark.” I wink.
“This looks great, Delaney. You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
Taking the seat across from her, I hold my drink up to clink against hers. “I did. It’s our first date.”
“We’ve gone on dates before,” Lydia tells me, helping herself to a little bit of everything.
“Have we? Because I’m pretty sure we only hit bars after games when we played together.”
Using the chopsticks, I grab a salmon roll, dunking it into the soy sauce and eating it.
Lydia points her own chopstick at me. “Okay, maybe not.”
“See?” I shrug. “I had to pull out all the stops.”
“You could have ordered in pizza and I would have been happy,” Lydia tells me.
“Good to know.”
Even though we’re sitting at my dining room table, it has all the feel of a first date. Rediscovering one another. Flirting. Coy smiles.
Being with Lydia is everything I remember it to be. Only better somehow. We’re older, more settled.
“Do you have any more pictures of Cameron?” I ask, biting into my last salmon roll.
“Do I ever.” Her face glows as she stands, walking around the table and sitting on my lap. “Look how freaking cute she is.”
Lydia wraps her arm around my shoulders as I rest my hands on her hips. She opens the photo app on her phone and starts swiping through all the photos of her new niece.
“Oh my God.” I swipe back to the one of her in a tiny Rosebuds jersey. “This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Right? I don’t have one with her and the stuffed hockey stick, but it was precious.”
“She is already so spoiled by you.”
“Not just me. Everyone. I can’t wait until I get to visit longer.”
“Do you ever regret being so far away from your family?” I ask.
“Never. Hockey is worth it.” She shakes her head, glancing at her watch. “Which makes this even harder to leave because I want to stay all night.”
“I know.” I squeeze her hips as she stands, starting to clear the table before heading to the door.
“If only we didn’t have an early morning practice. Our coach works us too hard.”
“I appreciate your coach’s dedication to the team.” I smile at her. “As your girlfriend, I hate it.”
Laughter bubbles out of her. “I’m your girlfriend now? Have we discussed this?”
I shrug a shoulder. “I only assumed.”
“Assume away. As long as it means my little rule follower is okay breaking the rules for me.”
“Only for you, Lydia.”
“Good. Now, I have a dog waiting for me at home.”
“Next time bring him over so you can stay later.”
She grins at me. “I will.”
Because now that I’ve had Lydia in my space, I don’t want her to leave.
Ever.