Chapter 7
Haddy
Years of poise, grace, calm under pressure, and one week with Gavin Knight has turned me into one of the three stooges. I trip over nothing, and did I mention he saw me naked?
He’s right behind me as we enter the living room. The table is set, and Mav has Patsy under his neck, a flustered expression on his face. Gigi’s arms are crossed, and she’s giving him the stink-eye.
“What’s wrong?” My eyes go from one to the other.
“Dude, I thought I sat on Peepee.” He holds the shivering dog under his chin, and his hands are so large, they cover her entire body. “I flopped on the couch, and that stupid toy squeaked. I nearly shat my pants.”
“I’ve told you to watch where you flop when we’re fostering puppies.” Gigi shakes her head, going to where he’s standing and giving Patsy a gentle pet. “You yelled so loud Spanky ran and got under the bed.”
“I thought I’d killed her. Then what would Haddy say?”
“I would’ve strangled you.” I calmly walk over to take the trembling little dog from my oversized cousin. “Her owner would never have recovered.”
“She’s a fragile human.” Gigi’s green eyes are sad as she nods at me.
Gavin enters the room, and I continue quickly into the kitchen, cuddling my puppy to calm my jumpy insides.
He does not make me jumpy. I almost fell, which is why I’m understandably flustered.
“What’s for dinner? It smells delicious.” I stop at the stove, surveying a glass dish of rice and assorted vegetables.
“Nothing major. Just paella.”
“Just paella,” I huff a laugh. “Don’t some people consider that one of the hardest dishes to make.”
“I don’t know why.” Mav makes amends by scrubbing Spanky’s neck with his fingers. “It’s just rice, chicken, and vegetables.”
“Which pepper did you use?”
“Cayenne.” He swings his legs off the couch, walking over to where we’re congregating in the kitchen.
Gav leans his back against the sink, placing his hands on the counter beside him. It stretches the white tee he’s wearing attractively across his chest, but I don’t raise my eyes to his.
My cheeks have started this annoying habit of blushing every time he grins at me. Partly because he smiles at me like he’s remembering what I look like without my clothes on, which makes my neck all hot.
The guys are animated at dinner, discussing practice and how well Gavin fits in with the rest of the team. Gina’s on the edge of her seat, but I finish quickly, leaving her to help clean up. I’ll take my turn tomorrow night when the boys are at the rink.
Also, I’m taking my shower right now, when I know our new upstairs visitor won’t be wandering around.
I’m in my room, post-shower, dressed in my cotton PJs when Maverick taps on my door.
“Fresh sweater for you.” He hands me a new, massive white hockey jersey with the purple and black Champions logo on front and a big number 74 under the name Murphy on the back.
“Tight.” I shake it out, excited to wear it to the game this week.
Gigi and I always sit in the center, front row so we can cheer and see what happens without people in front of us. I’ve only just started following hockey since my cousin moved here, which means Gigi has to tell me what’s happening most of the time.
They grew up in the same town, so she got to sneak off to all his games with Kimmie Joy and our other cousins. I’m kind of glad I wasn’t there, because I suck at keeping secrets. If I’d spilled the beans to Aunt Dylan, they’d have all been mad at me.
I don’t mind playing catch-up now. The games are so exciting, and hockey players are hot.
“Come here, Peepee.” Mav takes the tiny dog off my bed before sitting on it and looking up at me. “She’s really cute.”
I smile, scrubbing my fingers in his long hair. “You’re really cute. I should set you up with one of my pageant friends.”
“You think I need help picking up women?”
“I don’t know.” I give his nose a playful tweak. “I haven’t seen you with one.”
“Speaking of, Gavin’s a good guy. He’s like me, focused on the game and minding his own business. He’s not into bunnies. He’s loyal…”
My shoulders tense the more he speaks. “Loyalty is not a quality I’ve seen in your friend.”
“Maybe you don’t know him as well as I do.”
I think about the past few days. It’s not long enough to know anything, but I don’t want to argue with my cousin.
“You know, I could say the same thing to you.” He stands, and I smile up at him. “I was there, Mav. I saw his behavior with my own eyes.”
“I still think there’s more to the story. I know my friend, and people don’t change that much.”
He has a point, and I guess I didn’t spend a whole lot of time around Gavin in college. I was always buried in the lab or in classes or doing pageant events to pay for it all.
“They say if you don’t put the past behind you, it’ll keep checking you into the boards.”
My nose wrinkles. “I don’t know what that means.”
“It means if you live in the past, you’ll never get over it. Just give him a chance. For me.”
“I’ve been trying to do that.” I look down at the sweater in my hands, and he pokes me in the ribs.
“Try a little harder, Princess.”
“I’ll try.” I chew my bottom lip wondering what that would look like. Then I remember. “Hey, would you do me a favor?”
“If I can.”
“One of the PhD students said I could have some of their old equipment. It’s a giant monitor and several smaller things. Would you be able to swing by tomorrow and help me move it to our lab?”
“Don’t you have student helpers for that?”
“Not really. I share the lab with Timothy, but he’s kind of… not very strong.”
“He’s a wimp?”
“I was trying to put it nicely.” I don’t include the part about how if Mav helps me move the equipment, I can casually suggest he join us for drinks as well.
That way I’ll be doubly sure Timothy doesn’t think we’re going on a date or anything.
“Come by around five, and I’ll buy you a beer to thank you.”
“Say less,” he laughs, going to the door. “See you tomorrow night.”
“Can’t wait!”
When Gina and I arrive at the hockey arena, the speakers are blasting “We Are the Champions” by Queen followed immediately by “Another One Bites the Dust,” which are the team’s hype anthems.
Fans crowd around the glass to watch the guys warm up, and we’re dressed like it’s the middle of winter in leggings and our Number 74 jerseys (excuse me, sweaters) for Mav over white turtlenecks.
Okay, some of the fans only wear jackets, but I was surprised how cold my first game was. I guess I should’ve expected it to be cold being so close to the ice.
Our seats are right up front, and we watch the team stretching and skating around. Some of those stretches make me wonder how they don’t freeze their junk off. I guess they wear cups.
When it’s finally time to start, Gigi and I cheer as loud as we can for Mav. She says we have to cheer for Gav now, too, and I go with it. I promised Mav I’d try harder, after all.
Our cousin glides by our seats waving at us and giving a thumbs up, and of course, we turn around and show off our Murphy sweaters.
When I turn back around, I don’t miss the frowny twist of Gavin’s lips. I’m not sure what that’s about, but I can’t worry about him. It’s not like I can read his mind.
Fun fact about hockey games: They’re a blast! They’re fast paced and energetic, and Gigi and I are constantly jumping up to yell and cheer. Mav scores, and we scream our heads off. Of course, a fight breaks out, and we hold each other’s arms. I cover my eyes.
Half the time, I don’t know what’s going on. Gigi tells me to watch the players instead of trying to track the puck, and of course, my stubborn eyes keep going to Gavin.
He’s so fast, it’s hard to believe at his height. He’s really intense, like all the guys, but his blue eyes are fixed on the opposing players, watching every move.
At one point he goes to the boards and does some maneuver where he blocks the opposing guy from moving forward. Then he swipes the puck away and sends it to Mav, who whacks it into the net so fast, I almost don’t even see it.
The arena explodes, and Gina grabs my arm, shaking it so hard.
“What happened? What did he do?” My eyes are wide, and I smile looking from her to the ice, where the guys are gliding like whatever just happened was a piece of cake.
“It’s called a pinch, and it’s a super risky move, but he nailed it!” She’s screaming as she jumps up and down, chanting Gav and Mav along with the rest of the crowd.
“He made it look so easy,” I muse, then I’m chanting Gav and Mav along with the rest of our fans.
We win 2-0, and the crowd floods down to the glass to cheer for the guys. We wave enthusiastically at Mav, and I chew my lip watching as Gavin chats with some girls on the other end of the bench.
They’re all young and wearing tight clothes, and they’re smiling and blinking fast. It makes my throat feel tight, but I push it away. I am not jealous of Gavin Knight. Good lord.
“Ready?” Gina grabs my arm, and I tear my eyes away from him smiling at a bosomy blonde in a tight purple sweater.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Do you want this file cabinet?” Lucas digs behind a stack of air samplers, incubators, and a large microscope to drag out the last of his folders and put them in the banker’s box.
I’m obsessed with the ancient microscope he appears to be abandoning. It’s large, black metal with an oversized base and brass accents, and it looks like it’s from the early 20th century.
“Not really, but I’d love this old microscope.” I lean down to look through the eye piece. “Where did you get it?”
“It belonged to one of the microbiology professors. He retired, and I guess he just donated it to the lab. Or he forgot it.”
“How could you forget something like this?” I put my hand around the arm to try and lift it, but I give up pretty quick.
It feels like it weighs fifty pounds, and I don’t want to drop it. More for Maverick to carry.
“Take it.” He stops to give me a hug. “I’m heading out. Good luck with everything, Hads. I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”