Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
Barracuda - Grace
From the second we enter the restaurant, Wyatt’s fingertips pressed firmly into the small of my back, I forget all about the rumors about the possible demise of the artistic swim team and the worry I have over what Wyatt will have to face with his dad.
This place is breathtaking.
Wyatt has taken me to an upscale restaurant right on the beach, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing views of the waves of the Pacific rolling ashore. The sun is sinking over the ocean, a beautiful orange glow dipping farther and farther on the horizon, and we have a front row seat to all of it.
The hostess walks ahead of us on the pale hardwood floor, past tables draped in white linens, surrounded by blue upholstered chairs, and closer and closer to the tables right next to the windows. Then she stops at one with a perfect view of the ocean and smiles at us. “Your table,” she says.
Wyatt immediately moves to take out my chair, and I thank him as I sit down. The hostess hands me the menu, then gives one to Wyatt after he’s seated across from me and tells us our server will be with us shortly.
As soon as she walks away, I stare at Wyatt in amazement. “Wy, this place is incredible. Thank you for bringing me here.”
His brows draw together. “You don’t have to thank me. I wanted to take you someplace nice.”
“I will always thank you for putting thought into something,” I say. “Because it matters.”
His face softens, and I want to reach across the table and touch his cheek with my hand.
“Sebastian said I should get credit for taking you to a place that requires more than flip-flops for shoes,” he says.
I giggle at that. “Sebastian is not wrong. You get all the credit because you look gorgeous tonight.”
Wyatt leans back in his chair. “Wait until you see the suit I have picked out for the first game of the season.”
Ooh, I can’t wait for that! I had so much fun when I went to the open practice session two weekends ago. I can’t imagine the fun I’ll have cheering him on at an actual game.
And seeing his athletic body dressed in a suit for fit check.
Wyatt extends his hand on the table, palm up, and wiggles his fingers. “Give me your hand, Gracie girl.”
I grin. He didn’t need to tell me that’s what he wanted, and I love that I know that. I put my hand in his.
“Let’s not talk about any of the bullshit going on for the rest of the night,” he says. “I don’t want to think about my dad, or what your mom said to you, or the idiots running the athletic department. I want to think about me bringing my girl to this place for the evening she deserves.”
My throat grows thick, and I nod. I need a moment before I can speak.
Wyatt flashes me a lopsided grin. “I even put on dress shoes, so we need to celebrate it.”
I laugh, and that makes his brown eyes sparkle.
“Thank you,” I say. “For giving me the A-plus experience. Not just tonight. But every night. Although you’ve hit a five-hole tonight with this beautiful restaurant on the ocean.
Seeing the surf rolling in at sunset? With you? This is so romantic. More than A-plus.”
“Five-hole,” he repeats, obviously pleased with me dropping a hockey term. “When did you learn that?”
“Back when you were my boyfriend but not really my boyfriend. I watched some TikToks and Instagram reels of you and that term was used when you scored sometimes. Because Wy?”
“Yeah?”
“Even when I knew you weren’t really mine, my heart always hoped you would be,” I confess.
“I love you, Grace.”
“I love you, too.”
The server comes to the table and we order drinks, talking as we watch the sun sink lower and lower into the horizon. I can’t get over the amazing view Wyatt has given me tonight.
“They have high-tide dining experiences,” he says, his gaze fixed on another wave as it comes ashore. “And when you’re sitting here, the waves actually crash against the window and all you see is water.”
“Oh my God, I’d love to do that!” I say excitedly.
“I’ll show you the picture on the restaurant website later. It looks wild.”
“How did you find this place?” I ask. “Did you bring a date here before a fraternity formal or something?”
Wyatt’s gaze snaps back to me, his face wrinkled up in disgust. “Um, no.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Where did you take them? For a burger and fries?”
He snorts. “I wasn’t an asshole. But no, I’d always go with Chase and his date somewhere nice but not special. This place is special. And I didn’t know it at the time, but I was waiting to meet you so I could bring you to a place like this.”
I wonder how many times my heart can melt, because it’s definitely melting all over again right now.
“Speaking of formals, my schedule is really bad on the weekends from now until April, if we make the Frozen Four, which we will,” Wyatt says determinedly.
“So I might not be able to make your Phi Mu Phi formal, and baby, I’m so sorry about that.
Especially if it’s somewhere outside of San Diego. When is it, anyway?”
Our server returns and sets down our drinks in front of us. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your orders,” she says.
We both thank her, and then I look at Wyatt to resume our conversation. “Wyatt. I don’t care. If I want to get dressed up and go to a dance, I can go with McCall, who never takes a guy to a formal. Or I can stay at the house with Maddie and we can do a whole self-care weekend. It doesn’t matter.”
“When is it?” he asks again.
“In San Diego on November eighth.”
“Then you have a date. My game is at five. At home.”
I never thought I’d go to a Phi Mu Phi formal with a date, but happiness bubbles up in me at the idea of going with Wyatt. I flash him a big smile. “Then I will have to start dress shopping.”
“Damn straight you will.”
“Speaking about Greek life, I have news,” Wyatt says.
“I’m positive the shitty faction of the house is going to behave.
So it’s time for me to leave. Ever since I found out about the bet I’ve been embarrassed and furious as to what guys wearing the same damn letters as me were doing.
I stayed to make sure you wouldn’t be dragged through anything else.
I know you won’t be. So it’s finally time for me to walk out. ”
“Wyatt? What? No, you don’t have to drop out,” I say, shaking my head.
“Yeah, I do. I don’t need what they offer. I have my friends in the house, who will still be my friends, and I have my hockey brothers. I don’t want to be affiliated with any group who treats women like that.”
I press my lips together, willing myself not to cry.
“I’m just sorry I haven’t been able to do it sooner. I wanted to make sure you were protected before I left.”
I shake my head. “No. Don’t be sorry. Because you not only put a stop to it, you made sure none of that crap was going to happen to other girls on campus with your warning.
I almost think you should stay active, just to be that role model for them, Wy.
Especially for the new pledges who are coming into the house.
You can show them how a real man should act. ”
I think about this. Wyatt would be the ideal role model for incoming new members. Someone they could learn from and look up to.
He’s already changing the dynamic of Alpha Xi Pi. And if he stays, he could make the whole fraternity better.
Wyatt appears to consider that as the server comes back to our table. “Are we ready to order?” she asks.
I look at Wyatt, and he smiles at her. “I’m sorry, no, we haven’t even opened the menus. Can we get five minutes?”
She smiles at us in return. “Take as much time as you want.”
“Okay, we need to focus,” Wyatt says, letting go of my hand and opening the menu.
I open my menu, but instead of focusing, I steal a look at Wyatt, who has his fingertips over his lips as he tries to make some decisions.
“Grace?” he asks, looking up from the menu.
“Yeah?”
“Maybe you’re right. I was so pissed off I never thought about Alpha Xi Pi from another perspective.
I can’t change things if I’m on the outside.
And that’s part of the kind of man I want to be.
I know now I can do more than score goals.
And hockey gives me a platform to work from.
So maybe I should stick around the fraternity to see if I can change things.
But only if you are okay with it. Because if you’re uncomfortable, I’ll find other ways to make a difference, sweetheart. ”
My heart swells with pride. I’m so proud of this man. I’m proud of how he’s changing before my eyes, seeing the goodness in himself that I saw early on.
“I will support whatever you want to do,” I promise him.
“We’ll talk about it later,” he says. “And thank you.”
I shift my gaze down to the list of entrées, but Wyatt is still on my mind. He’s such a good man, in more ways than I can even count. And somehow, I’m going to have to put all these thoughts aside so I can do what I need to do right now.
Like decide what I’m going to eat for dinner, I think with a grin.
***
We go back to Wyatt’s house after our romantic dinner, and it’s completely silent as we step inside.
“I,” he says, snaking his arms around my waist and drawing me into his body, “want to go swimming with you.” Then he dips his head and begins kissing the side of my neck, his tongue and teeth playfully nipping at my skin.
“Maybe,” he murmurs into the spot between my shoulder and collarbone, “you can show me some of your artistic swimming moves.”
I chuckle. “In my bikini?”
“Mm-hmm,” he murmurs, his mouth finding the hollow of my throat and kissing it. God, I love the way his lips feel against my skin.
“But I’d have to have my nose clip.”
Wyatt raises his head. “Your what?”
I grin. “My nose clip. It keeps water out of my nose so I can stay underwater longer.”
Wyatt appears to digest this. Then he looks sheepishly at me. “You know a five-hole, but I don’t know you use nose clips. F-minus.”