Page 76 of If You Love Me

ROMAN

“Stop eyeing my sausage.” Peggy elbows Hollis in the ribs. “You’re the one who ordered peameal.”

He purses his lips. “I thought you’d be willing to share.”

She scoffs and points her speared sausage at his plate. “Your peameal. My sausage.” She nibbles the end of the link.

I barely resist the urge to tell her to use her fork and cut it up like a normal person, but I’m also aware she eats it like this to irk me. Otherwise she has impeccable table manners. Besides, mostly I’m thankful our tradition of breakfast at the Pancake House after an away series has remained intact, despite all the other changes in our lives.

Hollis stares at her and says nothing.

“Get a side, if you’re desperate for your own.” She turns to me. “You were great during the away series. How does it feel to almost have a total shutout over the last three games?”

“Amazing, to be honest.” I was legitimately worried about how I would perform, especially with the constant tension between me and Lexi. But I managed to keep my head in the game. We returned with three wins, shifting us back into the top ten teams.

“I love that you’re both having such a great season.Especially with it being your last. And maybe yours.” Peggy rests her cheek against Hollis’s biceps.

“Probably mine,” Hollis says.

“They could extend,” I argue.

“Doesn’t mean I have to accept the offer, though.” He pokes at his food.

It’s looking more likely that he’ll hang up his skates at the same time as me. Not being alone as I navigate what’s next sounds nice.

“We’ll figure it all out.” Peggy pats his arm and directs her next question at me. “Are you any closer to making a decision on what you want to do next year?”

“I talked to my agent about the Hockey Academy satellite campus opening here and I reached out to Alex Waters.” I won’t move away from my only daughter. And I have no plans to leave Toronto when Lexi is here.

Peggy reaches across the table to touch my arm. “It would be so good if you stayed close. Both of you would be great coaches.”

“I would never leave you. You’re my baby.” It doesn’t matter that she’s self-sufficient, she’ll always be a top priority. “They have a summer program for university students that they hope to start in May.” I’m testing the waters.

“It’s too bad we’ll be in playoffs then.” Hollis sips his coffee.

“Unless I take early retirement.”

Peggy laughs. “As if.”

Rainbow, our regular waitress, stops by to freshen our coffees. “Is everything okay with the hash today?” she asks Hollis.

“Oh, yeah. It’s great as usual,” he assures her. “Just overdid it on the snacks before I got here.”

Peggy gets a message, distracting her from the Hockey Academy conversation. “Looks like you can finish my sausage after all. I need to head over to Rix’s.” She shoves her phone in her banana duck bag.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“Mostly. Nate is moving in with Flip next week so they need to get his stuff out of storage and Rix is stressing about the wedding. Summer is basically tomorrow in her head. It’ll all be fine, but she needs some girl time.” She kisses Hollis on the cheek. “Love you.”

Hollis arches a brow. “I love you too, Princess.”

“I know. It’s written all over your gorgeous face every day.” She squeezes his arm. She slides out of her seat and comes around to hug me from behind and kiss my cheek too. “Love you, Dado.”

“Are Rix and Tristan okay?” I ask once she’s out the door. Tristan, who is known for being a notoriously surly fucker is the happiest I’ve ever seen him. But I know they’ve had some ups and downs, especially with all the damage Tristan’s mother left behind.

“They’re good.” Hollis stabs Peggy’s sausage and transfers it to his plate. “Rix is a bit overwhelmed about planning a wedding and being full time in university and trying to work part-time, though.”

“Why is she still working part-time with all that going on?” She also preps meals for a bunch of us on top of everything else she does.

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