Page 56 of Fake Shot

She smiles, laughter shaking her shoulders. “Yeah, I think I know what you mean. So how small is this small town? I thought you grew up in Montreal?”

“No, a small town about forty-five minutes outside of the city called Pinevale.”

“I thought all the town and city names in Quebec were French?”

“They are. But you don’t speak French, so I’m just going to use the English names, for your sake.”

“Damn Latin never comes in handy,” she says, as she raises her cup and blows on the surface of the coffee before taking a small, tentative sip. “Not that I ever travel ...”

“Wait, you’ve been out of the country before, right?”

Lifting her eyebrows, she shakes her head.

“But you do have a passport, right?” Holy crap, how did I not think to ask this before?

“Yeah, I’ve just never used it.”

I exhale a sigh of relief, because if she wasn’t able to come, there’s no way I’d be going. That thought has me realizing how dependent I’ve become on having her in my life, and I have to remind myself that we can be friends, but nothing more.

“Alright, I’ve got to go. I’m already cutting it close.” It takes so long to get all my goalie gear on, I arrive earlier than most of the other players. “Will I see you after the game?”

“I don’t think I can stay for the whole game. I have to be up at five tomorrow because we’re getting a big shipment of lumber at six.” She lets out a small groan as she sags back against the countertop. “The neighbors at this new housewe’re starting on this week are going to freaking love me tomorrow morning.”

“You should get some gift cards for a local coffee shop and drop them in everyone’s mailboxes with aSorry for the early morningnote,” I suggest.

“That’s actually kind of genius.”

“So, will I not see you before I get on our plane after the game tonight?” I ask.

“Ahhhh ... ” She gives me a fake sad face. “Are you going to miss me?”

You have no idea.

“No,” I huff out a laugh. “But I have a little going away present for you before I leave.”

Her eyes widen. “I know we’re supposed to be engaged and all, but this better not be like the gifts Drew sends Audrey when he’s traveling.”

“Why? What does Drew send Audrey?”

Those blue eyes widen even more and then she slow blinks. “Oh my god, pretend I didn’t just say that. Please.”

“Why, what’s he send her?”

“Nothing. And don’t you dare ask him, either. That would be a total violation of my sister’s privacy.”

“Ahhh, so something sexy, then?” I’m teasing her just to see if I can get her to blush. As the pink creeps into her cheeks, I step around the kitchen table so I’m directly in front of her. “Why, is that the kind of goodbye gift you’d like?” She’s full-on blushing now, which only makes me want to push this a bit further. “Because that could easily be arranged.”

“Don’t make promises you don’t plan to deliver on, Colt. Per your choice, we’re keeping this platonic, remember?”

Wait a minute.“That’s not what I said. I said Icouldn’tdo anything about it, and you said you wanted me to respect our agreement and the promise I made to your brother.” My voice drops lower. “Are you telling me that now youdon’twant to keep this platonic?”

“Let’s not have this conversation again,” she says breezily, but I can tell she’s more affected than she’s pretending to be, and not just because of the way she’s holding that coffee mug between us, her forearms pressed right over her nipples like she doesn’t want me to see what my being this close does to her.

“As you wish,” I say, stepping back. “So, this is goodbye? For the next few days, at least?”

“What time are you leaving here tonight for your game? I can make sure I’m home in time to say goodbye.”

She didn’t make it home in time to say goodbye, but she sent me an apology text detailing how crappy her afternoon had been, and as we stand in the hallway waiting to take the ice for our second home game of this series, I’m trying not to let it bother me.

---