Page 21 of Three Pucks and a Baby

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, BB. So, so much.”

The feel of my fingers picking the chords while the lyrics echoed from my mouth caused all the pain from Hannah’s phone call to evaporate. At that moment, the audience fed my immense hunger for love and acceptance. Just like the crowd filling the stands of a hockey arena did.

The only good thing about the phone call with Hannah and running late was what happened next. As I broke into a rendition of Chris Stapleton’sTennessee Whiskey, I thought about the angel I’d run into in the hallway.

I’d been rushing to the stage when she’d come barreling out of the bathroom. It wasn’t every day I collided with something soft and incredibly sweet smelling. Just one look at the goddess with flaming red hair and I was a fucking goner.

And that was saying something considering it had been at least a year or two since a girl had turned my head. But man, this one sure as hell did. Maybe it was because she wasn’t a girl–she was awoman. A more mature woman than I was used to coming in contact with at school. She had incredible curves and skin so fair it was almost translucent. While I didn’t like my men pale, I sure as hell did my women. I don’t know what made it so sexy to me.

Despite the brief moment we’d shared, I couldn’t help thinking about her. Maybe it was because it hadn’t been just one side since she’d flirted back. Maybe she was out there right now listening to me sing and thinking about our moment.

After performing two songs Alex had written, we did another Lumineers cover withOphelia. I continued trying to search the crowd for my redheaded goddess. But with the intensity of the stage lights, I couldn’t make her out.

And then duringLittle Lion Man, I finally spotted her. She and her date were exiting the dance floor to head back to a booth in the back. From behind, her date reminded me a lot of my roommate and teammate, Grayson. He’d mentioned bringing a date here tonight.

Unease pricked over me at the thought my redhead was with him. Not that he wasn’t a hell of a great guy who treated women with respect. It was more the fact that I wanted her for myself.

My eyes continued tracking her. When she slid across the booth’s bench, my fingers screeched the wrong note at the sight of who she was with.

Once again, the universe loved to fuck with me.

Theo Novak had been my teammate and roommate since freshman year. Like Grayson, he was also my best friend. In some ways, we were closer than we were with Grayson.

He was also the one guy I wanted that I could never have.

Theo was completely hetero. While he might bang chicks with Grayson as part of a hockey superstition they had, there was no way in hell his stick was crossing with another dude’s. Although that fact was very evident, somehow I couldn’t seem to get that message across to my heart.

Fuck me.

And now the one person to truly stoke my interest in a long time was tied up with him. But not just him The fact they were sitting with Grayson told me she must be their latest superstition threesome.

As I watched Theo lean over and whisper something in her ear, my chest clenched in double agony. With the last chords of the song playing, I turned my back to them. I then traded out my guitar for a banjo while being outfitted with a wireless mic.

While my dad had insisted I learn the guitar so I could play in the church band, my grandpa, the only decent man I’d been raised with, was the one who taught me the banjo.

As I began picking the opening ofWagon Wheel, I started down the stage steps. Working the crowd had always been a part of the song. It included picking a random girl and dancing with her during the chorus.

For this performance, I had a specific woman in mind.

Taking the path that wound away from the crowd, I headed straight for their booth. When I reached their table, the redhead’s eyes popped wide at the sight of me while Gray and Theo grinned and clapped.

After handing off my banjo to Grayson, I took my redhead’s hand. “What’s your name, darlin’?”

“Vivian,” she replied breathlessly.

“Can I have this dance?”

While the crowd went wild, Vivian glanced over at the guys who nodded enthusiastically. She squealed as I tugged her out of the booth. After spinning her around, I drew her back to where her ass was flush against my front.

As I slid my arm around her waist, I winked at Grayson and Theo. While Gray hooted, Theo narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me.

With my arms wrapped around Vivian, I began to sway her delicious curves against me. “So rock me, mama, like a wagon wheel. Rock me mama any way you feel,” I crooned into her ear to which she giggled nervously. I could tell she did not like attention or being in front of a crowd.

At first, she was stiff, but then as the song continued, she began to loosen up. When my breath warmed against her neck, she shuddered in my arms. I glanced up just in time to see Theo’s eyes glittering with lust, which sent a jolt right through me.

As the song came to an end, I spun her out and then back against me, but this time she was facing me. “Thanks for the dance, darlin’.”

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