Page 74 of Pucking Fate

“Me too.”

“Where is Finley now?” I ask her.

“At Preston’s apartment. Elle got off work early,” Maya explains. “Am I a bad mother for coming to see you without him? I didn’t want him to overhear…”

“No, baby. You could never be a bad mother. And I’ll see him soon enough. In fact, do you think Elle could watch him for another hour or so?”

“Why?”

“Because, even though I can’t wait to see him, I want to take you on a date tonight. A real date. It’ll be easier to do it now instead of you trying to sneak out later.”

Maya smiles, and this time, it reaches her eyes. “I’ll check with Elle, and if she doesn’t mind, then yes.”

“Good,” I say, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her cheek. “You won’t regret this, baby. I promise.”

As I pull back, Luke and Tyler come walking out of the arena.

“Give me one second?” Maya asks as she holds up her phone.

“Absolutely,” I agree as she walks away, and Luke and Tyler come over. He looks between the two of us and claps me on the back. “Everything good with your lady?”

“Yeah,” I reply, feeling a lightness in my chest I haven’t felt in weeks. “Everything is good. I’m taking her out on a date.”

Tyler raises an eyebrow in surprise while Luke grins. “About time, man. Maybe next week you’ll be worth a shit on the ice again.”

I flip him the finger and shake my head as he strides off with Tyler.

A moment later, Maya returns. Pushing a strand of her long black hair behind her ear, she says, “Elle told us to ‘take our time’ and that Preston and Finley are catching up. How did he get home so quick?”

“I told you, I’m a sloth,” I joke. “Seriously, Preston was in a hurry to get home while I was taking my sweet time, dreading my lonely apartment.”

“Really?” she asks.

“Really. If I had known you were here, I would’ve been out before Preston,” I assure her. Then, taking her hand, I lead the way to my SUV. “I’ll drive since you don’t know your way around town yet.”

With her hand in mine, this whole afternoon feels like a dream. But Maya is really here, and she said the sweetest five words ever:I want to try again.

I don’t know what the future holds for us as we drive away, and I debate where to take her for dinner. But I’m more determined than ever to make things work—with Maya, with Finley, with everything. I’m all in.

I just hope that she is too.

Maya’s scared, and I understand that. Hell, I’m scared too. Scared of screwing up and losing her again.

But the fact that she’s willing to try gives me hope and confidence in myself that I won’t miss on this shot.

32

Maya

“So, where are we going?” I ask Christian from the passenger seat of his SUV as he drives us around town. “Are you sure I look okay wearing this?”

“Maya,” he says quietly, his gaze moving from the road to sweep over my pale blue dress for a quick second. “You look beautiful.”

I smile at him before he looks away, and some of the nervousness leaves me. “Thank you. But that doesn’t answer my question.”

“I thought we could go to a steakhouse in a hotel if that’s okay? The food is great, and it’s casual.”

“That sounds perfect,” I agree.

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