Page 97 of The Closed Off Captain

“I’m glad I was able to help out.” He reaches out and puts his hand on my knee. Without even thinking about it, I cover his hand with my own. He turns his hand and intertwines our fingers together, and I can’t help but look down at our hands.

“Is this okay?” he asks.

I smile. “Yes.” He squeezes my hand once, and I’m pretty sure I turn into a puddle of goo. We get to the restaurant soon after that and head inside. It’s a pretty low-key restaurant, which is one of the reasons I suggested it. Hopefully, we can get in and out without anybody recognizing the big guy at my side. I glance up at him with his black cap on. He notices and looks down at me.

“You good?”

I nod. “Yeah. Just making sure your ball cap is in place, so nobody will possibly know it’s you.” He shakes his head at the sarcasm in my voice and puts a hand on my back as we walk inside and make our way to the screens. He stands just behind my shoulder as I order and then steps to the side, so he can place his order. I reach for my wallet, but he just shakes his head and swipes his card instead. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He grabs our receipt and puts his hand on my back once again as we snag a table. I think for a moment it might be awkward, but I remind myself that it’s just Gunner. We’ve spent so much time together; this is nothing new. Heleans back against his seat and gives me his full attention. “So, what did Grandma May have to say about my game?”

And just like that, everything eases between us. Grandma May is always criticizing Gunner, but she does it out of love. That’s just how she is, and Gunner graciously accepts it and doesn’t let it bother him. “Oh, she was praising your name after that goal.”

He grins. “She liked that, did she?”

“Yeah, but don’t let it go to your head. She was mad as a hornet after that hit you took from Kowalski.”

“How was that my fault?” he counters.

I shrug. “You know how she is.”

Our number is called, and he stands up to go get our food. We both dig in hungrily, and I eat as much as I can before sliding my bowl over to him. He takes it without question and finishes it. We talk about anything and everything. I yawn at some point, and he pushes back his chair. “Let’s get going.”

“That was really good, Gunner. Thank you.”

He opens my door for me “You’re welcome.” I climb into the truck and start warming up. When he climbs in and closes his door, he glances over at me. “How about I take you home? It’s later than I realized, and I’ll pick you up in the morning since you don’t have your car.”

“It’s fine,” I tell him, waving off his concern. “If you don’t mind returning me to my car, I’ll be fine.”

“That will add an extra thirty plus minutes to your night. Let me just take you home; I’ll get you in the morning. What time?”

“If you’re sure,” I start.

“I am.”

“I need to be there at seven tomorrow.”

He nods. “I’ll get you at six.”

“Are you sure, Gunner? I can just get my—”

“Yes.” We drive in silence for a little bit, but it’s a comfortable silence. I’m grateful he’s driving, because I’m suddenly exhausted.

I yawn again, and he glances over at me. “You can put your head back and rest; I’ll get you home safely.”

“I know.” But I don’t want to; I don’t want to miss anything from this perfect night. “How are your mom and Greyson doing?” I ask instead.

He launches into a story about his brother and his team, and I listen with a smile on my face. When we stop in front of my house sometime later, I turn to him. “Thanks, Gunner. I had a really good night.”

“I did too.” He stares at me intently. “Did you give any more thought to what I told you earlier?”

“You mean when you talked more than I’ve ever heard you talk?”

A wry smile graces his lips. “I was passionate about the topic.”

A warm feeling settles over me. “I mean I thought going on this date with you would tell you where I stand.”

“So, you want to do this? Go forward and see where it leads?” he asks, a little uncertain.

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