Page 108 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
A pretty blonde woman walks up to Tracy, and she introduces me to her friend Kendra, who’s the wife of another player on the Bashers.
“Maya is one of the coaches at the hockey camp Annabelle loves,” Tracy says to Kendra. “Though now it’s over since coach Theo is back on the team.”
“Yeah, the kids were pretty sad when we broke the news to them that camp had to end,” I say.
Tracy flashes a sympathetic smile. “She cried a lot that day. Dylan had to promise to take her to DisneylandandDisney World to get her feel better.”
“Oh gosh, I’m sorry.”
Tracy chuckles and waves a hand like it’s no big deal. “It’s alright. I’ve been putting off Disney for years, so it’s about time we follow through.”
We all laugh.
“I really can’t thank you and Theo enough for putting on that hockey camp. Annabelle loved it. She usually loses interest in activities pretty quickly, so the fact that she loved camp so much was a big deal.”
“I miss it. Theo does too,” I say.
“Speaking of Theo,” Tracy says with a glint in her eyes. “Are you two a thing? You guys looked pretty close at Annabelle’s birthday party.” She raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow as she looks at me. Kendra rolls her eyes good-naturedly.
“You’ll have to forgive, Tracy. She’s obnoxiously nosy,” Kendra jokes.
I smile. “It’s okay. Yeah, we are actually.”
Tracy lets out a soft squeal. Kendra rolls her eyes good-naturedly at her friend.
Tracy rests a hand on my arm. “I know I’m acting ridiculous right now, but I can’t help it. Theo has been a confirmed bachelor for so long. Like, years and years. I’m just excited to see him settle down.”
I tell them how his cousin is my best friend so we’ve known each other for years, but didn’t get together until reconnecting the past couple of months.
Kendra and Tracy make dual “aww” sounds.
“That’s so romantic!” Tracy says.
The bartender drops off our drinks. Tracy takes a sip of her cranberry juice before letting out a satisfied “mmm” sound and patting her stomach.
“Pregnancy cravings are wild. My whole life I couldn’t stand cranberry juice. Now I’m drinking gallons of it every week.”
I laugh.
Kendra turns to her. “When’s your induction date again?”
“Exactly six weeks from tomorrow.”
“Wow, that’s coming up,” I say.
“I would have liked to let myself go into labor naturally, but with Dylan’s crazy work schedule I don’t want to risk it,” Tracy says. “How awful would it be if my water broke and he was playing an away game?”
Kendra nods. “I hear you. I was lucky that I gave birth in the summer when they weren’t playing. My husband was around and could help me with feedings and changing diapers. That definitely wouldn’t have been the case if I gave birth in the middle of the season.”
Tracy pats my arm again, chuckling. “Word of advice from two women married to hockey players: get used to saving major life events for the off season.”
They both laugh. I do too until I realize they’re not joking.
“Oh. You’re serious,” I say.
Tracy’s smile drops. She clears her throat, seeming to register my hesitation. “I just mean that the schedule is pretty rigid for pro hockey players. It’s not a normal nine-to-five job, you know? So if you’re in a relationship, you have to kind of work around them.”
She shrugs and offers a sympathetic smile as Kendra nods along.
