Page 95 of One Good Puck
“It doesn’t sound like things are weird or awkward at all between you two,” Dakota says. “It sounds like you two were able to go back to being friends even after you hooked up.”
“Yeah, we were,” I say, still surprised at how smooth and easy it was.
“Do you want to hook up with him again?” Ingrid asks.
My cheeks heat. “Yeah. I do. But wouldn’t that be kind of weird? To hook up with my housemate? I mean, I’m a mom. Moms aren’t supposed to do stuff like that.”
They all shake their heads.
“Says who?”Maya asks.
“Abby, you shouldn’t deny yourself pleasure just because you’re a mom,” Bella says. “Anyone who thinks that is wrong.”
Dakota nods. “You take amazing care of Emma. Whether or not you’re hooking up with someone has no bearing on the kind of mother you are.”
I process what they’ve said. They’re right. I’m just hung up on the traditional expectations of what a mom is supposed to be. Self-sacrificing. Does everything for her kids and nothing for herself.
“Are you worried about Emma catching you guys, or something?” Dakota asks.
“Yeah, of course. But I also don’t want to ruin my friendship with Gavin.”
They nod like they understand.
“Well, as long as you don’t have crazy loud sex or hook up on the couch in front of Emma, I don’t think you need to worry about her catching you two,” Bella says.
I burst out laughing. “Oh, I would never do that.”
Dakota pats my hand. “We know you wouldn’t. You should talk to Gavin about it. Lay out some ground rules. See if you two are on the same page. It sounds like you’ve been able to navigate things smoothly so far, so having a conversation shouldn’t be a problem.”
I sip my wine and think about what they’ve said. They’re right. Gavin and I can at least talk about possibly hooking up again.
I let out a breath. “Okay. I’ll talk to him.”
They all squeal in excitement. Dakota texts Sophie to come back out. She sits back down and takes a sip from Dakota’s wine glass. We chat about Dakota’s upcoming engagement party.
They leave to head to the game, and I sit on the couch, feeling giddy and nervous. I’m about to ask Gavin to be my friend with benefits.
Chapter 37
Gavin
Istand at the Bashers bench during our home game against Minneapolis, watching the ice.
Two minutes are left in the third period, and we’re one point ahead. If we can manage to hold off Minneapolis, then we’ll close out the month of October with a win.
Currently on the ice are Ryker, Del, Theo, Sam, and Camden. Del has possession of the puck and is heading toward the Minneapolis net. One of their players goes to check him, but Del braces himself, then shoulder-checks him. The Minneapolis player is thrown off balance, allowing Del to zero in on the net.
He takes a shot, but their goalie blocks it. There’s a scuffle between one of their defensemen and Sam, but Sam manages to take the puck from him. He doesn’t have a clear shot, so he sends it back to Ryker.
Ryker winds up and slaps the puck hard into the back of the Minneapolis net. A slap shot—his signature shot when he was a young player. He doesn’t do them much anymore.This is the first time I’ve seen him attempt it since he’s played for the Bashers.
The goal buzzer blares, and the arena goes wild. The guys on the bench jump up and cheer. Xander is on his feet, bumping his fist against Ryker’s when he skates by the bench.
“My man! Patron saint of slap shots! Hell yeah!” Xander hollers.
Ryker’s normally serious expression eases slightly as he celebrates with his teammates. He doesn’t smile much, even when he scores. He’s a grumpy fucker who wears a serious frown on his face constantly.
“Nice goal,” I say to Ryker.
