Page 69 of Desperate Pucker
“I should get going,” I say after I kiss her again.
“I’ll walk you out.”
I shake my head. “No. Stay in bed and rest some more.”
She yawns. “Okay.”
I slide out of bed and tuck the sheets over her. I get dressed, kiss her forehead, then walk out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me.
I walk into the kitchen, open the refrigerator, and grab a can of Coke. I set it on the counter, then leave a note.
A treat for you.
Bruce brushes up against my ankles and softly meows at me. I toss him a few treats and make sure he has enough food and water in his bowl.
I lean down and pet him. “Be good for Maddy, okay?”
And then I quietly walk out of the apartment and head to my place to pack for Salt Lake City.
Chapter 24
Maddy
Ifight a smile as I stare down at the note Ryker left me next to the can of Coke.
A treat for you.
My tummy does a somersault.
I think about how Ryker insisted I go back to sleep when he left to fly to Salt Lake City for the Bashers’ away game—how he went out of his way to take care of me.
This whole time, I had him pegged all wrong. He’s more than just the gruff hockey player I wrote him off as. He’s an amazing big brother who helped take care of his siblings. He bakes cookies for his little sister. He spent the night before a big hockey game taking care of me, listening to me open up about my ex and my dad, about my insecurities, about my breakdown at the Olympics.
He didn’t lecture me or make me feel judged. He supported me. He told me my feelings were valid. No one’s ever done that before.
He comforted me and reassured me and told me how amazing I am.
And then he opened up and told me about what happened with his ex, how she broke his heart. He was raw and vulnerable with me.
That feeling inside of me intensifies, burrowing deeper.
I can’t deny it anymore. I like Ryker. I like him so much.
A tiny sliver of doubt seeps into that happy feeling. I haven’t liked anyone since my breakup with Sergei. After that disaster, I swore I’d never get involved with anyone ever again. And for the past two years, it was easy to do that. I was pretty isolated. I didn’t date or go on apps or spend much time with anyone.
But spending time with Ryker has me rethinking everything.
I push the feeling aside. I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. Right now, we’re just friends who have messed around a bit…who like each other more than just friends. We’re just getting to know each other.
I think about what he said to me before he left this morning.
I’ll take any reason to spend time with you.
That’s exactly how I feel about him too.
I pick up my phone and text him, even though he’s on a flight right now and won’t be able to receive messages on his phone until he lands. But I want him to know that I’m thinking about him.
Hey. Thanks for the Coke. And thank you again for taking care of me.
