Page 64 of Say It Isn't Snow
“Can I walk you home?” he offers.
“Please. Will you stay the night?”
“I was hoping you’d ask.”
His hand rests on my lower back and he takes my overstuffed tote bag from me, eyeing the keychain clipped to the handle with my bakery keys, apartment key, and an assortment of plushie charms with a twitch of his lips.
Upstairs in my apartment, he tugs me down next to him on the couch. I curl against his side, humming with gratitude as he pulls my feet in his lap and makes good on his massage offer.
“This beats the hotel room any day,” he says.
“Did you find any nice places when you drove around this morning?” I ask.
“I did. It’s near here. Nice neighborhood.” He winks.
“Oh, I think I’m getting a new neighbor. Marjorie came by for her afternoon treat and said someone wanted to lease the empty place above her bookstore. They move in this weekend, apparently.”
His mouth spreads into a grin. I incline my head, squinting as he grows more amused and proud of himself. There’s no way he means he’s the one who?—?
Chuckling, he kisses the top of my head. “Meet your new neighbor, sugar cookie. I wanted to be as close to you as possible. Just my luck the place next door was available, right?”
“You’re ridiculous.” I shake my head, cheeks aching with the strength of my smile.
“Yeah, but you like it,” he reminds me.
“I do, don’t I?” I snuggle against him.
“That’s right, baby.”
As we spend the night laughing and cuddling on the couch, I’ve found my new perfect snow globe for the two of us to exist in.
CHAPTER 22
CALEB
Training won’t beginuntil the team roster for the Mavericks is filled. It doesn’t mean I can’t keep my conditioning up. I meet up with Theo in the morning to hit the gym, then we go for an afternoon skate at our new practice rink.
“Three weeks off from the ice and you’re going soft on me,” Theo jokes when he finishes a skating drill before me.
I grab my water bottle off the boards and squirt it into my mouth, huffing. “Okay, maybe I went a little hard on the baked goods during my time keeping my head down from the shitty PR storm.”
“That’s on you for dating a bakery owner.”
“And I wouldn’t change a damn thing about it,” I shoot back with a grin. “Except the dating part. That’s my future wife you’re talking about.”
It feels fucking good to say it.My wife. I can’t wait to call Holly that.
The minute I think she’s ready, I’m putting my ring on her finger. I already started shopping around for the perfect one worthy of my sparkling girl.
Theo smirks, shaking his head. “You and Alex are the same. All obsessed and shit. That’s not my style. I’ll stick to hook ups only.”
I match his expression. “You say that now. Then the right one comes along and boom—” I thump the front of his jersey with my fist over his heart. “—you’re a goner.”
“Nah. Not for me.”
“I look forward to the day you meet someone who makes you eat those words,” I taunt with a chuckle.
We move away from the boards. Theo collects a puck with his stick from the pile we dumped by the net and starts a one on one scrimmage against me.
