Page 99 of Forever Wild
“Of course.”
“All right. Well, do you want to come by for breakfast in the morning?”
“How about brunch?” I ask. Ty is a morning person, especially now that he has a baby alarm clock, and I would prefer to sleep in on the weekends.
“Text me when you wake up.” He grins.
“Okay.” I hug him again. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks.” He ruffles my hair as he pulls back. “Be safe tonight. Text me if you need a ride or anything.”
Ash is the next to walk out of the locker room.
“Little Sharpie!” he calls. He hugs Bridget to one side of his chest as he holds up a hand for me to high-five him. Only Ash could make a high five seem completely normal in this scenario.
“Nice game,” I say to him.
“Thanks. You ready to celebrate?”
“You know it. Wild’s after the first home game is tradition.”
“New tradition this year,” he says grinning. “Tonight we’re going to Midnight.”
Despite my protests, after a quick stop at Ash’s house so Bridget and I can change, we pile into Ash’s truck and head to the night club.
“This is going to be so fun,” Bridget insists.
I smile at her because normally I would be excited. I love Midnight. Or I did. Now it’s all wrapped up in one person. One amazing night. I don’t think I can ever go back there and not remember the things we did in the owner’s box.
We’re the last to arrive. As we step up to the VIP section, it’s Jack’s eyes I feel on me, but Declan is the first to greet me.
“Little Sharpie!” He gives me his signature one-arm hug. His wife Jade waves from where she sits on the couch behind him. Declan wasthe first of Tyler’s teammates to become my friend. He lived in the same apartment building as Tyler and he had a wrist injury that kept him from traveling with the team. He’s quiet and serious, but fiercely protective and the biggest teddy bear for the people he loves. His wife Jade is one of my favorite people. She brings him out of his shell, and he adores her.
“You know you always have a place to stay at our house if you get tired of listening to them bang.” He tips his head toward Ash and Bridget.
“Like you two are any better.”
The tips of his ears turn red.
“We have better soundproofing,” Jade says with a smirk.
“Ahh. I’m so happy you’re here.” Bridget’s smile erases some of the anxiety swirling in my stomach.
“Me too. I hate not seeing you every week.”
“Same, but the internship is good?” she asks, then takes a small sip of her drink. “I looked at the pictures you sent me. That house is gorgeous.”
“Right? And you should see it in person now that we have all the owner’s furniture moved out. It’s this big, open slate and I have so many ideas. Unfortunately, my budget is so small I’m not sure I’m going to be able to do it justice.”
“I have seen you redo an entire room for less than a hundred dollars so I think you’ve got this.”
“This is different.” A flutter of panic works its way in, the same way it does every time I try to pull together a design plan. My usual homey touches and thrifting finds aren’t going to cut it and I’m running out of time to decide. I’ll need weeks to execute my ideas once they’re solidified, and the open house deadline is looming.
She grins right along with me, listening to me talk about work. A lot of my hours at the internship have been spent assisting Heather on the condos, but I love the house she selected for my final design project.
“You’re totally going to get the job. I know it. No one deserves it more.”
“Thanks. I’m trying not to think about that part. I always knew a full-time job with Heather was a long shot.”
