Page 117 of Hard Hitter
He looked around at all the happy people. Some werechatting here beside the docks, some were dancing under the white tent. College Boy had a lot of friends. There was Hartley—the Boston forward he’d met a few months ago, and John Rikker, another player he’d matched up against during the season. And Rikker’s boyfriend, the sports journalist Michael Graham.
“Oh, man, ajournalist,” O’Doul had grumbled, shaking Graham’s hand for the first time. “Don’t quote me.”
“Don’t worry.” The big blond guy laughed. “The whole weekend is off the record. Unless you want to give me an exclusive on your team’s final game of the season.”
“New rule,” Leo said, wrapping an arm around Graham’s shoulders. “No talking about the play-offs at all. We’re here to relax, right? Don’t get my, uh, new father-in-law all spun up. He’s likely to ask us to do some sprints just for fun.”
“But wait,” Rikker had argued. “If we can’t talk hockey, what else is there to talk about?”
“You can talk hockey. Let’s just not relive the most intense four weeks of my life. We’re here to celebrate. I’m going to Hawaii tomorrow, where they don’t even have skates.”
O’Doul felt a zip of excitement himself. In a couple days, he and Ari were also headed for a vacation—to Mexico, because Ari said she wanted to try snorkeling.
Now he reached forward and took her hand, and she turned to him. The band was playing a slower jazz tune. “Dance with me?”
Ari’s eyes widened. “Patrick O’Doul, you keep surprising me. I had no idea you danced.”
“I don’t,” he said, leading her toward the dance floor. “But I want to hold you. And I doubt you’d let me throw you over my shoulder and haul you back to the hotel.”
She made a happy sound as he pulled her in, bringing a hand to her slender waist. He inhaled her lavender scent and felt nothing but optimism.
“Did you like the wedding?” she asked.
“I liked watching you in it,” he answered truthfully. “You?”
“I love seeing Georgia so happy, and seeing Becca healthy again.” She looked around. “Where did she disappear to? Anyway—it wasn’t a long wedding, either, so I didn’t have to hold still for a long time in these shoes.”
“Those are all good points,” he said, guiding her around the dance floor slowly. The makeup that she’d worn today made her eyes look even bigger and more dramatic than normal. Had there ever been a man as lucky as he was? “What do you want to do on our vacation?” he asked. “Aside from the obvious.”
“Aside from swimming with fish?”
“That’s what I meant. Yeah.”
She smiled at him. “I just want to lie in the sun with you. I’m bringing SPF 50 sunblock for you, though. Can’t get you too sunburned. You won’t want me to touch you.”
“Oh, yes I will.” He kissed her quickly. “Fish aren’t the only thing I’m doing on this vacation.”
Ari snickered. Then her eyes darted toward Georgia and Leo. “We’ll have to start watching Georgia for a baby bump in the fall.”
“Already?”
“You never know.” Ari shrugged. “They might get carried away on their honeymoon.”
O’Doul gave a little grunt of impatience for all the good times ahead. “I can get carried away anytime you’re ready, baby.” As the words came out of his mouth, he realized too late how it sounded—as if he was referring to baby bumps, not just sex. He chuckled. “Sorry, I meant...”
“I know what you meant,” Ari said quickly. She looked away, studying the boats on the sound with a serious gaze.
Too serious, maybe.
“Ari,” he said quietly. “Honey?”
“Mmm?” She still didn’t meet his eyes.
The song they were dancing to ended, and everyone clapped.
They broke apart then. Ari stepped back, looking ready to walk away.
“Hey,” he said, catching her hand. “Come here a second. Please?” He led her over to the side of the tent. “Did I say something wrong?”
