Page 85 of Riding Pine
“Oh wow. Ah…okay…so this is happening?” My voice wavers, and I don’t even care. The past two years, working with these kids through yoga and circus acts, have filled a hole in my life I didn’t know I had. I was concerned about the future of what I’ve built, and now it seems I don’t need to be. “That’s so incredibly kind of you, and I might actually cry.”
Lukas rubs my back, and I jump up. “Fuck it. I’m hugging you, Blaze.”
Rounding the table, I meet him as he stands with a smile and submits to my hug. “I like hugs, you know, and I’m happy to help.”
We return to our seats, smiles and laughs all around. We talk about the business, Lukas’s coaching, and even me training several new Slappy mascots as part of the circus experience. My heart is so full by the time we all go our separate ways, I nearly burst.
“Do you have time for a short drive?” Lukas asks when we make it back to the studio.
“Let me check on the kids and see if Harley needs any help first. Then I’m all yours.”
Lukas
Ben has always been one to give of himself. I learned that quickly when we first met. Sure, he was all sex all the time, and so was I, but he always surprised me.
From sleeping on the couch when he had a cold, so I’d still get a good sleep when I was playing, to learning how to cook a few dishes for when I came home from road trips, even when he hates cooking, was something I loved about him.
He always thinks of me first, even when he won’t admit it.
Pulling up outside a small home with a for sale sign on the lawn, I kill the engine and motion to it. “I want to show you something.”
“In someone’s house?”
I shrug. “Yeah. Humour me.”
He just unbuckles with a grin and meets me on the sidewalk. The real estate agent is still inside, scrolling on a phone while leaning on the kitchen counter.
“Lukas! This must be Ben.” He shakes my hand before heading to the front door. “I’ll wait outside until you’re done.”
Ben raises an eyebrow as he looks around the kitchen. “So…usually when you go to an open house, you get to raid the snacks. I don’t see snacks, Lukas.”
Laughing, I pull him by the hand to the raised part of the house where the bedrooms are. “This is the primary bedroom. Look at the view of the backyard.”
Ben steps to the window, and his fingers drift to the glass. “They have a trampoline,” he whispers.
“They do. There’s a second bedroom down the hall. Two bathrooms, and the living room has patio doors to the deck. But this is what I really wanted to show you.”
Ben follows me to the enormous bathroom between the bedrooms. Inside the bathroom is a separate laundry area with a full-size washer and dryer. He laughs softly as he trails his fingers across the washing machine.
“Full size. A lot of surface area.” He peers closer at the settings. “It has an extended spin cycle.” He turns around to meet my gaze, and for a moment, I think maybe I’ve made a mistake. Ben looks around the room and blinks before asking softly, “Why did you bring me here, Lukas?”
“To ask if you could see us living here.” I’d mentioned buying a house before, but with all the moving when I was a player and nobody to come home to, I never bought one. Apartments kept life simple, but I’d always wished for a place of my own.
Ben gives me a reason to stay here and make ourselves permanent. His work with Jacob at the shelter has already ingrained him in the town. This is what he lives for. He’s found his place here. It took me a little longer waiting for a permanent offer from the team, but it’s time to keep building the future I want. To build a life with Ben.
Tears brim in his eyes before falling down his cheeks.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I thought this would make you happy.” My thumbs wipe at his cheeks, and he laughs.
“I am. These are happy tears. I promise. It’s just…not that long ago I lost my job and was living on my best friend’s couch.” He sniffles. “It has a trampoline.”
“I asked if they would leave it with the house, and they said yes.”
Ben sucks in a sharp breath. “Is this our house already?”
“If you want it to be. I made a conditional offer and have forty-eight hours.”
A bubble of laughter escapes his lips. “Be honest, you just want to bang me on a full-size washing machine.” Ben grins at me, and I feel the heat rise in my neck.
