Page 93 of Player Misconduct
I nod and then he turns and heads back inside.
As the door closes behind him, I glance through the window, just long enough to see Tarron still at the table, staring across the restaurant at Aleksias; he joins the guys again, and Aleksi stares back at him. Two men sizing each other up, both knowing exactly what’s at stake.
I rub my belly knowing that the only thing I care about is the little person still safe and protected inside of me. Part of me wishes I could keep him all to myself forever. Never let him feel pain, or loss, but that’s not possible.
“Don’t worry little one. I’m going to clean this mess up before you get here. I promise,” I say as I turn away from the restaurant and head for my car.
Chapter Seventeen
Aleksi
The sky over Seattle looks unsure if it’s going to cooperate tonight.
I check the forecast again even though I’ve already checked it eight times. Clear enough for a few hours. If the weather holds, the planets will do the rest.
I get a text on my phone:
Donna-Trey’s Realtor: Congratulations. The house officially closed. Can you meet me tomorrow to get thekeys? Want me to pull the For Sale sign before I leave today?
I can hardly believe that I bought a house that cost half my yearly contract guarantee but Vivi said that she’d been in the neighbors house a few times for birthday parties with Adeline and it would be perfect for Kendall.
If I trust anyone to understand Kendall’s taste, it’s Vivi. I know that buying a house without asking Kendall is a huge step that she’s either going to take as romantic or pushy. If she hates the house or thinks I’ve lost my damn mind for buying it for her then the realtor said there were four other offers on the table and she can turn around and resell it for me.
Me:No. Keep the For Sale on it for a few more days until I can bring Kendall to see it. I don’t want to freak her out.
Donna-Trey’s Realtor:No problem. Just let me know if you want me to relist it, otherwise I’ll come by for the sign in a few days. Good luck!
I’m taking a huge leap here, I know, but Kendall deserves the best and so does our kid. That apartment is too small and I have the money to make sure she gets what she should have had a long time ago.
I could see in her eyes how much she wanted that crib and chair in a nursery for him. And it’s the one thing I can do to take something off her plate.
Next thing… that ancient car. But one step at a time or Kendall might run for the hills. She scares a little easily. I have to go slow with her. Not the pace I want to take but I’ll do it.
The plans Vivi has for the nursery sound perfect and I gave her an unlimited budget to do it with.
Painters arrive tomorrow and then furniture the day after.
My phone buzzes again, but this time it’s my sister.
Saara:Everything on for tonight?
I grin. Of course my sister remembered. She knows how much this night needs to go right.
Me:On. As long as the clouds stay away.
While I wait for her to answer, I move through my apartment ticking off items I’ve triple-checked already. Picnic basket—packed. Lanterns—charged. Telescope—collimated and begging to show off. Printed star map on heavy paper—coordinates of the night we met, the exact time stamped like a secret only the two of us know.
Another buzz.
Saara:They’ll cooperate. You’re the most stubborn person I know, and the sky fears you.Saara:Also, breathe.Saara:And remember who you are.
I open the pantry, close it again. I don’t need anything in there, but my hands want a job.
A bench-scratcher who was told he skated wide, shot wild, thought too much. A late call-up. An optimist because if you don’t expect the puck you’ll miss it when it comes. A man whose chest has felt hollow since that night in Nevada. Another buzz.
Saara:Don’t forget, you’re a fighter, Aleksi. You always have been.
Saara:Sometimes you also have totellpeople what you want and if she’s not madly in love with you already, then something is wrong with her.
