Page 8 of The Penalty Shot (Totally Pucked 5)

“Have you been in Chicago long?”

She nods. “Since I was sixteen. I got pregnant with Alex when I was young, and we moved to Chicago after I had him. I’ve been working at the club since I was eighteen. I started as a cocktail waitress and moved up to a bartender. What about you, have you always been in Chicago?”

Wow. She was a teen mother, no wonder she looks so young. It makes me respect her even more for making it on her own so young.

“Most of my life. I lucked out when I got drafted to Chicago. My parents live on the outskirts of the city.”

I hit the jackpot when it came to being drafted, and I know it. I could’ve been picked up by any team in the country, but I got to stay home. Hell, Graham Adams, one of my best friends and my teammate on the Avalanches, was just recently traded to Washington until he quit playing to be with his family. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere but Chicago. It’s home.

“Are you close with your family?” Auden asks, taking a huge bite of our shared cheese fries. I love that she’s not afraid to eat in front of me. More often than not, when I’ve gone on dates, women get salads and pick at it like a bird. Not Auden, while I can tell she’s still nervous, and guarded…she seems to be opening up as our dinner progresses and has no qualms about eating.

I nod. “Yeah. My parents have been together for nearly thirty years and have been my biggest supporters. Not just in my career, but in my art, in general. I have a younger sister who’s an interior designer. We all try to get together for Sunday dinners if I’m not on the road.”

“I bet it’s really fun to travel all over the country,” she says.

“Sometimes it is. But, for the most part, I’m back in my hotel room right after a game, trying to give my body time to rest. Usually, I’m reading or watching old movies orStar Warsfor the millionth time. The originals, obviously. I’m a bit of a nerd.”

Auden laughs. “You remind me a lot of Alex. He is obsessed with art and manga.Star Warstoo. I think he really likes horror movies too right now, despite me thinking he’s not ready for them. He’s mature, and he knows that it's just theatrics, so I let him watch them. But, he’s really a fan of older slasher films.”

I love listening to her talk about her son, and the fond and affectionate look in her eyes as she does. I knew most of these things about Alex already, but it feels like I’m learning it all over again through her eyes.

“Wow,” I laugh, “he’s like a mini-version of me. The last time I saw him, he said he was rewatching all of the Scream movies, in hopes of watching the new one that recently released. He really is a cool kid, Auden, you’ve done a great job.”

She smiles proudly, and I notice a small glob of cheese on her lip, so I reach out with my thumb to wipe it away. She sucks in a breath and freezes, so I smile. “You’ve got uh…some cheese. Right here.”

My thumb connects with her lip and I quickly wipe the cheese away, my smile widening when I see how her cheeks have reddened, and suddenly meeting my gaze is too much for her.

I don’t let her retreat; instead, I continue asking questions and keep her talking. She tells me that when she’s not working, she’s at yoga or Pilates, and that she and Alex have a Harry Potter marathon at least once a month, and we joke about how we’re both Ravenclaws. Her best friend just got married to his new husband, and they’re basically Alex’s uncles. I learned that the guy living with her isn’t anything other than her roommate, and I’m so fucking happy to hear it. When the fries are long gone, and we’re both stuffed, I lean back in the booth.

“I’m not gonna lie, I doubted you, Killer. But these cheese fries? Heaven sent.”

She grins. “Told you so. I’ve got to put in an order to bring home to Alex or he might disown me. They are his favorite too. Speaking of,” she glances down at her watch, “I probably need to head home. He’s at a friend’s right now, but I need to make sure he did his homework and is ready for school tomorrow.”

“Of course. School comes first. Thank you for coming to dinner with me. I’m glad that I could get the tire fixed and save you from hurting yourself or someone else with that tool.” I wink, and she shakes her head as she rolls her eyes.

“You’re impossible. I told you, I had it under control. I would’ve eventually called a mechanic.”

I laugh, the deep baritone vibrating through my chest. “I’m sure. Glad I could be of service. If you need anything, I’m only next door, after all.”

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend the next few days thinking about Auden. I knew that I probably shouldn’t be but that didn’t stop me. She intrigues me.

I want to know more. I want to pull her even more out of her shell and get to know everything about her.

A little after seven thirty, after I made myself a quick dinner and sat down on the couch to work on my sketch, there’s a knock at the door. I set my sketchpad and charcoal down, wiping my blackened fingers on my sweats before opening the door.

Auden and Alex both stand on the other side. Alex’s face lights up when I open the door, and he holds out his hand, and we do our special handshake. He follows it with a big hug.

“Ash! I can’t believe you met my mom. This is the best day ever.”

I laugh, hugging him back. “It is, dude. You could’ve told me that your mom is so pretty, kid.”

Auden blushes as she tucks her hair behind her ear. My eyes drift down to the plate in her hands covered with plastic wrap. “Hi, uh...Alex and I baked you some chocolate chip cookies. My secret recipe. To thank you for helping me with my tire and for carrying my groceries. Also, do you guys have a…handshake?”

Alex giggles and I nod. “Just our nerd-bond thing.” I shoot her a playful wink before continuing, “And you didn’t have to bake me any cookies to thank me, Auden.”

The smile on my face widens. She made me fucking cookies. There are two ways to a guy's heart, one’s through his dick and the other’s through his stomach.

"Of course, we did, Ash. Plus, Mom has been teaching me to cook for a few years. You should see me; I can practically make a five-star meal.”

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